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Rattled in GIANT and still is one🤬
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Not so funny when they all come back 10 fold after the successful kill and the work starts! But you and Rick are definitely doing the therapy routine well...just " A SETTIN ROUND " WATCHIN" all those PRETTY DEERS RUNNIN TO AND FRO! Season opens today here close to home....think I will leave my guns at home today and see if I can see the little fellas frolicking about and having a bachelor party...get some of that Bush Therapy! Okay I thought on It!!!! Nope taking a gun!!!!! Best of luck to all!
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One of my favorite hunts was with my one of my daughters that was 11 at the time. I saw a big nice 10 point at 138 yards (side view I guessed 150-160). I told her do not look at the rack just stay calm and focus on the chest and wait for a shot. He stopped with his chest behind a tree, and turned and looked at us. I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR WHAT I WAS ABOUT TO SEE!!!
This buck easily had a 25 -27" inside spread with baseball bat thick main beams. My brother has a buck with 29 7/8" beams. This buck had more.
For 15 minutes I tried to look at him in the binoculars....shaking so bad I couldn't!!! It literally took me the 15 minutes before I could hold still enough to even see him in the binoculars. Long story short he waited us out. For 45 minutes he stood there. It was getting close to dark and my daughter asked if she could shoot him in the white spot on his neck. I said as long as you have zero cross hair movement you can squeeze one off, but don't if you have any wiggle.
She whispered back, "I am dead still in the white, and not wiggling any I am pretty sure I can........ OOOHHHHHH MMMYYYYY GGGGGOOOOSSSSHHHH HHEEEE IIIISSS HUUUUGGGGEEEEE!!!!!!!" (her voice couldn't have gotten more shakey)
No way to type that with "shakey letters!!" She plum fell apart, how the heck she had not looked at the rack for 45 minutes I have no clue.
But when she did the gun , her voice and her body went to shaking violently. He then turned and ran away keeping that tree between us as
a shield.
So we forever have to judge monster bucks in our family on whether or not they are HHHHUUUUUGGGGEEEEEEE!
Thanks for sharing your story!!!! Gets the adrenaline kicked in for sure!!!!!
This buck easily had a 25 -27" inside spread with baseball bat thick main beams. My brother has a buck with 29 7/8" beams. This buck had more.
For 15 minutes I tried to look at him in the binoculars....shaking so bad I couldn't!!! It literally took me the 15 minutes before I could hold still enough to even see him in the binoculars. Long story short he waited us out. For 45 minutes he stood there. It was getting close to dark and my daughter asked if she could shoot him in the white spot on his neck. I said as long as you have zero cross hair movement you can squeeze one off, but don't if you have any wiggle.
She whispered back, "I am dead still in the white, and not wiggling any I am pretty sure I can........ OOOHHHHHH MMMYYYYY GGGGGOOOOSSSSHHHH HHEEEE IIIISSS HUUUUGGGGEEEEE!!!!!!!" (her voice couldn't have gotten more shakey)
No way to type that with "shakey letters!!" She plum fell apart, how the heck she had not looked at the rack for 45 minutes I have no clue.
But when she did the gun , her voice and her body went to shaking violently. He then turned and ran away keeping that tree between us as
a shield.
So we forever have to judge monster bucks in our family on whether or not they are HHHHUUUUUGGGGEEEEEEE!
Thanks for sharing your story!!!! Gets the adrenaline kicked in for sure!!!!!
Not as crazy my daughter 12 at the time suffered from buck fever bad. We have early season and late here and I told her that I wasn't even going to carry a rifle early season. First day she missed two bucks a big 4X4 and a nice 5X5 both between 150-175 yards. After both shots she was shaking and could hardly talk her voice was even shaky haha. So for next 7 days we hunted she saw several more nice bucks and she threw up a few more air balls at them. Finally the last day of early season and it is raining side ways wind howling limbs crashing out of trees up on the mountain. We had seen exactly ZERO deer. I said lets get off the mountain and head down closer to the fields. We get back to the quad and start off the mountain and I was just letting the quad roll I hadn't started the engine. Its pretty steep for quite a ways down the mountain anyway we get towards the bottom I look to the left and it is the biggest whitetail buck I have ever seen in the woods literally laying with 2 does under a smaller pine tree 25 yards off the quad trail. My daughter sees it and is having a come apart behind me on the quad so I just roll past them and over the next little hill where we would be out of site. We get off I have her load her rifle. I told her the deer are rutting hard and he's not going to leave those does so if we don't spook them you will get a shot at him. She is physically shaking she has buck fever so bad. I told her just calm down deep slow breaths and relax so we stood there for a few minutes. I told her to walk back the quad trail and watch when the buck or does looked at her to stop and I was going to go up the mountain parallel to the deer and id move and get their attention. So basically I'm about 75 yards from deer and 25 from her. It was working I was getting excited this might work. I'm thinking less than 50 yard shot for her. Id move deer look at me Id stop she'd move and vise versa. So when she is about 40 yards from the does and the big buck they all stand up. She has her gun up resting off a tree (I can hear my heart pounding) she is looking thru her scope I see her turn off safety the buck whirls and into the thick brush he goes OMG we just let the biggest buck I've seen in 40 years get away. She says LOUDLY what do I do now daddy I said shoot a doe (she has youth either sex license) boom deer slams the ground I'm watching and its weird the deer is literally flipping and flopping around I watch till the doe isn't moving I told her to stay there so I walk to her and I wanted to show her what to do as she approached and what to look for (her first deer). She says to me "I did exactly what you said daddy I had the cross hairs right behind the front shoulder and I saw her fall in the scope" I said that's the way its supposed to be as we are arriving at the dead doe. I said right behind the shoulder huh? She hit the deer right under its ear.... 3 ft off because of her shaking at 40 yards haha I told her sometimes its better to be lucky than good....
She was a great shot at targets as a youngin but man put a buck in front of her and she'd loose her ****... Thankfully 20+ years later and lots of deer she's calmed down and just hammers deer now but we still talk about that monster buck every year. I hunt that same mountain every year hoping to run into one of his off spring...
The HHHUUUGGGGGEE one would have been my daughters 6th buck. Crazy what the "fever" can do to ya. I wasn't even hunting/shooting and I couldn't hold still. Had been 30 plus years earlier since I had been hit with the "fever". pretty sure I could have pulled off a rested rifle shot, but those dang binoculars had a mind of their own! I doubt me or my six kids ever see a 30" outside, massive whitetail like that again. A true 200" mind blower.
Thank you for sharing your daughters story. My 4 girls are 20-28 now. Still have a boy 10 and one soon to be 13 years old. Nothing like passing on the skills and the traditions. In 2014 my wife and daughters killed 5 bucks and two does. They did it all from gutting to grinding and putting it in the freezer. I never even touched a single one. I was busy trying to beat the weather on a new addition on our house so I skipped 2014 season. Only rifle season I have missed in 42 years of hunting.
So been off pain meds for over week. Decided to give it a go with climber. Lightened up as much as I could. Not hunting the farm since can only go with son and he is working. Just the deal with owner so respect it. Went to some land I have access in MI. Have spot 1/4 mile from truck and killed 2 great bucks there in 2019. One that scored 156 7/8. Got there 1:30 and eased in to a spot in a corner of a swamp on edge of hardwoods. Used trekking poles for balance. Got set up and almost immediately a horse of a doe walks right up to base of tree and sniffed trekking poles. That went over well
. About 4 , 3 does feeding in toward me from deeper part of swamp. Saw flash of antler behind them and enough to commit to shoot. After 40+ minutes, the does passed exactly where I needed them for shot. Buck follows, go to full draw, he stops to thrash tree
. 3 shoulder surgeries and last one in April, no chance for me to hold. Let down, he starts up and stops perfect at 32 yards. Draw, set 30 pin on crease, just at release, does move off and he follows
. Arrow strikes too far back, heard loud crack (????) and barrels off. I waited 1 1/2 hours to 5:30 to get down to look fir arrow. Cannot find it anywhere and have Nocturnal nocks and saw it lit going thru buck. I thought it might be in deadfall behind him but no. As I was looking, I noticed a fresh mark on tree, holy cow! Perfect broadhead (Thunderhead) imprint into tree! Hair and blood on tree!
Had good line on where he exited swamp into hardwoods and marked trail with orange crepe paper strips (dissolves fast in rain). Waited hour til dark to see if I could see Nocturnal nock in hardwoods. Holy cow I saw it after dark about 50-60 yards from hardwoods entry. I quietly walked up to it and got blood trail. Marked with crepe paper and backed out quietly with decision to leave him overnight. My experience has been never lost a deer doing this. This morning went in at first light, picked up trail and of course after 25 yards went back into swamp. Tall swamp grass but heavy deer trails and could follow up to a point where oh oh happens. Nothing to go on, spider web trails everywhere. Checked all directions except one which wad hard 90+ degree turn back along edge of hardwoods that was torn up, rubs every 3'! I told buddy this is his home trail so worked my way up it toward nasty Tamarack thicket. Got 30 yards from it heard deer trying to get up but crashing. So thick cannot see crap. Have arrow in hand, too dangerous to nock so thick and bumps out 15' in front of me! CRAPPPPP! You think grouse busting startles you? Try decent buck! He couldn't go at all and crashed 20 yards ahead but could not see him. I could hear him breathe with rattle and gurgle but cannot see him. I finally see brown in small gap in grass hummock and decided to try to fit arrow thru. Deflect a few times but hit him! He tried to get up and had another arrow ready and smoked him! Finally! What a nasty haul out of there! I called in couple really good friends and help us get him out of there. Heck, I think they came just to pull the 2 old geezers out first
. Was a 8 but broke off brow so "officially" a 7. Decent buck, not great but still a "shooter" for my first time back in with climber! Maybe 140 dressed. Will weigh later before skinning. Heck left climber on tree and will get it tomorrow.
. About 4 , 3 does feeding in toward me from deeper part of swamp. Saw flash of antler behind them and enough to commit to shoot. After 40+ minutes, the does passed exactly where I needed them for shot. Buck follows, go to full draw, he stops to thrash tree. 3 shoulder surgeries and last one in April, no chance for me to hold. Let down, he starts up and stops perfect at 32 yards. Draw, set 30 pin on crease, just at release, does move off and he follows. Arrow strikes too far back, heard loud crack (????) and barrels off. I waited 1 1/2 hours to 5:30 to get down to look fir arrow. Cannot find it anywhere and have Nocturnal nocks and saw it lit going thru buck. I thought it might be in deadfall behind him but no. As I was looking, I noticed a fresh mark on tree, holy cow! Perfect broadhead (Thunderhead) imprint into tree! Hair and blood on tree! Had good line on where he exited swamp into hardwoods and marked trail with orange crepe paper strips (dissolves fast in rain). Waited hour til dark to see if I could see Nocturnal nock in hardwoods. Holy cow I saw it after dark about 50-60 yards from hardwoods entry. I quietly walked up to it and got blood trail. Marked with crepe paper and backed out quietly with decision to leave him overnight. My experience has been never lost a deer doing this. This morning went in at first light, picked up trail and of course after 25 yards went back into swamp. Tall swamp grass but heavy deer trails and could follow up to a point where oh oh happens. Nothing to go on, spider web trails everywhere. Checked all directions except one which wad hard 90+ degree turn back along edge of hardwoods that was torn up, rubs every 3'! I told buddy this is his home trail so worked my way up it toward nasty Tamarack thicket. Got 30 yards from it heard deer trying to get up but crashing. So thick cannot see crap. Have arrow in hand, too dangerous to nock so thick and bumps out 15' in front of me! CRAPPPPP! You think grouse busting startles you? Try decent buck! He couldn't go at all and crashed 20 yards ahead but could not see him. I could hear him breathe with rattle and gurgle but cannot see him. I finally see brown in small gap in grass hummock and decided to try to fit arrow thru. Deflect a few times but hit him! He tried to get up and had another arrow ready and smoked him! Finally! What a nasty haul out of there! I called in couple really good friends and help us get him out of there. Heck, I think they came just to pull the 2 old geezers out first
. Was a 8 but broke off brow so "officially" a 7. Decent buck, not great but still a "shooter" for my first time back in with climber! Maybe 140 dressed. Will weigh later before skinning. Heck left climber on tree and will get it tomorrow.
Let me be the first here to say congratulations.So been off pain meds for over week. Decided to give it a go with climber. Lightened up as much as I could. Not hunting the farm since can only go with son and he is working. Just the deal with owner so respect it. Went to some land I have access in MI. Have spot 1/4 mile from truck and killed 2 great bucks there in 2019. One that scored 156 7/8. Got there 1:30 and eased in to a spot in a corner of a swamp on edge of hardwoods. Used trekking poles for balance. Got set up and almost immediately a horse of a doe walks right up to base of tree and sniffed trekking poles. That went over well
Had good line on where he exited swamp into hardwoods and marked trail with orange crepe paper strips (dissolves fast in rain). Waited hour til dark to see if I could see Nocturnal nock in hardwoods. Holy cow I saw it after dark about 50-60 yards from hardwoods entry. I quietly walked up to it and got blood trail. Marked with crepe paper and backed out quietly with decision to leave him overnight. My experience has been never lost a deer doing this. This morning went in at first light, picked up trail and of course after 25 yards went back into swamp. Tall swamp grass but heavy deer trails and could follow up to a point where oh oh happens. Nothing to go on, spider web trails everywhere. Checked all directions except one which wad hard 90+ degree turn back along edge of hardwoods that was torn up, rubs every 3'! I told buddy this is his home trail so worked my way up it toward nasty Tamarack thicket. Got 30 yards from it heard deer trying to get up but crashing. So thick cannot see crap. Have arrow in hand, too dangerous to nock so thick and bumps out 15' in front of me! CRAPPPPP! You think grouse busting startles you? Try decent buck! He couldn't go at all and crashed 20 yards ahead but could not see him. I could hear him breathe with rattle and gurgle but cannot see him. I finally see brown in small gap in grass hummock and decided to try to fit arrow thru. Deflect a few times but hit him! He tried to get up and had another arrow ready and smoked him! Finally! What a nasty haul out of there! I called in couple really good friends and help us get him out of there. Heck, I think they came just to pull the 2 old geezers out first
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Atta boy Muddy...figured the pain meds mighta had something to do with last week's dancing deer! I think there was a song written about it something like I CAN SEE CLEARER NOW THE PAIN IS GONE. Might have been Rain though. Great deer Brother!So been off pain meds for over week. Decided to give it a go with climber. Lightened up as much as I could. Not hunting the farm since can only go with son and he is working. Just the deal with owner so respect it. Went to some land I have access in MI. Have spot 1/4 mile from truck and killed 2 great bucks there in 2019. One that scored 156 7/8. Got there 1:30 and eased in to a spot in a corner of a swamp on edge of hardwoods. Used trekking poles for balance. Got set up and almost immediately a horse of a doe walks right up to base of tree and sniffed trekking poles. That went over well
Had good line on where he exited swamp into hardwoods and marked trail with orange crepe paper strips (dissolves fast in rain). Waited hour til dark to see if I could see Nocturnal nock in hardwoods. Holy cow I saw it after dark about 50-60 yards from hardwoods entry. I quietly walked up to it and got blood trail. Marked with crepe paper and backed out quietly with decision to leave him overnight. My experience has been never lost a deer doing this. This morning went in at first light, picked up trail and of course after 25 yards went back into swamp. Tall swamp grass but heavy deer trails and could follow up to a point where oh oh happens. Nothing to go on, spider web trails everywhere. Checked all directions except one which wad hard 90+ degree turn back along edge of hardwoods that was torn up, rubs every 3'! I told buddy this is his home trail so worked my way up it toward nasty Tamarack thicket. Got 30 yards from it heard deer trying to get up but crashing. So thick cannot see crap. Have arrow in hand, too dangerous to nock so thick and bumps out 15' in front of me! CRAPPPPP! You think grouse busting startles you? Try decent buck! He couldn't go at all and crashed 20 yards ahead but could not see him. I could hear him breathe with rattle and gurgle but cannot see him. I finally see brown in small gap in grass hummock and decided to try to fit arrow thru. Deflect a few times but hit him! He tried to get up and had another arrow ready and smoked him! Finally! What a nasty haul out of there! I called in couple really good friends and help us get him out of there. Heck, I think they came just to pull the 2 old geezers out first
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Nice work!So been off pain meds for over week. Decided to give it a go with climber. Lightened up as much as I could. Not hunting the farm since can only go with son and he is working. Just the deal with owner so respect it. Went to some land I have access in MI. Have spot 1/4 mile from truck and killed 2 great bucks there in 2019. One that scored 156 7/8. Got there 1:30 and eased in to a spot in a corner of a swamp on edge of hardwoods. Used trekking poles for balance. Got set up and almost immediately a horse of a doe walks right up to base of tree and sniffed trekking poles. That went over well
Had good line on where he exited swamp into hardwoods and marked trail with orange crepe paper strips (dissolves fast in rain). Waited hour til dark to see if I could see Nocturnal nock in hardwoods. Holy cow I saw it after dark about 50-60 yards from hardwoods entry. I quietly walked up to it and got blood trail. Marked with crepe paper and backed out quietly with decision to leave him overnight. My experience has been never lost a deer doing this. This morning went in at first light, picked up trail and of course after 25 yards went back into swamp. Tall swamp grass but heavy deer trails and could follow up to a point where oh oh happens. Nothing to go on, spider web trails everywhere. Checked all directions except one which wad hard 90+ degree turn back along edge of hardwoods that was torn up, rubs every 3'! I told buddy this is his home trail so worked my way up it toward nasty Tamarack thicket. Got 30 yards from it heard deer trying to get up but crashing. So thick cannot see crap. Have arrow in hand, too dangerous to nock so thick and bumps out 15' in front of me! CRAPPPPP! You think grouse busting startles you? Try decent buck! He couldn't go at all and crashed 20 yards ahead but could not see him. I could hear him breathe with rattle and gurgle but cannot see him. I finally see brown in small gap in grass hummock and decided to try to fit arrow thru. Deflect a few times but hit him! He tried to get up and had another arrow ready and smoked him! Finally! What a nasty haul out of there! I called in couple really good friends and help us get him out of there. Heck, I think they came just to pull the 2 old geezers out first
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Be careful here. When a company has a link on how to purchase Bitcoin with a credit card on their ammo site I'd be very skeptical of buying anything from them.
...didn't read too far as it's out of Arizona and Canadians aren't able to purchase. Just past it along for info
I love the story. I took a trip not long ago for axis. It was with a coworker who was green but has hunted before. The bugger was aiming for the shoulder and actually knee capped the buck at about 250? I ended up putting it down at 200. It didn't go far but it was comical after all said and done. He was proud and burned his tag and I kept mine for another day. It's fun to encourage new hunters but frustrating at times. The buck measured about 24" but what a sight when we recovered the animal with a bust hind knee joint.
