Stories behind Splits and Christmas (pic heavy/novel)

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Casper
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Stories behind Splits and Christmas (pic heavy/novel)

Unread postby Casper » Wed Nov 14, 2012 3:31 pm

The story for Splits started off back in winter/spring scouting. This particular property is only 138 acres and there are five people who hunt it with myself included. There is a really big prickly ash thicket on the top of this farm about 100 yards from the neighbors property line (they don't bow hunt, but pound it gun hunting). After the first couple weeks into the season, all mature bucks know to stay on the other farm and come down to this one at night to feed. My thoughts were to get a food plot on a flat part in the middle of this huge thicket. I chose the location of the plot to attract does during the rut or a spot bucks had to check when they came through.

I started with pushing all fallen trees along the bottom and two sides. The intention was to make deer come into the plot where I wanted them to, which happened to be where they naturally traveled through the area. Come summer I went through with a backpack sprayer and round up. The next step, I came through with some sheers and Tordon to kill the roots. Then I brought in my moms boyfriend to finish snipping the smaller stuff while I went through a hoe to ensure I got good soil contact. I waited till we were expected to get some rain after the drought to spread the seed. I went with Evolved Harvest Throw & Gro. The outside of the plot grew very well, but the interior did not do so well. I went back through a second time with Deerslayer's Slayer Seed that I won in last year's buck contest. After that the plot was set to go.

Some pictures;

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I put up a DLC Covert Black 60 and hung a stand in a big oak tree right off the plot. The tree and plot are situated where I can sit it with any wind except a westward wind.

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He instantly went to the top of my hit list. I stayed out of there till the opening Sunday of the season. I snuck in there and checked the camera. I saw that no shooter bucks had came through there since, I decided I was better off watching the alfalfa fields on the farm instead. The next time I went in there was in mid October, still no shooters.

The next time I sat the stand was on November 3rd. I switched cards without stepping into the plot right before I climbed into my stand an hour before light. I waited till it got light out to put the card into my regular camera to see if there had anything that had been through. The card showed that the buck I was after came through on November 1st during the a.m. with a doe.

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I am no fan of rattling, buy my first thought was it is Nov. 3, he is in the area, anything can happen. I hit the grunt tube a few times and a minute later I crashed the horns together as hard as I could for about a minute. Within a minute or so, I heard something coming from the north (had northeast wind), I pulled up the binos and instantly saw those defined splits. He worked through this thick area...

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Cut through the plot

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I stopped him after he walked by the tree my camera is on. I shot him at 10 yards through the heart and he only made it 10 yards.

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Lesson learned from this hunt is to wait for the right time to go in for the kill and hard work pays off.

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He dressed at #250 lbs and I scored him at 175 4/8


I took Saturday afternoon and Sunday off before I started to hunt hard again, I had all week off. I went to a spot Monday morning where I thought I had a pretty good chance at shooting a doe (same place I shot my buck last year), well with the luck I had been having I ended up having to pass this buck up.

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After that had happened, I decided to go sit an alfalfa field that after noon where I knew I should get a crack at a doe or doe fawn. I ended up having three fawns in the field at last light, had one of the doe fawns at 45 yards. I drew on here to see how I felt about the shot, I was dead still and right on her, pulled the trigger and she only made it 60-70 yards. I had my buck tag!!!

I bounced around farm to farm the next few days with no real good encounters, the farms were getting hit pretty hard by everyone else.

On the 9th I got my Alpha and started a hike up a big bluff two hours before light. I got setup an hour before light. This spot is right down the hill from a bedding point, with a huge bedding area on the bottom of the hill and another point about 150 yards away. Getting up as high as you can is very critical in some situations while hunting hill country.

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Two deer came through while it was still dark. I just saw a few deer that morning, turkeys, and missed a coyote at 40 yards. I was texting my girlfriend around 1:00, at 1:12 (camera hour off), he came through.

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He came from down the hill to the east cruising

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I stopped him between 15-20 yards, let the arrow fly and watched it bury a little low through his shoulder. He ran downwind of me 40 yards and bedded for ten minutes. He kept lifting his head and looking in my direction because he could obviously smell me. After his second attempt he got up and walked 30 yards out of sight. I got down after an hour, followed the blood where he bedded and sat down to wait a couple more hours. While he bedded he must have covered up the two holes because once he stood up he just started pouring out blood when he pushed out the clot. It had been almost three hours, I decided it was time to start looking for him. After about 75 yards, he stood up 50 yards in front of me, wobbled like he could barely walk. I was thinking I could sneak up on him and get another arrow in him. I walked up the hill and ended up bumping a few more deer with him being one of them. I found a big pile of clot

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I remember Dan saying it can be best to push them to keep the blood flowing and preventing them from clotting. I pushed on, bumped him after another 100 yards, pushed him a little harder and decided to give him some time. I came back four hours later to find him fifty yards farther than were I last left off.

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I thought he was a 4.5 year old before I found him. He just has a huge nose that I normally dont see with younger deer, but his body was not very big.

Pic at 2.5

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Pic at 3.5, I named him Christmas because of this picture. His beams curve up like a sled in my eyes.

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I'd like to thank everyone on the Beast, it really is the best/most knowledgeable hunting site out there.


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RaisedByWolves
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Re: Stories behind Splits and Christmas (pic heavy/novel)

Unread postby RaisedByWolves » Wed Nov 14, 2012 5:46 pm

awesome season you've had Casper. Really enjoyed watching you harvest these deer from my computer chair! Would have guessed you named him christmas after all that red he spilled....... 8-)
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Re: Stories behind Splits and Christmas (pic heavy/novel)

Unread postby Mike » Wed Nov 14, 2012 5:54 pm

I love the longer stories and pics behind the deer. Your big guy looks real similar to the one I got last year (double spilt g2's) so I know how excited you musta been. Congrats on a great season :)
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Re: Stories behind Splits and Christmas (pic heavy/novel)

Unread postby G3s » Wed Nov 14, 2012 11:15 pm

Both great deer fella, congrats on on heck of a season
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Re: Stories behind Splits and Christmas (pic heavy/novel)

Unread postby BGHUNTER » Thu Nov 15, 2012 1:28 am

What a season, cool stories. Hard work pays off. Congrats
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Re: Stories behind Splits and Christmas (pic heavy/novel)

Unread postby PLB » Thu Nov 15, 2012 1:31 am

Great pics, stories and season Casper!! Congrats!!

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Re: Stories behind Splits and Christmas (pic heavy/novel)

Unread postby Jackson Marsh » Thu Nov 15, 2012 1:39 am

Congratulations! Really liked the story and the pictures, good job. GREAT BUCKS!
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Re: Stories behind Splits and Christmas (pic heavy/novel)

Unread postby NatureBoy » Thu Nov 15, 2012 1:45 am

Gr8 story, thanks for sharing! All the hard work paid off for you this year for sure.
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Re: Stories behind Splits and Christmas (pic heavy/novel)

Unread postby Stump » Thu Nov 15, 2012 2:29 am

Great story and great bucks!
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Re: Stories behind Splits and Christmas (pic heavy/novel)

Unread postby Black Squirrel » Thu Nov 15, 2012 5:04 am

Nice Bucks, Casper! You've had your self one heck of a season so far! Congrats
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Re: Stories behind Splits and Christmas (pic heavy/novel)

Unread postby Dewey » Thu Nov 15, 2012 5:29 am

Great story and pics! Congrats! 8-)
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Re: Stories behind Splits and Christmas (pic heavy/novel)

Unread postby Swampthing » Thu Nov 15, 2012 8:53 am

Great stuff
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Re: Stories behind Splits and Christmas (pic heavy/novel)

Unread postby Bucky » Thu Nov 15, 2012 11:20 am

Great story Casper... you have one of my votes for the buck contest! ;)

Congrats again
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Re: Stories behind Splits and Christmas (pic heavy/novel)

Unread postby blackwolf » Thu Nov 15, 2012 2:02 pm

Nice bucks, great season! Congrats!
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Re: Stories behind Splits and Christmas (pic heavy/novel)

Unread postby DevinJD2007 » Fri Nov 16, 2012 7:37 am

Congrats again buddy. 8-)


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