Western WI Buck Down
- Arrowbender
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Western WI Buck Down
I was very fortunate to kill a good buck yesterday.
The heavy wind didn't hinder me or the bucks from our normal early November ritual.
This hunt actually started on the the 1st of Nov. I sat an "all dayer" and saw good deer movement mostly during morning and evening with 15 deer viewed overall. Only one buck; a yearling; and not in rut mode at all. The doe were all moving text book food to bed/bed to food.
At dark I struggled with the decision to leave my stand and hunt it again in the morning. I reasoned that none of the deer suspected anything abnormal about me being there and one more day closer to peal rut may be all that is needed to get some good bucks traveling this particular funnel.
I was back in my stand 20 minutes before legal light on the 2nd of Nov. The wind was unbelievably strong for this time of day. I actually needed to hang on to the tree while standing. It was one of those wind/tree combinations that gives the stand a little "buck" every now and then. It was a tad un-nerving!
My stand was facing due west. Normal morning deer traffic was east to west. Most mornings while I hunt this funnel I can easily hear all deer approaching. That wasn't going to happen today. I would need to stand and watch my six. This is counter to most of all of my hunts. I never stand. Never.
My decision to monitor the eastern approach was rewarded early as two fawns were seen burning towards me. They stopped to feed near my local. I had seen these two with a doe the day before, and was hoping their mother was carousing with one of our target bucks not far behind.
Within 20 minutes my hope was confirmed and here came the doe; ears back and greyhounding it straight towards me. I needed to decide which side of the tree she was going to paas me on. I knew there would be a buck in tow.
He appeared. He was also making good time directly to my position. The doe passed me on the South side; my "good" side. I was not sure how I was going to stop them for a shot.
I needed to quickly decide if this was a buck I wanted to kill. I was searching for I.D. of a target buck but nothing was clicking. I could see he was tall enough, I looked for G-4's and, yes, they were present.
He would get an arrow if given the opportunity.
I am not sure why the doe stopped. I am glad she did. It would make this a lot easier.
The buck also stopped; but was edgy and nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. But...he was in a shooting lane a mere 12 yards from my tree.
I shot. It sounded awful. He mule kicked, but the sound trumped the what I saw. He ran straight away from me and stopped at 45 - 50 yards.
I sat down.
I grabbed another arrow.
He looked like he may tip over, and I thought; maybe it WAS a good hit. (You don't look a gift horse.........
I put my 40 yd pin right on his exhaust pipe and raised just a tad.
He jumped like he was hit again, but I did not see the arrow impact.
He ran down to the bottom of the ravine.
I was now shaking badly. I F'd up a chip shot on a really good buck.
I was going to be sick. (or so it seemed)
IDIOT!!!!
I got out the binnies and searched the opposing hillside for movement. I was so lucky to see him. He was moving very slowly but deliberately trying to climb. He fell a time or two. I was pretty sure if he just laid down he would die right there.
I watched him off and on for the better part of a 1/2 hour before I lost sight of him.
I gave him about 4 hours and went in after him. It took a while but I finally saw him laying back in the bottom of the ravine.
His head was down on the ground. I was 20 yards in front of him. I grabbed my binnies to see if I could see his chest move to breathe. It was still but his eyes seemed alive to me.
I snuck back above him to get broadside. I used the terrain so he could not see me. I knocked an arrow and slid into an opening on the bank overlooking the ravine. His eye followed my movement. As I drew back his head snapped up and he looked at me. Before he could spring to his feet, I fired.
Finally it ended. A way too emotional of a roller coaster to what should have been a chip shot.
Upon inspection, the 1st arrow was indeed back in the paunch. It exited in his farside rear leg groin/"armpit". It was bleeding pretty good and what was probably immobilizing him some.
The 2nd arrow missed his "tail pipe" by 3". It was also high. It was a 40 yd shot, not 50. It hit his rump bone, then sliced some skin along his left side but nothing lethal.
The 3rd arrow was lungs and heart.
Sorry for the graphic description. It is what it is......hunting-killing. I wish all of my hunts were slam dunks. They are not.
Anyways. Here he is!
An Awesome animal with so much character!
The heavy wind didn't hinder me or the bucks from our normal early November ritual.
This hunt actually started on the the 1st of Nov. I sat an "all dayer" and saw good deer movement mostly during morning and evening with 15 deer viewed overall. Only one buck; a yearling; and not in rut mode at all. The doe were all moving text book food to bed/bed to food.
At dark I struggled with the decision to leave my stand and hunt it again in the morning. I reasoned that none of the deer suspected anything abnormal about me being there and one more day closer to peal rut may be all that is needed to get some good bucks traveling this particular funnel.
I was back in my stand 20 minutes before legal light on the 2nd of Nov. The wind was unbelievably strong for this time of day. I actually needed to hang on to the tree while standing. It was one of those wind/tree combinations that gives the stand a little "buck" every now and then. It was a tad un-nerving!
My stand was facing due west. Normal morning deer traffic was east to west. Most mornings while I hunt this funnel I can easily hear all deer approaching. That wasn't going to happen today. I would need to stand and watch my six. This is counter to most of all of my hunts. I never stand. Never.
My decision to monitor the eastern approach was rewarded early as two fawns were seen burning towards me. They stopped to feed near my local. I had seen these two with a doe the day before, and was hoping their mother was carousing with one of our target bucks not far behind.
Within 20 minutes my hope was confirmed and here came the doe; ears back and greyhounding it straight towards me. I needed to decide which side of the tree she was going to paas me on. I knew there would be a buck in tow.
He appeared. He was also making good time directly to my position. The doe passed me on the South side; my "good" side. I was not sure how I was going to stop them for a shot.
I needed to quickly decide if this was a buck I wanted to kill. I was searching for I.D. of a target buck but nothing was clicking. I could see he was tall enough, I looked for G-4's and, yes, they were present.
He would get an arrow if given the opportunity.
I am not sure why the doe stopped. I am glad she did. It would make this a lot easier.
The buck also stopped; but was edgy and nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. But...he was in a shooting lane a mere 12 yards from my tree.
I shot. It sounded awful. He mule kicked, but the sound trumped the what I saw. He ran straight away from me and stopped at 45 - 50 yards.
I sat down.
I grabbed another arrow.
He looked like he may tip over, and I thought; maybe it WAS a good hit. (You don't look a gift horse.........
I put my 40 yd pin right on his exhaust pipe and raised just a tad.
He jumped like he was hit again, but I did not see the arrow impact.
He ran down to the bottom of the ravine.
I was now shaking badly. I F'd up a chip shot on a really good buck.
I was going to be sick. (or so it seemed)
IDIOT!!!!
I got out the binnies and searched the opposing hillside for movement. I was so lucky to see him. He was moving very slowly but deliberately trying to climb. He fell a time or two. I was pretty sure if he just laid down he would die right there.
I watched him off and on for the better part of a 1/2 hour before I lost sight of him.
I gave him about 4 hours and went in after him. It took a while but I finally saw him laying back in the bottom of the ravine.
His head was down on the ground. I was 20 yards in front of him. I grabbed my binnies to see if I could see his chest move to breathe. It was still but his eyes seemed alive to me.
I snuck back above him to get broadside. I used the terrain so he could not see me. I knocked an arrow and slid into an opening on the bank overlooking the ravine. His eye followed my movement. As I drew back his head snapped up and he looked at me. Before he could spring to his feet, I fired.
Finally it ended. A way too emotional of a roller coaster to what should have been a chip shot.
Upon inspection, the 1st arrow was indeed back in the paunch. It exited in his farside rear leg groin/"armpit". It was bleeding pretty good and what was probably immobilizing him some.
The 2nd arrow missed his "tail pipe" by 3". It was also high. It was a 40 yd shot, not 50. It hit his rump bone, then sliced some skin along his left side but nothing lethal.
The 3rd arrow was lungs and heart.
Sorry for the graphic description. It is what it is......hunting-killing. I wish all of my hunts were slam dunks. They are not.
Anyways. Here he is!
An Awesome animal with so much character!
- Beartown18
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Re: Western WI Buck Down
wow, great deer, awesome mass congrats.
- PLB
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Re: Western WI Buck Down
Great story of a Slob of a buck!! Huge congrats! He has it all!! Man what a beautiful buck!!!!!
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- JakeJD
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- Dewey
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Re: Western WI Buck Down
Awesome buck!
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- Kraftd
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Re: Western WI Buck Down
Awesome Buck!
- Zap
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Re: Western WI Buck Down
Awesome buck!
"Forged in fire lit long ago. Stand next to me and you will never stand alone".
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Re: Western WI Buck Down
Great buck and story...shoot till you know they're dead! Congrats Bender on a stud buck!
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Re: Western WI Buck Down
That is a heavy horned SLAMMER! Congrats
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- FRH
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Re: Western WI Buck Down
That's a stud right there. Awesome mass.
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- hunter_mike
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Re: Western WI Buck Down
Awesome job, way to follow up with multiple shots. Congrats!!
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- C&T Archery
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Re: Western WI Buck Down
Holy Mass Batman! Congrats!
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Re: Western WI Buck Down
Congrats on a great buck! Way to follow up with additional arrows, sometimes its what it takes.
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- PredatorTC
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- Uncle Lou
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Re: Western WI Buck Down
C&T Archery wrote:Holy Mass Batman! Congrats!
that is pretty close to what I texted him when I saw the pic yesterday.
Cuz, I cant believe I am going to say this publicly after all the stuff you did to me when I was a kid, BUT I have been pretty impressed with your deer hunting before the last few years and you sure seemed to hit the next level.
Congratulations.
I even read the story, though I got the story a while ago on the phone (I was winterizing an outboard and feared I wasn't listening well enough).
One funny thing I will share, on Friday I was just giddy and haven't spoke to arrow in a few weeks. I was heading north for some much deserved hunting time (at least I thought so). I sent him a text and told him I was the luckiest man alive (I was thinking that, just because I finally got a chance to get out). He called me back and I missed him. Then Sunday, I get a text with the buck and all he said is, "I might give you a run in that lucky man thing".
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