Two of my bucks killed "beast style!"

Share and Showcase your hunting success stories.
  • Advertisement

HB Store


User avatar
flinginairos
500 Club
Posts: 931
Joined: Sat Sep 20, 2014 7:11 am
Location: WV
Status: Offline

Two of my bucks killed "beast style!"

Unread postby flinginairos » Fri Mar 18, 2016 1:58 am

Being new to this sight and reading all this awesome info has been great! I really feel like sites like this is helping me put the pieces together, and over the last few years I have started to feel like a "methodical killer" instead of relying on luck :lol:

Anyways....I have two very memorable hunts that I guess would be considered "beast style" even though at the time I had never heard the term. The idea of hunting beds was one I picked up from my grandfather and he was the one in my family that was the big buck killer. He always seemed to get it done when nobody else could. I think having that in the back of my mind contributed to the success of these hunts!

November 2008. I had been bowhunting on a bench that runs along a thick hardwoods ridge and on the second morning I had a dandy eight point and a group of does feeding on the flat below me casually working there way back to the bedding area. At this stage in my hunting experience I wasn't hunting specific beds, I only knew a few areas they liked to use, so sadly I was 30 yards out of range from him. On this morning while watching this buck and the does I gained my first piece of intel on him. I watched him drop off the flat and into a 2 acre clump of mountain laurel in a tight, choked creek. I ended up sitting there all day and I watched him stand up and head back up the flat just before dark. This was the last chance I had at him with a bow before our rifle opener the following Monday.

The first day of rifle season I found myself back in the area, but set up farther down where I expected the buck to come from. I DID see him, but the thick brush kept me from getting a shot. He was headed right back to the clump of laurel on that creek bank though and I knew the next day exactly where I would be.

Tuesday morning I got up EARLY to a pretty decent snow coming down with the wind out of the SE which was perfect for my entry and to sit almost in his bed on the ground. I got settled in against a blowdown almost two hours before daylight with a stiff wind right in my face and the snow coming down pretty hard. I just KNEW he would show up!

At daylight I hear a deer just ahead of me and I will never forget that deep grunt it let it not ten yards from me. I had my gun up and ready and as it stepped into my lane I had the trigger half squeezed but just at the last second I realized it was a big doe!! :lol:

I continue to sit with my eye peeled but no buck. At this point it's 8:30 and he hasn't shown. I figure at this point I've done something wrong and maybe I should ease out the logging road above me and see if I can spot him in the fresh snow. I stood up, took ten steps ahead to a rise in the hill and as I came over the top I was staring right into the eyes of that dang buck! I cocked the hammer of my TC Encore at my waist and quickly raised the gun and fired and one motion and dropped him right where he stood! In my panic to reload the muzzleloader he somehow got up and rolled down the straight up and down slope. I literally ran down that hill all while loading the gun and finished him as he tried to make it up the other side. For Northern WV this is a GREAT deer and still my best buck. An absolutely awesome hunt!! Had I sat there for a few more minutes he would have been in my lap just like I planned all along.

Image
Image

*Another note on this bucks pattern. Several hunters were hunting the ridge top where he was coming from every morning. As the other guys accessed the ridge from the opposite side, this buck would slip off the ridge and into that clump of laurel. I accessed from the other side opposite of where this buck was coming from and that was definitely part of getting on this buck!


Fast forward to 2013. First day of bow season. I set up in view of the same exact clump of laurel as the buck above in more of an observation stand to see what may come out. This is one of those spots that just holds bucks. It never fails that there is a nice one there every year! An hour before dark I happen to look down toward the creek and there's a nice buck standing at the edge of the laurel on top of a big rock on the edge of the creek bank. At one point I thought he was going to walk right to my tree but by the time he got there it was too dark to shoot! luckily I was filming and got some good video of him as he fed around.
Image

At this point I knew exactly where he was bedding but it would be a week before I had the chance to go back after him. The following saturday was sunny and HOT. Almost 80 degrees with a wind out of the NW which doesn't happen often in this area. My only access was upwind of his bed, but I figured if I did it right, I could use the logging road above him and my scent would carry above him. In thoery anyways :lol: I jokingly said to my dad as I was headed out, "I'll be back in ten minutes with that buck." He said "yeah sure, it's too dang hot to see any deer". I parked the Ranger about 1/4 mile away and started my approach. It was dead calm, hot and the dry leaves sounded like potato chips under my feet. No way this is gonna work I thought. I creeped so SLOW and was barely moving once I thought I was within 100 yards of his bed. My plan was to climb a poplar tree with my climber and wait for him to get up. There is a logging road that splits into a Y just above where he should be bedded so I figured that was where I was going to set up. I picked a tree and SLOWLY started setting my climber up. I had the climber on the tree and my bow hooked to my pull up rope when I happened to see a flicker of movement not 25 yards below me in the tangle of tree tops from the logging that was done two years before. I picked up my binos and see tines sticking up. HOLY COW he's 25 yards away and he doesn't know I'm here! :shock: I am directly above him and now the wind is in my advantage. I took the rope off my bow and knocked an arrow. It wasn't two minutes and he stands up and stretches. He has no clue I'm there. He nibbles on some leaves and starts walking up the hill TOWARD me :o I have one opening and he's walking slowly toward it, I am on my knees in grass about 3' high so there's no way he can see me. I come to full draw and as he walks into the opening I SLOWLY stood and dumped the string as soon as it was on his vitals. PERFECT SHOT! He runs 40 yards and piles up right in the logging road! I called my dad all excited to tell him "I told you I'd be done in ten minutes!" He couldn't believe it :mrgreen:

Image
Image

So far, these are the only bucks I have specifically targeted in their beds. Most of my other bucks were killed near bedding but closer to a food source or cruising during the rut. Hopefully my increased scouting and knowing more what to look for will give me more chances like these two hunts!!

Sorry for the long post, but hope ya'll enjoy the stories! ;)


User avatar
strutnrut716
500 Club
Posts: 1030
Joined: Wed Feb 10, 2016 9:38 am
Location: Wisconsin Badger State
Status: Offline

Re: Two of my bucks killed "beast style!"

Unread postby strutnrut716 » Fri Mar 18, 2016 2:30 am

Excellent post. Thanks for all the details !! I was on the edge of my seat while reading !!!
User avatar
Lockdown
Moderator
Posts: 9957
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2014 4:16 pm
Location: MN
Status: Offline

Re: Two of my bucks killed "beast style!"

Unread postby Lockdown » Fri Mar 18, 2016 2:52 am

Good read! I enjoyed it 8-) Very nice bucks too
User avatar
DaveT1963
500 Club
Posts: 5196
Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2014 1:27 am
Location: South
Status: Offline

Re: Two of my bucks killed "beast style!"

Unread postby DaveT1963 » Fri Mar 18, 2016 2:57 am

Not bad for a diaper wearing deer sniper :lol: :lol: :lol:

Nice job and a couple dandy bucks - congrats.
User avatar
cbay
500 Club
Posts: 1196
Joined: Mon Nov 25, 2013 8:39 am
Location: Mo
Status: Offline

Re: Two of my bucks killed "beast style!"

Unread postby cbay » Fri Mar 18, 2016 3:08 am

Great read and nice bucks. Congrats.
Scout.  Learn.  Hunt
User avatar
flinginairos
500 Club
Posts: 931
Joined: Sat Sep 20, 2014 7:11 am
Location: WV
Status: Offline

Re: Two of my bucks killed "beast style!"

Unread postby flinginairos » Fri Mar 18, 2016 3:09 am

DaveT1963 wrote:Not bad for a diaper wearing deer sniper :lol: :lol: :lol:

Nice job and a couple dandy bucks - congrats.


:lol: Thanks Dave! This was before my "diaper" days haha :mrgreen:
User avatar
DaveT1963
500 Club
Posts: 5196
Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2014 1:27 am
Location: South
Status: Offline

Re: Two of my bucks killed "beast style!"

Unread postby DaveT1963 » Fri Mar 18, 2016 3:20 am

flinginairos wrote:
DaveT1963 wrote:Not bad for a diaper wearing deer sniper :lol: :lol: :lol:

Nice job and a couple dandy bucks - congrats.


:lol: Thanks Dave! This was before my "diaper" days haha :mrgreen:


you laugh now young man but wait till some age jumps up on you - diapers might be more consistent part of your future then you can imagined - There is a reason us finely aged bow slingers say things like "never trust a fart" :D
User avatar
flinginairos
500 Club
Posts: 931
Joined: Sat Sep 20, 2014 7:11 am
Location: WV
Status: Offline

Re: Two of my bucks killed "beast style!"

Unread postby flinginairos » Fri Mar 18, 2016 3:26 am

DaveT1963 wrote:
flinginairos wrote:
DaveT1963 wrote:Not bad for a diaper wearing deer sniper :lol: :lol: :lol:

Nice job and a couple dandy bucks - congrats.


:lol: Thanks Dave! This was before my "diaper" days haha :mrgreen:


you laugh now young man but wait till some age jumps up on you - diapers might be more consistent part of your future then you can imagined - There is a reason us finely aged bow slingers say things like "never trust a fart" :D


:lol: :lol: :lol: HAHA Ya know, it's not a bad idea. Wouldn't have to leave the tree if the urge strikes :think:
mainebowhunter
500 Club
Posts: 3448
Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2016 10:45 am
Status: Offline

Re: Two of my bucks killed "beast style!"

Unread postby mainebowhunter » Fri Mar 18, 2016 3:30 am

Great stories...just shows how close you can get with a deer bedded.
User avatar
stash59
Moderator
Posts: 10077
Joined: Thu Nov 27, 2014 8:22 am
Location: S Central Wi.
Status: Offline

Re: Two of my bucks killed "beast style!"

Unread postby stash59 » Fri Mar 18, 2016 4:26 am

8-) 8-) 8-) :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
User avatar
Mibowfreak
500 Club
Posts: 924
Joined: Fri Jan 30, 2015 12:21 pm
Status: Offline

Re: Two of my bucks killed "beast style!"

Unread postby Mibowfreak » Fri Mar 18, 2016 6:53 am

Great stories. Congrats on the nice bucks.
User avatar
Edcyclopedia
Posts: 12605
Joined: Tue Jul 20, 2010 12:54 pm
Location: S. NH
Status: Offline

Re: Two of my bucks killed "beast style!"

Unread postby Edcyclopedia » Fri Mar 18, 2016 7:58 am

Spectacular! :clap:
Expect the Unexpected when you least Expect it...
User avatar
Stanley
Honorary Moderator
Posts: 18734
Joined: Tue Aug 09, 2011 4:18 am
Facebook: None
Location: Iowa
Status: Offline

Re: Two of my bucks killed "beast style!"

Unread postby Stanley » Fri Mar 18, 2016 10:20 am

:clap:
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
User avatar
Jackson Marsh
Moderator
Posts: 19547
Joined: Tue Aug 17, 2010 3:11 am
Location: SE WI
Status: Offline

Re: Two of my bucks killed "beast style!"

Unread postby Jackson Marsh » Fri Mar 18, 2016 10:27 am

Great bucks and stories!! :clap: :clap:
User avatar
wickedbruiser
500 Club
Posts: 1307
Joined: Tue Jul 29, 2014 3:58 am
Location: MA
Status: Offline

Re: Two of my bucks killed "beast style!"

Unread postby wickedbruiser » Fri Mar 18, 2016 12:33 pm

Good stuff. Congrats

[ Post made via Android ] Image


  • Advertisement

Return to “Kill Zone”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 20 guests