Big Buck down. Pictures added. Story also added.
- Stanley
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Big Buck down. Pictures added. Story also added.
Will post pics and the story when I get home. Hunting in the sticks. 4+ hrs from home. Long couple of days too stinking warm. Couple of pictures. Will post up some information when I get some time. Finally got the buck taken care of. Hot weather is a bummer when it comes to hanging/taking care of a buck.
Kind of been a weird season. Unseasonably warm and more East winds than I can remember for many years. I was just like most guys, struggling to get anything going. Hunted hard starting October 1st. Big buck sightings were slow and I just couldn't put a plan together, because I couldn't get on a good buck pattern.
Hunted the NE part of the state, the South, the middle, just couldn't get on a good buck. Finally I saw a good buck on Halloween. It was an evening hunt. He was traveling about 1/3 down the top of a hill side. I was on the next hill over. I had to make a play on him. The next day (November 1st) I hunted the morning and saw him again headed the other direction(North) towards a bedding area.
He was traveling along the hillside North/South that led to an oak flat (bench). My plan was to set up on the leeward side of the oak flat in the evening. I needed a west wind to set up for the best opportunity.
Next day (November 2nd) wind is E/SE worst possible wind for my set up plans. Decided to hunt off my camp stool that evening so I could more or less watch the oak flat. Saw a couple small bucks but the big guy didn't show. Thinking the game is over, the wind is horrific, we all have been there; Thinking, “why is this happening”?
Next day (November 3d) the wind is SE/S I'm bummed to the max. Needed a west wind to make this happen. Plus it's warm about 70 degrees. Even more discouraged. I know the buck is bedding to the North and hopefully traveling South. I figure if the wind holds steady at SE I could have a chance if he is bedding to the NE and not to the NW?
Dan talks about hunting an off wind and this is what I had to do. I get set up where I thought the buck would end up on the oak flat. It's November 3d at 2:30 PM. The temps are rising as the afternoon goes by. My confidence is lowering as the afternoon wears on. The wind is wishy washy swinging from the E, SE, NE. And barely 2 MPH. My milk weed seed is for the most part going straight down.
At 5:00 PM, I see a buck traveling the hill side towards me. He disappears into a ditch. He is moving along slowly towards me. If the wind swings any little bit, it is game over. The buck Stops at about 45 yards and is eating Honey locust pods. He also takes a big bite out of a hedge apple. I don't think I have ever seen a buck eat one of those. Sounded just like a human biting into a crisp apple.
He then starts walking towards me. There is an opening (1) at 20 yards, that I can let an arrow go. He gets to the opening, I let the arrow go and hit him perfect dead center up and down but am about 8 inches back. Liver hit. Arrow hits a rib and makes a loud crack. He takes off on a dead run. I watch him, to get an idea of direction. He is out of sight within seconds. I get down and look at the arrow, soaked with blood. Great news for sure. Decided to wait until morning to retrieve him.[glow=red]I also want to point out again, waiting is always the best option on liver, gut hit bucks. It's tough to do and will cause a sleepless night, but you usually sleep much better the next night.[/glow]
After a pretty anxious night. I also heard yotes howling in the direction the buck went. So, I could not find one single drop of blood. Turns out the fat plugged both holes instantaneously. Buck had huge amounts of internal fat 3 inches thick in some spots. So I did a grid search and found him on a hill side about 300 yards from arrow impact (9:00 AM). That pretty much sums up the hunt. I'll skip the drag out details. Some might find the language offensive.
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Kind of been a weird season. Unseasonably warm and more East winds than I can remember for many years. I was just like most guys, struggling to get anything going. Hunted hard starting October 1st. Big buck sightings were slow and I just couldn't put a plan together, because I couldn't get on a good buck pattern.
Hunted the NE part of the state, the South, the middle, just couldn't get on a good buck. Finally I saw a good buck on Halloween. It was an evening hunt. He was traveling about 1/3 down the top of a hill side. I was on the next hill over. I had to make a play on him. The next day (November 1st) I hunted the morning and saw him again headed the other direction(North) towards a bedding area.
He was traveling along the hillside North/South that led to an oak flat (bench). My plan was to set up on the leeward side of the oak flat in the evening. I needed a west wind to set up for the best opportunity.
Next day (November 2nd) wind is E/SE worst possible wind for my set up plans. Decided to hunt off my camp stool that evening so I could more or less watch the oak flat. Saw a couple small bucks but the big guy didn't show. Thinking the game is over, the wind is horrific, we all have been there; Thinking, “why is this happening”?
Next day (November 3d) the wind is SE/S I'm bummed to the max. Needed a west wind to make this happen. Plus it's warm about 70 degrees. Even more discouraged. I know the buck is bedding to the North and hopefully traveling South. I figure if the wind holds steady at SE I could have a chance if he is bedding to the NE and not to the NW?
Dan talks about hunting an off wind and this is what I had to do. I get set up where I thought the buck would end up on the oak flat. It's November 3d at 2:30 PM. The temps are rising as the afternoon goes by. My confidence is lowering as the afternoon wears on. The wind is wishy washy swinging from the E, SE, NE. And barely 2 MPH. My milk weed seed is for the most part going straight down.
At 5:00 PM, I see a buck traveling the hill side towards me. He disappears into a ditch. He is moving along slowly towards me. If the wind swings any little bit, it is game over. The buck Stops at about 45 yards and is eating Honey locust pods. He also takes a big bite out of a hedge apple. I don't think I have ever seen a buck eat one of those. Sounded just like a human biting into a crisp apple.
He then starts walking towards me. There is an opening (1) at 20 yards, that I can let an arrow go. He gets to the opening, I let the arrow go and hit him perfect dead center up and down but am about 8 inches back. Liver hit. Arrow hits a rib and makes a loud crack. He takes off on a dead run. I watch him, to get an idea of direction. He is out of sight within seconds. I get down and look at the arrow, soaked with blood. Great news for sure. Decided to wait until morning to retrieve him.[glow=red]I also want to point out again, waiting is always the best option on liver, gut hit bucks. It's tough to do and will cause a sleepless night, but you usually sleep much better the next night.[/glow]
After a pretty anxious night. I also heard yotes howling in the direction the buck went. So, I could not find one single drop of blood. Turns out the fat plugged both holes instantaneously. Buck had huge amounts of internal fat 3 inches thick in some spots. So I did a grid search and found him on a hill side about 300 yards from arrow impact (9:00 AM). That pretty much sums up the hunt. I'll skip the drag out details. Some might find the language offensive.
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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.
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Re: Big Buck down
Heck yes!!! Congrats and can't wait!!
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- rbuckleyjr1
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Re: Big Buck down
Awesome, congrats Stanley!
- Tufrthnails
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Re: Big Buck down
Oh yeah. My cousin just text me a pic of a fighter we got on cam he has passed on him three times in two hours, but he swollen and dogging a doe.
Tuf- The below average hunting beast
- xpauliber
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Re: Big Buck down
Congrats Stanley!
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- Dewey
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Re: Big Buck down
Congrats Stanley. Looking forward to pics.
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- Horizontal Hunter
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Re: Big Buck down
Awesome. That makes my week.
After reading your posts I can appreciate what a struggle it has been for you to get back in the woods. I am so happy for you and your success. I can't wait for the story and pictures.
Nicely done.
Bob
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After reading your posts I can appreciate what a struggle it has been for you to get back in the woods. I am so happy for you and your success. I can't wait for the story and pictures.
Nicely done.
Bob
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Vegetarian: vejiˈte(ə)rēən/noun: old Indian word for lousy hunter.
Excalibur Exocet, GT Laser II, 2" Bhoning Blazers 125g NAP Spitfire
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Re: Big Buck down
Great news!!!!
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- oldrank
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Re: Big Buck down
Nice job Stanley !!
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- carmmond
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Re: Big Buck down
Cant wait to see.... after the my wife broke her ankle and the birth of our son I'm going to get back in the woods and hit it hard next year. Living through you all this year
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Re: Big Buck down
Congrats stan
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- hunter_mike
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Re: Big Buck down
Nice work stanley!
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“The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried.”
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Re: Big Buck down
Congrats!!Cant wait for pics and a story!!!
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Bucks,ducks, turkeys,and bass!
- stash59
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Re: Big Buck down
Awesome! Congratulations Stan, can't wait to see pics!
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