10pt - SE WI - 11/7

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Rome
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10pt - SE WI - 11/7

Unread postby Rome » Thu Nov 09, 2017 10:45 am

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I hunt a mix of private and public. I'm normally a guy who waits for 3.5+ yr olds, but on this day, it was a bit different. 3 weeks to the date of the kill, my very close friend passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack out of nowhere at 54 yrs old. I could write a novel about how great this man was, but that's another story. Anyway, he had never shot a buck with his bow, yet he'd pass shots on small bucks waiting for big bucks. I encouraged him to just shoot any buck first, then he can focus on the big ones. So, he decided he was going to do that this year. Unfortunately, he passed before that could happen. So, I told my wife the night before this hunt, "My standards are off tomorrow. I'm shooting the first buck that gives me a shot, for Dave." So, onto the hunt...

During rut, I've noticed one of the open hardwoods on one of my leases has a lot of activity if the corn is still standing next to it. Luckily, this year, it was still standing as the rut came, so I planned to throw a few sits at it if possible. Excellent cruising area. I sat it first in late October, had a big 9 bed down 70 yards away shortly after light, then get up to cruise mid morning, but cruised the wrong way. That was the only action I had all day. Left the area alone until Tuesday 11/7, when I got the N wind I wanted to hunt a particular stand there. I got in before light, and it was an insane morning. Chasing and fighting going on around me in the dark, then as it got light, I could see the chase had 2 twin 3.5 yr old 10 points and a 1.5 yr old 6. Never could get a shot at any of them. After they moved on, I had 2 adult does and a buck fawn feed on acorns near me. Then, a doe went running by with tail up from a buck bedding area...then another doe from the direction of a doe bedding area. Then, twin 2.5 yr old 8s cruised through, but neither were in range (one on each side of me at the same time...it was like I was a mirror!!!). More does feeding on acorns and moving through. Action was hot. Had a small 1.5 yr old 6 point cruising around, grunting, ripping up trees for better part of a half hour. Fun to watch, but never in range. They don't have trails through this open hardwoods, making it tough to pinpoint at times. They just wander. I was setup on somewhat of a pinch where it meets the inside corner of a field, and there's some old pine growth to one side. Things quieted down around 9am. Nothing until 10am when a big 4.5 yr old 8pt cruised by, just out of range. I tried snort wheeze and grunts to get him to get closer for a shot. He looked somewhat intrigued, started to come, but then went on his way. About 20 minutes later, I heard a single grunt from the direction he went...

As I turned around to my right, as the noise was behind me to my right, I caught a glimpse of a 2.5 yr old 8 pt (well, actually 10 pt, but we'll get to that...) He was coming right towards me, appeared he'd come on my right side, so I turned myself that way, preparing for the shot. About 25 yards from my tree, he angled a bit, as if he was going to come on the other side. I had to very slowly start turning myself to the left side of the tree, using the tree I was in as cover as much as I could. He was also going to cross my access trail, as well as walk right into my scent stream. I was getting nervous. I couldn't see him through this turn around business, but I did hear him stop walking just yards from my tree. He was right behind me, within 5 yards or so, but nothing I could do. He didn't move for about 5 minutes, then I could hear steps walking away, so I slowly turned and saw he was indeed walking way on the right side, right in a wide open lane. I drew back, and was about to mouth grunt to see if that could get him to turn a bit, as there was no angle the way he was. Before I could mouth grunt, he turned on his own, and was looking at something off to my right (later found out a doe was about 70 yards that way) and stopped. I knew the range, settled the pin, released. I heard a little "tink" then "smack/thud". The tink was a branch about 2 feet in front of him. The smack/thud was arrow hitting the deer. When I saw the buck take off, I immediately got nervous, as the arrow went in on the rear right leg, low, angling towards his front. It was buried to the fletching. He was quartering away when I shot, but not at the extreme angle the arrow showed. That branch deflection really changed the flight and impact. But, my nervousness didn't last long as I could see his entire hind quarters getting red and saw blood spraying. I figured I got the lucky femoral artery. He got over the top of a ridge about 70 yards away, running hard the entire time, then slowed down as he got out of sight. About a minute later, I heard a loud crash up there. There's a ditch over there, and I wasn't sure if he had crashed and died, or just struggled to get through that. I waited about 30 minutes, got down, checked the impact area, and was shocked at the amount of blood. It was in about a 5 foot circle, everywhere, right at impact. There was also lots of white hair. I walked back to my truck, where my dad and brother met me. We talked it over, decided we had given him enough time, and we really should check out the blood trail, and peek over the ridge where he went out of site. So, we took the track, and it was insane. There was blood coming out both sides. It was good red blood with occasional bubbles. So, we knew we had some lung too. It was an easy walking blood trail. As we got to the top of the ridge, we glassed before moving forward, and saw him laying there. He was down. The arrow actually exited about 3 inches behind his shoulder on top of that ridge, he must've worked it through as he ran. Couple high fives, and we got to work getting him out of there. Very cool to share the recovery with my brother and dad. As we were looking at his rack, we saw he had extra eye guards, coming out right at the base, on the front of each beam, so it made him a 10 point. I'm extremely happy with this buck, and felt great to do this in my buddy's honor. I've struggled to get over his sudden passing, but I can tell you today, one day after shooting that buck, it's a bit easier. Something about that hunt, just thinking about him the entire time, then thinking very hard about him on the recovery, it helped me heal a bit.

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JAB
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Re: 10pt - SE WI - 11/7

Unread postby JAB » Thu Nov 09, 2017 10:48 am

That's a nice tribute to your friend, great write up and buck!
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Jackson Marsh
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Re: 10pt - SE WI - 11/7

Unread postby Jackson Marsh » Thu Nov 09, 2017 10:51 am

Congrats Rome! Great story and buck. Sorry for the lose of your friend.
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Re: 10pt - SE WI - 11/7

Unread postby Stanley » Thu Nov 09, 2017 10:55 am

Always a bummer to lose a friend. Great write up and buck. I lost a hunting friend this year too.
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: 10pt - SE WI - 11/7

Unread postby john1984 » Thu Nov 09, 2017 11:46 am

Congrats nice buck. Sorry about your friend :think:
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Re: 10pt - SE WI - 11/7

Unread postby dan » Thu Nov 09, 2017 11:47 am

Congrats... A short story:

I was gun hunting with Dave a few years ago and his phone kept buzzing. He would look at it and put it back in his pocket, finally I said whats going on? He said, I don't know my Mom, sister, and wife keep trying to call me ( which is weird, he gets about a call a week ) I said it must be important we can stop so you can call? He said he would call from his stand while I was setting up to drive for him... I kicked up a small buck, maybe a 4 or 5 pointer and saw it trotting up to Dave. I was shocked when his gun went up and he shot it. He had just passed bigger bucks.

I got over by him and said "You got one eh? And he just stared at the ground and said "Bob's dead" I was shocked cause Daves brother Bob seemed to be in great health and was not very old, I asked what happened, he said I don't know, they found him in bed dead when he didn't show up for deer camp. Died in his sleep. That bucks for Bob... He always got his buck.

He wouldn't go home and we hunted the rest of the day with him barley speaking a word...

Sorry for your loss man...
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Re: 10pt - SE WI - 11/7

Unread postby Uncle Lou » Thu Nov 09, 2017 11:59 am

Rome, great story, great buck, great tribute to your friend.

Rome, dan, are you guys talking about the same dave?
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Re: 10pt - SE WI - 11/7

Unread postby ttsbuck » Thu Nov 09, 2017 12:45 pm

Congrats Rome that is truly a great hunt.
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Dewey
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Re: 10pt - SE WI - 11/7

Unread postby Dewey » Thu Nov 09, 2017 12:47 pm

Congrats Rome. Sorry for the loss of your friend. Great tribute to him
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Re: 10pt - SE WI - 11/7

Unread postby fishlips » Thu Nov 09, 2017 1:09 pm

congrats. sorry to hear about your friend


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