Lucky Eight

Share and Showcase your hunting success stories.
  • Advertisement

HB Store


User avatar
Jackson Marsh
Moderator
Posts: 19534
Joined: Tue Aug 17, 2010 3:11 am
Location: SE WI
Status: Offline

Lucky Eight

Unread postby Jackson Marsh » Sat Nov 18, 2017 3:00 am

Lucky Eight

I had a lucky hunt the morning of 11/16/2017, saw 6 deer, 5 of them bucks and slipped an arrow into one of them from the ground.

I waited until light to walk into my stand. I knew about where I wanted to be and was going to let sign and terrain dictate my final tree. When I entered into a transition area of timber and flooded marsh grass I heard multiple deer bust out about 100 yards away. One of the deer blew, which really irritated me, I know they didn’t smell me and would have been surprised if they could see me in the tall grass. :doh:

I assumed it was a group of does and decided to head to where they were bedded, thinking that a buck would come by to check the beds later in the morning. I quietly crept 60 yards and heard grunting. Looking to the North I saw a decent rack floating over the marsh grass 50 or 60 yards away.


When I spotted the buck he was about 30 yards past the pool of water.

Image


I quickly crouched down, dumped my stand and sticks, fumbled to get my bow sling off and quickly knocked an arrow. While I was fumbling around I could hear the chasing and grunting looping around to the East and getting closer. I peaked above the grass and saw a doe standing in an opening at less than 20 yards away. A couple of seconds later a buck appeared. I drew my bow while crouched, stood up and watched my lumenock bury right behind the bucks shoulder.


Buck and doe were standing right in front of this tree when I shot.

Image

I watched the two deer run off and quickly lost sight of them, but did see the doe in a tree line 70 yards away. 5 or 10 minutes after the shot I hear crashing in the grass and gurgling/coughing (it sounded like a person coughing with severe chest congestion). This flopping around in the grass went on for a few minutes and then silence.


The buck was quartering to when I shot and the gurgling sound told me I at least got one lung and probably liver/guts as well. I was thinking he bedded down and didn’t want to bump him to check my arrow. An hour after the shot the doe came back through a little farther out and had no buck on her tail. While I was waiting 4 other bucks came within 10 to 20 yards, all of them spikes. After 2 hours I decided to sneak up to where the buck was when I shot and check for blood.

No blood, hair or arrow was found at the hit site. Marsh grass is notorious for swallowing up arrows and not spitting them back out, regardless of lighted nocks (especially on a ground shot). I snuck down the trail, with bow ready, and found lung blood 20 or 30 yards away. The trail forked and I knew the doe took the right fork, the crashing and gurgling sounded like it was on the left fork, so that is where I went with very little blood found.

After a short distance I spotted a deer’s hide and found my buck about 60 yards from the hit site. Buck down! :dance:

Image

Image

The arrow entered the buck behind the front shoulder and exited the rear guts just in front of the opposite ham.
This was poor shot selection, my mind was in overdrive with adrenaline pumping through my veins as I was hurriedly trying to dump my stand and nock an arrow. If I had been in a stand I think I would have kept my cool a little better (I usually do). I was very thankful for a short tracking job; long tracking jobs in the marsh are an absolute nightmare. I got lucky.


Dewey offered his dragging services, which I was not about to turn down :dance: . We had the buck out of the marsh in 2 hours, with plenty of breaks to talk about bucks we’ve killed and areas we’ve hunted :lol:

I look forward to helping Dewey drag out a late season slob when the marsh is frozen solid :lol:


User avatar
BradC36
Posts: 260
Joined: Thu Feb 23, 2017 5:01 am
Location: Western New York
Status: Offline

Re: Lucky Eight

Unread postby BradC36 » Sat Nov 18, 2017 3:04 am

Great hunt and story, sounds like an awesome morning, congrats!
User avatar
Hodag Hunter
500 Club
Posts: 3837
Joined: Sat Feb 27, 2010 5:14 pm
Location: Northern WI
Status: Offline

Re: Lucky Eight

Unread postby Hodag Hunter » Sat Nov 18, 2017 3:05 am

shooting them from the ground is cool. Congrats.
User avatar
oldrank
Posts: 6158
Joined: Wed Nov 27, 2013 7:32 am
Location: USA
Status: Offline

Re: Lucky Eight

Unread postby oldrank » Sat Nov 18, 2017 3:07 am

Nice buck JM !!! You put yourself in the right spot at the right time. I would say alot more skill involved than luck.
User avatar
Ragingun
Posts: 344
Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2017 12:03 am
Status: Offline

Re: Lucky Eight

Unread postby Ragingun » Sat Nov 18, 2017 3:23 am

NICE!!! I had the same type of scenario happen this year with a massive buck but couldn't finish the deal. Man what a rush! I'm sure you were pumped and it all happens so fast! Congrats!!!
Dogs have many friends because they wag their tails, not their tongues.
JAB
500 Club
Posts: 809
Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2012 2:24 pm
Status: Offline

Re: Lucky Eight

Unread postby JAB » Sat Nov 18, 2017 3:39 am

Congratulations again JM, you've had another great year!
Zonk54
Posts: 429
Joined: Sun Nov 10, 2013 3:14 pm
Status: Offline

Re: Lucky Eight

Unread postby Zonk54 » Sat Nov 18, 2017 3:59 am

You had a good year! How many hours of hunting time do you have in so far :lol:
Jeff G
500 Club
Posts: 2077
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 12:17 am
Status: Offline

Re: Lucky Eight

Unread postby Jeff G » Sat Nov 18, 2017 4:02 am

Congrats!!!! That a nice buck! He has 2 complete ears!!!!!
User avatar
Jackson Marsh
Moderator
Posts: 19534
Joined: Tue Aug 17, 2010 3:11 am
Location: SE WI
Status: Offline

Re: Lucky Eight

Unread postby Jackson Marsh » Sat Nov 18, 2017 4:21 am

Zonk54 wrote:You had a good year! How many hours of hunting time do you have in so far :lol:



This was my fifth hunt I think :think:

:lol: :lol:
User avatar
headgear
500 Club
Posts: 11625
Joined: Wed Sep 08, 2010 7:21 am
Location: Northern Minnesota
Status: Offline

Re: Lucky Eight

Unread postby headgear » Sat Nov 18, 2017 4:28 am

No luck there JM, just a great set of moves by wise old beast hunter, well done. :clap:
Kokes
500 Club
Posts: 1612
Joined: Wed Sep 02, 2015 3:33 am
Location: Parry Sound, Ontario
Status: Offline

Re: Lucky Eight

Unread postby Kokes » Sat Nov 18, 2017 4:29 am

awesome JM congrats!
User avatar
Edcyclopedia
Posts: 12601
Joined: Tue Jul 20, 2010 12:54 pm
Location: S. NH
Status: Offline

Re: Lucky Eight

Unread postby Edcyclopedia » Sat Nov 18, 2017 4:37 am

Spectacular! :clap:
Expect the Unexpected when you least Expect it...
Beauford
Posts: 1328
Joined: Sat May 08, 2010 1:14 pm
Status: Offline

Re: Lucky Eight

Unread postby Beauford » Sat Nov 18, 2017 4:40 am

cool hunt :clap:
User avatar
Kraftd
500 Club
Posts: 2819
Joined: Thu Sep 26, 2013 3:44 pm
Location: NE IL
Status: Offline

Re: Lucky Eight

Unread postby Kraftd » Sat Nov 18, 2017 4:50 am

Sweet, ground kill like this is on my Buck-et list! Congrats
User avatar
csoult
500 Club
Posts: 1045
Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2015 10:04 am
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Open-Air-P ... 137422734/
Location: Central PA
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Lucky Eight

Unread postby csoult » Sat Nov 18, 2017 5:26 am

Congrats!!!


  • Advertisement

Return to “Kill Zone”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: AhrefsBot and 16 guests