First Mature Buck!

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The Silence
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First Mature Buck!

Unread postby The Silence » Fri Oct 19, 2018 1:17 pm

I set up in a standing cornfield 8 yards from a scrape on a small stool in my ghillie suit. He came in at 4:45 in the afternoon. I shot him working the scrape. I was waiting with an arrow nocked and release attached to the D loop. Everything happened very quickly. I could see his rack had a lot of mass so I let the arrow fly. Didn't care what the rack scored, I just wanted to kill a mature animal. I thought I had made a good shot but afterward he slowly walked about 50 yards away and stood near the woods for about 15 minutes. He seemed dazed but continued standing. He bedded down and I watched him for the next 30-45 minutes. He never got up but every now and then he would raise up his head and look around.

I could see the entry wound and the shot looked good but maybe a tad back. I thought it might be a liver shot so I decided to back out so he wouldn't be disturbed at all. There were already other deer out in the open by that time (including a 2.5 or 3.5 y.o. buck with a couple does) so I knew I would need to take the long way out. It ended up being about a 2.5 mile hike. That night I kept rewinding everything back in my mind. I thought the shot had been a good one but had nagging doubts about how he was acting afterward.

I came in the next day and stalked my way to the place he had laid down the night before and he wasn't there. I couldn't find any blood in the place I thought he had laid down in. I tried to keep calm and look around in the local vicinity. I've never shot a mature buck and it's been quite a few years since I shot my last buck - period. I'm sure my adrenaline levels were going through the roof. Looked to my left and in the woods a few yards I could see a heavy, white rack laying on the ground. He was about 20 yards from where he had laid down the night before. Knowledge, patience, perseverance and the grace of God had paid off.

9 point, field dressed weight 215 pounds, estimated live weight 270-285 pounds, liver shot, I did not go back and look to see if there was a blood trial but the only blood I found was a TINY bit around the exit wound and on the ground where he had died. The vast majority of it was still in his body cavity. What's really fascinating about this was it not only was an early October cold snap but the moon was also in the overhead cycle. I couldn't believe a mature buck would have shown up that early in a fairly open environment. The area doesn't see much human intrusion but the scrape was located right on the edge of a standing corn field and a huge open field of soybeans.

Thankful for such an awesome experience.



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Cuzzinfish
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Re: First Mature Buck!

Unread postby Cuzzinfish » Fri Oct 19, 2018 1:19 pm

The Silence wrote:I set up in a standing cornfield 8 yards from a scrape on a small stool in my ghillie suit. He came in at 4:45 in the afternoon. I shot him working the scrape. I was waiting with an arrow nocked and release attached to the D loop. Everything happened very quickly. I could see his rack had a lot of mass so I let the arrow fly. Didn't care what the rack scored, I just wanted to kill a mature animal. I thought I had made a good shot but afterward he slowly walked about 50 yards away and stood near the woods for about 15 minutes. He seemed dazed but continued standing. He bedded down and I watched him for the next 30-45 minutes. He never got up but every now and then he would raise up his head and look around.

I could see the entry wound and the shot looked good but maybe a tad back. I thought it might be a liver shot so I decided to back out so he wouldn't be disturbed at all. There were already other deer out in the open by that time (including a 2.5 or 3.5 y.o. buck with a couple does) so I knew I would need to take the long way out. It ended up being about a 2.5 mile hike. That night I kept rewinding everything back in my mind. I thought the shot had been a good one but had nagging doubts about how he was acting afterward.

I came in the next day and stalked my way to the place he had laid down the night before and he wasn't there. I couldn't find any blood in the place I thought he had laid down in. I tried to keep calm and look around in the local vicinity. I've never shot a mature buck and it's been quite a few years since I shot my last buck - period. I'm sure my adrenaline levels were going through the roof. Looked to my left and in the woods a few yards I could see a heavy, white rack laying on the ground. He was about 20 yards from where he had laid down the night before. Knowledge, patience, perseverance and the grace of God had paid off.

9 point, field dressed weight 215 pounds, estimated live weight 270-285 pounds, liver shot, I did not go back and look to see if there was a blood trial but the only blood I found was a TINY bit around the exit wound and on the ground where he had died. The vast majority of it was still in his body cavity. What's really fascinating about this was it not only was an early October cold snap but the moon was also in the overhead cycle. I couldn't believe a mature buck would have shown up that early in a fairly open environment. The area doesn't see much human intrusion but the scrape was located right on the edge of a standing corn field and a huge open field of soybeans.

Thankful for such an awesome experience.


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CONGRATS
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The Silence
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Re: First Mature Buck!

Unread postby The Silence » Fri Oct 19, 2018 1:50 pm

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The beast is dead. Long live the beast.
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The Silence
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Re: First Mature Buck!

Unread postby The Silence » Fri Oct 19, 2018 1:53 pm

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Death in the Tall Corn
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MN_DeerHunter
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Re: First Mature Buck!

Unread postby MN_DeerHunter » Fri Oct 19, 2018 1:58 pm

Awesome buck! That ghille suit is pretty sweet as well!
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muddy
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Re: First Mature Buck!

Unread postby muddy » Fri Oct 19, 2018 2:03 pm

Great buck, congrats!
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Zonk54
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Re: First Mature Buck!

Unread postby Zonk54 » Fri Oct 19, 2018 2:22 pm

Congrats! Heck of a buck from the ground!
mipubbucks24
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Re: First Mature Buck!

Unread postby mipubbucks24 » Fri Oct 19, 2018 2:24 pm

Awesome buck! What a brute! I need to make myself one of those suits, I hunt from he ground all the time. Thanks for sharing!
mainebowhunter
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Re: First Mature Buck!

Unread postby mainebowhunter » Fri Oct 19, 2018 2:58 pm

Great buck! Glad you found him.

Funny, your running near the same setup I used to. Z7? with VAP arrows? I noticed the orange insert/outsert. Killed a lot of deer with that setup.
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The Silence
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Re: First Mature Buck!

Unread postby The Silence » Fri Oct 19, 2018 3:05 pm

Z7 Extreme, VAP arrows, Nitron broadheads, love the penetration and arrow flight
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seazofcheeze
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Re: First Mature Buck!

Unread postby seazofcheeze » Fri Oct 19, 2018 3:09 pm

Heck yea, nice one and way to be patient. :clap:
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PK_
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Re: First Mature Buck!

Unread postby PK_ » Fri Oct 19, 2018 3:10 pm

Congrats man. That is just awesome.
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wolverinebuckman
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Re: First Mature Buck!

Unread postby wolverinebuckman » Fri Oct 19, 2018 3:11 pm

Great job, that buck is sweet!
Bummer of a birthmark, Hal.
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jporcello
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Re: First Mature Buck!

Unread postby jporcello » Fri Oct 19, 2018 3:40 pm

great buck congrats
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SamPotter
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Re: First Mature Buck!

Unread postby SamPotter » Fri Oct 19, 2018 3:51 pm

Great job- has to be intense having him that close on the ground!


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