A Big Thanks

[Flyers1001]

First of all I want to thank everyone that takes care of this site and all the people that are so willing to share their information. I recently tagged my biggest public land MN bow buck so far on Sept 19th. I don't post much, but read a lot of the posts and listen to every podcast of Dans I can find and the knowledge all you guys are sharing is much appreciated. It took a little information from all types of bedding situations to kill this deer and its a little hard to explain. I jumped him out of a different bed 3 days before season but on a little knob running north and south in an open brushy area with scattered oaks between two oak ridges and he was on the south west end of the knob. I never got a good look at him with all the leaves and I wasn't really expecting to bump a deer 100yds off the road(overlooked spot). I noticed that on that knob its solid oak scrub on top and he was laying wind to the back against that thick looking out towards the road and on the other end of the knob he was doing the same thing for south winds as the road ran parallel to that knob. I know what you guys are thinking is common hill country bedding scenario but we don't live in any hills the elevation changes between the bottom knob he was bedded on and the very top of the oak ridge was maybe 5ft and the maybe the lowest ground in there maybe 2 ft below where he was bedded. His wind based beds were maybe 100 yds apart on that knob, so I know where the buck beds and feels safe. Now where's he going to exit at which would've been easy to figure out the week before because he was going to the hay field every night but acorns literally started dropping that week and he could stand up walk 10 ft to the nearest oak and eat all night. So I kind of wrote him off as really hard to kill bedded in the open without a direction of travel and opening day went 2 miles out into a swamp point with some rubs from years gone by since I hadn't seen much for fresh rubs being so early in the season. Well that night had 2 does and a fawn get up 40 yds away at the end of the point and walk right under the tree. Next evening threw a stand at a similar point a mile back and didn't see anything. Well at work Monday my brother and I wondering how one of us could get in on that buck we had jumped the week before. Then it hit me its 85 degrees today south east wind 25 mph and there is a pond 100 yds from where hes bedded straight west. I bet he goes there as soon as he stands up. So that evening I snuck in down the west oak ridge and down past the pond to about 70-80 yds from where his south wind beds were. I got up one stick on this big oak and the rest of my straps were too short to go around the tree so old fashioned tree climbing got up about 15 ft and made way more noise then I thought would've been acceptable. It was already 6:00 by the time I was setup so I was thinking there is no way if he was where I thought he was he didn't bust me. Its too late to go anywhere else. Well at 7:00 the wind starts to die and I hear something off to the east and this buck stands up at 70 yds literally on the other side of the bushes from me. I couldn't believe my eyes, as he stretched and picked up a few acorns to munch on. Then all at once he turns and makes a straight line for the pond at this point I knew it was going to happen. I drew my bow and stopped him straight South of me at 18yds 2 steps before he would've got my wind. He's not a giant by any means, but putting all the pieces with information I picked up over the last few years from all the people on this site, and doing it on public land means more than shooting the 160 on my own ground. I figured him to be 4 1/2 yrs old and 19 1/2 inside spread overall a nice deer for northwestern MN high pressure public buck. Thanks again to everyone it means a lot.

2018arch2.JPG

2018arch1.JPG

[Dewey]

That is a great buck. Congrats.

[bigbucks1234]

Beautiful buck!!! Congrats!!!

[Redman232]

Great buck

[peteherbst]

Very nice! I hope to have a similar post soon...

[WV Bowhunter]

Real nice buck. Way to get it done!!

[NYBackcountry]

Congrats!

[Huntress13]

Nice!!

[Edcyclopedia]

Spectacular!

[muddy]

Congrats!

[Jackson Marsh]

Awesome!

Congrats on a dandy buck

[backstraps]

Congratulations on a dandy!!! Sometimes things just come together! I would love to had seen your face when he stood up 70yds away especially after scaling a tree beside him
Great job

[greenhorndave]

Fabulous man! Way to think on your feet and improvise!

[stash59]

That's a goodun'.

[oldrank]

I'm, he is a giant. Great looking buck?