The juice was worth the squeeze

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1STRANGEWILDERNESS
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The juice was worth the squeeze

Unread postby 1STRANGEWILDERNESS » Wed Oct 21, 2020 6:18 am

Monday 10-19-20

For the first time in the last 20 days I felt a bit discouraged. I found myself on some profound treks this fall and keep finding out I’m a week or two late or some new pressure showed up. Everyday I felt like it was going to happen. I’d be telling the wife I gotta go, it’s time to go kill. My little daughter would be running around the house yelling daddy, I wanna kill! I wanna kill too!! ;) but I hadn’t even come close to a kill. I try to look on the bright side as I’m learning valuable things about a lot of new areas. A lil voice in my head was saying “ this is when it’s gonna happen, when you think you’ve been beat”

So I hit the woods a tad late. Took my time scouting my way in. Found some decent traffic On a run coming from private bedding. I had rattled a good buck out of there last yr.. but now another hunter had a salt block and ground blind maybe 200 yds away. This wouldn’t turn me off so much in the grounds I grew up hunting as everyone is crammed into small parcels all over but here i get the impression by all I have found that a mature buck will be sure to elude a location like that by a long ways as it is a vast sea of wilderness and no need to get remotely close to hunters in most circumstances.

A week prior I had jumped a decent buck on my way in to hunt a spot farther back. It was really a bonehead mistake as I had made mental note of the area he was prior and just forgot about it. I had planned to hunt this property back and that is where I should’ve setup on last week. For some reason it completely slipped my mind. I thought I was intent on setting up on it today but when I got there it just didn’t feel right. I don’t know too much about bump and dump but I was sure that deer got my wind last week. He may be back there but I doubted it. I had a plan B and C so I went with B. It was a perfect wind and a spot that showed great promise in the off season. I pushed on another half mile or so and found my tree. I perched up 3 sticks high and thought how for the 1st time all season I really should be up higher as I was actually in some hardwoods for once. I was on a split maple tree maybe 12” diameter but boy could I pivot around that sucker good for any shot. About 25 yds in front of me it tapered back into a spruce swamp. I knew I had bedding close straight west and some a ways to the south.

Around 7 I made out a deer on the edge of the hardwoods. I thought it was really small buck. Then I thought it was a half rack as it worked closer. The brown horns just blended in real well in the low light. So I then realized it was an 8 but not real big and I was intent on passing. He popped out again and I seen his rack better. After my follies last bow season I said you know what. I want him. Wasn’t the best shot as he was quartering harder than I realized. Had 15 mi utes left of legal shooting hours but it was Getty pretty darn dim where I was at. Think I got one lung and liver on the first shot. After waiting an hour I pursued him and did have to follow up Shot on him. Glad I pushed

I returned at 11 or 12 with a pack and a knife. It was one heavy load. I had to split it up in two trips. I actually enjoyed it. I laid on some dry ground during a break or two just watching the sky. I got back around 3-4 am. He isn’t a monster but I’d wager on 3.5 yrs old based on body size and what we see in this area. I know most would scoff at that but they grow slow when winter lasts into may most yrs and there’s no food. In a reality though does it matter how old he is? Nah. I’m happy about the whole ordeal.

Kinda got teary eyed today thinking about how 2 yrs ago at this time I was out of work with fever, confusion, body aches, dizziness, unable to hardly eat. Basically bed ridden. Traveling around to drs seeking answers. I would try to get out in the woods by the house but get dizzy Short of breathe and confused after a mere 200 yds. Then I’d go back to the house. I haven’t been right for years. Last night I was wet, I was sore maybe tired but I could’ve packed another whole deer maybe two through that swamp. I took pleasure in the pain. I was unfazed and I enjoyed it. That buck won’t mean anything to anyone else but it means the world to me. That buck signifies to me that I’m back and I’m unstoppable. At the very moment it didn’t seem so deeply meaningful but it does now. I’ll never forget the night 10-19-20. I’m back. Sure am thankful for my health right now.
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1STRANGEWILDERNESS
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Re: The juice was worth the squeeze

Unread postby 1STRANGEWILDERNESS » Wed Oct 21, 2020 6:23 am

Forgot to mention last Halloween a few hundred yds away I passed an identical buck to this one. I mean an absolute Doppelgänger
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seazofcheeze
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Re: The juice was worth the squeeze

Unread postby seazofcheeze » Wed Oct 21, 2020 6:24 am

Congrats man! Sounds like a fun hunt, and those long pack outs can let a guy know who he is, gotta dig deep! Glad to hear the health issues are behind you.

Can you shoot a second buck in the U.P. or is it restricted to one?
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1STRANGEWILDERNESS
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Re: The juice was worth the squeeze

Unread postby 1STRANGEWILDERNESS » Wed Oct 21, 2020 6:30 am

seazofcheeze wrote:Congrats man! Sounds like a fun hunt, and those long pack outs can let a guy know who he is, gotta dig deep! Glad to hear the health issues are behind you.

Can you shoot a second buck in the U.P. or is it restricted to one?



Thanks seaz! I can shoot another! The pressure is off now, going to be on the hunt for a magnum. Gonna be a lot of fun.
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Drenalin
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Re: The juice was worth the squeeze

Unread postby Drenalin » Wed Oct 21, 2020 6:35 am

Congrats! He looks heavy!
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greenhorndave
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Re: The juice was worth the squeeze

Unread postby greenhorndave » Wed Oct 21, 2020 6:45 am

That is a GREAT deer man. Looks almost identical to the one that I handcuffed myself on in Northern WI.

Love it! :clap:

So glad to hear you’re feeling better and how this buck help as well.
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Hawthorne
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Re: The juice was worth the squeeze

Unread postby Hawthorne » Wed Oct 21, 2020 7:08 am

Congratulations! What a great trophy :clap:
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Dewey
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Re: The juice was worth the squeeze

Unread postby Dewey » Wed Oct 21, 2020 7:12 am

Congrats. Nice buck. 8-)
Moose
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Re: The juice was worth the squeeze

Unread postby Moose » Wed Oct 21, 2020 7:16 am

:clap: nice!
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Edcyclopedia
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Re: The juice was worth the squeeze

Unread postby Edcyclopedia » Wed Oct 21, 2020 7:18 am

Bucktacular! :clap:
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Jackson Marsh
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Re: The juice was worth the squeeze

Unread postby Jackson Marsh » Wed Oct 21, 2020 7:24 am

Great buck and even better story :clap: :clap:

Good luck on filling your second tag and enjoy the journey.
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Boogieman1
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Re: The juice was worth the squeeze

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Wed Oct 21, 2020 7:29 am

Good stuff! Congrats :clap: What is it bout Halloween, though since having a kiddo I’m obligated to pursue candy instead of bucks. But I will almost guarantee that I will have a big boy on camera on the eve of Halloween. Thanksgiving day around lunch is another one.
Life is hard; It’s even harder if you are stupid.
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PaPublicLandHunter
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Re: The juice was worth the squeeze

Unread postby PaPublicLandHunter » Wed Oct 21, 2020 7:55 am

Congratulations :clap: and awesome story!
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backstraps
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Re: The juice was worth the squeeze

Unread postby backstraps » Wed Oct 21, 2020 8:05 am

Congratulations man!! One well earned buck, and a dandy to boot! :clap: :dance: :clap: :dance:
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john1984
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Re: The juice was worth the squeeze

Unread postby john1984 » Wed Oct 21, 2020 8:21 am

Good buck :clap:


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