Tough One to Top

[bigbuckhunter88]

This year started off with a dilemma just like most years.
The last few years I have found one buck that stood out from the rest and dedicated my entire season to hunting that buck. They weren't the same buck from year to year and weren't always on the same property. The last few years those chess matches have taken the entire bow season and ended with me in defeat. This year the same thing happened. Had many good bucks but one that stood out from the rest. This year however I decided I was going to just hunt and take the first deer that got the ticker beating hard. I hunted a few times early season but due to work and family life was really expecting to hit it hard come November. It ended up working out in my favor. November 1st 2020 was a day I will be trying to top in the whitetail woods for the rest of my life. The morning hunt was windy and mainly uneventful. Checked a card and realized I was a day late as a big buck was there the day before. That evening I was supposed to take the wife hunting but she bowed out due to wind and switched the babysitter to next weekend so I had the green light to go solo. I chose a different location where I thought I wasn't in the game, but at least in the stadium. It was a funnel between the river and an open field, I had a camera nearby but didn't have any shooters on it. I had taken the stand out of the giant, 3 trunked maple tree because it was too reclined and opted to just stand in the crotch of the tree about 12 feet up and could lean against any of the trunks. I was in and set up by 2. Half hour after settling in I caught a hind end moving through the brush across the river. I rattled, and 15 seconds later a small 2 year old was heading right to the base of the tree. I took a video with it ending with him at the tree, but took note that a deer in that path would be tough to draw on due to no cover. Shortly thereafter I had another small buck come right in, and then I got to watch and listen to a pair of otters doing their thing swimming up and down the river, efficiently hunting for themselves. As the sun started setting I noticed 5 does and fawns in a field a few hundred yards aways. Eventually I saw a nice young 9 pointer enter the field and start chasing a doe. He wasn't a buck I was interested in, but it was still fun to watch the show. He had her going all over and eventually I lost sight of them heading my way. A few minutes later I heard the unmistakable crunching of a deer walking on a mission. I assumed it was the 9 pointer but I got ready anyway. When the deer cleared the thicket at 30 yards heading right to me I knew what deer it was. I wasn't expecting him but there he was. He kept steady walking on the same path that the first buck took. That trail took him directly to the base of the tree. He ended up getting to the base of the tree and behind one of the trunks of the tree I was in and I drew. I held for what seemed like forever and couldn't see the deer at all. No idea if he was alerted to me drawing or relaxed. Eventually I could hear him chewing. And then heard him take a step. And then another. A wall of tines entered into view of my sight housing and the heartrate and breathing increased. I had to look away until he took another step. Now I could see only his head and neck, but my arms were about at their max. I decided to slowly lean forward until my pin cleared his shoulder and I squeezed off the shot. It sounded and felt good but at 3 yards there was no chance of seeing anything. The deer took off with me looking for a hole and blood. He stopped at 30 yards and just stood there. After a few seconds of scanning I realized I should be reloading and getting another arrow in him. I had just nocked my 2nd arrow and looked up just in time to see him start to wobble, and down he went 30 yards from stand.
Hes my dream buck. Hes got everything I could want and symmetrical to boot. The way it all happened was perfect. My phone had died sometime during the hunt so I didn't even go up to him. I went to get the family and my brother to help drag and load him. The wife was both happy and relieved that she would get her husband during November. The kids were excited for the adventure but especially the "blood, guts, and poop". Their curious little minds and imaginations were turning at full speed during the field dressing and anatomy lesson. It couldn't have gotten any better, and then I got the alert on my phone. The camera I set up there a month prior had caught that buck coming in, and in the background, in the crotch of the tree you can see an oversized squirrel. Good luck to all still holding tags.

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[hunting_dad]

That’s awesome! Congrats on a stud!

[greenhorndave]

Amazing buck man!

Congrats!!

[Wannabelikedan]

What a buck!! Will definitely be tough to top. Congrats!!

[Muy Grande]

That trail camera pic before the shot is AWESOME!

[Tsom]

Congrats! That thing is a behemoth!

[PaPublicLandHunter]

Wow Id say so that will be tough to top. Congratulations

[Bio1]

Whoa! Great buck and great read - congrats to you!!

[Moose]

[Bowhunter4life]

Wow!! What a stud!!! Big time congrats to you

[muddy]

Congrats that's a whopper

[Edcyclopedia]

Bucktacular!

[Net Guy]

[Grizzlyadam]

A big congrats to you, what a beauty!!!

[Loppy]

What a dandy! Congrats!