Buck of a Lifetime
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Buck of a Lifetime
Well... lets just say I just won the Missouri Rifle Opener Lottery! I made two trips this past spring scouting a large chunk of Missouri public with some hunting buddies. The plan was a few of us would bow hunt the property this year and few would gun hunt. After the bow guys got back they said the pressure was way more than expected (guys from Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, Arkansas, Iowa, etc). Still wanting to make the trip I got out plat books and started exploring areas from scouting/observations from bow hunting buddies that I thought the deer would get pushed into. I contacted the landowner via phone and was able to work out a deal to be able to hunt with him and his son (they were also non residents living in Iowa = I offerred to purchase their licenses to be able to hunt with them). I wanted to hunt the West end of property and it worked out that the landowner had his favorite gun stand on the East end of the property. On the topo there were multiple ridge points dumping down into a huge river bottom on the West side of the property. I marked on a topo an X where I thought I would like to go and showed the landowner on Friday when we met in Missouri. He was fine with the spot I selected and informed me that no one had hunted or walked into that part of his property in the past 5 years since it had been select cut (my excitement level went up slightly at that point ). I quickly after meeting him, headed out to where he instructed me to park and hiked back roughly 60 acres through rolling ridges to get back to the spot marked with an X. The river bottom below was thick with slashings and fallen trees from flooding last year or this year = MEGA bedding area. I hung up on one of the ridge points so I could cover multiple ridge points/drainages coming out of the bottom. Saturday morning did not disappoint when by noon I had seen 7 different bucks and almost 20 antlerless deer. Around 2:00 PM I looked to the sky and asked for just one opportunity at a shooter class buck... then around 2:45 PM this giant chased a doe out of that thick bottom up a ridge point/drainage about 150 yards across two other ridges from the one I was sitting on, I was able to make a neck shot on the deer (all I had) and he dropped. At first sight I thought nice 140 class buck, then minutes later while contacting my buddy to let him know what had happened (he had already shot an 11pt that AM on the public) I saw a deer in the same vicinity as where I had shot, the deer looked injured and was stumbling toward the top of the ridge I quickly threw the phone in my pocket and prepared for another shot. I picked him out threw the brush/trees and took another shot. I don't believe I hit him on this shot. I then got down from my climber, changed out of my heavy close and went to the spot I thought I had shot the deer. I called my buddy back and told him I thought the deer was much bigger than 140 the second time I saw and figured he was closer to 160 class deer due to the mass of the rack. I found where I had tipped the deer over on the ridge top and had a super blood trail to follow over the ridge, on the other side of the ridge he was standing about 50-75 yards down and looked to being bleeding out. I shot him again he went down. This is where my excitement went through the roof as I could tell he had way more than 8pts and MEGA MEGA mass! As I walked up to him I knew I had just shot the buck that I had always dreamed about and again looked to the sky and said THANK YOU for the opportunity!
15 pts, 16" inside spread, 186 3/8" gross green score
Pics were taken once I was back to WI as I did not have a camera man at the time I recovered the deer (+ it was dark, dark by the time we got him back to the truck)
15 pts, 16" inside spread, 186 3/8" gross green score
Pics were taken once I was back to WI as I did not have a camera man at the time I recovered the deer (+ it was dark, dark by the time we got him back to the truck)
"When a hunter is in a tree stand with high moral values, with the proper hunting ethics and richer for the experience, that hunter is 20 feet closer to God." Fred Bear
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Re: Buck of a Lifetime
Awesome buck! Congrats and great story you truly are having a dream season!
- PredatorTC
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- cornfedkiller
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Re: Buck of a Lifetime
WOW! Huge Congrats!
- muddy
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Re: Buck of a Lifetime
Everything about that picture is awesome except that hat, which I can't really talk about as they won.
Congrats.
Congrats.
http://www.iowawhitetail.com
Leading the way for habitat and management information
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Leading the way for habitat and management information
"It's a good thing you don't need commas and colons to kill deer" -seaz
- stikbow26
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Re: Buck of a Lifetime
Wow well deserved buck for sure..Awesome congrats..
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Re: Buck of a Lifetime
An old old monster Very nice, congrats.
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Re: Buck of a Lifetime
Congrats!!!!! YOu are on a roll this year!!!!!!
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.John 3:16 KJV
- AC Rider
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Re: Buck of a Lifetime
wow!!! Huge congrats to you.
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Re: Buck of a Lifetime
WOW! Congrads dude
- Black Squirrel
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Re: Buck of a Lifetime
Awesome Deer, Bucky! Congrats, it's been a good year for you.
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Re: Buck of a Lifetime
WOW nice one!
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Re: Buck of a Lifetime
Great buck man. Way to workout the landowner stuff for good access, sometimes you have to think outside the box for good access.
DROPTYNE
"Obsessed is a Word the Lazy Use to Describe the Dedicated"
"Obsessed is a Word the Lazy Use to Describe the Dedicated"
- Dewey
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Re: Buck of a Lifetime
Truly is a buck of a lifetime.....many lifetimes! Congrats!!
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Re: Buck of a Lifetime
wow thats a dnady for sure, congrats man
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