My biggest buck ever Oct 8th 2016
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My biggest buck ever Oct 8th 2016
On October 8th 2016 I was able to hunt on Fort Campbell in one of the archery areas. I was finally able to do an all-day hunt. Fort Campbell is difficult due to the fact that you have to go in blind unless you have hunted the area in the past, or the area was open for hiking. The weather was clear with a high of 70 and a low of 52. For Thursday and Friday the high was in the low 80’s. The wind all day was coming out of the north at up to 21mph. I just started using the moon guide this year. The dial said it was a red moon weekend, with morning hunts by beds and evening hunts by field edges, with the best opportunities in the evening.
I did not know where to go for the morning and did not expect to see anything, but wanted to get out so I set up in a transition area coming off of a bean field. I was able to hear a lot of motion while it was dark, but ended up not seeing anything. While in my stand I was looking at the topographic I had, as well as google maps satellite view on my phone. Knowing that field edges were supposed to be good in the evening, but also knowing that with this being public/pressured areas, I decided to set up in an area where there was thick/nasty bedding type area down below, with a bean field up top. On the walk in I bumped a doe, and then when I got closer to where I wanted to be I saw a few rubs and then I bumped a small buck. I got where I wanted and started looking for a good tree. I made sure that I didn’t go back from how far I went in. I found a tree that would offer up to a 50 yard shot, but expected shots to be less than 30. I double checked the wind and it was blowing from the field to just off the thick nasty bedding area. It looked to be a perfect setup.
I used my Lone wolf stand/stick combo and got up about 22 feet. I was ready to go by 12:30pm. Periodically, I would check the wind with milkweed seeds that I got back a few years ago from a member on the beast. Wind was perfect for what I was looking for and what I was hoping would happen. Around 3:30pm I caught movement to my right that turned out to be 5 hens, then I caught more movement coming from my left, which was not where I expected anything to come from. Low and behold, 2 hunters were coming my way… I whistled, and blew on my grunt call until finally at 40 yards one of them spots me, slumps his shoulders and they walk back the way they came. I didn’t expect to see anything else for a while. At 3:45pm I saw a young deer coming up from the bedding area to my right. She slowly walked and fed her way up to about 12 yards. I ranged her in my shooting lane at 23 yards, took a few pictures and just watched her. She kept looking behind her and flicking her tail. I then saw another doe coming. She looked to be quite a bit older than the first. She again walked right through my shooting lane. With the first doe at 12 yards, second doe at 20, I saw a third deer coming behind them. Once I saw it I knew, this was the one I had been waiting for. I didn’t even bother to count. I knew he was bigger than anything I had ever killed before. He followed the exact path the first two deer took. When he was looking the other way I drew my bow and waited. As he stepped into the middle of my shooting lane I let the arrow fly. I didn’t want to try and stop him because of how close the doe was to me. The arrow looked like it hit right where I was aiming, and was a clean pass through. The buck ran in front of my stand and was at 25 yards facing almost directly away from me and was behind a huge tree. The does didn’t even move. I grabbed another arrow and got ready. I expected him to drop and was surprised when he started to walk away. I drew back again, and even with the severe angle and let it fly and stuck it right behind his ribs straight into the center of his chest cavity. I could see the last 4-6 inches sticking out. I was using lit nocks, which I will use for the rest of my days hunting. After the second hit, the buck jogged back down towards the bedding and I lost sight of him. I contacted the game warden on Fort Campbell to notify him and told him what happened. He was surprised that I didn’t hear the buck crash and told me to meet him out by my truck. I dropped off my stand at the truck and grabbed my Vikings deer sled. He asked me how big it was and I told him “I have no clue, 120” maybe? But it is my biggest whatever it is.” The game warden and I went back to where I shot the buck and started tracking him. He was looking down at blood when I said to him, “Well there is my arrow, and it is still in the deer.” I could see the lit nock still lit. The buck ended up going less than 100 yards. As we walked up to it he said, “That buck is much bigger than you thought.”
Looking at the buck I realized he was by far my biggest buck. He was wide, and had a lot of mass, with 10 total points. He looked almost perfectly symmetrical. I dragged him to my truck, and had to have a friend come and help me get it in the truck. I couldn’t lift him myself. I can say for certain that without that Vikings sled I would have never made it out. At the check in station we weighed him at 150lbs dressed. It was such an incredible experience. The things I have learned on this site, what to look for on maps/topo, the importance of wind, has totally changed how I hunt. Add to that, utilizing the moon guide and I feel better than I ever have entering the woods. The next few days after the hunt, I couldn’t even focus on anything. I was so excited and on such an adrenaline high, I couldn’t do anything right. I didn’t even bring a knife or Ziploc’s or anything when I went to a friend’s house to butcher it. When I took him to the taxidermist we measured him out at 149” gross. Two weeks prior to this hunt, my wife and I came up with a list we wanted to accomplish over the next 5 years. Number one on my list was killing a 150” buck with my bow. I can’t believe how close I came to hitting that goal. When I get him back I think I will take him to a Boone and Crocket official scorer to see if maybe I did. I am not going to enter him in the books, but I do want to see if I hit my goal.
Thanks for reading this long recounting of my hunt, I hope you enjoyed it. It was one of my best experiences ever in the woods, not for the successful kill, but for things going how I thought, planned, and expected them to. I can’t thank you guys enough for all of the information on this site. I may not post much, but I lurk, read, and learn. This kill is as much mine as it is yours.
Thank you
Matt O’Connor
P.S. I would like to enter this into the contest for this year but not sure where to put it.
I tried direct links but they were sideways...
I did not know where to go for the morning and did not expect to see anything, but wanted to get out so I set up in a transition area coming off of a bean field. I was able to hear a lot of motion while it was dark, but ended up not seeing anything. While in my stand I was looking at the topographic I had, as well as google maps satellite view on my phone. Knowing that field edges were supposed to be good in the evening, but also knowing that with this being public/pressured areas, I decided to set up in an area where there was thick/nasty bedding type area down below, with a bean field up top. On the walk in I bumped a doe, and then when I got closer to where I wanted to be I saw a few rubs and then I bumped a small buck. I got where I wanted and started looking for a good tree. I made sure that I didn’t go back from how far I went in. I found a tree that would offer up to a 50 yard shot, but expected shots to be less than 30. I double checked the wind and it was blowing from the field to just off the thick nasty bedding area. It looked to be a perfect setup.
I used my Lone wolf stand/stick combo and got up about 22 feet. I was ready to go by 12:30pm. Periodically, I would check the wind with milkweed seeds that I got back a few years ago from a member on the beast. Wind was perfect for what I was looking for and what I was hoping would happen. Around 3:30pm I caught movement to my right that turned out to be 5 hens, then I caught more movement coming from my left, which was not where I expected anything to come from. Low and behold, 2 hunters were coming my way… I whistled, and blew on my grunt call until finally at 40 yards one of them spots me, slumps his shoulders and they walk back the way they came. I didn’t expect to see anything else for a while. At 3:45pm I saw a young deer coming up from the bedding area to my right. She slowly walked and fed her way up to about 12 yards. I ranged her in my shooting lane at 23 yards, took a few pictures and just watched her. She kept looking behind her and flicking her tail. I then saw another doe coming. She looked to be quite a bit older than the first. She again walked right through my shooting lane. With the first doe at 12 yards, second doe at 20, I saw a third deer coming behind them. Once I saw it I knew, this was the one I had been waiting for. I didn’t even bother to count. I knew he was bigger than anything I had ever killed before. He followed the exact path the first two deer took. When he was looking the other way I drew my bow and waited. As he stepped into the middle of my shooting lane I let the arrow fly. I didn’t want to try and stop him because of how close the doe was to me. The arrow looked like it hit right where I was aiming, and was a clean pass through. The buck ran in front of my stand and was at 25 yards facing almost directly away from me and was behind a huge tree. The does didn’t even move. I grabbed another arrow and got ready. I expected him to drop and was surprised when he started to walk away. I drew back again, and even with the severe angle and let it fly and stuck it right behind his ribs straight into the center of his chest cavity. I could see the last 4-6 inches sticking out. I was using lit nocks, which I will use for the rest of my days hunting. After the second hit, the buck jogged back down towards the bedding and I lost sight of him. I contacted the game warden on Fort Campbell to notify him and told him what happened. He was surprised that I didn’t hear the buck crash and told me to meet him out by my truck. I dropped off my stand at the truck and grabbed my Vikings deer sled. He asked me how big it was and I told him “I have no clue, 120” maybe? But it is my biggest whatever it is.” The game warden and I went back to where I shot the buck and started tracking him. He was looking down at blood when I said to him, “Well there is my arrow, and it is still in the deer.” I could see the lit nock still lit. The buck ended up going less than 100 yards. As we walked up to it he said, “That buck is much bigger than you thought.”
Looking at the buck I realized he was by far my biggest buck. He was wide, and had a lot of mass, with 10 total points. He looked almost perfectly symmetrical. I dragged him to my truck, and had to have a friend come and help me get it in the truck. I couldn’t lift him myself. I can say for certain that without that Vikings sled I would have never made it out. At the check in station we weighed him at 150lbs dressed. It was such an incredible experience. The things I have learned on this site, what to look for on maps/topo, the importance of wind, has totally changed how I hunt. Add to that, utilizing the moon guide and I feel better than I ever have entering the woods. The next few days after the hunt, I couldn’t even focus on anything. I was so excited and on such an adrenaline high, I couldn’t do anything right. I didn’t even bring a knife or Ziploc’s or anything when I went to a friend’s house to butcher it. When I took him to the taxidermist we measured him out at 149” gross. Two weeks prior to this hunt, my wife and I came up with a list we wanted to accomplish over the next 5 years. Number one on my list was killing a 150” buck with my bow. I can’t believe how close I came to hitting that goal. When I get him back I think I will take him to a Boone and Crocket official scorer to see if maybe I did. I am not going to enter him in the books, but I do want to see if I hit my goal.
Thanks for reading this long recounting of my hunt, I hope you enjoyed it. It was one of my best experiences ever in the woods, not for the successful kill, but for things going how I thought, planned, and expected them to. I can’t thank you guys enough for all of the information on this site. I may not post much, but I lurk, read, and learn. This kill is as much mine as it is yours.
Thank you
Matt O’Connor
P.S. I would like to enter this into the contest for this year but not sure where to put it.
I tried direct links but they were sideways...
Last edited by DEERSLAYER on Mon Oct 17, 2016 9:19 am, edited 4 times in total.
Reason: Fixed pics
Reason: Fixed pics
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Re: My biggest buck ever Oct 8th 2016
Great looking buck! Congrats!
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- john1984
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Re: My biggest buck ever Oct 8th 2016
Sweet buck man!.Congrats
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Re: My biggest buck ever Oct 8th 2016
Good job!im close to ft Campbell be hunting it soon because im tagged out in ky
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Re: My biggest buck ever Oct 8th 2016
Great story. Thanks.
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Re: My biggest buck ever Oct 8th 2016
Congrats man, great buck. That second shot really opened him up!
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Re: My biggest buck ever Oct 8th 2016
Great job! Beautiful buck!
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Re: My biggest buck ever Oct 8th 2016
Nice buck. Congrats.
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Re: My biggest buck ever Oct 8th 2016
Awesome to hear! Congrats awesome buck!
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Re: My biggest buck ever Oct 8th 2016
Congrats!
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Re: My biggest buck ever Oct 8th 2016
Great story, Great Buck. Congrats to you sir!
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Re: My biggest buck ever Oct 8th 2016
Congrats Matt great buck!
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Re: My biggest buck ever Oct 8th 2016
Beauty buck!!
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Re: My biggest buck ever Oct 8th 2016
Awesome buck, congrats!
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Re: My biggest buck ever Oct 8th 2016
Awesome buck, congrats!
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