Opening weekend big buck down!
- MN_DeerHunter
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Opening weekend big buck down!
I finally had a chance to sit down after running errands today, getting all that meat packed away, and dropping off the buck at the taxidermist.
First i’d just like to say thank you to Dan and all other beast members who make available such great information. Without this site I would have never been able to kill a buck like this. If I didn't find the hunting beast i’d probably still be hunting field edges and open hardwoods wondering why I was never seeing any decent bucks.
Anyways, I had hunted this property last year for the first time and only saw does, but there were rubs scattered around the property, so I knew it had to hold a few bucks too. I still have extensive scouting to do at this property, but I have spent a lot of time cyberscouting and picked out potential bedding locations throughout the area. I decided that I would “stage hunt” this property starting from the “close to the parking lot” bedding and work my way out to the remote areas as the season progressed and pressure increased.
Going into the season I didn’t know for sure where specific buck beds were, but I had a good idea where the good bedding areas would be given the terrain features. I had placed a camera out for a few weeks in July and got 1 picture of a nice 8 pt buck about 400 yards from the swamp edge about an hour after dark. Based on the location of that picture I knew there were a few good bedding areas that he could have been coming from and I made a plan for opening night.
With a west wind on opening day i decided to hunt the east side of a point jutting out into the marsh. This was the first good bedding area from the parking lot and my thought was that this location would receive pressure first from other hunters, so it had to be hunted by me first. This spot is thick and nasty with red dogwood, willows, and cattails. Opening night yielded zero deer sightings from stand, but, while I was walking back to my truck I ran into the big 8 pointer I had previously seen on camera earlier this summer. I was using my green flashlight and saw a pair of eyes about 100 yards ahead of me. I walked towards the deer thinking it was likely just a doe and would scamper off but it did not. I got to about 20 yards of it and couldn't make out if it was a buck or doe right away because he was in some thick brush. Then he stepped out into a clearing and my jaw about hit the floor. It was a big old swamp buck, just standing there staring at me as if to say “good luck buddy you don't have a chance”. After a moment he had enough and trotted back towards the bedding. At that point I thought I had ruined my chances at ever seeing this buck again.
Sunday morning I woke up and sat down on google earth to try and see where this deer might be coming from. I narrowed it down to 2 different locations based on where I had seen him the night before and put together a plan to set up closer to his suspected bedding. The wind was terrible for this set up. It was forecasted to be a WNW wind for most of the evening, which would blow my scent basically right at his suspected bedding. Part of me wanted to wait, but another part of me said, “you don't know for sure where his exact bedding is, and hunting pressure is going to get worse, why not swing for the fences and just dive in?” So I did.
When I got to the tree I wanted to set up in there was zero wind. I checked with milkweed constantly and it mostly just dropped right to the ground the entire night. It was mostly dead as far as deer activity goes that evening, then right when he sun began to set below the treeline I started to hear something rustling through the brush. It was slow and steady and approaching closer and closer, but from behind me, which I wasn't expecting. After about 10 minutes I finally saw the beast. He crept slowly through the marsh grass and stopped about 15 yards from my tree, leaving me a shot at his vitals through a pie-plate size opening in some brush. I knew it was now or never so I drew back put the pin on him and let er’ fly. He turned and ran back towards bedding and then I heard him crash only 60 yards away.
I had a heck of a time hauling this thing out of the woods. I will say I was underprepared for the solo drag. I ran out of water and my legs were cramping very bad by the time I got back to the truck. Also the wheel fell off the cart after the pin fell out somewhere in the swamp grass lol. The next day I was able to get the wife to take some pics for me, there are also a couple in field pics:
One of the hundred deadfall trees I had to lift the cart over lol:
The taxidermist said he was confident it is a 4.5 year old deer and would maybe reach P&Y but he said it would be close. I'm terrible at judging those kinds of things - what do you guys think? I would be ecstatic if my first buck was a P&Y’er but regardless I am totally thrilled with this buck!
First i’d just like to say thank you to Dan and all other beast members who make available such great information. Without this site I would have never been able to kill a buck like this. If I didn't find the hunting beast i’d probably still be hunting field edges and open hardwoods wondering why I was never seeing any decent bucks.
Anyways, I had hunted this property last year for the first time and only saw does, but there were rubs scattered around the property, so I knew it had to hold a few bucks too. I still have extensive scouting to do at this property, but I have spent a lot of time cyberscouting and picked out potential bedding locations throughout the area. I decided that I would “stage hunt” this property starting from the “close to the parking lot” bedding and work my way out to the remote areas as the season progressed and pressure increased.
Going into the season I didn’t know for sure where specific buck beds were, but I had a good idea where the good bedding areas would be given the terrain features. I had placed a camera out for a few weeks in July and got 1 picture of a nice 8 pt buck about 400 yards from the swamp edge about an hour after dark. Based on the location of that picture I knew there were a few good bedding areas that he could have been coming from and I made a plan for opening night.
With a west wind on opening day i decided to hunt the east side of a point jutting out into the marsh. This was the first good bedding area from the parking lot and my thought was that this location would receive pressure first from other hunters, so it had to be hunted by me first. This spot is thick and nasty with red dogwood, willows, and cattails. Opening night yielded zero deer sightings from stand, but, while I was walking back to my truck I ran into the big 8 pointer I had previously seen on camera earlier this summer. I was using my green flashlight and saw a pair of eyes about 100 yards ahead of me. I walked towards the deer thinking it was likely just a doe and would scamper off but it did not. I got to about 20 yards of it and couldn't make out if it was a buck or doe right away because he was in some thick brush. Then he stepped out into a clearing and my jaw about hit the floor. It was a big old swamp buck, just standing there staring at me as if to say “good luck buddy you don't have a chance”. After a moment he had enough and trotted back towards the bedding. At that point I thought I had ruined my chances at ever seeing this buck again.
Sunday morning I woke up and sat down on google earth to try and see where this deer might be coming from. I narrowed it down to 2 different locations based on where I had seen him the night before and put together a plan to set up closer to his suspected bedding. The wind was terrible for this set up. It was forecasted to be a WNW wind for most of the evening, which would blow my scent basically right at his suspected bedding. Part of me wanted to wait, but another part of me said, “you don't know for sure where his exact bedding is, and hunting pressure is going to get worse, why not swing for the fences and just dive in?” So I did.
When I got to the tree I wanted to set up in there was zero wind. I checked with milkweed constantly and it mostly just dropped right to the ground the entire night. It was mostly dead as far as deer activity goes that evening, then right when he sun began to set below the treeline I started to hear something rustling through the brush. It was slow and steady and approaching closer and closer, but from behind me, which I wasn't expecting. After about 10 minutes I finally saw the beast. He crept slowly through the marsh grass and stopped about 15 yards from my tree, leaving me a shot at his vitals through a pie-plate size opening in some brush. I knew it was now or never so I drew back put the pin on him and let er’ fly. He turned and ran back towards bedding and then I heard him crash only 60 yards away.
I had a heck of a time hauling this thing out of the woods. I will say I was underprepared for the solo drag. I ran out of water and my legs were cramping very bad by the time I got back to the truck. Also the wheel fell off the cart after the pin fell out somewhere in the swamp grass lol. The next day I was able to get the wife to take some pics for me, there are also a couple in field pics:
One of the hundred deadfall trees I had to lift the cart over lol:
The taxidermist said he was confident it is a 4.5 year old deer and would maybe reach P&Y but he said it would be close. I'm terrible at judging those kinds of things - what do you guys think? I would be ecstatic if my first buck was a P&Y’er but regardless I am totally thrilled with this buck!
- Boogieman1
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Re: Opening weekend big buck down!
Nice buck
Life is hard; It’s even harder if you are stupid.
-John Wayne-
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Re: Opening weekend big buck down!
Very cool! A tremendous buck! Great job!
- Jonny
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Re: Opening weekend big buck down!
Congrats again on a great buck. Really good story as well
You have a monkey Mr. Munson?
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Re: Opening weekend big buck down!
Congratulations! You deserve to be thrilled! That is one gorgeous buck regardless
of score.
of score.
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Re: Opening weekend big buck down!
Congrats! Heck of a first deer!
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Re: Opening weekend big buck down!
Great buck man! Its funny...we are wrong way way more than we are right. It sure is fun to get it "right" at the beginning.
- csoult
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- JAK
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Re: Opening weekend big buck down!
Congrats great buck
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Re: Opening weekend big buck down!
Awesome buck congrats
- headgear
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Re: Opening weekend big buck down!
Big congrats, great looking buck, love those huge brow tines.
- Bonecrusher101
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Re: Opening weekend big buck down!
Outstanding! Bravo
Be original and Enjoy every step along the adventure.
- stash59
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Re: Opening weekend big buck down!
Great buck no matter the score. Should gross well into the 120's. But don't think he'll net 125. Real cool buck. Even better story!!!
Happiness is a large gutpile!!!!!!!
- Dewey
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Re: Opening weekend big buck down!
Great job on a nice buck. Sometimes an aggressive move is just what you need. You did well. Congrats.
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