First Good Buck in 20 Years - Thanks HB!

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Razorhollow
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First Good Buck in 20 Years - Thanks HB!

Unread postby Razorhollow » Tue Nov 20, 2018 7:56 am

Hey all. Just wanted to send a quick thank you to all of the wisdom and skills you have piled up on this site. I've been bowhunting for 21 years, all self-taught, and had success for the first time since I started because of all of you. I know I've just scratched the surface, but I wouldn't have even seen this deer without the stuff I've learned from the dvds and this site. I'm curious where you all think this deer came from. I couldn't back track him to try and locate his bed because it snowed hard the night I got him.

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-Backstory-

I've hunted the same property since I was 14 (the blue dotted area on the map) I've shot lots of doe and yearling bucks over the years, but have never even caught a glimpse of a decent buck. We normally plant the fields at the top of the hill with corn and clover, but it was left fallow this year. This is upstate New York and it gets pounded pretty hard during gun season. I just couldn't figure out how these bucks were using the terrain. Lots of camera pics of giants over the years and not a single daylight sighting. This year, I decided I needed to start over and throw out all of the "tv show" tactics. I stumbled across this site, got my hands on the dvds, and abandoned my field edge stands.

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-Story-

Last Wednesday (Nov 13th) we got a dusting of snow overnight, with a bigger storm forecast. After my morning hunt on the eastern leeward ridge, I was walking back to my house (the one on the closeup aerial) and noticed some tracks heading west towards the far hill. An apple tree held its apples late and had just dropped them, and I found some fresh droppings around it. The wind was calm, but was forecast to come up out of the west, and I thought maybe the wind would put the buck up on the western ridge across the road. I figured he'd come by this apple tree when he got up for the day to check it. I set up downwind of it that afternoon, and about 45 minutes before dark, I heard some rocks moving and saw him feeding in the thick brush under the apple tree. I marked the path he took with the blue line, and the lightning bolt is where I shot him at 10 yards.

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I'm curious where you guys think he came from. Is it possible that he was sitting in that hedgerow/brush right by my house watching my driveway and getting the falling thermals (cold, cloudy day with calm wind until 11am) or was he up on the far western ridge and came down the hill, crossed the road and then up the hedgerow? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again y'all!


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greenhorndave
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Re: First Good Buck in 20 Years - Thanks HB!

Unread postby greenhorndave » Tue Nov 20, 2018 8:19 am

Congrats! Awesome deer and great breakdown. No idea on travel pattern.

PS - it’s amazing how those open camo patterns work against snow or sky backgrounds.
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backstraps
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Re: First Good Buck in 20 Years - Thanks HB!

Unread postby backstraps » Tue Nov 20, 2018 8:36 am

Congratulations man!! Happy for you.
Dandy buck :clap:
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muddy
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Re: First Good Buck in 20 Years - Thanks HB!

Unread postby muddy » Tue Nov 20, 2018 8:43 am

A hot doe can bring a buck from miles away. Congrats bud.
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stash59
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Re: First Good Buck in 20 Years - Thanks HB!

Unread postby stash59 » Tue Nov 20, 2018 8:49 am

8-)
Happiness is a large gutpile!!!!!!!
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milkweed-militia
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Re: First Good Buck in 20 Years - Thanks HB!

Unread postby milkweed-militia » Tue Nov 20, 2018 8:50 am

Awesome! :clap:
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PK_
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Re: First Good Buck in 20 Years - Thanks HB!

Unread postby PK_ » Tue Nov 20, 2018 8:51 am

Congrats. Nice buck. Love your post.
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Edcyclopedia
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Re: First Good Buck in 20 Years - Thanks HB!

Unread postby Edcyclopedia » Tue Nov 20, 2018 9:12 am

Spectacular! :clap:
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headgear
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Re: First Good Buck in 20 Years - Thanks HB!

Unread postby headgear » Tue Nov 20, 2018 9:14 am

Big congrats, that is awesome!
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Re: First Good Buck in 20 Years - Thanks HB!

Unread postby Lockdown » Tue Nov 20, 2018 9:14 am

Congrats!
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SC_z7
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Re: First Good Buck in 20 Years - Thanks HB!

Unread postby SC_z7 » Tue Nov 20, 2018 9:20 am

Congrats! Awesome story!
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Re: First Good Buck in 20 Years - Thanks HB!

Unread postby Swampbuck » Tue Nov 20, 2018 9:54 am

Nice Buck and great story. Well done!!
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Eddiegomes83
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Re: First Good Buck in 20 Years - Thanks HB!

Unread postby Eddiegomes83 » Tue Nov 20, 2018 10:07 am

Swampbuck wrote:Nice Buck and great story. Well done!!

Congrats
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jporcello
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Re: First Good Buck in 20 Years - Thanks HB!

Unread postby jporcello » Tue Nov 20, 2018 10:12 am

Great buck congrats
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Re: First Good Buck in 20 Years - Thanks HB!

Unread postby <DK> » Tue Nov 20, 2018 11:29 am

:clap: :clap: Great job and awesome deer


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