"The Grinder" An Iowa Public Land Buck

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Jackson Marsh
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"The Grinder" An Iowa Public Land Buck

Unread postby Jackson Marsh » Sun Nov 10, 2013 1:03 pm

“The Grinder” An Iowa Public Land Buck



I drew an Iowa 2013 buck tag and focused my hunting on two separate approximately 2000 acre properties. I scouted these two properties over the past two summers to get a feel for access and deer movement. I had never hunted these two areas, and the plan was to hunt fresh stands every hunt, jumping between the two properties until I had a feel for buck movement and hunter pressure. This is not a story about knowing a property thoroughly; this is about grinding it out until you kill a buck.

I started my hunt on November 1st, and before noon I had seen a spike buck, a few does and a nice ten pointer which cut below the ravine funnel I was sitting in. November 2nd I hunted the same property, but two ridges to the east. After setting up I saw two flashlights bobbing up the hill, I promptly turned my light on and the other hunters turned around and hunted elsewhere. I ended up seeing three different two year old eight pointers, one of which worked a couple of licking branches and made two scrapes twenty yards in front of me, it was a cool encounter. Monday November 4th I had my first shot opportunity at a nice eight pointer, probably a mid 130’s buck. I decided to pass the shot. After he stopped in some brush I got my binoculars on him and regretted not shooting him, he was a nicer deer than I thought.

The rest of my hunts were incredibly slow, an occasional spike buck and a few does, no mature buck cruising at all. From November 1st through November 8th I did 7 all day sits. If I was going to go home without a buck it was not going to be because I wasn’t in the woods hunting.

November 8th I finally had a mostly south wind which is what I wanted for this stand. I accessed the stand from the top, through a ravine. When I got perpendicular to my stand I cut up the hill. I had three does come through at about 5 yards before shooting light. About 12:30 two does came in behind me silently and the lead doe caught me moving. They didn’t stomp or snort; they just turned around and left. I was really irritated with myself; I had allowed my mind to wander and was not in full predator mode. Had that been a big buck I would have blown my opportunity. This really focused me, over the next two hours the bow never left my hand and I never sat down. I did not want to get caught flatfooted again! Around 2:35 I noticed a buck cruising towards the northeast near the bottom of the hill. I gave him a grunt and he stopped, another grunt and he turned up the hill towards me. He stopped in my shooting lane, facing me, no shot. When he turned to leave I drew my bow. He was out of my shooting lane and I only had a small window to thread the arrow through, I bleated to stop him and pulled the release.

At the shot he mule-kicked and headed down hill and into the ravine, then silence. The shot felt and looked good, so I climbed down to look for my arrow. When I was tromping around I heard him run out of the ravine and up the other hillside. I watched him tumble down the hill and land with a crash in a large dead fall at the bottom of the ditch. Buck down!

I took a few pictures, gutted him and hauled my bow and stand back to the truck. It was going to be a chore getting him out of the ravine by myself. While I was walking back to the truck, I ran into two college students scouting for a hunt the next day. I asked them if they would like to make $50 cash each to help me drag a buck out. They said yes…….it was the best $100 dollars I ever spent. With three of us dragging we had him back to the truck in an hour.




Front View


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Side View

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View from the stand.


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Buck’s view.


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Rub on buck’s trail.


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Where he died.


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Aerial. Red = wind direction. Purple = my access route. Gray = buck travel route.



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Topo.



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I was not successful because of skill, or any great knowledge I possess. I just kept on grinding, day after day, until I killed a buck. Sometimes that’s what it takes.


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Re: "The Grinder" An Iowa Public Land Buck

Unread postby Edcyclopedia » Sun Nov 10, 2013 1:05 pm

That's awesome JM - nice work!
Makes me want to start putting points in the bank!!! ;)
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Re: "The Grinder" An Iowa Public Land Buck

Unread postby Zap » Sun Nov 10, 2013 1:08 pm

Way to go, JM!
Big congrats on a great buck.

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Re: "The Grinder" An Iowa Public Land Buck

Unread postby BassBoysLLP » Sun Nov 10, 2013 1:09 pm

Wow. Stud!

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Re: "The Grinder" An Iowa Public Land Buck

Unread postby PLB » Sun Nov 10, 2013 1:11 pm

That's a great buck Neil!! Huge congrats!!!

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Re: "The Grinder" An Iowa Public Land Buck

Unread postby BigHunt » Sun Nov 10, 2013 1:21 pm

NICE

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Re: "The Grinder" An Iowa Public Land Buck

Unread postby Bucky » Sun Nov 10, 2013 1:24 pm

That is a Slob buddy! Nice work!

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Re: "The Grinder" An Iowa Public Land Buck

Unread postby cwoods » Sun Nov 10, 2013 1:29 pm

Congrats JM! Way to "grind" it out and kill. I always look forward to reading your post. Glad you were able to stick it out and remain positive. It le to your sucess. Keep it up man.
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Re: "The Grinder" An Iowa Public Land Buck

Unread postby AC Rider » Sun Nov 10, 2013 1:30 pm

The "Grind" is what it takes JM. Good job
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Re: "The Grinder" An Iowa Public Land Buck

Unread postby JAB » Sun Nov 10, 2013 1:35 pm

That's a really awesome buck! Congratulations again, way to grind it out, you really earned this one.

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Re: "The Grinder" An Iowa Public Land Buck

Unread postby Arrowbender » Sun Nov 10, 2013 1:41 pm

Heck Yea!
Beautiful Iowa buck right there.
Way to get it done!

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Re: "The Grinder" An Iowa Public Land Buck

Unread postby Mario » Sun Nov 10, 2013 1:53 pm

Great story and awesome buck!

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Re: "The Grinder" An Iowa Public Land Buck

Unread postby Mario » Sun Nov 10, 2013 1:53 pm

Great story and awesome buck!

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Re: "The Grinder" An Iowa Public Land Buck

Unread postby kenn1320 » Sun Nov 10, 2013 2:07 pm

Awesome buck, congrats!

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