This morning I was finally able to close the deal on a buck that has eluded me and who knows how many others for a very long time. This is going to be a long read as I have a lot of history with this deer.
I hunted this area for the first time in 2017 and this was one of the first bucks to show up on camera. He didn’t have huge antlers but was obviously mature and something I would have been proud to put on my wall as my first public land buck. I was in college at the time and didn’t have a lot of time to hunt but I had a few days at Thanksgiving to try to get one down. I had several mature bucks on camera and decided I was going to kill the first one I saw. I saw this buck one evening but there was only one problem. He came in 5 minutes too late. It was too dark for a shot. I listened to him eat for a while in the dark and slipped out as quietly as possible. I ended up shooting one of the other bucks the next morning.
The next year I only had two days to hunt at thanksgiving and he was the first buck to show up on camera. But again, it was just after dark. I didn’t have a chance to hunt this area again until 2020.
In 2020 I waited until the rut was starting up and went to check out my old spot. On the second day of hunting I saw this buck chase a doe by me but didn’t know it was him. He was only an 8 point this year and someone decided to run off with my camera so I didn’t have any pictures yet. Just before dark he followed the doe right to me but when they stopped his head was behind a tree and I couldn’t decide if I wanted to kill him or not. It wasn’t until they were leaving when I thought it could be this buck. That was my only opportunity that year.
I hunted a different area in 2021 so no pics but I did find his sheds from that season. He was a 10 point again but smaller frame. Another guy had pics of him and he was really starting to show his age at this point. Last year he was similar but even smaller. I don’t think he was even 13” wide.
This year I thought he was dead because I found an old buck after antlers dropped and assumed it was him. Fast forward to yesterday evening and he showed up for the first time before the rain. I knew I had a chance.
I had a spot set up yesterday so all I had to do was slip in this morning and try not to spook anything walking in. There was a pig there when I showed up so that probably helped cover any noise I made getting in there. Just after light I had a better buck pass by but it was still a little dark to be sure which buck it was so I hesitated. He walked off and never came back. Two yearling bucks came by for a few minutes then they went the same way.
I was waiting for the bigger buck to come back when I noticed this buck eating behind some brush. I could just see the top of his back but figured it was him by the bony hips. He finally made his way into my shooting lane and I let him have it. His antlers have really gone downhill over the last few seasons but this may be the oldest deer I’ll ever kill. That makes him a real trophy in my eyes, especially for public land. My best guess is that he was 12 years old. He only weighed 90 pounds dressed and had an infection on the side of his jaw. I don’t think he would have made it another year.
I hunted this area for the first time in 2017 and this was one of the first bucks to show up on camera. He didn’t have huge antlers but was obviously mature and something I would have been proud to put on my wall as my first public land buck. I was in college at the time and didn’t have a lot of time to hunt but I had a few days at Thanksgiving to try to get one down. I had several mature bucks on camera and decided I was going to kill the first one I saw. I saw this buck one evening but there was only one problem. He came in 5 minutes too late. It was too dark for a shot. I listened to him eat for a while in the dark and slipped out as quietly as possible. I ended up shooting one of the other bucks the next morning.
The next year I only had two days to hunt at thanksgiving and he was the first buck to show up on camera. But again, it was just after dark. I didn’t have a chance to hunt this area again until 2020.
In 2020 I waited until the rut was starting up and went to check out my old spot. On the second day of hunting I saw this buck chase a doe by me but didn’t know it was him. He was only an 8 point this year and someone decided to run off with my camera so I didn’t have any pictures yet. Just before dark he followed the doe right to me but when they stopped his head was behind a tree and I couldn’t decide if I wanted to kill him or not. It wasn’t until they were leaving when I thought it could be this buck. That was my only opportunity that year.
I hunted a different area in 2021 so no pics but I did find his sheds from that season. He was a 10 point again but smaller frame. Another guy had pics of him and he was really starting to show his age at this point. Last year he was similar but even smaller. I don’t think he was even 13” wide.
This year I thought he was dead because I found an old buck after antlers dropped and assumed it was him. Fast forward to yesterday evening and he showed up for the first time before the rain. I knew I had a chance.
I had a spot set up yesterday so all I had to do was slip in this morning and try not to spook anything walking in. There was a pig there when I showed up so that probably helped cover any noise I made getting in there. Just after light I had a better buck pass by but it was still a little dark to be sure which buck it was so I hesitated. He walked off and never came back. Two yearling bucks came by for a few minutes then they went the same way.
I was waiting for the bigger buck to come back when I noticed this buck eating behind some brush. I could just see the top of his back but figured it was him by the bony hips. He finally made his way into my shooting lane and I let him have it. His antlers have really gone downhill over the last few seasons but this may be the oldest deer I’ll ever kill. That makes him a real trophy in my eyes, especially for public land. My best guess is that he was 12 years old. He only weighed 90 pounds dressed and had an infection on the side of his jaw. I don’t think he would have made it another year.
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