Well this all started opening weekend. I had been watching these two nine points visit my new feeder dubbed the El Chaparral because all the Road Runners we have seen in the area. Both nine are mature and have eat up a bunch of corn and protein from my new area since I put it out on August. We watched them both grow velvet and shed on trail cam, but had been having a hard time deciding which one I liked best. One was very tall and symmetrical and one was tall and wide. I had many a day dream about these two buck coming in when I had bow in hand and season upon us.
Tall and Symmetrical AKA " Crooked Main Beam" or Tall and Wide.....decisions decisions....
( I know what an awesome problem to have)
That exact thing happen opening weekend on Saturday night October 3rd at 7:00pm. I couldn't believe my luck in my 22 year of hunting I have never had a nice buck come in on opening day, and this year I had TWO come in together. I couldn't believe my luck. I studied both and knew they were the ones I had been seeing. But seeing them in person I instantly feel in love with the mass on the tall and wide buck and his body size was awesome.
They worked around my pen and I took a drink of water to calm my nerves and had to quit looking at the horns as they just kept growing. I hooked my release on my string loop and slowly drew my bow, both we very calm and didn't flinch at all and appeared very relaxed. I settle my 20 yard pin on the tall and wide one as he was working broadside away from me to his left. As soon as he moved his left front forward I released my arrow. In a flash saw it hit him but he had dropped a ton and it hit him right in the backstrap above his spine... My heart sank as I watched him fly out there with my arrow stuck in his back, down the pipeline and over the neighbors fence.
I went back to camp and told everyone and I was just crushed. Everyone said the would help me go look and it happens to everyone and lots of encouraging words. The next morning my dad, Tad, Mary, Mr. Dodge and I went out to the Chaparral and found no blood Mary and I scoured the area even the neighbors and nothing no sign of anything.
I checked the camera religiously and no sign of him just the Crooked Main Beam( his running buddy) coming in alone. Then on the 18th my buddy Jim was at the lease and emailed me his pic, he came in at 2 am on the 18th and had a scar on his back where I had hit him. Needless to say I was stoked!!!! Just the relief of knowing he had not died or fallen to coyotes do to my error was a huge monkey off my back!
The first time I would be able to go back to the lease was the later that week of the 19th. A cold front was due to hit Wednesday October 21st so I planned on going that Wed. hoping they would be moving. I headed out but was the only one at the lease I got in at 2am Thursday morning but was in the blind at 6am. I was was cold and the wind was blowing and nothing came in. I check the pictures after my hunt and "HE" had been there at 2:20 am the night before, but had been to the feeder both Monday and Tuesday at around 7:00pm...
I was in the blind and settled about 5 pm, the wind had blown all day hard and cold. At about 6pm the wind died and I got giddy... CONDITIONS WERE PERFECT.
I COULDN'T BELEIVE IT AT 7PM ON THE MONEY HE STEPPED OUT OF THE MISQUITES!!
He cautiously closed the last twenty yards in about 10 minutes. He worked his way right to the position he was at when I shot him before I raised my bow and he jumped and looked right at my blind... I hadn't even drawn how did he heard that...What in the world..just then a doe walked out about 5 yards from blind. She went straight to the pen and jumped in and started crunching corn and milling around. He slowly made it back to the pen and jumped in and went directly under the feeder to eat. He was quartering to me so I had no shot, I was ready but no shot!!!! He slowly began to turn and I drew. As I did the doe snorted!, she had made her way to within seven yards of me and I had lost track of her as my focus was on him. He spun a 180 and I let the Rage 2 blade tipped Easton fly! Hit him perfectly behind the shoulder and he leaped from the pen ran fifteen yards and disappeared into the mesquite, I heard him crash and lose the rest of his breathe!
OH MY!! DID THAT JUST HAPPEN??? DID I JUST NAIL HIM!!??
Then I erupted !!! I was so pumped I couldn't believe IT WORKED OUT! I HAD REDEEMED MYSELF!
After the longest fifteen minutes of my life I went to the pen and found blood lots and lots of BLOOD! Climbed out of pen and followed the path of blood made the corner and I could see him, he only went 30 yards!!
He was better in person! He was magnificent. I know other have killed bigger but he was truly an awesome trophy. After all that I had got him! My first P&Y buck in five years, heck my first bow buck in five years! He was 18 1/4 inches inside and field dressed 157 pounds. Not sure what he will score but I don't care! He is going on the wall!
Then I realised "Dang I am here alone and no one to share in my victory!", I texted my wife she texted my dad, he texted my buddy Jim... Then I took some pics in the dark with my iPhone and it died. He was huge! How am I gonna load him??!! I took me two hours to gut and load him with ratchet straps and bungee cords on to my lifted golf cart but I never quit smiling and cheering the entire time!!!!!
After plugging my phone back in when I got to the truck I had all these missed calls and texts wanting to know the rest of the story. I awoke the next morning and Keith was in camp and took some pics for me and I called Tad and told him I had sealed the deal. Everyone was really excited for me!
Tall and Symmetrical AKA " Crooked Main Beam" or Tall and Wide.....decisions decisions....
( I know what an awesome problem to have)That exact thing happen opening weekend on Saturday night October 3rd at 7:00pm. I couldn't believe my luck in my 22 year of hunting I have never had a nice buck come in on opening day, and this year I had TWO come in together. I couldn't believe my luck. I studied both and knew they were the ones I had been seeing. But seeing them in person I instantly feel in love with the mass on the tall and wide buck and his body size was awesome.
They worked around my pen and I took a drink of water to calm my nerves and had to quit looking at the horns as they just kept growing. I hooked my release on my string loop and slowly drew my bow, both we very calm and didn't flinch at all and appeared very relaxed. I settle my 20 yard pin on the tall and wide one as he was working broadside away from me to his left. As soon as he moved his left front forward I released my arrow. In a flash saw it hit him but he had dropped a ton and it hit him right in the backstrap above his spine... My heart sank as I watched him fly out there with my arrow stuck in his back, down the pipeline and over the neighbors fence.
I went back to camp and told everyone and I was just crushed. Everyone said the would help me go look and it happens to everyone and lots of encouraging words. The next morning my dad, Tad, Mary, Mr. Dodge and I went out to the Chaparral and found no blood Mary and I scoured the area even the neighbors and nothing no sign of anything.
I checked the camera religiously and no sign of him just the Crooked Main Beam( his running buddy) coming in alone. Then on the 18th my buddy Jim was at the lease and emailed me his pic, he came in at 2 am on the 18th and had a scar on his back where I had hit him. Needless to say I was stoked!!!! Just the relief of knowing he had not died or fallen to coyotes do to my error was a huge monkey off my back!
The first time I would be able to go back to the lease was the later that week of the 19th. A cold front was due to hit Wednesday October 21st so I planned on going that Wed. hoping they would be moving. I headed out but was the only one at the lease I got in at 2am Thursday morning but was in the blind at 6am. I was was cold and the wind was blowing and nothing came in. I check the pictures after my hunt and "HE" had been there at 2:20 am the night before, but had been to the feeder both Monday and Tuesday at around 7:00pm...
I was in the blind and settled about 5 pm, the wind had blown all day hard and cold. At about 6pm the wind died and I got giddy... CONDITIONS WERE PERFECT.
I COULDN'T BELEIVE IT AT 7PM ON THE MONEY HE STEPPED OUT OF THE MISQUITES!!
He cautiously closed the last twenty yards in about 10 minutes. He worked his way right to the position he was at when I shot him before I raised my bow and he jumped and looked right at my blind... I hadn't even drawn how did he heard that...What in the world..just then a doe walked out about 5 yards from blind. She went straight to the pen and jumped in and started crunching corn and milling around. He slowly made it back to the pen and jumped in and went directly under the feeder to eat. He was quartering to me so I had no shot, I was ready but no shot!!!! He slowly began to turn and I drew. As I did the doe snorted!, she had made her way to within seven yards of me and I had lost track of her as my focus was on him. He spun a 180 and I let the Rage 2 blade tipped Easton fly! Hit him perfectly behind the shoulder and he leaped from the pen ran fifteen yards and disappeared into the mesquite, I heard him crash and lose the rest of his breathe!
OH MY!! DID THAT JUST HAPPEN??? DID I JUST NAIL HIM!!??
Then I erupted !!! I was so pumped I couldn't believe IT WORKED OUT! I HAD REDEEMED MYSELF!
After the longest fifteen minutes of my life I went to the pen and found blood lots and lots of BLOOD! Climbed out of pen and followed the path of blood made the corner and I could see him, he only went 30 yards!!
He was better in person! He was magnificent. I know other have killed bigger but he was truly an awesome trophy. After all that I had got him! My first P&Y buck in five years, heck my first bow buck in five years! He was 18 1/4 inches inside and field dressed 157 pounds. Not sure what he will score but I don't care! He is going on the wall!
Then I realised "Dang I am here alone and no one to share in my victory!", I texted my wife she texted my dad, he texted my buddy Jim... Then I took some pics in the dark with my iPhone and it died. He was huge! How am I gonna load him??!! I took me two hours to gut and load him with ratchet straps and bungee cords on to my lifted golf cart but I never quit smiling and cheering the entire time!!!!!
After plugging my phone back in when I got to the truck I had all these missed calls and texts wanting to know the rest of the story. I awoke the next morning and Keith was in camp and took some pics for me and I called Tad and told him I had sealed the deal. Everyone was really excited for me!
Attached Files
Comment