WOW!! Where do I start. Earlier this season I go the OK to take this deer. I had been down a couple times but didn't hunt him hard as there were other management priorities, mainly doe killing. He has been a regular at #5 for the last couple of years. With our flyover scheduled for Saturday I made arrangements to leave work at noon on Friday, leaving me enough time for an evening and morning hunt before the flyover and run the risk of him finding a new home. With a north wind forecast because of the approaching front, conditions would be perfect for hunting out of the popup. As I made the trip down Friday through intermitten drizzle and looking at the forecast for Saturday (cancelling the flyover) I knew my best chance would be that evening. As soon as I got to the ranch I quickly changed clothes and the plan was for Brandon to drop me off and then go sit in the rifle blind and video/spot for me. As we drove into the food plot "Bobtail" was there along with several other deer. I quickly unloaded and got set up at about 4:15. The feeder sounded at 4:50 and by 5 he was there. After about 10 min he had settled down and worked his way into my shooting land and range, feeding straight towards me. I had a feeling that he was about to turn. I drew and after about 15 seconds he turned offering a perfect broadside shot at 15 yds. I aimed low and felt comfortable and relatively calm. I tripped the release and the Exodus tipped arrow was on its way. Low!! Dang it. The broadhead grazed him splitting his hid and slicing his lower chest with one blade. As he trotted off I could see the maroon meat exposed. He stopped just before leaving the food plot and looked at the feeder stomping his foot with a look of "what the heck was that". At that point I figured I was going to have to go back Saturday morning and take him with a rifle. The second feeding went off about 3 min later at 5:10. I look up and low and behold here he comes following the same path with which he exited. I still wasn't very optimistic that he would come in range. To my amazement he started feeding towards me again. At about 18 yds he looked right in the blind and went right back to eating. I took a deep breath and drew anticipating him to turn. As I came to full draw a doe fawn became a little uneasy and he must have sensed it. He started to turn quickly and just as he was broadside again I let another one fly. By the time the arrow got there he was already quartering away and the arrow entered the middle of his rib cage and exited just behind his off side shoulder. I watched him trot to the edge of the food plot and start his death wobble. He was down in sight about 70 yds away. That's when the uncontrollable shakes started. As I got out of the blind I had no idea that it had been drizzling fairly heavy for about 30 minutes. I guess I was so focused on this deer that I was oblivious to everything else. I would like to Thank, God he gave me a second chance at this buck all in a span of less than 20 mins. He is my biggest deer with either rifle or bow. Tooth wear showed him to be 7.5 and on the down hill slide as he was a low to mid 70's deer the last two years. He taped out at 159 6/8 conservatively. Close enough to 160 for me. It's funny how the last two years he showed no signs of the little abnormal off of his left base and then this year it shows up.
I just wish we were closer to town because I would have went in an bought some lotto tickets. As Brandon and I were heading in, my brother called us and told us to stop at #9 and drag a boar hog off from under the feeder that he had shot from the road. As we pulled up to the feeder he got to his feet and hobbled off into the brush. Then as we get to the skinning shack my nephew calls to tell us that they had wounded a deer with a rifle. Brandon and I quickly field dress my deer and head over to help. As we were driving down the road there is a deer hobbling right towards us. I say "Brandon, that's the crippled deer". The deer stumbles off the road and falls. Brandon quickly dispatches the deer that had been shot in the upper leg below his shoulder. I seriously doubt that we would have found this deer Friday night and the coyotes would have had a field day.
Frozen free standing
Hence his name
Piled up pic
Field pic
Dental work needed
Ginger Approves
Sheds from last two years.
>E
I just wish we were closer to town because I would have went in an bought some lotto tickets. As Brandon and I were heading in, my brother called us and told us to stop at #9 and drag a boar hog off from under the feeder that he had shot from the road. As we pulled up to the feeder he got to his feet and hobbled off into the brush. Then as we get to the skinning shack my nephew calls to tell us that they had wounded a deer with a rifle. Brandon and I quickly field dress my deer and head over to help. As we were driving down the road there is a deer hobbling right towards us. I say "Brandon, that's the crippled deer". The deer stumbles off the road and falls. Brandon quickly dispatches the deer that had been shot in the upper leg below his shoulder. I seriously doubt that we would have found this deer Friday night and the coyotes would have had a field day.
Frozen free standing
Hence his name
Piled up pic
Field pic
Dental work needed
Ginger Approves
Sheds from last two years.
>E
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