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Missed the big one today

B

Black Titan

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2023
Messages
668
Hunting Oak Ridge Achery this weekend. Set up at the edge of a pine row. Not in my climber today, instead using a tree seat on the ground. Im up against a big bush so I have some cover. Got in and setup right at first light.

I wasn't sat down for no more than 5 minutes it seemed, and here come a doe. She come in on my left, my weak side since I'm a lefty. I couldn't get a chance to get setup for a shot, so I just watched her. She come up to about 20 yards, and saw me. Was staring a hole through me.

I remembered what some folks said in my buck fever thread about making eye contact, so I looked away but kept her in my peripheral. She moved again, broadside to me, and I turned my head slowly to follow. She wasn't having it, kept looking right at me. She started stomping the ground, and I was just squinting to barely keep my eye on her. She stomped again, and turned back and went slowly down my left side and behind me.

While watching her, a young deer, guessing doe, came down the same path. She never spotted me, and there were a couple times I could have drawn, but decided not to since it was such a young deer. This deer hung around FOREVER. Was still watching it, and I asked my uncle if I should use my grunt. He's 18ft up a tree almost right above me. He texted back and said yeah.

So I hit my growler tube, just a few short clicks, and a little bit longer. I was standing, with my bow in my hand. No later than 10 seconds passed, and here comes an absolute tank of a buck. I counted 10 points but that was a quick glance and he could have easily been 12. This thing was a monster. Id guestimate over 200 pounds. Biggest deer ive ever seen in person in 40 years. He was mature. Darker hair, antlers werent white but more of a honey amber color. Head down, all fluffed up, on a mission, stomping through broadside the whole way. I have no idea where he came from. It was like he just materialized out of nowhere about 30 yards to my left.

Now yall might remember my buck fever thread. None of that happened this time. Before I realized it, I was at full draw, found my anchor, and was tracking that deer with my 20 yard dot on the sweet spot as he continued to stomp through.

Now when I say before I realized it, I mean I don't even remember drawing. It was like all of a sudden I realized that I was at full draw and aiming. I was locked and ready to go. I surprised myself. My heart wasn't racing, I wasn't shaking, I was breathing steady, and completely in focus.

Now remember when I said that doe come in on my within 5 minutes of me sitting down? I never had time to range the trees around me. It wasn't light enough for my range finder to work at that time. So I'm tracking this buck with my 20 yard pin locked on like a precision laser guided instrument, and then it happened.

Like I said, he was on a mission. STOMP. STOMP
STOMP. STOMP. I let out a "meh". STOMP. STOMP STOMP STOMP. "mehhhh" meeeeeeh" STOMP STOMP STOMP STOMP. He was about to pass my shot window where it would be a quartering away angle. I had followed him throughout about a 70 degree radius at full draw. Finally, I let out another louder MEH and he slowed, but behind a tree. He moved again and I practically yelled MMEEEEH! and he stopped, perfect broadside shot, at what I thought was about 25 yards or a little more. I moved my pin up to the top of his back, pulled tension into my back, and the arrow released.

It sailed about an inch over his back. He had to have felt the wind off it. He did a high tail kick and took off about 40 yards, tail straight up in the air, and stopped and stared back in my direction. I was waiting for my uncle to take a follow up shot and he never did. He has a crossbow. I grabbed another arrow out of my quiver as fast as I could, but he took off again, bounding over the hill.

After grunting a time or two hoping he would come back, I got my range finder out of my pack and ranged the tree he stopped at. 18.8 yards. If I hadn't raised my pin to the top of his back, that was a literal chip shot. I can drill the X all day long at 20.

So I got rattled to death on a spike with buck fever, and a dad gum absolute trophy of a buck comes within 20 yards and I remained cool as a cucumber, but sailed one right over his back. What an amazing first deer that could have been.


Side note, I'm gaining confidence in my grunt tube and calls. This makes 3 now I've called in. My uncle spooked a small buck yesterday and he bounded off, and I started grunting and he came right back.


BT
 
Black Titan said:
Hunting Oak Ridge Achery this weekend. Set up at the edge of a pine row. Not in my climber today, instead using a tree seat on the ground. Im up against a big bush so I have some cover. Got in and setup right at first light.

I wasn't sat down for no more than 5 minutes it seemed, and here come a doe. She come in on my left, my weak side since I'm a lefty. I couldn't get a chance to get setup for a shot, so I just watched her. She come up to about 20 yards, and saw me. Was staring a hole through me.

I remembered what some folks said in my buck fever thread about making eye contact, so I looked away but kept her in my peripheral. She moved again, broadside to me, and I turned my head slowly to follow. She wasn't having it, kept looking right at me. She started stomping the ground, and I was just squinting to barely keep my eye on her. She stomped again, and turned back and went slowly down my left side and behind me.

While watching her, a young deer, guessing doe, came down the same path. She never spotted me, and there were a couple times I could have drawn, but decided not to since it was such a young deer. This deer hung around FOREVER. Was still watching it, and I asked my uncle if I should use my grunt. He's 18ft up a tree almost right above me. He texted back and said yeah.

So I hit my growler tube, just a few short clicks, and a little bit longer. I was standing, with my bow in my hand. No later than 10 seconds passed, and here comes an absolute tank of a buck. I counted 10 points but that was a quick glance and he could have easily been 12. This thing was a monster. Id guestimate over 200 pounds. Biggest deer ive ever seen in person in 40 years. He was mature. Darker hair, antlers werent white but more of a honey amber color. Head down, all fluffed up, on a mission, stomping through broadside the whole way. I have no idea where he came from. It was like he just materialized out of nowhere about 30 yards to my left.

Now yall might remember my buck fever thread. None of that happened this time. Before I realized it, I was at full draw, found my anchor, and was tracking that deer with my 20 yard dot on the sweet spot as he continued to stomp through.

Now when I say before I realized it, I mean I don't even remember drawing. It was like all of a sudden I realized that I was at full draw and aiming. I was locked and ready to go. I surprised myself. My heart wasn't racing, I wasn't shaking, I was breathing steady, and completely in focus.

Now remember when I said that doe come in on my within 5 minutes of me sitting down? I never had time to range the trees around me. It wasn't light enough for my range finder to work at that time. So I'm tracking this buck with my 20 yard pin locked on like a precision laser guided instrument, and then it happened.

Like I said, he was on a mission. STOMP. STOMP
STOMP. STOMP. I let out a "meh". STOMP. STOMP STOMP STOMP. "mehhhh" meeeeeeh" STOMP STOMP STOMP STOMP. He was about to pass my shot window where it would be a quartering away angle. I had followed him throughout about a 70 degree radius at full draw. Finally, I let out another louder MEH and he slowed, but behind a tree. He moved again and I practically yelled MMEEEEH! and he stopped, perfect broadside shot, at what I thought was about 25 yards or a little more. I moved my pin up to the top of his back, pulled tension into my back, and the arrow released.

It sailed about an inch over his back. He had to have felt the wind off it. He did a high tail kick and took off about 40 yards, tail straight up in the air, and stopped and stared back in my direction. I was waiting for my uncle to take a follow up shot and he never did. He has a crossbow. I grabbed another arrow out of my quiver as fast as I could, but he took off again, bounding over the hill.

After grunting a time or two hoping he would come back, I got my range finder out of my pack and ranged the tree he stopped at. 18.8 yards. If I hadn't raised my pin to the top of his back, that was a literal chip shot. I can drill the X all day long at 20.

So I got rattled to death on a spike with buck fever, and a dad gum absolute trophy of a buck comes within 20 yards and I remained cool as a cucumber, but sailed one right over his back. What an amazing first deer that could have been.


Side note, I'm gaining confidence in my grunt tube and calls. This makes 3 now I've called in. My uncle spooked a small buck yesterday and he bounded off, and I started grunting and he came right back.


BT
Click to expand...
I was on the edge of my seat for this post. Holy crap, great night of hunting!
 
Been scrolling the tube a bit today, and came across this little clip. This is pretty darn close to the buck I missed. Mine was a little bigger it seemed, but like I said he was all puffed up ready to fight.


BT
 
Sorry to hear about your miss.

I've had a terribly slow season. Barely seeing any deer and the only deer I've had in range are forks or spikes.

I keep reminding myself to be thankful after every hunt. Thankful that I have lungs that can breathe, a body that can climb, and eyesight good enough to shoot.

Keep after it.
 
Skunkworkx said:
Lots have been in them shoes, it happens more than most will tell.

Just the experience of being that close to a deer that size and on the ground....sounds great.
Click to expand...

It was quite an amazing experience, and one I'll likely never forget.

BT
 
Zero One Actual said:
The classifieds section will gladly accept all your gear at anytime you want to quit.

Thank you.
Click to expand...

Bahahahaa! I'm not quite ready to throw in the towel just yet! I'm gonna still get after them. However unlikely it is, I'm hopeful that this same buck is in the same spot next year for this draw hunt. I'll know better next time!

BT
 
I missed a big one this year that I’ve been trying to catch up to for a few years now. I learned so much from the experience and feel a huge sense of accomplishment for putting myself in the right place at the right time. I’m also glad that my eager and mildly irresponsible shot didn’t wound him. So man, I feel you’re heartache.

Keep after him brother! Close calls mean we are on the right track!!
 
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