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2024 Bow buck down

casts_by_fly

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 10, 2022
Messages
358
Location
NJ
Hi gents,

I didn't shoot him from a saddle so I hesitated to post, but I figured you guys wouldn't mind. During the rut period, I get a lot of bucks to come past the house where I have a couple acres to hunt on. It's a natural funnel based on the terrain, other houses, openings/thickets, etc. We also have a bunch of 'yard deer' that live within 400 yards of the house year round (mostly does). I noticed it when we first moved into this house in Sep 2019. That year the rut was crazy and in one morning I saw 5 different bucks, one of which would have pushed 150". So most all of my hunting from the end of October until I shoot one is behind the house. I have a couple stands and last year I even used the saddle a bit. But frankly the most efficient and enjoyable option is a blind. This is 'suburban' style hunting even if I don't have any neighbors behind me and our street of 20 houses is bordered by a preserved land and a wildlife management area. I'm fortunate to be able to set up a blind just feet from my yard so that I have a silent in and out (aside from the blind zipper), a 2 minute walk from the back door, and weather/motion protection. The deer only come from a 180 degrees arc in front of the blind, so no 'blind' spots really. I describe all of that to relay the frustration of this hunting as well.

My office window overlooks the blind and I also have a camera at the blind so I can see basically every deer that comes in night or day. Earlier this fall I got a glimpse of a biggie (for here). He's a main frame 8 that has a broken G3. I'm estimating 18" inside spread, 12" tines G2/G3, and just good overall character. He was coming around only in the night but I was hunting the blind most mornings and evenings starting around Haloween. I finally took an evening off to go to a friend's housewarming party and he showed up at 4 PM. The next night I had a shot at him and was drawn, but a small buck scattered him and the doe he was with and I didn't get to shoot. I hunted a few more days, evening and night, to no avail. The morning I took off? He showed at 645. For the next two weeks it was the same. I take a sit off, he shows up. There is no way he could wind me and hang up out of site. There is no way he could see or hear me unless he was bedding 40 yards from the blind. I think we just got into a rhythm and he was on a ~4 days cycle which hit the days I had to take a break. This weekend we were in the city and I woke up to a picture of a nice buck in front of the blind in the morning shooting hours. Par for the course I thought. So I sat the evening and then the morning to nothing. During the evening sit yesterday, I got a picture of him on another camera a half mile away, a place I've never had him on camera (and interestingly the location that I 'found' while scounting a couple years back but had never seen a deer. So I hung a camera and viola'). At least he was still alive and moving! I figured he's make a rounds in the next couple days. I'll never find out.

I was in the blind this morning at 530 again. Around 6 a pair of does came in and shortly thereafter 3 bucks walk in. One is a small 8. The other was a forkhorn I know. This 8 was the third deer. I couldn't tell which deer it was at first because it was too dark. I thought it might be a 4x1 i had seen the other night (main frame 8 but a blank beam on the right). But as it kept getting lighter I could see tines on both sides as he turned his head. I could also see he was much wider than his body. Pretty certain he was a shooter, I just had to wait for more light. It was just about light enough at 615 when a fox came running in and spooked all of the deer off. They didn't run far though and 5 minutes later they were walking back in. He came in straight on and stayed that way for 10 minutes so I didn't have a shot. I was ready to draw so when a stick/leave/bird spooked him he made 3 big steps to my right and stopped. I was already drawn before he stopped so I settled the pin and let loose. I thought he was ever so slightly quartering to so I kept it tight to the shoulder, but when my lighted knock didn't disappear I knew I hit the offside bone (or so I thought). It burried to the fletchings though so I was confident it was in the boiler room. He ran across the powerline and down the hill into the woods. I heard deer running for 30 seconds and thought I heard a crash down over the hill (about 150 yards down) but given that I thought he was slightly quartering and that the arrow didn't pass through, I thought I'd give him a half hour. After 10 minutes I walked over to see the start of the trail and check the arrow part that I saw cut off. I didn't find the fletchings, but I did find the rest of the arrow soaked in bubble blood. I think his shoulder cut it when he ran and the fletching side fell out the right and the broadhead side out the left. Not a pass through, but 2 holes. And there was also blood every where and good bubbly blood. I ended up calling my dad and chatting while I came back, let the dogs out, change clothes, etc.

I didn't need to worry. What I thought was a crash way down over the hill must have just been the other deer stopping. The arrow hit the base of both lungs and the top arteries of the heart. He didn't go 30 yards. Not sure why it didn't penetrate all the way through since it didn't hit bone but I'll take it.

He's a solid 5.5 year old, and it you told me he was a lot older I'd believe you. I don't think we have the best nutrition for growing racks around here but the grey in his face and thickness of his bases betray some age in him. Definitely my widest buck ever, and probably my biggest.

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Congrats. There is something to be said about being able to walk out your back door and have a successful hunt,
 
Thanks guys!

Congrats. There is something to be said about being able to walk out your back door and have a successful hunt,

there sure is. I’m super fortunate that we found this house. It’s a ~4 acre lot with 1.5 for the house and yard. That gives me 2.5 on a north facing hillside. It’s mostly open oak woods but the properties around are a combo of a township preserve (which I get a permit to hunt), a wma, and a golf course. There aren’t any monsters. But I get to watch the does all spring and summer. I get to see the fawns grow up. The old doe that’s around is at least 6 or 7 now. She has had two every year since we’ve lived here. Her fawns have had fawns. And I don’t shoot the yard deer. She’s in a group of 6 that come in every evening right now. The bucks don’t live here, but in late September or early October they start showing up as the cruise for acorns first and then does later. This is the fourth buck I’ve killed in 4 years here.
 
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