So I know I'm a little delayed on the story, but I just haven't had the time to go get the antlers from the taxi so I could score them for the story. I hung this set back during shed hunting season as I had gotten several pictures of shooters coming out of this particular corner during the 2013 rut. I had ran cameras back there all spring and summer and had seen some decent bucks. I really had my hopes up for this stand. So much in fact that I had every intention of saving this stand until the rut was really kicking in. Our season started 10/1 and I had to work the first 3 days of the season. So the 4th came along and I knew I was not going to hunt that morning as I dont typically like to hunt early season mornings. I feel the chance of bumping a buck on the way in is too great and not worth the risk. As I was doing my final gear prep that morning and afternoon I kept thinking about what stand I wanted to go to. My mind kept going back to this particular stand, even though I knew I wanted to save it for the rut. But the more I thought about it, the more I knew I needed to hunt it. I had gotten great pictures all summer back there, had an active licking branch hanging over the beans in front of me, a big oak dropping acorns to my right, and to my left was the corner of the soy beam field which is a awesome travel corridor. I knew if there was a chance one of the bucks from the summer was hanging around back there still, that would be the night to see him. So fast forward to about 5pm as I got settled into my tree. I soon had 2 does across the field then 3 move through behind me. It was buck or bust this night as I had zero intentions of blowing this stand on shooting a doe. It was about 6 o'clock when I looked across the field and saw antlers pop up in the beans about 200yds away. After glassing him for several minutes I decided that he was a 4.5yr old around 140". I was going to kill him if given the chance. I watched him feed along the opposite field edge for what seemed like an hour. I really didn't think he would make it to me before it got dark, so I was simultaneously thinking of my exit strategy. As he was feeding along the opposite field edge, he stopped and started working a licking branch. That's when I started to get excited, since I had as other licking branch in front of me. Sure enough once he finished working that branch, he turned and came on a string right towards me. I continued to rang him as he closed the distance... 60... 50...40...30... Then he stopped and turned broadside, but too much brush in the way to shoot. He then proceeded to walk parallel with my field edge which took him into one of my lanes. As he stepped out, I gave him a quick "maah" to stop him. That's when I let the Spyder bite! The Easton Hexx and Ulmer's Edge blew through him! I hit him a touch high, as he ended up being 25 instead of 30yds, but I knew it was below the spine, which meant it was in the lungs. Anxiously I watched as he ran into cover, and then I listened... Crash!!! Turned out he only ran 75 yards before crashing. I had the entire hunt videoed, but unfortunately he stepped just off the frame and I didn't realize it before I shot. He scored 146 4/8". Hitting the licking branch: Moments before I shot him. Final gross score of 146 4/8
Nice and some proper photography for a change. Congrats on no "in the back of a truck" shots. No blood and no tongue sticking out. Nicely done.
