A tall tined 8 pointer I was hunting was laid to rest by a lucky gun hunter. I shared a picture of a buck I started calling "Budweiser" some weeks ago. After the initial picture, of the buck, he started showing his face regularly over the next few weeks. Finally when November rolled around I captured my first picture of him in daylight. I hung 2 sets near this camera, on each side of the bedding area it was hung on. When I killed my buck November 9th, it was Budweiser I was after. Friday November 16th was our gun season opener. I found myself in the same tree I had taken my buck from just one week earlier. At first light I see a buck working a scrape on the ridge above me about 100 yards away. Even with my H&R 20 gauge I was nervous. The neighbors open up with 3 quick shots, followed by 3 more. Budweiser promptly starts a fast trot down the hill as I follow him in my scope. He finally stops, but all I see is his neck forward and lay off the trigger. He takes off again, never offering me another opportunity and refusing to halt his trot. A very cool experience, but I was bummed. Fast forward to Sunday morning, I get a text from my cousin saying a neighbor had killed a very tall 8 with a broken brow tine. I tried to dispute the fact it was "my" buck, but the picture I recieved that afternoon was the proof, Budweiser was killed 2 miles away from where I had seen him the morning before. Reports were the G2's (can't confirm this) measured just shy of 15" and 14". That's the only picture confirmation I have on my hit list bucks, but rumor has it that bucks I called DJ and Big Jim were also killed this year. Anxious to check my camera on Friday and see what's still running around. Here are the daylight pictures of Budweiser, I have several others of him traveling at night also.
Always dread those calls. I just hope if I get one this year about a couple of my bucks the hunter is close enough and willing to let me atleast see the thing! Always sucks, but hey that's hunting and we don't own a single deer that is out there.
Part of hunting brother, keep at it though. I could go on for hours about bucks that i was pursuing, that got taken by hunters. Every year, they are replaced by new bucks. No worries.
Sorry to hear that. I know its part of hunting and its always hard to take. I always try to look at it like this. The other guy was probably hunting hard also and might have even been hunting the same deer. With that being said the best gun season I ever had was last year when I went to Iowa and wasnt here. I just cringe at every gun shot that I hear while sitting in my house. Good Luck the rest of the season
Yep it's happened before., and like Caleb said new bucks move in. The guy that killed this buck is a good dude from what I hear. Nothing to be bitter or jealous about, just part of the game.
Better someone took him hunting than to learn he was hit on the road or died of EHD or something. Still a bummer though.
