I have had the same lease for 26 years in SE MN. Some of you know I lost my lease at the beginning of the year and at the time I didn't even care that much because it was not fun to hunt with the guys I was hunting with. This summer I thought it was my lease I am going to try and get it back with some new guys to hunt with. Finally I got the call two weeks after the season started that I can get the lease back. The first weekend in October we went and hung stands and I showed the new guys some of the farm. We hunted that night for the last 2 hours and a 9 pointer stepped out at 37 yards. I could tell he had a good rack and I told the guys low to mid 150's. But I could not tell if he was mature in the short time I had to make a decision so I decided to pass and never even picked up my bow. I started getting pictures of him right away and soon realized I had made a mistake, he was definitely mature enough. I didn't bow hunt another day though because all my time hunting involved taking my kids out hunting instead of me. He was showing up A LOT all over the farm and during daylight too. I knew someone was going to get a chance but didn't think it was going to be me because all of the other guys had more time to hunt there. There was no sightings from any of the other hunters and I though maybe I would get a chance during the gun season. I sat this past Saturday from dark to dark and he was no where to be seen. On my walk out I go past one of my cameras 90 yards from where I was sitting all day but can not see from my spot. When I saw he was well within shooting distance at 2 in the afternoon I couldn't believe he got lucky a second time. On Sunday morning I went back to the same blind figuring my best odds were at that point where there was the most trail camera pics of him. At 9:30 he showed up to my left going towards my right headed to the cedar tree and my favorite trail camera spot of all time. I had a buck decoy out and he was staring at it. When he got to 75 yards I shot him with my slug gun through both lungs. He ran into the valley through some really thick stuff. After tracking him which was pretty easy with the fresh snow the work began. He is one of the biggest body bucks I have shot and we drug him out of the valley and to the truck about 1 mile. The snow definitely made that job easier. When I first saw him laying there I could not believe how big his body was and I was very thankful to get another chance. He taped out at 158 5/8" and is pretty wide. I want to thank everyone who was there to help, the guys and gal I hunt with and the farmer for letting me hunt one of the greatest spots I know. I also want to thank the members here for the information I pick up from reading other hunters stories. This site has made me a better hunter. Here are a couple of the Hero Shots.
Awesome story and great buck. Congrats on getting your lease back! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Awesome buck Tom! When you posted up that you had passed him and you were second guessing that decision, I was hoping you would get another crack at him. He is one heck of a deer! Did you get a weight on him?
Matt he was looking in my direction but there is close to a 30 foot elevation change from where he was and I was sitting. The wind was not blowing in his direction either.
