First off, i want to apologize for taking so long to get this story up. I wanted to make sure i had all the pictures and video ready that i needed to properly tell it. And second off, i want to say thank you to the members here who helped (or hindered) me since i started posting on the forums (HNI at first) back in 2006. When i joined up in 2006, i had just purchased my first bow (Same one i still have, Hoyt Lazertec), and was in my first year hunting as a self taught bowhunter. I ended up taking a 6 point from a ground blind that i had made in a small stand of pine trees next to a lake and in between 2 crop fields. I had missed my first 2 shots and deer that fall and finally connected on my 3rd, he ran 30 yards and died. I had it all figured out (So i thought). Fast forward to this summer. 6 seasons had gone by since i killed that buck. I'd taken 9 does during that stretch, and been at full draw a number of times on shooters, but for whatever reason, it hadn't happened. 3 nice bucks had been taken on my farm in that time by family/friends (199", 134" & 113"), not to mention the long growing list of deer that i had been following with my cameras for years (Some even named..."Grandpa Kickers", "Hightower", "The Narrow 10", "Brett Favre", "Handlebars", "Freak Daddy Jr"). This year, the local farmer (One of my lifelong friends who actually helped me track my first buck), planted corn on our north farm for the first time in a decade. The previous year had been beans, and for a handful of years before that it was just grassland. This was a new experience for us that we soon grew to love. Normally, our farms had been used primarily by does, with alot of cruising rut traffic. Well, with beans the year before and corn this year, the property started holding a number of good shooter bucks. 3 of them were regulars on camera, including a particular deer that we soon named the garden buck. In order, "Hightower", "Narrow Ten" and "Garden Buck": All 3 of these deer were relatively young (2-3 year olds) and "small" by "Trophy Whitetail" hunting standards, but all 3 would easily be the biggest and most mature buck that i ever harvested. I quickly made the decision that i wouldnt hesitate on taking any of them. We also started using feeders and "bait stations" more then we ever had in the past. Some hunters will frown on this, but as far as we were concerned, it kept the deer fat and happy, made the deer easy to inventory, and also kept them bedding on the property (Huge advantage that we never had). All summer long, the Garden Buck would show up on my cams. Always within the same 200 acre area: The Garden Buck got his name because, simply...he liked to eat out of our garden. As this video shows: I actually took the last part of that video from where i am sitting and typing right now. We had an on-going joke here at home to make sure we slowed down as you got close to the house since the Garden Buck had been running out in front of our cars so often at night. Fast forward to the first week of Archery season. The week before, we had put out a few bait stations close to some evening stands in areas we knew the bucks were utilizing still. The Garden Buck had no problem finding them:
These following pictures were taken the morning of my hunt (September 29th), he really loved apples which were ultimately his downfall: The evening of my hunt i got in real early. There was a front approaching so i knew the deer would be on their feet. The hunt started off terrible, with my uncle coming out and brush-hogging a field that was 75 yards away on the other side of the cornfield i was set up on: No less then 10 minutes after he had finished mowing, the Garden Buck made his appearance. He came from behind me, and i didn't hear him until he was literally 5 yards away. He stepped out onto the edge of the cornfield and make his way straight to the apples. The way i left the natural cover around my stand i didn't have a shot. He fed for a few minutes in front of my Red40: While feeding, im pretty sure he heard my stand creak as i shuffled my feet to get into position. He trotted off into the woods to my right rather quickly, but i didn't hear him take off. I tried finding him in my binos but couldn't. I knew he was still there though. I took the opportunity to get in the right position, and luckily about a minute later he stepped back into the field. I had him at 12 yards, quartering slightly away broadside. You cant tempt fate twice, and i let him have it. My shot was perfect (Both lungs), sounded like a baseball hitting concrete, and he took off into the woods to my right. I heard his gurgling respirations and his crash, so i knew he was down. I made the appropriate texts to my friends/family that we have a deer to track. I then got down to look for my arrow, and when i stepped out into the field, i could see his white belly about 30 yards into the woods. My 7 year buckless streak was over. I walked back to my house, got my truck, a few buddies and my girlfriend, and went to get him: My brother Luke had connected on a doe that evening as well, so we got to take some double pictures: He ended up scoring 104 1/2. Not a giant, i know, but i am extremely happy with him. Its nice to have the monkey off my back ....and i made good on my statement earlier this year, that i would not hesitate to take this buck if he showed (if you can remember the "Are you shooting" thread).
Way to go Bud! I think a lot of guys would have packed up their bags years ago. I admire your tenacity and dedication. Great write up as well, a good story with an even better ending! Congratulations!
Awesome story man. Congrats on a nice buck. I just hope it doesnt take me that long to drop my first buck
Great write up, was lookin forward to the story!! congrats on getting it done nice and early in the season, It's a great feeling! as I stated earlier: welcome to "THE 2013 BUCK DOWN CLUB!"
Good thing you got to end your 7 year buckless drought! That musta been a few tough season prior to your buck. Congrats man!!
Nice job bud. There are few things in this world quite as nice as putting a perfect shot on a whitetail buck with archery equipment. Well done.
Grats. I'm still waiting for my first deer with a bow. I've been a total of 15 years owning a bow, and this is my first year getting the opportunity to actually get out and hunt.
Thanks guys! I stopped counting how many bucks i passed on a few years ago. I was around 60-70 i think. Mostly 1.5 year olds, but a few nice 2.5's that i just wasnt ready to put down. Now i just dont know what to do with all this damn free time....
