Been running one of my cameras at a location where I haven't bowhunted yet this season due to the fact that most big buck sightings were nocturnal.I have 2 particular bucks that I'd been keeping tabs on on this piece.Yesterday,I took the long drive out to check this camera,and upon checking the card I noticed that I had a very big 9 pt. that had been coming in during the morning and afternoon for the past 3 days(not one of the bucks i had been keeping tabs on).Right then and there I knew it was time to get into my stand.I have all my equipment with me whenever I check this location,just in case of a situation like this.I got changed and was in my tree by 1330 hrs,jumping one doe on the way in.This stand is situated in a nice tight pinch point between a swamp and a hardwood ridge.All was quiet until about 1600 hrs. when I heard noise in the swamp and noticed a large racked buck dogging a doe in the swamp.While watching all this comotion,I had 2 other smaller bucks (5pt. and 6pt.) nervously walk in directly under my stand.After the smaller bucks wandered off,I pulled out my can call and figured I would at least make an attempt to call in the big buck that was all over the doe in the swamp.The buck would glance my way but wouldn't leave the doe;which I figured anyway.After putting the can call away,I heard a noise coming from the other end of the swamp to my right and turned to see the big 9pt. from my trail camera pictures heading my way.The deer stopped at 35 yards and appeared to be looking hard for the "doe" that it heard.After not seeing what it wanted,it turned and started heading back from where it came.When it got to about 60 yards I pulled out the can and called it right back in again.As this was going on,I had a spike sneak in behind me that I never noticed.Once the big boy spotted this little buck,it snort wheezed and began heading right for it.When the buck got to 15 yards I came to full draw,floated the pin behind the shoulder and shot.At the shot,the buck took off and stopped about 80 yards away and just stood there for about 3 minutes before slowly walking back into the swamp.Since it did not act like a double lung hit deer,I backed out and returned this morning with two friends to take up the trail.Blood sign was good right up to the edge of the swamp,but then it was impossible to find any in this watery twisted jungle.I stayed on what looked like a slight trail weaving through the swamp,always looking back towards my stand to see if I could make a good guess at a possible direction of travel.While doing this,I stumbled across a nice thick 8pt. drop from this past season.I picked it up and said to myself maybe this would bring me some luck.A couple minutes after the find, I glanced to my right and noticed a big rack sticking up from just behind a hummock mound 20 yards away.....my buck.What a relief.I called to my buddies who then came and helped with getting this beast out of there.This deer traveled 160 yards from where it had been shot.Upon field dressing the deer,I noticed that my shot was a little more to the left than I thought, striking the ridge portion of the shoulder plate and penetrating only the left lung.I shot the deer with my 70 lb. Strother Black Death SR-71.Arrows are 250 CX Maxima Hunters tipped with 100 grain Ramcats.I later found the arrow which had backed out,lying flat on the ground intact.The head sustained one complelely broken blade,with the other two being bent up pretty good.It did its job though through bone,so no complaints here. Will be measuring it later for curiosity. trail camera shot
Great buck AND story. It's always special to be able to take a buck that you have previously photographed. A big congrats to you! Blessings.........Pastorjim
