It's been awhile boys............this year has been crazy. We are in heaven at our new home and working like crazy but no excuse for not popping in here to say hi (hate when life and "acting" like an adult happen). Missed you guys. Enough said. For everyone who knows me well let this sink in............I shot this buck with a drop away rest and a Rage broadhead. Don't ask because I don't even know the answer other then I'm just a tool who was bored. On to the good stuff. I had seen deer every sit and could have taken a few big does already but I can't get myself to draw on a momma with little ones anymore........they get the camera now and I'll find momma later. Second day of our season and I snuck down to a stand we put up in an area I call Swamp Donkey because of the slop down there and I just think it's funny. As light hits I realize that we forgot to trim some branches to the right of the stand and my shots that way are very limited. A small doe comes in feeding to my right and of course 10 minutes later I see this buck standing at the edge of the trail looking like he is coming right into my gauntlet. He stops and makes a ground scrape, thrashes a tree and goes back the way he came..........if I had trimmed the branches he is dead. A few minutes later I see another body coming and hoping it's him but instead a little 4 strolls right by at 10 yards of course.........right path, wrong deer. Fast forward to Monday October 24th and I jump on the ATV to head out.......I know a guy on the next property has some food plots directly north of Swamp Donkey so I took my Summit and hoped to catch a nice buck coming back from the salad bar..........well, I can't say I was surprised when my great plan was nothing like what went down. The guy next door removed some posted signs I used as guides in the dark so I drove WAY past my spot and was now cursing as daylight was breaking with me still on the ATV. I climb a nice double trunk with plenty of scrub for cover and settle in for what I figure will be my first skunk of the year. The text from my brother comes at 8 am "Shot a doe, saw her fall"......he says he doesn't need help but I'm thinking of bailing anyways for an early breakfast. My other brother beats me to it and says he is going to help drag so I decide to stay put as the morning was absolutely beautiful. 8:45 I see a big doe enter coming FROM swamp donkey and she is headed right for me.....alone I come to full draw and she is toast........but I can't help notice she is worried more about what is behind her then above her when I hear the twig snap. I don't know how the hell he made it through 80-100 yards of woods without making a sound but he was now standing at the base of my tree and all I could see was the front of his right side.......so far so good. She trots off and he goes. All friggin year I try to prepare for anything possible but sure enough here I am having to make 5 decisions and pull off a good shot in the next 2 seconds or he is gone. He stops all by himself right where I need him to and everything I see says shoot so away the arrow goes. Piped him. He goes like a freight train for 80 yards then stops and I am watching him anticipating a fall when he gathers himself and bolts again at warp speed. I listen over my pounding heart and hear the thundering end of his run. Got down in 1/2 hour and found my arrow..........clean passthrough, broadhead in perfect shape. Bravo Rage. The blood was instant and plenty of it. Holy freaking Rage man.......the blood got better as he began running through trees instead of around them. Shortly after the tree of horror there his run ended. On his way back home. Worst pic ever but the morning after a dozen Blue Moons this is my best. Season is over early man...........I need to find some public land in Ohio to take a stab at. Good luck to all those still out in the woods. I leave you with a couple more from the field. He ran 150 yards with this...........and I know Germ will love the shirt Special good wishes to my man Preaching from his stand in these same Western NY woods...........hoping a good one wanders your way Tony (cause you have some catching up to do).
Real nice deer, atlas. Congrats! How was the king fishing this year? The fish in Lake Michigan rebounded very well this year as the alewives are coming back. A handful of fish over 35 lbs were caught this year, and a 28 lb coho.
Congrats on a great buck, Atlas!! And that's exactly why I'm a fan and an avid Rage user, as well. What a friggin blood trail!
Yeah, baby! Way to lay down an AWESOME NY buck, Brotha!!!! A HUGE Congrats to you, Atlas! We went back and forth with our kills last year .... and you are right... I have some catching up to do! So happy for you, Atlas... I will try not and let ya down
