Yep. 05-08 I was after a great buck on public land. Missed him as a 3 year old in '05, and then 2 days later had him walk up to me as I was lowering my bow to the ground....ran off before I got a shot. '06 he walked by me during gun season.....I only had a doe tag. '07 he as I was walking to my stand I watched through my binocs as he chased a doe 10 yards from it. Later that year I put a stalk on him but was unable to get a shot. '08 he had blossomed nto an awesome 160's 9 pointer as a 6 year old. Had him close one afternoon in October before he winded me. Last year it was a buck I named Budweiser. He was #3 on my list last year in terms of size, but I wanted him baaaadly. Almost got him opening morning of gun season, but a shot was never offered. He was killed 2 miles away the next day. Was said to of scored 158" as a 7 pointer (broken brow). There are others, "191", "Flyer", "Dropkick", "Big Jim" to name a few,but these are the 2 I come back to most often.
I haven't been able to follow deer as long as some of you but last year a buck showed up on my cameras during the rut. This buck was the biggest buck that ever stepped foot in front of my trail cams. I hunted my butt off but could never connect, all the way through rifle and late season bow, nothing. Then he just disappeared. Maybe a lucky hunter or he just returned to his core area. I was definitley frustrated and upset but there was nothing that couldve been done. A part of me is still waiting for that buck to reappear but I know the chances of that happening are very slim. But as one buck disappears, another one shows up. Now I have my eyes on another and hoping for big things next year if he makes it.
I really can't say I've been able to follow or identify bucks each year. I'm sure some are probably the same, but I haven't really found any that I could say for certain were the same bucks. I have however, had an emotional experience relating to a specific buck. One that has basically spoiled rifle hunting for me. I made a shot on a buck 3 years ago from about 130 yards away. I was sure I had completely missed him because of the way he turned and ran, plus I could find no sign of a hit where he was standing. Two days later, I pulled my trail camera and saw him standing in my food plot with a bullet hole about 1 or 2 inches too far back. My stomach turned and I was sick about it. I took my daughter out, figuring is had been almost 3 days since I had shot him, surely he would be down and I had a good idea where he was heading that night I got him on camera. Sure enough, he was there, but he wasn't dead. We bumped him and I couldn't get a shot. We backed out and that was the last I ever saw him after hours of searching for him a couple days later. I'm sure he died, and it still makes me sick to think about it. I have barely gun hunted since then.
I had a buddy that shot a doe last evening with a rifle and we didn't find her either. I think his rifle is shooting way off because he's normally a good shot and she wasn't very far away. Found a little bit of blood in two spots and none in between either spot or beyond. It happens, can happen with a bow just as easily or easier.
I definitely understand where you are coming from. I've been this way with several bucks in my area. The first big buck I saw completely got me obsessed with big bucks and made want to find him. I think my worst was a big Non-typical with double drops, 2 2 flyers off the G2 and additional spike coming up off each base. In fact this one, I searched hard on the internet and tracked him down almost a year later to find out he was taken about 3 miles from where I last saw him just days later.
While it's tough to know exact numbers I believe in QDMA's figures a lot more than I don't, so I'd also say I agree.
This has been my first year with a camera and I got roughly 6-8 different bucks that I am excited about and hope to see next year... Hope they made it through the rifle season. I got about 5 pictures of a 160" mainframe 10 with both browtines split making him a solid 12... I dream about this buck so much. He's easily a 4.5yr old deer - Thats the only emotional connection I have at the time. We will see what shows up on the cam in the next few months!
Tony, I missed this the first go round, but yes, I know what you're talking about. Blade was an obsession for 4 seasons. He taught me so much about mature bucks in the big woods. He changed the way I hunt. He upped the bar. I couldn't have been happier for my brother when he got him, and for Blade to run and die in sight 30 yards from my stand was amazing! I was in shock to finally put my hands on that old buck. The feeling of putting my brother on him was great. Knowing that he walked under all 4 stand sites I set up for him in his last 5 minutes was a proud moment for me. However, the woods are different now. He's simply not there. He will no longer be my focus, my goal, my obsession. For 4 years he was the fuel for my fire and now I'm left with only coals. So now, the search is on for new fuel. And I won't have to look far. There are other deer. Bigger deer. Smarter deer. But there will always be a place in my hunter's heart for Blade, my first true hunting nemesis.
