A little background first. I am originally from Illinois but currently live in Mississippi thanks to the Air Force. I have been hunting for 3 years and had my bow for 6 but had never had a chance to hunt before Thanksgiving and the orange army due to being in college in Colorado. Earlier this year (Columbus day weekend) I came home and shot my first deer which I thought was a doe but turned out to be a button buck. I took a week of leave before I start pilot training and headed home Monday with at least 5 1/2 days to hunt. Specifically I wanted a chance at a beautiful 10 pt we had on camera. I had bought a new peep and sight which the local sight helped me put on and dial in. My fear was that the low quality stuff that came with my bow in 2008 would cost me a nice deer at low light (I had let down on a doe that previous trip because of it). I know you shouldn't change stuff mid season but I did anyway. I got to the stand at 2:30 and settled in. My stepdad had put it up on Sunday and sat in it on Monday evening when my sister was in a ground blind close by. She had got a glimpse of the 10 pt at last light out of shooting range. From the field to the stand I had dripped some BF Rut to cover my scent. The wind was blowing directly off my left ear (SW) into the timber. I wasn't anticipating seeing much with such a bad wind. At 3:50 a young doe came across the field and began to sniff the BF Rut. I pulled out my phone and filmed her for 5 minutes as she walked around my stand and off into the timber. I decided not to shoot because of my remaining days left. Had it been next Sunday she wouldn't have got a pass. With her out of sight I pulled out my phone to watch the video I took. No sooner had I pressed play I heard a twig snap behind me. As I turned I saw him 5 yards behind me. I wasn't sure if it was the 10 pt but he was definitely big enough and I didn't count the points. I slipped my phone in my breast pocket and waited for his choice to go left or right. He went left towards the edge of the field and I picked the spot to stop him. I like quartering away shots and stopped him less than 15 yds from the tree. The shot was decent and I watched him slowly get over the hill to my right. I called my stepdad and dad to come out and help in the search. The arrow showed lung blood and even though I wanted to wait another hour but my stepdad wanted to go after him (it is hard to argue with the hand that provides the land, scouts, etc). My mom, stepdad, and father followed a fantastic trail at first and expected him to be over the first hill. Well he wasn't. For two hours we tracked him with periods of great blood followed by absolutely no blood. Eventually we heard something cracking the leaves and we had stumbled into him bedded down. This time I won out and we waited 45 minutes at the spot where he was bedded down. We picked up the trail again and found him in the creek (of course). It took 3 hours and 20 minutes from the shot until I got my hands on him. My wife couldn't understand why I needed to go home and hunt after shooting "Bambi". I told her it may be my only shot at this buck before the other older fellows get him in shotgun season. I told her if I got him he'd be the buck of a lifetime. He grossed 168 7/8 and his net was 163 3/8.
dont really see many deer where the g3 are smaller than the g4 on both side thats pretty cool looking....congrats great buck
Fantastic Buck! I too serve in the Air Force (enlisted) stationed at Whiteman AFB in Missouri. it's my first year bowhunting but I am hoping to land a nice buck this weekend before rifle season kicks in. congrats on your kill he definitely belongs on your wall!
My dad and I scored him at 180 7/8 using the B&C worksheet. Everyone at the archery shop is thinking 160s. I'm taking him to the taxidermy shop tomorrow and I'll have them score him since they have done it more. Might swing by the archery shop as well if they want a go at taping him. The video from B&C we watched on YouTube it sure seemed we did it right.
