Fitz's 2013 Season Journal Thread *semi-live*

I have been watching your quest for blade unfold over the last two years, and I always thought you would have been the one to harvest him. Must be bitter sweet now that he wont be running around for you to chase and see. Good luck with buster!

 

Wow, just Wow! Congrats to you and your bro. Best of luck with Buster.

 

He sure is an awesome buck, I love those dark antlers. I knew someone was going to put him down this season! You go to Wisconsin every year for the gun season right?

Sent from my SCH-R530U using Tapatalk

 

By the time I got home and settled, I was just too damn tired to relay the story. So, here goes...

 

Happy to see that it was someone in the family that got him. Congratulation's Fitz brothers!!

 

Congrats!! Awesome buck!!

 

Yesterday morning we were headed back up to Whistler's Ridge once again, hot on Blade's trail. Paul would go back to the Tri-Pine stand where he sat on Friday night with his bow, and I would head back to Blade's Aspen, the stand I set up after seeing him from the Tri-Pine last week. It was an easy choice, the Tri-pine offers a more expansive view for Paul and his rifle, while my stand would be in the thick brush with only a couple shooting lanes for the trails it covered.

Dad had decided that he wanted a different view (and more comfortable seat than his Leverage Ladder), so he decided to sit in his Tripod 500 yards to our E.




The morning was crisp. 12 degrees and NW winds around 5-10 mph. They were forecasted to build to 15 mph with gusts of 25, and they did. At least the sun was out.

It was actually a pretty uneventful morning. The occasional chickadee fluttering through, a red squirrel chirping in the distance. Around 9:10 or so, I hear a single shot to the E. I was 90% sure it was Dad. My heart began to accelerate with the thought of him possibly catching Blade moving through the tag swamp he was overlooking.

The text came through a few minutes later. "Couldn't resist a 6'er"

Happy to get meat for the freezer, Dad was going to wait a bit, then get down and look for him. By we got a few details about it, and dad got done to him it was 9:40. I figured I'd get down to help his gut & drag and leave Paul in his stand for the last hour or two before he had to pack up and head back home to Duluth.

I sent them both a text, "I'll start walking over in 20"

 

Not 5 minutes after my last text, I hear what I think is a grunt behind me to my NE. In the wind, I couldn't quite tell though. It could have been a couple trees rubbing together. Then the sound of two deer running in a westerly direction, still to my N. More grunts too.

I quick send a text, "Chasing to n"

A minute or two pass, and then I hear a deer running right between Paul and I. Sure enough, it's the doe and she's coming right at me!

[video=youtube_share;agD5u2ZukEA]http://youtu.be/agD5u2ZukEA[/video]

I'm ready. Here it is, he's coming. Then nothing. 2 minutes. 4 minutes. Nothing. I see a text from Paul saying the doe ran under him and was between us. and the buck was to the SW. I let him know that she passed me.

Then I hear the faint sound of a couple grunts from my brother's stand, 60 yards away. 30 seconds go by.

Boom! 10 more seconds. BOOM!!! I know the .35 Whelen was pointed in my direction on the second one. I hear a deer running. I'm ready, not knowing how many bucks were on her, or what he had shot at.

The deer is coming right for me full tilt. I see rack. Dark rack. Before he's close to the lane the doe ran through a practically yell "MEH, MEEHH!!" in hopes that he'll stop in time. But before he hits the opening his huge body crashes to the ground behind a log!

He's down.

He's Dead! Blade is Dead!

 

Unbeknownst to us, my dad was on his way over on the 4wheeler to pick me up since I was "walking over in 20". As soon as he hear the shots he turned around to boogied out of there.

The first text comes to the group.

Paul: Sorry man!
Dad: Wtf
P: Got him
D: Blade?
P: I think
Me: he's 25 yards from my stand

I was shaking sooo bad I could hardly type!

D: **** is he down
P: Down?
M: **** yeah!!!!!!

D: On my way back over again!!! My little guy can wait!!

P: I'm shaking!
M: Me too!!
D: Me 3

P: 'Gimme a minute'

My dad walked in to Paul's stand and we started to converge on Blade. Seeing him on the ground was surreal! I practically knocked Paul to the ground with a hug. The rest is kind of a blur of photos, high fives, dragging, gutting more dragging and more high fives.

It turns out that the deer ran in a Westerly direction to our N. The doe must have lost him when she emerged from under the Pine Stand and ran right under Paul in the Tri-Pine and then under me.

After Paul grunted, Blade came out along the ridge and walked under the trees that Chase & I sat in (Whistler's Revenge). He then walk right under Paul and stopped. That was the 1st shot. He bounded 2 or 3 times to the other side of the tree and stopped at 25 yards. That was the second shot. He then ran along the snowshoe trail and turned right towards me.

That dear ran under the last 4 stands I hung trying to kill him!

 

This would be why he crashed so hard

 

Here's I am, dumbfounded putting my hands on Blade for the first time...

[video=youtube_share;mgdSAfMAlbs]http://youtu.be/mgdSAfMAlbs[/video]

 

Dad's 6 was actually a 5 pt. The photo here doesn't show his left side well, but it's this cool palmated 3 point fan.

 

Blade's neck is huge! I couldn't get over how big he was. Keep in mind that both my brother & I are 6'2".

 

Wow, Great story! I am glad it could all come together when your brother and Dad were with you.

 

It's kind of epic that he died right in front of you. Like what are the odds that the day he dies (by your brother) and he falls right in front of you. Crazy way to end the The Blade Saga.

 

Awesome!

 

You checked to see if any trail cams have one last shot? Checking them probably won't be the same, unless whistler shows back up that is.

 

I think its neat Paul's first text was...sorry. I know you guys were OK cloud 9. Also my lame thinking is...you actually have more history with buster now, so yes yours!

 

Congratulations again, I hope you are able to find another monster to chase the rest of this year and into next year.