If you could have just one back..... which hunt would it be?

Without a doubt, for me it will be last year in IL when I sent a perfect arrow just over the back of the largest buck I've ever been drawn on.

I will never forget it.

 

I can think of quite a few(especially in the 90s), but the hunt I'd like to have back the most was on November 4th of 2008. I was on vacation for the rut, and deer movement was VERY slow with the temps getting in the 70s during the day. I hunted a stand right on the edge of doe bedding in the thickest stuff imaginable. I like to film all my hunts but my cameraman was out with the flu and I had nobody else to film. This treestand setup consisted of 2 hang-ons.....facing opposite directions with the camera stand about 3-4 feet higher. I sat in the camermans stand for the addded height advantage. It was 9:30(i was stripped down to a t-shirt) and i hadn't seen a single deer. Out of nowhere an absolute GIANT mainframe 10 point(180" gross) steps out at about 80 yards down the hill. I stand up and grab my bow and get ready to call, but he turns and makes his way at a 45 degree angle up the hill towards me. It take several minutes for him to get to 30 yards....wind is perfect. I only have one shooting lane(16" window) at 18 yards. I get to full draw and voice grunt and he takes 3 more steps before he stops. All that i could shoot at was his back half. I pass even though I could have spined him right there. He walks another15 yards into some thick stuff and shreds a tree and works a scrape. I debate on grunting but he turns and walks DIRECTLY to my tree and stops at the base. I have no shot because he is underneath the other hang-on. He stands there for15 seconds while I am staring down at 180" of solid mass....probably 23-24 outisde spread and giant 2s and 3s. He turns and walks straight away from me and out of my life.(then i tried to call). I sat down in my stand and was shaking so badly I must have shook every leaf out of the tree. I jumed down into the other stand and he realized that if I had hunted that stand I could have shot the buck 3-4 times. After a few minutes(of crying) I just kind of sat there in a daze with a big smile on my face. Thats bowhunting, and that why I love it.

 

Without a doubt, if I could re-do last years Alberta bowhunt I would. I shot a small 9pt that I had NO BUSINESS shooting! ESPECIALLY on the second day of a 6 day hunt. I had seen 10 different bucks that day prior to shooting this one at 1:15PM! And one of them was a 150" class buck that I missed a shot at!! I misjudged how far away he was. I would kill to have that hunt back, especially when you're talking expense, not to mention the dink. I'll try like hell to get back to the Bow Zone next year.

 

Where to start.

I would go back to when I was 15 years old......

It was right about the time that I was starting to catch on to bowhunting. I had only taken a button buck before.

It was late October and I was hunting out of a ground blind along a clover field and was trying to get a few does to come my way. Right before dark a doe came busting out into the field. As I got ready to shoot her I heard grunting coming down the hill....and there he stood. All 12 points of him was 15 yards broadside. I don't even remember aiming, I just drew and shot.....right over his back.

You want to talk about a kid heartbroken. When I met up with my dad he asked me what happened. I still couldn't talk. All I could manage to say was 170+ and I blew it. On the way out a few weeks later, the same buck ran across the road in front of us, and posed for us. I was still pretty sketchy on scoring deer, but the old man said he was pushing 180.

The following year, I had a friend down hunting with us, and my dad had a friend down. After the first afternoon, my dad's friend came back and said he had seen the largest buck ever. It was a perfect 12, and from there on he got the nickname 191. That's what the guy said he was going to score.

The following morning the buck once again slipped an arrow. My buddy shot right over his back. 2 days later I had him at 30 yards in a thicket but never was offered a shot. Over the next 2 years we glassed this buck several times in August, but never saw him again during the season. No idea what happened to ol 191 either, most likely was poached or died of old age.

 

Early November, this fall in Illinois.

1. Saw the biggest buck I've ever seen in my life. I grunted him to 60 yards then he took his lady friend down the ridge.

2. Only day all fall I've seen bucks up and cruising. In fact, it was the best morning I've had all season, and I should have stayed right where I was till it got dark. I got down around 9:45, and have regretted it ever since. Shoulda sat all day.

 

You were hunting that buck ?? That would be a heart breaker !!!!!! What did he score ??

Tim

 

Wow !! Is he the biggest buck you have seen or hunted ??

Tim

 

I have been luck enough to have harvested bucks with both my brother and dad along, though they were not giants the family experience is worth more than the bone.

 

SOB Josh!!! Wow!!!

 

Only one for me that really comes to mind. 2004 I stalked a buck in velvet only to get busted a half step away from getting a shot at him at 20 yards. A week later Tyler and I snuck into the spot we had seen him. Tyler had already shot his bow buck but wanted to see him. That he did as the buck feed 25 yards away from him for about 5 minutes before heading down my way. He was out of velvet. I had him just under 25 yards standing broadside and I talked myself in letting him pass to see another year. I pegged him at 135 - 140 and was hoping for something a little bigger.

I passed on him again a few weeks later.

All fall I watch him and the last day of bow season he was still running around. With all hunting seasons being over... I figured my gamble payed off.

Fast foward to spring when Tyler found one of his sheds laying right by his very dead body. He was either poached or hit by a vehicle with the latter more likely happening. Tyler searched for his other shed which of course was the flyer side. I was pretty bummed about it but it was a gamble to start with.

Fast forward to the next spring. Tyler finally found his other side. It was in good shape for laying a year. He was bigger then I guess-timated and scored 148. That hurt !! LOL

Oh I wish I hadn't passed on him !!

 

My first year ever hunting, and my first attempt ever at shooting a buck. It was an extremely windy day. The stand I was hunting was in a very good area but it did not provide a lot of cover. The wind was gusting 30-50 mph, so I decided heck why not climb up the tree a little bit more to see if maybe moving my stand higher for future hunts would be a good idea. As I'm climbing back down to get back on my platform I look to my left and there is a buck at 15 yards. It all happened so fast from there, I basically just rushed the shot because he was about to walk right on by me, I completely missed him. I really wish I could have that day back. I'm not sure how big he was because of how fast it all happened, but it was my first year hunting with a bow and I had previously killed a doe. It would have meant a lot to me if I could have harvested that buck.

 

I spent three long hard days, over tough steep terrain with bow in hand, chasing mountain lion. I put the bow away because I needed my hands to climb. Day four was with a rifle slung over my shoulder. Hunting fast climbing cats with a rifle was still a pain in the arse. I ended up killing a 180 pound lion on the fifth day of the hunt with a S&W .357 I pulled from my pack. I wish I would have endured with the bow....

 

Mines about 9 years ago when my son was 9 years old. I hd placed a 12' ladder stand for him about 15 yards from my climber tree just because he was wanting to go with Dad. I had layed out a drag rag loaded with Tinks 69 on the way in to the tree. About 40 minutes before dark I start hearing chasing, grunting, and catch brief glimpses of Deer but couldnt tell what was what. They moved across in front of about 80 yards out and stopped. I got on the Grunt tube and was mimiking a Buck dogging a Doe. Thats all it took and the next thing I seen was a very very tall 10 point that would go high 140's. The mass was incredable on this thing carring all the way through the tine tips. He came in on a string and hit the drag trail and went into Hot Doe freak out moad. I couldnt get him to stop and rushed the shot at a mere 5 yards In my rushness :D I bellyed haired him big time There was white hair everywhere. He ran past my son and stopped. I loaded another arrow and lightly grunted at him. I couldnt believe it, he was comming back for another shot. Now this is where it went to crap I was going to get my second shot at a now not so moving fast Buck UNTIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He was passing back in front of my son and I hera a Meeeeey, Meeeeey and the buck stopped dead in his tracks My son had did the Meeeey at the buck and made him stop. I looked at my son who was looking at me and shook my head no. The buck got nervous and left. When we got down I ask my son whay he did that and he said to stop the buck for me to shoot. problem,was that it was facing me at 15 yards. He learned a lesson that day as I explained to him the situation. That buck should have been mine on the first shot though. I have since learned that patience in the shots is a BIG BIG key into getting a good shot.

 

Oh boy that brings back a bad memory. Tyler was bowhunting and I sat about 10 yards off to the side of him just to share a moment if it happened. We saw a good buck ...125 class 5pt. I hit the can call and he headed our way. He came in perfect. Tyler had his bow up and was ready. He drew back and the buck enter his shooting lane and stopped. It was a 10 yard shot but Tyler didn't shoot. The buck started walking so I mouth grunted and he stops again. Tyler is still holding on him but not shooting. The buck started walking again and this time when I grunted he whirled and took off.

Tyler let down and turned to look at me. I'll never forget that look. It was not a happy look. I asked what happened and why did't he shoot. Tyler said the buck wasn't quite far enough in his shooting lane and had a branch covering his vitals. What looked good to me was not good at all. I cost him a good buck. I hung my head. Boy did I get grief from him and the wife when Tyler told her his sad, sad story of dad botching it up big time for him !!!

I wish Tyler had that hunt over again !! I think he forgave me.

Tim

 

Very easy for me. I've only lost 1 deer in over 20 years of hunting. Most of the hunting community thinks I'm full of do do when I say that (especially as much as I hunt), but it is what it is. I dont' like losing deer.

Anyway..... I hit a buck high and far back from where I wanted. Gut/maybe liver kind of deal. Being young and dumb I took up the trail to soon and pushed him out of his death bed about a dozen freaking times on my 2 mile track that ended up the same old story. Lots of blood... more blood... some blood... a drop here.... no blood.... body search..... no recovery. Looking back the deer was deader than dead if I just slipped out of there instead of picking up the trail. I swear I think I was out of my stand and looking for blood about the time my arrow was hitting the deer.

The only good that came from it was it happened early on and I learned from it. I'll never in my lifetime make the same mistake.

 

honorable mention hunt I'd like back....

Last day of bowseason about 5 years ago. I was heading out of the woods and walked by this Loooong narrow cut corn field. Way at the other end I could barely make out a deer of somekind with my binocs. I figured why the hell not.

To make a long story short it took me 3 hours to stalk this thing. My hands and body were numb it was so cold out and i had to have my hands out holding my bow. Upon getting closer to "the deer of some kind" it turns out to be a beast of a 10 pointer (130"+). Wind was perfect, soft conditions, where I was creeping and where he was heading was perfect. I got to about 40 yards from this thing and couldn't believe it was actually happening. Kept saying to myself there is no way. Why hasn't he busted me? It dawned on me this is really going to happen! Holy @#$% I can't believe i'm going to pull this off. I told myself 10 more yards or so and it's done.

So I keep creeping along the edge of the woods and field. Sticking out into the field about 4 feet is a dead limb that I have to sidestep to keep going. I step around the limb and take one step to get back to the edge of the woodline and my pants catch a branch and CRUNCH!!! Buck whips his head around and the staredown ensues. About 5 seconds he figured out he didn't like it and GONE!! Just like that. 3 hours and about to close the deal and done in a split second. I sat there for about an hour with my head on my hands trying to rationalize something lol.

Wish I had that one step back.

 

Bad parent, Bad parent :D So there!! j/k Tim j/k :D