My 2017 buck, not sure what to do with the mount, looong read

Sorry for the long read, went longer than anticipated.


So some on here have followed along in the Live From The Stand thread, others not so much.

There's not a real good story leading up to the buck, no history or previous encounters. Just another typical season for me, complaining about the weather and lack of seeing deer.

The past few years I have been trying the less is more approach, less hunting before November equals less pressure and more time on stand without burnout. I sat 3 days in October, the opener and Halloween weekend. Come November I had my rutcation set for Nov. 3rd through the 12th, my wish was for a big clean 10. It has been my nemesis since 2012 when I shot 3" under a 150-160. Have seen one about every season since but never had the chance.

Anyhow, winds were terrible for the stand I really wanted to hunt, but I sat it anyway in hopes that a cruising buck would come from any of the good sides. Never happened and winds continued to be gusty and down in the bottoms means direction doesn't matter, the swirling ruins all directions.

The first good day was going to be Wed. the 8th. A cold front was moving through and high pressure moving in bringing calmer winds. It was the first day I was sitting all day regardless of action. I woke up an hour early and could not fall back to sleep, found my lucky watch and put it on.

The day started off quick as I could hear deer moving before light, and as legal light came a fawn doe started out 15yds away, only to turn back in and leave pretty quick without blowing. A half hour or so later a mature doe started down the path in front of me, wind was in my favor but she stopped about 60 yds out and pegged me in the tree. Around she turned and back she went.

20 minutes or so later the first buck older than 1 1/2 made an appearance for the first time this year. A 2 1/2 6 or 8pt came down the same path as the doe but cut into the woods the same place she stopped and retreated.

10 minutes later I heard him coming through the woods just in front of me but it turned out to be a small forkhorn chasing a doe around. Posted about it and put my phone away as it was the first morning seeing true rutting activity.

A few minutes later, and this is where it gets interesting, I heard what I thought was a squirrel(s) in the patch of woods to my right. Something seemed odd and I had a fresh scrape to that side, downwind, that I had been keeping an eye on. I turn my head and there stood a deer, my eyes jump to the head and I see antlers, lots of antler as he worked a licking branch. I started counting tines, seen 5 on one side and 4 on the other. Knowing I was going to shoot regardless I started to make my stand and turn as he started pawing at the scrape. I no more than got my butt up off the seat, when he raised his head and turned towards me. I froze and slowly eased back down. He turned facing me and knocked his rear knees together, but didn't piss in the scrape. Instead he starts walking towards me.

As he came at me I was panicking wondering how I was going to stand, turn, raise and shoot all in a matter of half a second that it would take him to bolt. Instead, he takes a right turn and comes into the clearing between my stand and the woodline. He is taking the perfect path and my eyes are starting to cramp as they are turned as far right as they can get. Finally out in front of me, I start the rise of my crossbow(yes it is a crossbow) and slowly, yet quickly, bring it into position. At 12yds he makes a left turn and turns broadside on a steady pace. I do the infamous "MEH" and he stops, looking directly at me. A squeeze of the trigger and I watch the red glow hit true. He does a half-assed mule kick and runs 7 yds, then stops broadside again staring directly at me.

A small wobble got him going as he started his death run, 3 yds in his ass end looked like a drunkard on the yellow line as he went across a small ditch. 5yds later he spun around and toppled over.

Made a few posts on here and facebook and finally got my composure. As he had stood there the second time, after knowing I hit the mark, I was able to count his other side and it was 5 as well. I had finally shot a big clean 10.

I climbed down and retrieved the arrow, and wasn't a spec of blood to be found as it was about 3/4 up on entry and exit. I seen him drop 15yds away so went directly to him. And that's where getting busted on the scrape was interesting. Something looked odd about him, as I neared I seen a near turquoise colored eye. He was blind in his right eye, which as I tried to intially stand was the only eye that could have caught movement.

I got busted by a half blind deer on his bad side, no joke. I don't know if the stand creaked or maybe in my adrenaline frenzy I made a sound, but to the best of my recollection neither happened. In my redemption I was able to pull the shot off with his good side towards me


Would you get a mount with a blue eye?


The watch

The scrape

View from the scrpe to the stand


Looks good


I see him!

WTF!

The trophy photos

 

Only mount I could find with a blue eye on google

 

I would get him mounted just as he is, if your guy can do it. Awesome hunt and deer. Congrats buddy.

 

First off, beautiful buck. Second no way I am putting a blue eye on that mount.


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I like the blue eye but that's just me. One because that's what he looked like and 2 you don't see it every day

 

That is where I am torn. I usually try to have the turn the same was as when he was shot, I'm not so big on every aspect of the pose so to speak, but this one has me struggling.

He had a blue eye, so in that respect he should have a blue eye in the mount. In retrospect, he would look so much better with true eyes, yet not so unique.

No question on one thing, if I had a history with this buck he would have a blue eye until the mount rots away.

 

I would just hate changing a big part of what the deer was.. he didnt have two normal eyes. I would never look at him like he was the deer I shot. Just me tho

Edit.. I would look at him like he was the deer I shot.. I would just always have it my head thats not what he looked like. I think I sounded confusing lol

 

I'm not sure where I'm at with the blue eye.

 

Makes two of us lol.

A piebald or mostly white with a blue eye hands down gets one.

Kinda torn truthfully.

Neighbor of my uncle says he has some trail cam pics if him. Not sure how far back, but curious to know how long he was blind. Was a bit bulged which you can see in the front trophy pic a little.

Have to think with such a blue eye he was born that way IMO. First for me

He busted me though

 

Congrats again, good write-up and great buck.
Not sure what I would do about the eyes. It's unusual for sure and kinda cool, but that blue eyed mount is a little freaky

 

Almost Terminator looking

 

Personally I don't like the look of the eye, but it sure as hell makes the story! You'll find what people call "character" in deer in all kinds of ways. This is just something different that isn't related to antler character. You're gonna tell that story a lot more when people see the eye and ask about it. I enjoyed reading it and I'm sure a lot more people are gonna enjoy hearing it from you when they ask. I'd keep him just as he is. Hopefully someday your kids will tell the story, and the grand kids too!

 

That's how he is so that's how he should be mounted in my opinion

 

I thought about the blue eye thing and went back and forth on it to the point I have no idea what I'd do. Can you change it after the mount is done? I guess that's a question I'd ask.

Either way, great deer and story. Congratulations!

 

If it were me, I'd go blue eye. That's just as much a part of him as his rack is.

 

Big congrats on a great buck!

 

Great buck and story! I would mount him as is. The blue eye adds character and it was how you shot him? Just my 2 cents!


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have to mount it with the blue eye, adds to the whole story of it all, can't change it all up now.
thats a unique characteristic like racks, keep it.

 

Great buck. Gotta go with the blue eye.

 

7-1-4 on ayes/nays/undecideds

Have to talk with the taxi. I can't seem to find anywhere that sells them and the one site I found, from 2008, made it sound as if they would have to be custom made. Maybe I could get a blue removable contact lens