If someone would have told me how my rutcation would have played out I would have laughed at them and called them crazy. I couldn't make up this story. This week I went from being on top of the world to being as low as I can almost remember being. I didn't get to actually start hunting till Monday since I had to stay at home with my kids all weekend. Monday morning I wake up at 4:45 ready to go. I could only hunt till arou d noon that day because I once again had to be a dad! I saw 10 deer I believe Monday morning. 1 shooter but he was a ways off and with a doe. After seeing the movement Monday morning, I fine tuned where to sit. Still sitting on the ground since I didn't want to pick a tree in the dark for my lone wolf. I picked a great spot. That morning I had 6 deer within 10 yards. The only shooter I had that morning I rattled in. He came from over the hill behind me and I thought I was getting ran over. He seriously stopped at 6 feet but was about to jump over what was between us. Craziest thing I think I've experienced. At this point in at a major high. I'm seeing tons of deer, I'm closing in on them, and I'm seeing lots of bucks. So I get out of the woods at 10:30 to go eat and get the lone wolf. I pick the tree out that I will set up in at 11:55. I was hearing grunting the whole time I was setting it up. As soon as I got the stand setup and got in it I had a nice buck coming in. He walked to the base of my tree then circled around at 10 yards. I blew the shot and hit him high. I was so angry at myself. My high is going away. I give him 3 hours before looking for him. I find blood to the point I lost sight of him and I couldn't keep on the track. My buddy got there from work around 6 so we grabbed flashlights and went out. He found more blood and we ended up trailing him for close to a mile. We called the search off. I'm positive that he survived the shot. I took Wednesday morning off to regroup, see the family, and check my equipment. I was dead on. I just choked. That afternoon was extremely windy but my friend told me I needed to go out. I sat in a stand that's typically better in the mornings and my friend went to where I had shot the buck the night before. My head wasn't in it but I was there. At around 3:50 I rattled. As u was rattling I see a deer coming up the trail from a scrape. I quickly hung my antlers and grabbed my bow. The wind was swirling and the deer was on edge. He took a trail that led to the creek and it put him at 24 yards quartering slightly away. I knew he was a shooter so I drew back, took my time, touched off the shot, and watched my arrow fly right over his back. I was sick. We pulled the camera below because my friend wanted to see what deer I had missed so he could give me a hard time. When we saw the picture I was blown away. He was bigger then I had thought he was. I was sick once again. I had blown another chance 27 hours from my previous chance on a buck that was super wide and had incredible main beams. I was about to hang it up and call it quits. But my wife and friend told me to keep at it. Thursday morning I went back to where I had shot the buck on Tuesday. I dressed way to light and only made it till 9:30 before needing to go warm my feet up. I went to my friends house to wash my clothes and eat something. Headed back out at noon. I didn't see a single deer that first hour which was strange because noon to 1 had been killer the previous days. But at 1 I looked to my right and see a buck about 80 yards away headed for the creek. I gave him a soft grunt and when he turned to look my way I knew what buck it was. It was the deer I had missed the night before. I couldn't believe he was already back. He turned towards me but the trail he was taking would have put him out of my comfort zone. I grunted again and he took a closer trail. He stopped at 28 yards and either had to take a trail that would bring him by at 25 yards or one that took him by at 32. He picked the further one. As soon as he did I drew back and took my time. All I could see was neck to rib cage. I was rock solid so I took the shot. As I released I saw him step. I had just gut shot the deer. He walked slowly hunched over and circled around me. I couldn't get a 2nd arrow into him and I was devastated. After I lost sight of him I got down went to poi saw nothing and left. I was so pissed at myself. I knew that he would die but he was going to suffer. There are a lot of coyotes in the area but I knew I had to leave him overnight. It was the longest night of my life. I was hopeful but had many doubts going through my mind. I couldn't believe I got a 2nd chance at this buck only 18 hours apart. The next morning I got up at sunrise and started tracking at 7:20. I found blood where I last saw him heading up the hill. It was fairly decent blood but it would quit only 80 yards down the trail. I started grid searching and somehow stumbled on a tiny spot of blood 100 yards away from last blood. It was pure luck. Finding this blood gave me his direction. I kept losing blood but would find just enough to keep me going in the right way. I finally lost blood completely in a thicket. I knew he had to have bed in there somewhere but I couldn't see very far in there so I took a trail through it. I was going to search the entire thicket trail by trail. Once I got through on the first thicket I circle it to go back through a different area. As I came around I looked up and there he was 10 feet away from me. My biggest buck to date was dead. It was an emotional rollercoaster and I might have screamed like a girl when I found him but I don't care! Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
Thanks! I'm going to get a pedestal done. I ordered the 6900 form. Now I just need to come up with plans for the pedestal. Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
