Welp in all the commotion of gutting hanging and showing off we forgot to get pics lol it’s hanging in the shed at the farm I will get pictures tomorrow. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
Wow. I am beyond thrilled. I had the best hunt I've ever had. It was incredible. I was on an emotional rollercoaster in a matter of 2 short hours. I was sitting off of a bedding area in some mature open timber. I passed several smaller bucks and today it all came together. He came in grunting and chasing does like crazy. He scraped in front of me and put on an unbelievable show. After watching home for some time, the doe he was running came straight for my tree. He comes running after her and stops at 6 yards almost directly under me. So I was not filming with my big camera, but I did manage to film the bucks chasing before the shooter came in. When he came Into range I had to put my phone in my pocket. I did just that, or so I thought. So that brings me back to where he was at 6 yards. While he is standing there, I hear a thud. I look down and there is my iPhone laying just a couple yards from the buck that I am about to draw on. He was so distracted from chasing he just picked his head up and kept chasing. I couldn't shoot him that close because he was quartering hard at a steep angle. I didn't feel comfortable with it so I let him go, unsure if I was going g to get another opportunity. So he circled back and chases the doe. I am shooting a single pin sight that is moveable. I had it set at 20. Now I'm at full draw with my sight at 20 and the deer nearing 40. He was just about to run after the doe into the brush not to be seen again, and I made a "mehhh" noise. The fist time he didn't flinch. So I did it again. It peeked his curiosity but he kept chasing. Finally, I did it a third time and he stopped dead in his tracks at 37 yards. I held my 20 yard pin over his back and drilled him. I thought to myself "yes perfect shot". Well then he turned and ran away from the tree, and all I see is 90 of my arrow sticking out on the side I shot him. Immediately my heart sank. I thought I hit him in the shoulder blade. So I went back to the house and talked it over with a buddy of mine (who has 60 years on me). We decided to tread lightly and just look for blood at impact. So 2 hours later we walk into the spot and search around where I thought I shot him at. Not a speck. I knew I wasn't going to find him after what I saw and then now this. So u began to knock myself for my mistake. I started wandering aimlessly looking for blood, all the while regretting what I thought was a pinwheel broadside shot. So about 60 yards later I saw red and I thought I was hallucinating. I look, and I could see a red line all the way up the wooded ridge where he ran. And I mean a solid, thick, blood spattered line of gore. I went from the saddest guy in Illinois to the happiest. I screamed (probably like a little girl) and started running up the trail with enthusiasm. My old friend followed at a much slower rate, still in shock. 150 yards later, there laid my beautiful, mature, heart-shot buck. He ended up dying out in the wide open in my friends foodplot, right next door. I was over the moon. He was just what I had been looking for. We are guessing that he is a 4 year old, 140ish but frankly I don't care. It's only October and I have been blessed enough to tag out in Illinois. It's been a hell of a season so far. Hunting hard paid off more than anything. Now it's on to Wisconsin for whitetail and Montana as well. I sincerely hope everyone had a great weekend in the woods, and I wish you all the best out there, as always. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Was surrounded by deer this afternoon. Had 3 little dink bucks that hung around most of the evening. Had 2 does come in, was getting ready to draw on the bigger one and one of the bucks ran them off....smaller one came back about 30mins later, I got ready, had cam rolling, drew back, and little buck runs her off again before I could get a shot...I swear if I had a spare buck tag that buck would be dead... will be back at it tomorrow. Congrats to all he got deer today. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Ended up being decent last 30 mins. Saw 2 110-120 ish bucks in neighbors beans feild circling eachother and messing around with a scrape. Then the 2 little bucks from ealrier in week walked vy edge of feild I was in. When I got down to walk back to truck another small buck, too dark to tell much about him, was standing in gateway have tp go through to get back to truck. So kind of a weird night, 5 bucks all together. Gotta say cant complain about that but nothing close to presenting a shot and none of the big boys yet. Dont know if they're roaming around looking for a hot doe or just had a lucky nignt to see that many young bucks. Edit: And of course, congratulations to the guys that scored today. Few good looking deer on the ground. Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
Congratulations Shane! That is an awesome buck and an awesome story. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
Congrats on a great buck and even better season Shane !!! Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
