Will, congrats! Would really like to hear about the rest of your season. You sure are missed around here brother, come back already man, come back!!!!
Fred, Thank you for the kind words. Believe me; it is difficult to forget the past…to be among friends...when we’re wrongly not all here. I am trying my best to keep everyone informed whenever and wherever possible. I apologize to you. Please allow me this moment to share. Looking back, I had big hopes for my 2012 season. I drew a Colorado area 45 deer tag and planned to use it while everyone was here archery hunting elk. On the second to last day of the season, I arrowed a massive 170+ class 5x5 mule deer. I managed to get within 24 yards of him while he was bedding. Fred, he was a beautiful sight! His horns were dark chocolate brown from the base all the way to each long tip, and heavy! I couldn’t help myself! I had visions of him on the wall before I even drew my bow. I had a quartering away shot, which I felt I executed perfectly. On the shot the buck bolted. I gave him 40 minutes before pursuing (there was only 30 minutes of daylight left). I honestly felt I'd find him dead within 100 yards. That wasn't the case. I found my arrow at 90...blood was flowing. At 150 yards, I heard a deer bounding away. The bounce of a mule deer is very distinct. I decided to back out-you know, "when in doubt, back out". The following morning I advanced the blood trail another 500 yards. I came around a curve in the landscape and caught sight of a deer-it just stood up from a bed. I backed up and prepared myself for a shot. I eased forward again and began studying the deer. Its head was down in tall grass. I could not see horns. Finally, his head came up far enough for me to see antlers. It was definitely the same deer from the night before. I ranged him at 47 yards. The arrow was true, striking him right behind the shoulder. He exploded away. I gave him another 40 minutes and ease up to where he had been standing. I found a bed soaked with blood. Five yards from the bed (where the deer was standing on the shot), I found more blood- everywhere! The deer was obviously bleeding from both sides. There was blood five feet off each side of the trail, and as high as 2-4 feet splattered up aspen trees. I found my arrow. It was blood soaked from tip to tip. I radioed the troops in, I felt sure the deer was dead this go around! Boy was I wrong...again! The deer made it another 1/4 mile and onto private property-crossing a road and wadding a river in the process. He jumped a fence which had, "No hunting, fishing, trapping, or trespassing for any condition. Violators will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law." signs every 25 yards. My heart sank! The deer was never recovered. Believe me, we exhausted every avenue. I kept Rex Kenney and Rob (Kodiakarcher) from going to jail and paying hefty fines. They were both ready to hop the fence, and I appreciated their willingness to help. But, friends don’t let friends hop private fences, not in Colorado anyway. A week later (Sept.29th-30th) I was in South Dakota setting up stands-bow hunting a little here and there where I could. Sadly, I found four dead mature bucks. The word on the street was, “There are decaying deer everywhere!” A virus referred to as “EHD” or “Blue Tongue” was sweeping through the area. My sightings were limited to does and fawns. Mid October rolled around and it was back to South Dakota. In the span of a weekend, I placed two good friends in my favorite stand. It’s a stand I call, “Buck Alley”. Neither hunter had ever shot a whitetail. A cute little 1x3 bought the farm on Saturday. The 1x3 was followed by a 120 inch nine point. Two amigos went home happy! My secondary stand only produced more does and fawns. It was back to SD on Nov 10th and 11th, temps were dropping. With the leaves off the trees, I had more of a commanding view from Buck Alley. I saw one decent buck chasing a doe in the distance. Nothing but does and fawns rolled past me the entire weekend. I even pulled out the Timber Valley “Foreplay” doe estrus scent (a trade secret). I was beginning to think very few bucks escaped the devastating blue tongue. I flew to Alabama over the Thanksgiving holiday with my younger sister. We had four wonderful days on stand. However, we did not find the deer as plentiful as the “two deer per day” limit would lead a person to believe. I saw exactly seven deer, they never broke heavy cover. Killing one with a bow would have been impossible. In the end, I used my stand by Ruger to anchor a 6 point and doe. The doe represented by 17 mature deer from 21 different states. That brings us to this past weekend. It was essentially my last chance to arrow a deer in South Dakota this year. Saturday was a lot of the same old…11 does and fawns. At first light Sunday morn and with temps hovering around 1 degree F, I said a prayer. Five minutes later my eight point was standing 33 yards away. The rest is in the photo (thanks Colb for posting it). He's not the biggest, but he was hard earned! I’m off to Iowa on the 22nd to hopefully land a mature deer there. All fingers and toes crossed… All in all, 2012 was another blessed year. I managed to arrow a few exotics in Texas, a new SCI world record Merriam’s Turkey in South Dakota, seven animals in Africa, a few antelope in Wyoming, and the deer I’ve accounted for above. Colby took me on a successful rifle antelope hunting in Colorado. That was way cool-thanks Colb! And finally, among my 2012 highlights, I helped my 12 y/o daughter get her first elk. You can see the photos here: Scroll down…. http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/bowhunting/373513-2012-2013-season-success-pictures.html
Atta boy Will. Congrats my friend, a hard earned buck no doubt. Sounds like you had another awesome season, and best of luck in Iowa!
Will, WOW, there was never a doubt in my mind, that animals around the world would still be feeling your wrath! Sorry to hear about the giant muley, that had to sting a bit. Great pictures as usual, and congrats on the trophies!
