Dawg... its cold dude.. I've heard a few rumors of good buck sightings between 830-900 am... and then again at last light.. if that helps your future decisions.
Luckily I'm good on the venison between what I have left over from last year, and this years buck. I'm sitting out this entire COLD week:D I might go out this Saturday, and if not, it will be late season archery after Christmas until I'm back out.
OK .... I shot what I thought was a doe, but it was a buck that had shed his antlers ... he was carrying a broken right front leg at the "knee" and he was limping ... so I am glad I went out, glad I took this deer as he was very thin and I am guessing on his way to death in the next few weeks.... The leg smelled BAD, but when I gutted him there was no unusual odor ...will the meat be ok?.
Dawg made the best choice of the whole year! Ok here is the story! I got in my stand and not even 20 minutes I had 4 does all around me. They stayed to shooting light then noticed me in the tree. I turned to shoot big doe and my stand creeked. Off they went! After about 20 minutes I saw legs about 70 yards away on the same trail so I got into possition to shoot at same trail. Then I saw rack! Game on! He came into 25 yards and I stopped him. I took the shot. He wheeled around and ran back to where he came from. I got down a hour and half later to find blood all over the place. I tracked it to find that the buck bedded down two times in the CRP. I backed out! On the walk out I noticed what looked like an antler in the snow. I walked over to find a small 4 point antler shed. It still had green boogies and blood on it. This has been the earliest I have ever found a shed in my whole life. I then went back into town and got my camera and a buddy to help me track. We got back out there and got back on the blood trail. After seeing where he crossed the river on the ice we went to the other side. I then got back on the blood trail. My buddy then went on one branch as we lost blood for a second. The next thing we knew the buck jumped up 15 yards away in a downfall tree and off to the races. I curled around to cut it off if he moved slow to see him bedded on the other side of the river. We went over and asked the owner of the property if I could retrieve the deer off the property. They said yes because they did not want to see one get lost. We went in and then I found where the buck bedded and turned to see him dead in some CRP grass. Wow I was so excited! Here is the 11 point buck with the shed on his back! What a day!
It was a perfect placement but not sure why he did not go down earlier. I hit him just behind the right shoulder and came out behind the ribs on other side. His liver was hit dead center. I would think I should of hit the one lung but wow what a warrior!
No doubt, I hit one square through the liver a few days ago, gave her a couple hours and she was stiff as a board when I found her...hunting partner hit one pretty near the same place, maybe better, they never found her in time as he pushed her several hours later. Again, great great deer and congratulations.
Congrats Dawg!! Beauty of a late season buck! I've been told bucks are still cruising looking for last estrous does. Cool!
