Over in a second

[CrewJones]

Well, let me first say that I am posting this in the archery forum because even though it is Gun season, im a bowhunter.

My season started this year by leasing 40 acres across the street from me, I have live here 5 years now (outside Becker) hunted my back yard 10 acres for years, shot some does but nothing that was to great, deer would only move through when the neighbors would do deer drives. So I was turned on to the owner of the land across the street payed some money and set up camera's after two weeks I had tons of bucks on camera. Living right across the street me and my neighbor had never seen any of these deer, shows you how stealthy they are.

I hung stands and didn't move around much in there, its all woods with a 18 acre field so I would enter from the field to my 3 stand locations. All was well when the farm behind me had corn up, the bucks went 100% nocturnal in the beginning of sept. I sat hours in the stands saw a couple does and fawns but not much deer. Every night my camera's would fill up with pictures though. Around Oct. 1 the farmer pulled the corn and with that all the does were gone. I had pictures of 5 different shooter bucks, 4 smaller bucks and after the does left my camera on the scrape was the only one getting pictures.

I would log on here every night and her story's from some of the forums most prominent members recalling nights of seeing 10 deer and passing on 10 pointers because there was so many deer. I felt like after 16 years of hunting I was never going to connect on a big buck.

Now I sat with my bow every day the week before gun season at least 8 hours a day, finally last Thursday I see movement, a small 7 pt had come in mulled around and checked out my decoy. Friday comes and i'm pumped about an hour earlier than the day before i see another one working my way, its a 6 point. I think well i am going to wait i know the bigger deer are here. Those would be the last 2 deer I would see until last night (tuesday).

Come opening morning, i was ready there were rubs and scrapes all over the 40 acres but no deer. The does were gone because there was no food. (monday)I found a small valley in the back corner of the property with 10 rubs and a huge scrape, this had to be the place they were hiding. I hauled my climber in and made it up a tree only to see lots of other tree's the canopy was too thick but i stuck it out. Across the field about 1000yds away I see a hunter climb into his stand, because there is no corn its easy to see. I went into rattling sequence, no kidding 30 seconds after I was done I heard and saw this guy shoot a deer that came to check the field. I was so baffled, oh well i though maybe i made that guys day, maybe his kid shot it, who cares its hunting in the suburbs.

Now comes last night, as mentioned I still had not seen a deer and I was prepared to shoot one of the smaller bucks because I really wanted meet, a trophy would be great but I know my luck and that just wasn't in the cards. I had one ground blind that was not set up yet so i hauled it back and set up around 3:30pm like any new ground blind that is just popped up I felt no way the deer were not going to bust me right away. But like I had told the neighbor Im not going to shoot anything unless I am out there, reading the posts on this forum would always get me pumped up to go out again.

I was all set up to shoot the deer where they were supposed to come from, all my shots were 40 yds and under. I thought man should have brought the bow. So at 4:40pm i look out in front of the stand were the deer were not supposed to come from to see a deer coming in fast. I crouch off my chair grab the 870 pump, Slowly raise up over the front of my blind. HE"S THERE 15 yards away and moving, I line up the sites "BARK"..........

He's running away, "what" so pump and dump went through all 4 shells as I seem him rear up and kick over a barb wire fence. He's kicking and i have no more bullets....

After 16 years hunting mainly public land or UP Michigan I never even seen a deer like this. Now for most of you guys this is not a monster, not 200" or anything crazy but for me its the biggest trophy ever bestowed on me. You might be thinking I have trail camera pictures of this deer, well of all the bucks I have, never one of this guy.

My story like most is one that should make you think about the time your spending in the woods. Its worth while and persistence will always prevail. Thanks to everyone who replies to threads because there is a lot of valuable knowledge that I have gained from this site.

[Wes Ellis]

Nice!!Thanks For Sharing!

[rkhinrichs]

Nice Job!

[slimngrizzly]

Great job Crew! Thats a great looking buck! It sure makes a guy feel good when you put all that into to it, to get a fine trophy in return! Sounds like after all those hours in the bank it was time to cash out! Neat looking toupe on your buck too, almost black! Congrats again!

[DonBo]

That is a stud. Congrats!

[CrewJones]

Thanks guys, I have no clue what he scores probably like 125 I think. Im just glad i wasn't up at 4:30 this morning.

My next hunt in the michigan gun opener Dec. 15th and I am exited.

here's a whole body pic

[nofishfisherman]

Great buck and a really nice photo to go along with it. Glad to see you took the time to get a great photo. So many guys just settle for one standing next to it hung up on the meat pole.

[Finlander]

Good Job! My biggest buck was so close, I could have thrown an ice chisel at it and it would be a pass thru! Shot it with my 870! Bow hunted until that time! Go figure!

[96trigger]

Crew, nice job on the buck. You are fast learning what many on here have hinted at but never truly said, you need to be persistent to get the big bucks. You need to spend hours upon hours in the stand for that one chance at a good buck. Many of us don't go out on day one and shoot the monster, it happens over a long season, often of deerless sits along with cold inclement weather. One thing is for sure though, you will never shoot a nice buck sitting at home feeling sorry for yourself. This time of the year bucks jus seem to pop out of nowhere. I have yet to see a buck that I have on camera, yet have seen a few others that would have been nice. Great story, glad it all paid off.

[bigbucks]

Congrats, great job. That kind of stuff is what gets me in a stand somewhere this time of year even if I don't have confidence in a spot, or like the wind. They can be anywhere, except in your house. You have to hunt smart, but persistence is still the name of the game.

[Andrew Erickson]

awesome, congrats!

[paceman]

Congratulations! That is a very fun story and a great deer!

[Sifty]

Congrats that is a nice looking buck.

Sifty

[CrewJones]

thanks again guys, just got him capped out and butchered thats a lot of meat i got this year. They always say " you can't eat the horns"

Well no chit you have to eat the whole 120 lbs of meat first

[tunrevir]

Big dog for sure and shows that persistence pays dividends. Great story and definately a trophy deer! Great job!

Tunrevir~

[CC Hurl]

Awsome buck there Crew, love the pic's. Congrats on some good memories there.

[Boar]

Congratualtions an great job!

[Archerysniper]

Get out of the archery forum

Great trophy and man he has a huge body and long tines. Their is no way I would have passed him. Congrats

[CrewJones]

Well im still on cloud nine, thanks again

I did grunt and use the estros can about 5-10 min before he came marching in. Did that bring him in ????

who knows, what i do know, there is now 70 lbs of meat in my freezer and i gave one rear quarter away to a deserving friend.

Now about horniday slugs for the rifled barrel. The first shot was 6 inches high at 10 yards, hit the top of the upper shoulder, NO exit wound the whole opposite quarter was un damaged. that was the kill shot. I did hit him once in the rear rear quarter messed up about 10 lbs of meat. But I did find a mushroomed copper end of a slug. The slug must be copper with lead bonded in the middle . I found the mushroomed piece in the hide by his .... " penis" i wasn't looking just happened to see the reflection. They must dump all there energy in an instant. I always though I could shoot trough small branches with this beast, i think im wrong.

[RumRiverRat]

thanks again guys, just got him capped out and butchered thats a lot of meat i got this year. They always say " you can't eat the horns"

Well no chit you have to eat the whole 120 lbs of meat first

I about fell out of my chair laughing at this post!

That is a dandy buck.