My first archery buck, and WHAT A BUCK! A season recap

[Powerstroke]

It has taken me a long time to get this put together, but I hope you enjoy my little story.

As a small background, I have been hunting deer for 17 years and in all that time I have only taken 1 small buck and that was just 2 years ago. He was a wide 4pt that I took with my rifle. I started archery hunting 6 years ago and have taken numerous deer with my bow. I think archery hunting has really made me a better hunter.

This fall has been an excellent season for me already. I had been chosen to participate in a couple of select hunts with MBRB and I got to take my 10yr old daughter with me hunting on her first hunt. Starting in October I was chosen to hunt in a north metro park area for deer removal. I enjoy these hunts because I am primarily a meat hunter and I like being able to hunt close to home.

On my first morning I was setup across the swamp from a parking lot in a nice funnel.

A doe and her fawn came in silently from behind and I was nearly busted. The fawn got within 5yds before I knew she was there. I had to turn and stand to make the shot. The fawn got nervous and ran a bit, but the doe had no idea why. She walked forward and I made my first shot at 5yds. She took off running, bleeding quite well.

I was confused by what I was watching. I thought my deer ran off and died. A couple minutes later I saw a doe and fawn come walking around towards the water. They went out of my sight and then her fawn came running back. The fawn came perfectly broadside at 18yds directly in front of me. I placed my pin and made a perfect shot. This is a management hunt so taking a fawn is part of the game. Besides, this is some of the best meat.

I began tracking the first deer and quickly realized the deer I saw walking towards the water was the doe I had shot. The blood was dark and and I must've gotten a little far back. As I got to the water's edge I was getting worried. My blood trail led into the water and the deer was nowhere in sight. I started walking up and down the shore and this is what I finally saw.

This is the doe after I retrieved her from the water. This was quite the ordeal in which I fell in head first, spraining my thumb and getting completely soaked. These pics show the great wounds from the Slick Trick magnums. I wanted to try them after reading several good reviews and a desire to get away from mechanicals. I was very impressed. In fact I didn't include the picture of the fawn because of the amount of blood in the pic I took.

[Powerstroke]

I didn't get a lot of good pics here because of the sensitive nature and location of the hunt. Both deer died near walking trails and I was hunting in a park that was not closed during the hunt. I had many people come walking through the area despite signs informing people a hunt was taking place. Fortunately the deer are used to people and ignore the walkers as long as they stay on the trails.

Here are a couple more blood trail pics from the Slick Tricks.

[hockeybc69]

Did I misread the title of this thread?

[RangerJack]

Is this thread still "in the making?"

Or did your first archery buck have invisible antlers?

[LunkerCity]

Yeah! Great story, nice shot! Wheres the buck!?

[Powerstroke]

Fast forward a couple weeks and I was back at the park hunting for my second try. I was looking to try a different space because of the heavy human activity in my first spot. Our hunt coordinator had a spot in mind and offered it to me. I accepted and he pointed the spot out on our aerial photo. The spot was along a high tension power line clearing. A low drainage ditch ran perpendicular to the power line and there were several obvious trails crossing the ditch. I picked a nice straight tree overlooking the ditch with shot opportunities to the power line. There was also a line of large rubs.

I had a doe walk in heading downhill to the ditch. As she picked an opening to walk through I let an arrow fly. Deer #3 was now down. As we were recoving my deer that night, a walker on the trail was telling me how he sees a big 10pt buck every night down in the ditch I was hunting.

The next night found me back in the stand. It was Halloween night. As I sat on stand I had two tags in my pocket, my archery tag and one bonus tag. Although I shot one deer the night before, I had seen 3 more while waiting on stand after the shot so my hopes were high for another shot opportunity.

The kids starting getting home from school, people began walking their dog after work, a person who lived on the power line clearing was blowing deer calls on his deck while drying his blaze orange clothing in preparation for firearms season. I had heard some noise in the woods around me, but with all the activity in the area it was impossible to tell what it was. As the sun began to set I texted a buddy that I was feeling lucky and it was about to be "prime time". The time on my phone was 6:02pm. I placed the phone in my pocket.

As soon as I settled in, I heard noise behind me with heavy footsteps. These were not the steps of a squirrel. I looked over my shoulder and I saw ANTLERS with a deer attached just 30yds away. He was walking directly towards me. He didn't make a sound or smell the air or anything.

I slowly grabbed my bow from its hook and turned to my left towards the deer while standing up. He stopped briefly to visually check the opening he was about to cross. I nearly drew back to shoot him there, but the angle wasn't the best and I didn't want to risk everything on a quartering towards shot, even if it was under 20yds.

He continued walking on the trail that crossed the drainage ditch bringing him directly under my stand. My heart was pounding and I was talking it out in my head, trying not to stare at the rack, to breathe slowly, to focus on the shot. I attached my hook release and placed some tension on the string. I thought I may need to shoot him there because he could turn and walk straight away and out of my life. He was less than 5yds away, 20+ feet below me standing perfectly broadside looking to his left. I drew back.

He started walking, but fortunately went straight ahead up the hill. I followed him at full draw. As he entered an opening I mouth grunted and he stopped. I fired the shot perfectly.

I was shocked as I watched the arrow disappear in the deer's side exactly where my pin was, but the deer didn't even flinch. I was worried that I'd missed and I had dreamed the perfect hit. I reached for another arrow as the deer started to walk up the hill. I nocked the arrow and started to draw back as I saw blood pumping from the deer's side. He took a few more steps uphill, began to stagger, then tipped over, seemingly unaware of the damage inflicted. He had walked 15ft.

I pulled out my phone and texted my buddy that I had just shot the Big Boy! The time was 6:04pm. The entire scenario had just played out in less than 2 minutes and I had timestamped texts to prove it. I couldn't believe the scene of it all. There were kids trick or treating just 60yds away and I was looking at the biggest deer of my career dead on the hillside just 20yds away.

[leech~~]

My first archery buck, and WHAT A BUCK!

Yes very nice Buck indeed!

[Powerstroke]

Sorry for the delay in the typing. LOL

To cap this story off, my hunt coordinator had seen this buck during september scouting and got a picture of him in the field.

I did a quick measurement before dropping him off at the taxidermist. I measured 160 2/8" gross using the B&C scoresheet. I could care less about the official measurement, but it is amazing to have taken this caliber of animal.

I went 4 for 4 on deer in this hunt and was blessed greatly. I have enough meat to feed my family for the year and plenty to share with family and friends as I make burgers, sausage and jerky while learning how to use my new smoker.

I learned alot this year about shot angles and good and marginal hits. I practiced alot and plan to practice more. Keep shooting all season.

Also I love those SLick Trick Mags and I plan to shoot them alot more.

[Archerysniper]

I was shocked as I watched the arrow disappear in the deer's side exactly where my pin was, but the deer didn't even flinch.

Isn't it amazing what those heads can do. I shot a doe 2 years ago that just kept eating at 12 yards till she got shakey and fell over never taking a step.

[Archerysniper]

And awesome buck congrats and a first archery buck to boot.

[mrklean]

Awesome story

[Powerstroke]

Thanks guys. This deer was actually shot with a G5 Striker since I'd already used all three of my slick tricks. I've used the G5 alot and they are always in my quiver, but I like the holes created by the 4blade ST.

I've now seen the G5 Striker hit and deer and not even flinch and another time I shot a doe and it anchored her to the ground. She never moved even though it was a vitals hit.

[hugonian1]

Great buck Powerstroke.

[R. Miller]

Great buck!

[Rippinlip]

Great story, pics and tremendous deer!

Way to go Powerstroke!

[96trigger]

Awesome story, congrats. It is awesome when it comes together like that. Dandy of a buck.

[paceman]

Great story! Great Pictures! Great Buck! Congratulations!

[Deitz Dittrich]

Gooochy Goooooooooo.. awesome!!!

[Meat-Run]

Beautiful buck, congrats on a successful season.

MR

[Scoot]

WTG Powerstroke! That'll be a tough act to follow!!! Congrats!

[CrewJones]

great story sounds like you did the work to get yourself that buck. You must be eating lots of deer

[eyeguy 54]

Fun ! congrats!

[DonBo]

Congrats again Andy, an awesome buck! Glad you finally took the time to tell us all the story.

[Bear55]

A big congrats PS!!! Beautiful deer and great story.

[LunkerCity]

"ANTLERS with a deer attached" What an awesome story! My heart was pumping just reading it:) Congrats and beautiful buck!