Matchset's 4 year quest for a buck named Wishbone

[matchset]

My Obsession Continues

This year began like any other year, with Shed season. This is where i do a ton of leg work. I log a ton of hours looking from deer i know, and also scouting out new area.

One of my new areas seemed to be a hot new piece what i wanted to invest a lot of time in. I was fortunate to pick up a few good sheds off this piece of land and when i first round of trail cam pics came through, my hunch was confirmed with 3 really nice bucks.

But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. In 2012, many of you knew i was hunting one deer. A very wise old buck i had a lot of history with. His name was Wishbone.

Well, when i heard that freaky side shed was picked up this spring my hopes were renewed that he made it through the winter. But he had moved. More than a mile from the property he had lived for so many years. So I began running trail cams to try to find him.

While my newest property was heating up, my hopes at finding the Wishbone buck were quickly fading. It wasn’t until Mid August that he finally showed up on my camera beneath an apple tree. His rack had shrunk significantly.

Soon as I found him again, I poured a bunch of cameras into that area trying to find his patter. There was none. He was old, and wise and It looked like the hard winter and late spring had taken a tool on this legendary buck.

Opening day came and I set up in 1 of the 3 stands that my dad and I had hung on the property where Wishbone lived. Shortly after first light, I had zipped a Rage through a mature doe. Dad got skunked near the apple tree stand and we discussed our options for the evening hunt. I opted to hunt the 3rd stand on the property and dad was going to return to the apple tree stand. I pulled the memory card from my trail cam beneath the 3rd stand just before my evening hunt. I Felt heartbroken as I paged through the pictures. There was the Wishbone standing right in front of my stand and camera during legal shooting light. In fact it was the first daylight pic we had of him the entire year so far. I hunted that night and saw a few small deer but no Wishbone. My hopes were renewed that he was back on his home range . But he wouldn’t be for long.

Monday after opener, I hopped on a plane and headed to Colorado for work. I would be gone nearly a month.

While out of state, I received a pic message of Wishbone. Full Velvet . Great news, except he was showing up during daylight on a different property again. It was mid September and the oaks were dropping like crazy. It was tough not being able to hunt him. I felt myself getting envious and jealous. I told myself that this was my deer to harvest. I was the only person (that I know of) to have ever seen him in person. I had sheds off him from 2008. I had a trail cam pic of him from 2010. I saw him in 2011 chasing a doe. I was the one that saw him 5 times in 2012 and missed him. I had his matchset from 2012 too. He was mine. Or so I thought.

I Shared my feelings with my dad, and he told me I needed to get my heart right before I got home to hunt. So I did.

I finally made it back to the tree stand on Tuesday October 15th. No new pics of Wishbone on any of my trail cameras in nearly a month. I was bummed out, but determined as usual. First night on stand was good. I saw quite a few deer. Passed up a great buck but he was young and has super potential. Second Night on stand, I harvest another doe. Then the October Lull kicked in. Hard. I struggled to see deer. Moving stands and trail cams trying to find Wishbone. I Hunted every day, morning and afternoon. He Finally showed up again on the same trail, same stand area as he did on Opening day. I now tried to put together a travel pattern based on my pics and the pics from the other hunter that had him on his property.

A few more days. And a few more deer-less sits had my hopes and energy drained. I had exchanged hundreds of text with buddies talking strategy. After 10 solid days of hunting day and night, I had reached October 24, 2013. My buddy asked me how I was doing, how was the deer movement? I sent him this picture, and told him that the well had run dry. I was burnt out.

My dad taught me how to hunt. And I owe everything that happed on October 25, 2013 to him. He always says, “Hunt where the deer are, and listen to your instincts”

I climbed up a stand well before first light and set up my bow hook and Muddy camera arm like I had done so many other times. The Sun was rising and the air was calm. I thought for a moment about looking at Facebook on my phone but I thought I should probably wait. Seconds ticked by and I saw movement in front of me. It was close. Less than 50yds. My eyes scanned and I locked on to the deer. It was feeding. It was a buck. It was Wishbone.

Wishbone was 50yds straight in front of me. Walking cautiously as he fed, looking all around. He noticed every bird and distant noise. He was poised, and picked ever step carefully. He began to shift his body to the east so I drew back my bow. I could not stand. My legs had betrayed me and would not stop shaking. I tried to settle my pin on his vitals at 38 yds but I was a shaking too bad I had to let down. He Turned and began to head in my direction once again. I Closed my eyes and gave myself a pep talk. I said to myself. “This is going to happen. Get your #### together Sam and make the Shot”. When I opened my eyes I was calm. Wishbone began to turn again to feed on a scrub bush, I drew back, as I was seated. I still couldn’t get my legs to work. He stopped, broadside at 18 yds. I settled my pin, and watched as my carbon express arrow and blue Nocturnal bury deep into his vitals. He ran off like an overweight peewee soccer coach. Then stopped behind some trees. Moments later I heard a crash.

I called my dad and told him what just happened. I then sent off a mass text to my buddies and said that Wishbone is dead.

The emotions were running high that day. I never turned on my video camera, but that doesn’t bother me. I accidently left my bow in the tree, and retreated back to the truck to shed clothes and get help for tracking. It wasn’t long, and there was large group of buddies to help track him up.

I walked it off, and he only ran 65yds. He was a legend. His tooth was sent out to be officially aged, but based on sheds and pics, we believe he is at least 8.5yrs old. I am still the only person to have seen him alive. His live weight was 310 official, and 240 dressed. He had nearly an inch of fat on either side of his ribs. My arrow tipped with a Rage, penetrated a rib bone on each side and the opposite sides fat layer but did not puncture his hide on the exit. He was so thick. His rack shrunk over 20 inches from the previous year, and ended up scoring 136” P & Y. It was a pleasure to hunt this deer, to have my dad and buddies there to celebrate with me.

Dad Admiring Wishbone’s enormous Size. Notice the Entrance hole from my Arrow.

I’ve attached some of the pics of him from previous years. I was obsessed with this deer.

[Scoot]

Cool buck! Thanks for taking the time to share the story and pictures-- very cool!

[DaveT]

Awesome!

[pumper317]

Congratulations! Great deer, great story... 5 in a row, well done. Can't wait to see what happens next year.

[eyeguy 54]

nice!!

[huntnfish]

Congrats! That thing is one tank of a deer. The neck on him is unreal for the 25th of October.

[phorn]

Great job!!!

[muskiemanAD]

Wow.....super nice buck! Cool that you had a history with him and that he was that old.....

[muskiemanAD]

Did he have that same messed up side the whole time you were after him?

[archerystud]

Awesome story....CONGRATS!!!!

[matchset]

Did he have that same messed up side the whole time you were after him?

First year i knew about him, he was 3yrs old and had the same "Wishbone" shaped left side. He had it every single year. No scars, or injurys on him when i inspected his carcuss. It appears he was genetically born with that style of rack.

[smalliehunter]

Wow! Awesome deer. Thank you for sharing the pictures and story

[rkhinrichs]

good job Matchset! any other one for the books!

[mrklean]

great story

[B-man715]

Too Cool!

[triggertrav]

great deer! and even better with the history. good work! and i love the hero shots with a short arrow in the quiver.

[certified jumbo]

Very cool!!! I'm happy for you. Great deer and great story.

Love the fat peewee soccer coach line too, nice touch to story.

[PropsterII]

Very nice. At that age a better and more challenging trophy than a lot of bucks that actually make P&Y.

[Bear55]

Cool story.

[muskiemanAD]

Just curious... how many girth measurements do you get on the messed up side of rack?

[matchset]

Just curious... how many girth measurements do you get on the messed up side of rack?

He still gets 4 mass measurements. But the way his mainbeam was determined he barely had anything for mass on that side.

[matchset]

Very cool!!! I'm happy for you. Great deer and great story.

Love the fat peewee soccer coach line too, nice touch to story.

it

Thank you for reading the story. But it's true. He didn't run, he shuffled.

The story was the best part about this deer. If I NEVER SHOOT ANOTHER POPE AND YOUNG, I will die a happy man.

5 years. 5 bucks. 144 6/8 average!

[hugonian1]

Great story, great buck, way to go.

Congrats.

[Coach1310]

Congrats on the buck and great story! Just out of curiosity, do you hunt public or private ground? It is pretty impressive to shoot those 5 deer in 5 years so I was just curious. Congrats again on the buck and great story.

[Big Country]

Incredible story with pics Sam. I admit I actually got a little choked up after reading through it. I commend you on your drive to make it happen with that one particular deer. Learning from your father like most of us have sweetens the deal. He's gotta be so proud of you. CONGRATS! BC