My 2004 PA buck! PIC :)
11-12-2004, 10:03 PM
#1
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Central PA
Posts: 590
My 2004 PA buck! PIC :)
Here is a picture of my best archery buck ever... I harvested him tonight, November 12, 2004 a few minutes shy of 5 pm. I had been hunting a new area over the last couple days... one that had a good deal of buck sign, just on the other side of the ridge that claimed most of my early season hunts this year. With the archery season officially ending tomorrow here in PA, I was holding onto hopes that I'd get a chance to fill out my only buck tag.
I spent a morning here Monday and had several bucks in the woods near my stand. They were chasing does before legal shooting light and all moved off just before sunrise. I couldn't judge racks, as they looked like ghosts against the dark forest floor. I never got a shot opportunity. A large doe gave me a 19 yard offering, but my doe tag had already been filled. I stayed away from this spot on Tuesday, and instead hunted a corn field edge about 5 miles away. I had a tiny 6 pointer within range that evening, but opted to let him walk by.
I went back to this area after work Wednesday night and tried an evening hunt. I hadn't seen a single deer and was pondering that this spot may be a AM only, when a dandy buck, maybe this one, came by at dusk. He was easily a shooter, but was just too far away to take an ethical shot. I tried a flip over style doe bleat call, but he responded by running away! I quickly called to him from my tree with a young buck grunt and he slowly closed the distance to 60 yards. He didn't see a "deer", (which was me and a grunt tube), that was calling and he walked off. I was still happy to have seen such a fine deer almost within range of my bow. He sure didn't get that big being careless and it showed.
I had no more vacation days left, so I continued to hunt this same area after work. Thinking about him standing there looking toward my stand for that challenging deer made me try something new. A decoy set up. I rationalized that if he would have seen the "deer" that night, he'd have come in. Sure, it's wishful thinking, but it made me go back. I don't own a decoy, but I do have my 3D archery deer target. It went to the woods with me on Thursday evening, dabbed with doe in estrus scent, and I strategically placed it along the bucks travel route from the night before.
About 30 minutes before dark I heard a deer approaching from the same location. A small button buck put on quite a show with my improvised decoy. He offered a slam dunk broadside shot at 17 yards. I smiled when he vocalized a contact grunt to my foam deer. He walked off after 5 minutes and was the only deer I saw the entire night.
Tonight was different. I did the same thing, after work, straight home, shower, load the gear and go. I passed on taking the "decoy" and decided instead to tow along a drag as I made my way to my stand. The scent drag rig was a free bonus that came with deer lure I bought online this year. I was only on stand about 15 minutes when a doe skirted through the woods below me. Everything was quiet for the next half hour. Snap. A broken branch behind me. I'm 25 feet up and looked back to see white points making their way down the path I walked in on. The drag rag scent kept his head down and he was closing the distance to my stand. I watched as this buck made his way to the well used scrape that I pulled the drag rag through just 20 yards from my tree. He freshened the scrape, which was a first for me to observe in eight years of bowhunting, but the branches of a Hemlock tree prevented a clear shot. I positioned myself for the shot as he committed to the path around my tree. I came to full draw while his head was obstructed and waited for him to enter a clear shooting lane. He paused.
It seemed like an hour, which was more likely only 30 seconds, until he came into full view. The distance was well under 20 yards and I knew it. I later found that it was only 14. He was quartering on and the shot had to be high and tight to the spine. He was about to walk under the canopy of another Hemlock tree I let my arrow leave the bow. I watched it impact and the carbon shaft passed right through. He was off... a full out run around the tree and angled off into the treeline. I listened. No crash. I watched for movement. Nothing. A minute went by and I saw him emerge from the brush, weak on his feet and off balance. 10 seconds more and he's down, on his side. A kick or two and nothing more.
I marked the spot and waited 30 minutes before climbing down. I left without approaching him and returned 2 hours later. I couldn't be more happy than I am right now. It was a great season and the good Lord made it happen for me. Just wanted to share that with my friends. Hope you all enjoy the pic!
Mark
I spent a morning here Monday and had several bucks in the woods near my stand. They were chasing does before legal shooting light and all moved off just before sunrise. I couldn't judge racks, as they looked like ghosts against the dark forest floor. I never got a shot opportunity. A large doe gave me a 19 yard offering, but my doe tag had already been filled. I stayed away from this spot on Tuesday, and instead hunted a corn field edge about 5 miles away. I had a tiny 6 pointer within range that evening, but opted to let him walk by.
I went back to this area after work Wednesday night and tried an evening hunt. I hadn't seen a single deer and was pondering that this spot may be a AM only, when a dandy buck, maybe this one, came by at dusk. He was easily a shooter, but was just too far away to take an ethical shot. I tried a flip over style doe bleat call, but he responded by running away! I quickly called to him from my tree with a young buck grunt and he slowly closed the distance to 60 yards. He didn't see a "deer", (which was me and a grunt tube), that was calling and he walked off. I was still happy to have seen such a fine deer almost within range of my bow. He sure didn't get that big being careless and it showed.
I had no more vacation days left, so I continued to hunt this same area after work. Thinking about him standing there looking toward my stand for that challenging deer made me try something new. A decoy set up. I rationalized that if he would have seen the "deer" that night, he'd have come in. Sure, it's wishful thinking, but it made me go back. I don't own a decoy, but I do have my 3D archery deer target. It went to the woods with me on Thursday evening, dabbed with doe in estrus scent, and I strategically placed it along the bucks travel route from the night before.
About 30 minutes before dark I heard a deer approaching from the same location. A small button buck put on quite a show with my improvised decoy. He offered a slam dunk broadside shot at 17 yards. I smiled when he vocalized a contact grunt to my foam deer. He walked off after 5 minutes and was the only deer I saw the entire night.
Tonight was different. I did the same thing, after work, straight home, shower, load the gear and go. I passed on taking the "decoy" and decided instead to tow along a drag as I made my way to my stand. The scent drag rig was a free bonus that came with deer lure I bought online this year. I was only on stand about 15 minutes when a doe skirted through the woods below me. Everything was quiet for the next half hour. Snap. A broken branch behind me. I'm 25 feet up and looked back to see white points making their way down the path I walked in on. The drag rag scent kept his head down and he was closing the distance to my stand. I watched as this buck made his way to the well used scrape that I pulled the drag rag through just 20 yards from my tree. He freshened the scrape, which was a first for me to observe in eight years of bowhunting, but the branches of a Hemlock tree prevented a clear shot. I positioned myself for the shot as he committed to the path around my tree. I came to full draw while his head was obstructed and waited for him to enter a clear shooting lane. He paused.
It seemed like an hour, which was more likely only 30 seconds, until he came into full view. The distance was well under 20 yards and I knew it. I later found that it was only 14. He was quartering on and the shot had to be high and tight to the spine. He was about to walk under the canopy of another Hemlock tree I let my arrow leave the bow. I watched it impact and the carbon shaft passed right through. He was off... a full out run around the tree and angled off into the treeline. I listened. No crash. I watched for movement. Nothing. A minute went by and I saw him emerge from the brush, weak on his feet and off balance. 10 seconds more and he's down, on his side. A kick or two and nothing more.
I marked the spot and waited 30 minutes before climbing down. I left without approaching him and returned 2 hours later. I couldn't be more happy than I am right now. It was a great season and the good Lord made it happen for me. Just wanted to share that with my friends. Hope you all enjoy the pic!
Mark
11-13-2004, 10:26 AM
#7
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: creemore Ontario Canada
Posts: 5,525
RE: My 2004 PA buck! PIC :)
Congrat's on the Buck Jolly ,he look's like a good one . I noticed you got a Stealth Stabilizer on your bow now .How do you like it ,I've got the shorter version and I love mine .I'm sure you e-mailed me about it in the summer.
nubo
nubo
