livbucks

Well....
I got the big (what I thought) 8 point, but not the way I wanted to get him. I saw him twice this season but he didn't get close enough. On the last day, walking in at first light, there he is, within sight of my stand, hopelessly caught in an old hogwire fenceline. He is going crazy trying to get free. He wrapped the fence around a huge grapevine and was suspended from it and wrapped in fence. I didn't want to overly excite him so I continued to my stand and called my dad on the cell phone to come and give his opinion as to what to do. He saw the situation and said it was hopeless. We called the GC and asked them to come out and dart the buck so we could cut him free, to hunt him another day. The arrived and were too afraid to try to cover him and free him. He was too big to handle and somone could get hurt or killed trying. They said that they don't dart deer. If they can't pin them easy enough to cut them loose they have to put them down. I asked the officer if the buck would be donated to the needy and she said no. In those situations, they don't know how long they have been struggling and if the meat would be spoiled from adrenaline. She said that he would go to the landfill. I couldn't live with this idea. He was too fine a buck to waste like that. I asked if I could tag him, take a risk on the meat and put him on the wall for all to admire. She said that would be fine, and most appropriate as I was hunting him and found him that way, and saved him from a most certainly long, agonizing death. I felt this was the best option. He is now at the taxidermist and his meat is in my freezer. Let me note that I fried his backstraps today and they were delicious. Some of the best I have ever tasted.Risking the butcher billpaid off. I am glad to have given up my tag to make use of such a fine animal. I owed him that much. When I get pics back I will post them. He turned out to be a 10 point. His G4's were snapped off so I couldn't see them the other two times. Some people would never understand a hunters mind. He was all I wanted but all I could think of was how to free him. I guess I was chosen to care for him, one way or another.

bearklr

went out with my uncle on Saturday. I only saw 3 doe at 60 yards but he had an exciting morning. At 6:30 he had an 8 point walk right to him and stop at 7 yards. He tried to draw but his right elbow kept hitting the tree so he had to let down. He waited until the buck walked to his left to get a clear shot. This time (still at 7 yards) he started to draw but due to his previous attempt at drawing his arrow was loose on the string and fell off. As he tried to get it back on the buck simply hopped away accross the powerline. 20 minutes later he had 5 doe at the exact same spot the buck was. he got to full draw but the last doe spotted him and hopped 5 yards away. He thought it was a clear shot so he took it. Too bad it was actually through some branches so his arrow deflected and he missed cleanly. Let's just say he's not gonna live this one down.

frocb

I finally harvested a Buck!! I've been hunting since I was 13 and now at 33 I shot a nice 8 point at 7:30am Saturday morning. The morning didn't start out too good. Set the alarm for 4am. My wife elbowed me at 5:15 and told me I over slept(Thank God for my wife!). Go to my tree right as things were becoming light, say 6ish. Put out some Love potion #9 and I had a Buck bomb that didn't completely spray out so I was shaking the last few drops around. About 7:25 or so I seen a deer so I stood up and got ready. It took a few more steps and I could see horns and could tell it was at least a 4 point. But hear in South Central Pa we need 3 points on at least one antler. I'd say he got the Buck bomb scent in he nose because he made a right turn with his nose to the ground. As he turned I notice a y on the end of his left antler giving me the necessary 3 points. He passed behind a tree and I came to full draw. As he entered my shooting lane there was noway that he was going to stop so I mouth bleeted twice to get him to stop. As soon as he stopped I set the pin and released my arrow. Had a complete pass through. The buck ran about 20 yds to the other side of some thick brush. I seen him stop and walk with his tail down. After about 5 minutes I heard a crash.Whata relief!!! I had to sit down and settle down. So I sat for 30 minutes and got down. I found my arrow right where I shot with good solid blood all the way to the nock. The buck on went about 40 yds total. To my surprise when I got to him he was an 8 point. He isn't the biggest or the best but he will always be a true trophy to me!

rybohunter

Livbucks
Heck of a story bud. That had to be a bit gut wrenching seeing that poor guy caught up. Glad you made the best of the situation

frocb
Congrats man. nice buck.

SalCucco

WORST SEASON i have had in a long while. I was out in 3c on November 9, 10, 11, 12 and only saw 2 deer ( a small spike in that thunder and lightning storm in the pouring rain and one doe on Friday night just at dark) one on my friends saw 5 deer total with one being a great 8 responding to some rattling but he held up at 80 yards so no shot but my frienddid score on a nice 11 pointer al rutted up with a split ear, wood and bark all over his antlers and an eye that was recently poked out (probably by an antler)

Speedmaster

I hunt on state land in 3D and seen a total of 11 deer which I'm pretty sure 3 of them were the same Doe with 2 yearlings I seen on opening day! I did Get a real nice 8-point on the first day at 6:30pm! Besides him I only seen 1 other buck, a spike which walked right under me! Did not see many hunters this year! Never got another shot besides the 8-point! Never had a problem getting a doe until this year. Anyways this is starting out to be a good season with getting my first buck in 5 years since lost private property I had hunted all my life.And every year on the state land I'm seeing fewer deer!

GREEK HUNTER

hey livbucks you did the right thing... some people would have just shot it.. but you took the time to call the gc and see if they could have done anything before you came down to having to shoot it... well congrats and hope the mount comes out nice

livbucks

Thanks for the kind words guys. I found out how ethical I really am. I was devastated that I could not free him, but I did all I could. All the guys I know have said they would have just shot him and tagged out immediately that morning without a second thought. That is not the way I am made. I wanted to set him loose so we could dance another day. It was beyond my control but at least I saved him from being wasted.

BarnesX.308

2 weeks until the traditional "deer camp". Actually buck/doe/bear camp for us this year.

PABuck_HNTR

I went out archery hunting for the first time this year. I spent only about 14 hours on stand and seen only 6 deer. Saturday at close to 5:00 pm 3 does came through under my stand,but didn't stop until around 30 yards beyond me and too much brush to shoot. About 4 minutes later another doe came along. I was in the wrong position in the stand, so I had to duck under my safety harness and shoot kinda lopsided. I released the arrow and it struck the deer a bit too far back. It ran about 20 yards tail tucked and stopped behind a downed tree top. It stayed behind the tree for about 15 minutes and then I saw it lay down. I waited until dark and went back to my buddies camp and told the guys I had one hit. We decided to wait until after we ate dinner to go out and find the deer. About 3 hours after firing the shot we went to find the deer. It traveled about 100 yards total. I think it got up when I climbed down from my stand, because when tracking it, it had layed down 3 times before expiring.It turned out to be a BB. I was quite disappointed that it was, but was reassured that sometimes it is hard to tell. I figure I got the first one in the bag with a bow so now I can be alot more selective. Some people also say that any deer with a bow is a trophy. So I can't figure out why I feel so bad about it being a button buck?