wtnhunt Posted December 9, 2018 Report Share Posted December 9, 2018 Been a tough season, normally I would have let this buck walk and have let plenty bigger ones walk. I had previously let him walk on more than one occasion. Actually had him chasing a doe all over my pasture a couple weeks ago one morning in front of the house at about 8:15 and watched him for a few minutes standing broadside less than 100 yards from me standing on my porch. I walked in and grabbed my bino's and he was still standing in the same spot. At that time thought he would be a nice deer for my 13 year old. Yesterday afternoon had me sitting in a wet cold stand with a stiff north and north east wind at my face with wintry slop steady coming down at my face with cold rain and ice chunks pelting me. I am in a hickory about 22 feet up, but the stand is over ground that drops off into a bottom and all the cover is gone. After about 2 hours in the stand my finger tips on my trigger fingers on both fleece dry plus gloves had gotten wet, so fumbled with taking them off and resorted to using my handwarmer pockets on my parka to try to get my hands warmed back up. Kinda cumbersome with where my harness was situated around my parka and the arm rests on the stand. I had pulled my hands out to look at my phone to check the time, screen on the phone went unresponsive, cold and my damp fingers I guess made for less than ideal conditions, but was at least able to see the time it was a little after 4. I put my phone in my chest pocket thinking maybe it would warm up. I was thinking about getting down, but figured I might make it to dark if I could get my hands warmed back up and maybe the heavy 8 point we had gotten just a few pics of might still be alive and maybe he would show to feed in the standing beans. I went to put my hands back in my pockets and saw this buck staring at me about 100 yards out in front of me. He must have picked up my movement but he was not too bothered. The buck is on higher ground, so he is almost at eye level with me. I pick up my binoculars after he looks away and see he looks to be past his ears on both sides and looks consistent with what I expect of a 2.5 year old, but not sure really what he is, I had bumped the covers for my bino's at some point and so the lenses were wet and icy. I thought to myself he is not good enough, I need to let him walk. Saw a doe behind the buck standing inside the edge of a brush pile, and he again looked back at me. This time when he looked away I picked up my gun, rem 700 varmint sf in .308 with my handloaded 178 grain eld x rounds, and got steady. Thinking in my mind, I guess at the second I squeezed; I need a cape for Catrina's deer, I am ready to get down and don't want to be stuck in the stand in this miserable mess with this buck and does feeding. He looked back at me again standing there broadside and I don't even remember squeezing the trigger, but he went straight down and fell just over the other side of the ridge where I could barely see white belly. Saw his antlers go up once, twice, then no more movement. I let my gun down with my pull rope and climbed down within just minutes after the shot, sure he was done. I walked on over with a round chambered, was not necessary, he fell in his tracks. Second deer shot with this gun since I started using it last year with these loads and again same results dead deer in their tracks. After seeing him close up I realized he was a buck I had passed on. Walk on back to the house and get the wife and tractor, when we get to the deer there are two does within 50 yards of him just standing there. I drove to within probably 30 yards of them and they stayed there until we stepped off the tractor. Reckon they are heartbroke, I whispered to them while I was on the tractor to go and bring around a new boyfriend. lol. I am allowed to kill one more buck, considered going back to hunting with the accura, but may focus more on yotes and stick with a rifle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maine Hntr Posted December 9, 2018 Report Share Posted December 9, 2018 Congrats William, how to stick with it!Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DowninWhiteys Posted December 10, 2018 Report Share Posted December 10, 2018 Very nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MUDRUNNER Posted December 10, 2018 Report Share Posted December 10, 2018 Congrats William! Looks like a nice buck. Looks like a very nice coat on him too, so should make for a nice cape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted December 10, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2018 Thanks guys. Just a 2.5 year old 7 pt, decent deer for the area. Wife took a couple pictures, she was ready to get back and out of the wet and the wind. The temp by itself was not bad, but being wet with that nne wind made for pretty miserable conditions. I do try to hold out for 3.5 year olds and older. Really think there was a disconnect between my brain and my finger by the time these deer came out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted December 11, 2018 Report Share Posted December 11, 2018 Congrats William...looks like a nice cape for Catrina too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin R10 man Posted December 12, 2018 Report Share Posted December 12, 2018 hard to stay in with that kinda weather William, I been there too...Congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted December 12, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2018 On 12/11/2018 at 10:47 AM, Rhino said: Congrats William...looks like a nice cape for Catrina too! Thanks Al. I guess now we know we at least have this one for a cape to fall back on if we don't end up with anything else. Having some fresh backstraps for supper tonight too. There had been a pretty decent very heavy bodied 8 pointer, I think is at least a 4.5 year old, that we got a few pics of that I had hoped I would get a shot at, but no luck yet. Quote hard to stay in with that kinda weather William I did get out yesterday morning, real feel was 11, and with it being dry it was much warmer feeling than it was Saturday. Funny how the water factors in. Really had my fingers not gotten so cold I would have been fine, plenty warm in my body. Had a real pretty 2.5 year old 8 pointer that I watched for probably 30 minutes between him coming out twice to feed in beans. No self control problems. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly Posted December 15, 2018 Report Share Posted December 15, 2018 Some years you take what you can get. This year was like that for me as well. Congratulations on a great looking 7 point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted December 18, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2018 On 12/15/2018 at 3:22 PM, fly said: Some years you take what you can get. This year was like that for me as well. Congratulations on a great looking 7 point. Thank you Frank. Been an odd year to say the least with slim pickins and yes for all the work I put into our place I sure want it to pay off. I did pass on some nice bucks last year that hoped would be around and Catrina did kill that old buck that we unfortunately did not find right away. We have had some young bucks around this year with good potential, so hopefully next year will be better. And we do still have about 3 weeks left, so possible a mature late season buck could still show up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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