wtnhunt Posted December 11, 2019 Report Share Posted December 11, 2019 I pulled trail cam cards yesterday and to my surprise the big bodied wide 8 pt we had not gotten pics of since late October had been back around on Friday and again on Sunday night. So I was hopeful there may be some secondary rutting action kicking in and with the right wind forecast for our back field I planned to get in the stand early this morning and was going to sit until about 9. Had some morning obligations to take care of before heading to the stand which set me back a little and was halfway to the stand when I realized I forgot my phone. Still was in the stand about 30 minutes before legal shooting light. Was a hard frost and almost no wind, but the wind was light and mostly coming from the southwest when it was blowing, which had it mostly at my face. Not 5 minutes after getting settled in I could see a body in our clover. Single deer, and the shape was telling me it was a buck, but it was too far away to tell for sure. Neck looked slim though. Deer stood there just looking around. After a few minutes it walked off to my right. As it started getting light I could hear a deer coming from behind me. Our dogs were going nuts. I never could find the deer in my binoculars. Less than a minute later a body pops out of the thin strip of trees on my left and it heads into the brush pile in front of me. It was moving too steady for me to tell for sure what it had on its head, but I knew the way it was moving it was a buck. I had a suspicion that he would pop out the other side of the brush pile any time and had my gun up and binos in my hands. He came out about 90 seconds later on a scrape line opposite side of the brush pile about 185 yards away and was moving too steady for me to get a good look before he crossed the open and was back in more brush. I hit the grunt call a few times, then hit the can call. Did not hear or see anything for a few minutes. Probably 5 minutes later I could hear a deer moving through behind me in the gully. I am sitting in a large oak and cannot see without peeking around. Deer stayed higher in the gully than the main trail at the bottom of the hill that deer usually take. By the time I finally got a look at him with the binos he was in a fast trot and I knew he was good enough but figured my chances were done He disappeared and I quit hearing him and was not sure which way he ended up going. Few minutes go by and I call again with the can call and a few grunts. Not a minute later I hear more deer moving behind me, this time a doe and fawn on the main trail at the bottom of the gully. They were in a hurry, but they went the same way he went, last I could see or hear them was around 6:46. I figured I would see does come out and feed in the beans at some point and maybe he would come in and check them, it was still early. At 7:04 this buck comes out of the thin strip of trees angling towards the brush pile again, similar to how he had done earlier, but this time he takes a turn heading straight at me with his nose to the ground moving steady. I let out a meah and he did not even look. He started turning enough he would be broadside so I picked a spot with my scope just ahead of him and squeezed right when his vitals were in the crosshairs. He dropped in his tracks. Sunrise from the stand right after I shot him. Phone pic is not the greatest. He came out from near the tree at the bottom of the beans. Walking up to him as he lay. Best I could do with a 10 second timer and the camera on a tripod. Turned out to not be the deer I thought he was that we had gotten trail camera pictures of. I think this one actually has better antlers, even though he is not as wide. Been a good season for our family. Thank you Lord. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin R10 man Posted December 11, 2019 Report Share Posted December 11, 2019 Good pics..and hopefully, you still have that wide 8 for next season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antlermass Posted December 12, 2019 Report Share Posted December 12, 2019 Congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DowninWhiteys Posted December 12, 2019 Report Share Posted December 12, 2019 That is a fine buck. Congratulations Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted December 16, 2019 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2019 Thanks. We have had a great season. On 12/13/2019 at 7:10 AM, Rhino said: From the looks of him in the bucket, he looks like he's in the upper half of the 120's but he might make 130 if the shorter than average brow tines don't cost him too much in score. Again, great buck for your neck of the woods. Few more bucket pics, there was definitely no ground shrinkage with this one. Closest 8 pt I have to this one on the wall I scored at 118, wider but was not as well matched up. He is 17.5 inches inside between the beams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly Posted December 17, 2019 Report Share Posted December 17, 2019 Holy cow batman! Congratulations William. That has to be one of the best antlered deer you've taken from your land? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted December 17, 2019 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2019 2 hours ago, fly said: Holy cow batman! Congratulations William. That has to be one of the best antlered deer you've taken from your land? Thanks Frank. I am guessing he will be in the top 3 since my first buck 25 years ago. Checked cams this morning and as it turns out the older heavy bodied wide 8 did in fact move through and was probably the deer that circled around me. We had not had any pics of this 8 prior to the morning I killed him. Will get some of those tc pics resized and uploaded later this afternoon. The wide 8 was still around as of yesterday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted December 17, 2019 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2019 The wide 8, I was in the stand at the time he was there but did not see him until a few minutes later. He had worked a scrape right above the camera. Just before I shot the 8 I killed, just 42 minutes after the wide 8 had been in the same area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly Posted December 19, 2019 Report Share Posted December 19, 2019 Great pics William! I know you're flying high this season and for good reason. Hard to believe what life would be like without hunting. It adds so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawg Posted December 19, 2019 Report Share Posted December 19, 2019 Congrats William, that's a nice 8! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted December 27, 2019 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2019 Thanks Corey. On 12/19/2019 at 8:47 AM, fly said: Great pics William! I know you're flying high this season and for good reason. Hard to believe what life would be like without hunting. It adds so much. I took as many as I could, unfortunately the batteries on my good camera died. Phone took pretty decent pics. I really liked this one, canvas wrapped stand is in the background, he was broadside when I shot. I had trail cam pictures I believe may have been this deer in the bottom about a quarter of a mile away as a crow flies, that was about 35 minutes before I shot him. I am very thankful for the season we have had. I am also glad the wide 8 did NOT give me a shot. Luck broke my way.... The wide 8 was still alive on Dec 20th, a ton of fresh scrapes along that edge the trail camera is on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly Posted January 1, 2020 Report Share Posted January 1, 2020 Great pic there William! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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