Guest HANKFAN Posted November 12, 2005 Report Share Posted November 12, 2005 Well as some of you may remember from last year that I have been hunting a huge tall tined 10 pointer on public land here in West Virginia. I devoted this season to trying to harvest this deer and only this deer. Last season he gave me the slip and after weeks and weeks of scouting and moving my trail cameras around I was finally about to pin point his travel route. I found his sheds in the spring which helped me locate his travel route. In fact this buck lived in 2 hollows that was connected by a huge funnel. A highwall ran in between these two hollows and there was one 30 yard crack in this highwall that forced the buck to travel through to get from one funnel to the next. In my entire life I have never saw a buck that was so consistent in his travel patterns. I could place my trail camera in this funnel and get his picture every single day. It was crazy how predictable he was. So I knew it was only a matter of time for I was able to harvest this gaint main frame typical 10 pointer. I hung my stands in August and I last got this picture on October 13th. I pulled my cameras out of the area as not to spook him because I already knew his travel patterns. I saved all of my vacation and took the entire month of November off to hunt this buck. With cool weather on the way and the pre-rut heating up I knew it was now time to make my move and hunt the stand in the funnel. On my way in today my worst nightmare came true. 100 yards away from my stand in the very funnel that I was hunting him I found my buck laying dead with his head caught in between 2 trees. He was trying to make a rub and got the 2 trees wedged in between his tines and was unable to free himself. All that was left of him was his rack. I was speechless. All I could think of was all those miles I had walked trying to find him and all those nights I laid in bed wondering if I was really going to get the chance to harvest this buck. I hunted the stand today and saw 2 does and had a 4 pointer walk right under my stand and work a scrape. I couldn't help but wonder if maybe this litttle guy was his son, so I just let him walk. I guess the only question is now what do I do with the rack? I was thinking about maybe gettign a European mount or maybe getting a cape and just getting a shoulder mount. I really don't like the idea of mounting a deer that I didn't actually harvest but had this deer lived 2 more weeks I feel certain I could have harvested him! Here is the first picture I ever got of him last season: Here is the first picture I got of him in hard antler last season: Here is this year's first velvet picture: Here is the rack after I found it: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NY_Bowhunter14 Posted November 12, 2005 Report Share Posted November 12, 2005 Re: MY WORST NIGHTMARE CAME TRUE TODAY!!!!!! (PICS) wow! that really sucks! to bad you didnt harvest him! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckee Posted November 12, 2005 Report Share Posted November 12, 2005 Re: MY WORST NIGHTMARE CAME TRUE TODAY!!!!!! (PICS) What a magnificent buck. I feel your pain...geesh You know, there is a bright side to all of this. He didn't get poached, like so many monarchs do, and you have his rack, which is rare also. IMO, a European mount just wouldn't do this big boy justice. What I would do is take it to a taxidermist and get a nice head mount done. Taxidermists are always buying spare deer capes for just such an occasion. After that monster cheating you out of a fare hunt, I think it would be pretty fitting to have him mounted and be dang proud of it too. You earned it, and heck, it's the only right thing to do, with such a great deer. That's what I would do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VermontHunter Posted November 12, 2005 Report Share Posted November 12, 2005 Re: MY WORST NIGHTMARE CAME TRUE TODAY!!!!!! (PICS) I have to agree,, you have put in the work to have that rack mounted and hanging on your wall where it belongs.... I feel your pain tho,, all of that hard work scouting and patterning just to have mother nature mess your chance of a one on one with this brute .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoyt03 Posted November 12, 2005 Report Share Posted November 12, 2005 Re: MY WORST NIGHTMARE CAME TRUE TODAY!!!!!! (PICS) I feel for ya bro, what a freak accident. Awesome buck you deserve to have him mounted. I would make a little memorial around the mount, lol and get a few of the trail came pics framed up. Theres got to be more big ones in there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin R10 man Posted November 12, 2005 Report Share Posted November 12, 2005 Re: MY WORST NIGHTMARE CAME TRUE TODAY!!!!!! (PICS) well I bet you'd of gotton him too!! Sorry to hear that man...nature is cruel!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James7xChamp3 Posted November 13, 2005 Report Share Posted November 13, 2005 Re: MY WORST NIGHTMARE CAME TRUE TODAY!!!!!! (PICS) Wow, that is quite an episode. I agree with the others. It would do him justice to have a nice mount done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beagleboy Posted November 13, 2005 Report Share Posted November 13, 2005 Re: MY WORST NIGHTMARE CAME TRUE TODAY!!!!!! (PICS) Sorry to hear about the misfortune but I would do a European mount for all the effort that you put into him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkeygirl Posted November 13, 2005 Report Share Posted November 13, 2005 Re: MY WORST NIGHTMARE CAME TRUE TODAY!!!!!! (PICS) That is sad, for the deer. I'm sorry that you had to find him like that but at least you have his rack and pachers didn't get him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest whitetailarcher Posted November 13, 2005 Report Share Posted November 13, 2005 Re: MY WORST NIGHTMARE CAME TRUE TODAY!!!!!! (PICS) That has to hurt bad. I know it isn't nowhere near as much as you harvesting him, but atleast you found the antlers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longislandhunter Posted November 13, 2005 Report Share Posted November 13, 2005 Re: MY WORST NIGHTMARE CAME TRUE TODAY!!!!!! (PICS) hearbreaking story, but at least you have the rack to bring back all those memories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted November 13, 2005 Report Share Posted November 13, 2005 Re: MY WORST NIGHTMARE CAME TRUE TODAY!!!!!! (PICS) A buck like that or any animal for that matter, deserved, better. The DNR would try and confiscate a deer like that here in Ohio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TreeWalker Posted November 13, 2005 Report Share Posted November 13, 2005 Re: MY WORST NIGHTMARE CAME TRUE TODAY!!!!!! (PICS) It is still a fantastic buck, and you did everything but harvest him.....yet in a way you did. And thankfully he is in your hands where he belongs, due to your efforts. A great buck like that deserves a full shoulder mount, it would pay him much respect, and I think you would feel better about it as well...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joebobhunter4 Posted November 13, 2005 Report Share Posted November 13, 2005 Re: MY WORST NIGHTMARE CAME TRUE TODAY!!!!!! (PICS) id get him shoulder mounted... in a way you harvested him... he deserves to be shoulder mounted and in a post above that said have some trail cam pics around the mount thatd be cool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waterfowler_gal Posted November 13, 2005 Report Share Posted November 13, 2005 Re: MY WORST NIGHTMARE CAME TRUE TODAY!!!!!! (PICS) I agree get him mounted. That is a buck with a sad story indeed but an interesting one. Thanks for sharing and I hope you get the oppurtunity that you deserve to harvest one down the road Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowtechTurkeyHunter Posted November 13, 2005 Report Share Posted November 13, 2005 Re: MY WORST NIGHTMARE CAME TRUE TODAY!!!!!! (PICS) Great story of a true monarch you did your homework and your assignments now you get the report card.... I say A+ he trully is a trophy and deserves to be mounted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leo Posted November 13, 2005 Report Share Posted November 13, 2005 Re: MY WORST NIGHTMARE CAME TRUE TODAY!!!!!! (PICS [ QUOTE ] id get him shoulder mounted... in a way you harvested him... he deserves to be shoulder mounted and in a post above that said have some trail cam pics around the mount thatd be cool [/ QUOTE ] Agreed. What if you found the deer dying in those trees and had no choice but to finish him off. Would you feel differently? Probably not. I am guessing you would still feel cheated. Cheer up. Many of us have pursued a monster deer that disappeared and never knew what happened. Perhaps the outcome was similar and we never found the evidence. Your one up on those of us who have experienced that. Bottomline. You know exactly what happened. You are not chasing a ghost. You have the deer and the pictures to tell the story. I believe a good story should go with every mount. You got a dandy. Enjoy. This may indeed be a blessing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG_BUCK_1 Posted November 13, 2005 Report Share Posted November 13, 2005 Re: MY WORST NIGHTMARE CAME TRUE TODAY!!!!!! (PICS that sucks but im glad you found the rack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KirkV Posted November 13, 2005 Report Share Posted November 13, 2005 Re: MY WORST NIGHTMARE CAME TRUE TODAY!!!!!! (PICS How sad but he could have been poached or worse and you never would have found him. At least you know what happened to the deer. A very nice deer at that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dg Posted November 13, 2005 Report Share Posted November 13, 2005 Re: MY WORST NIGHTMARE CAME TRUE TODAY!!!!!! (PICS My hat's off to you for the work you put into him. You actually hunted him and knew him vs "hey look what walked by me today". For that much work, most in this world will never accomplish that. You should do a mount in respect of him and the work you did to hunt him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Posted November 13, 2005 Report Share Posted November 13, 2005 Re: MY WORST NIGHTMARE CAME TRUE TODAY!!!!!! (PICS sorry to hear that is terrible....but im sure he passed his genes on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cutter Posted November 13, 2005 Report Share Posted November 13, 2005 Re: MY WORST NIGHTMARE CAME TRUE TODAY!!!!!! (PICS Crappy luck for both you and the deer, but it sounds like you had him pegged and had fun doing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockefeller66 Posted November 14, 2005 Report Share Posted November 14, 2005 Re: MY WORST NIGHTMARE CAME TRUE TODAY!!!!!! (PICS) WOW, that is terrible, at least you found the rack and knew what happened, i would mount him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAbowhunter86 Posted November 14, 2005 Report Share Posted November 14, 2005 Re: MY WORST NIGHTMARE CAME TRUE TODAY!!!!!! (PICS) Man I feel your pain, it is great that you found him and not someone else tho. Maybe that was a sin that you were suppose to get him and no one else was. Well whatever you decide to do would be great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAhardwoods Posted November 14, 2005 Report Share Posted November 14, 2005 Re: MY WORST NIGHTMARE CAME TRUE TODAY!!!!!! (PICS) like the others have said i would defently get a shoulder mount done on that hog i'd print out those pictures you have of him on the trail came as well get them blown up a bit get some nice frames and place them around the mount as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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