christsavedme Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 Re: A Forum Hunting Story Upon meeting up with dad for breakfast the bags under his eyes told the story! He didn't hardly touch his breakfast. It was the first time I can remember silence at the breakfast table. Finally I broke the silence and ask what was on his mind! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenW Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 Re: A Forum Hunting Story he said he just kept reliving the shot all night and now he just isn't sure about the shot, he was thinking it may have been even lower than he first thought. Doubts were raging in his mind so i said were going to check under every leaf and in every hole if he was down we would find him, if we don't find him we will do another morning hunt in a few days and he may show up again the rut is on and anything is possible. Then we headed out to start the search Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joebobhunter4 Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 Re: A Forum Hunting Story he looked at me and had a grin on his face... "i had a dream we would find the buck, i dont know if it will be today, but we will find him." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christsavedme Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 Re: A Forum Hunting Story We loaded into his ole truck and headed to the property to meet up with the guys helping us search! It was a cold morning, but there was no more rain in the forcast. As we entered the woods I wondered if this would be the day.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hunting_boy Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 Re: A Forum Hunting Story that we would find the big deer, but even though our hopes were high, we knew there was no guarantee we would find it at all... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christsavedme Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 Re: A Forum Hunting Story But off we went. It was almost like we were embarking on a journey. You could feel the tension in the air as you took the cold wind into your lungs. Dad led the way through the woods to the spot we had last marked blood. As we gathered around to devise a plan suddenly out of no where....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 Re: A Forum Hunting Story came the neighbor guy. He asked how the hunting was going and said he heard the shot the day before. We told him about the giant dad had shot and said he was heading towards his swamp. We asked for permission to look on his land and he said.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christsavedme Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 Re: A Forum Hunting Story that it was not a problem. He even offered to help look which was a relief...hey the more people we have the better. A plan was soon born to spread out and walk in the general direction dad thought the deer headed. Just as we figured any blood trail was washed out with last nights down pour. You could tell by the look on dad's face that he didn't think there was a chance. As I glanced ahead.....there through the hardwoods.....just what I was afraid of.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 Re: A Forum Hunting Story the river had risen with all the rain we had!! Now what are we going to do? The nearest bridge was over a mile through the woods!! Maybe,....Just maybe..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christsavedme Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 Re: A Forum Hunting Story we can cross at the ole foot bridge over on the west end of the swamp....the neighbor said! So with that we turned our journey to the west, the whole time trying to not get discouraged. I knew dad was tired and worried that he had lost the biggest deer of his life. Dad also isn't young anymore...how would he handle the foot bridge when we got there? Would there be a foot bridge? Had the rising waters swept it away? Thousands of thoughts ran through my mind as we winded our way through the hardwoods. The neighbor said it was only a hundred yards are so. As we closed the distance there was the distinct sound of water rushing through a drift.....Could it be.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowJoe Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 Re: A Forum Hunting Story Water was coming fast along the creek and we could barely make out the top part of a log that had wedged against two cedars on either side of the banks. Now came the decision of whether we went ahead one at a time and risked one of us (more likely dad) falling into the fast moving creek or heading back to the truck and swinging around and coming in from the neighbors side of the creek. Pop's eyes told me that we'd find this buck and soon no matter what kind of bridge we walk across. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckee Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 Re: A Forum Hunting Story I however, made the decision not to let Dad try crossing. There was no sign of the foot bridge, and that log looked too risky for Dad. So we all spent the rest of the morning checking up and down our side of the river for a few hundred yards, both ways for the buck, to no avail. It was noon now, and we all had worked up quite an appetite, so we decided to head out for lunch and spend the remainder of the afternoon on the other side of the swollen river, by taking the longer, safer route around by road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adjam5 Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 Re: A Forum Hunting Story We sat there silent chewing our sandwiches staring out the window. The look on Dads face spoke volumes and the run off of the rain showed no signs of letting up. Dad was always a positive force in my life when I hunted shot and searched, now its my turn to be there for him in a way that envelopes what he taught me and what we are all about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monsterbucks1 Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 Re: A Forum Hunting Story no matter how hard it is we will not give up the brute is still out there for the mission must go on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 Re: A Forum Hunting Story Well, lunch is over, We better get back out looking. Hey neighbor, that Lady in town still got that Bloodhound? Dad asked. well I believe........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CampRAGS Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 Re: A Forum Hunting Story we can find that buck without the use of a dog, and we will find it the buck this afternoon. We made our way back to the neighbors side of the swollen river and started to search. About a hundred or so yards into the search I hear dad say......there, there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bulldawg Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 Re: A Forum Hunting Story Straight ahead you could see where something dragged itself out of the creek. When we got up there, the tracks were dug deeply into the mud and Dad could tell the buck was weaving as he walked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mamagator54 Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 Re: A Forum Hunting Story From Dad's direction I heard the report of three shots. Was it a warning for me to watch out for the bear, or was Dad hurt. The bear was coming my direction and with the wind at my back I knew he had my scent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryan1990 Posted March 16, 2007 Report Share Posted March 16, 2007 Re: A Forum Hunting Story I started walking towards the sound and I came agross traks, 3 sets of them. The first set was the wide track of a mature buck with the toes pointing outward. The sacond was a mans boot. And the 3rd was obviously a large bear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenW Posted March 17, 2007 Report Share Posted March 17, 2007 Re: A Forum Hunting Story As luck would have it the rain must have washed the dears sent away as the bear was traveling in the opposite direction than the dear , so two of the group followed the bear tracks to make sure he didn't double back. Sure enough the bear had crossed the stream and left the area, so the guy that were following the bear joined up with us again and we all continued our search. That was when Dad saw some movement about two hundred yards away. He pulled out his binoculars and glassed where the movement had been suddenly he says "it's him" "it's him" its the brute and he has a limp. So..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowJoe Posted March 17, 2007 Report Share Posted March 17, 2007 Re: A Forum Hunting Story the others hung back and wished Dad good luck as we made our way toward a ridge about 70 yds NE of our current location. If all went well, that buck should come to within 80 yds of where dad and I were waiting. The wind was in our faces and our buddies, in the distance now, were hunkered down anticipating the end to this exhaustive journey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckee Posted March 18, 2007 Report Share Posted March 18, 2007 Re: A Forum Hunting Story Dad looked me in the eye very seriously, and said "Son, I'm pretty played out right now, from all this bushwackin. I'm not sure if I can make the shot right now, if that big boy presence me with one. " He looked tired, real tired, and I was worried for him all of a sudden. During all this excitement and disappointment in trying to find the buck, I had not been paying much attention to all this trucking around Dad was doing with us. I felt rather ashamed all of a sudden, for thinking too much about that buck, and not enough about how dad was making out through all of this hiking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryan1990 Posted March 18, 2007 Report Share Posted March 18, 2007 Re: A Forum Hunting Story Then Dad said something I couldnt believe. "Son, if we get a shot I want you to take it". "But Dad, you were the one who wounded him, you drew first blood its your deer". Deep down I knew that I wanted the shot though. I shook my head in discust,at how selfish I was acting, trying to get the thoughts out of my mind. Dad wounded him and it wouldnt be right for me to pull the trigger on him. "Son I know you dont think its right, but i may not be around much longer and Ive killed my share of trophies. It would mean more to me to see you take an animal that magnificent than for me to take it myself." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Posted March 18, 2007 Report Share Posted March 18, 2007 Re: A Forum Hunting Story That's when it really hit me, dad was getting older and as much as I didn't want to hear it, I knew this could be his last hunt. I also knew that he was sincere in saying he wanted me to shoot the buck. So, I ............ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckee Posted March 18, 2007 Report Share Posted March 18, 2007 Re: A Forum Hunting Story So, I told Dad just to lay back and rest a while. I watched for the buck to come through the timber. Where was it? Did it lay down somewhere or sneak off in the other direction? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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