Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Another Muzzy Moment.... A Great Moment

I hung my climber in a new area bout 2 weeks ago and hunted it once. Its in a saddle near the end of a steep ridge. Saw a few big doe (missed one ) and saw a couple small bucks, killed a big coyote right after I missed the doe. When the rain moved out on Wednesday I had a good feeling. I had high hopes of whacking a big nanny to get things started off right and get some fresh steaks for the grill . I'm more of a meat hunter these days.

I'm sitting in the stand and see a few good sized doe bout 60 yards down the steep side. A few minutes later a button buck and rag horn pass thru. A little later the button buck comes back digging around in the leaves, gathering acorns that the squirrels just buried then he wanders off... THEN about 10 minutes later I hear him very close behind me. He stops about 20 feet behind me and I hear his droppings hitting the leaves as he takes a BIG DUMP under my tree.

I kinda started laughing out loud and turn around to look and all I see is a set of thick chocolate antlers. AAHHHHH! My heart shifts into overdrive and my anal muscles are severely puckered Then as fast as he shows up, he turns and walks away. I wanted to puke! Thinking I'll never see him again. A few minutes later he shows up again.

He steps behind a couple of bushy hickory trees and I have an opening about the size of a grapefruit to shoot thru. He kept turning in circles picking up buried acorns. I came to full draw 3 times and had to let down each time. By now I'm a friggin' train wreck!!! THEN he makes a fatal mistake and steps back in the tiny opening. I knew it was time to get my act together and make this happen. I said a prayer, settled in with the pin and sent the shaft thru the little opening in the tree tops. He was 18 yards and pretty much broad side. All I saw was a blitz of the arrow, and the sound of a meat lick. He left like he had been shot out of a cannon. He ran about 50 yards and slams on the brakes. I never heard another sound. I was very confident that it was a well placed shot but I didn't want to booger him and send him into the next county. Right before dark I hear a huge crash of a dead tree falling over close to where my buck had ran. Now I'm thinking this is just what I need, a lot of noise to scare him away. I stayed in my climber til well after dark then climbed down and went home.


LONGEST NIGHT OF MY LIFE!!!!!


I get back the next morning and walk to where he was standing. No arrow.... Is this good or bad.... Its not stuck in a tree or in the ground, so I'm feeling better. I head down the steep side and see a white belly. YES! Now its just a bitch to get him out but I signed up for it and its all worth it


Come to find out that the "Tree Falling Sound" was the buck doing kart wheels down the hillside. He stood right where I heard him stop and died on his feet. Then he bounced about 75 yards and slid into a clump of saplings on the slope. Damn good thing that I didn't go looking for him!!

AND while I was getting him out, I plopped down in the leaves to catch my breath and laying beside me is the whole complete arrow and broad head. Looks just like new except its coated in red juice.

I'm a happy camper BUT still want to get a big fat nanny with my bow...........

Great story and awesome-looking dark horned buck! I'll take mass over width/height anyday.

Thanks J, I've taken a couple other good bucks about a half mile away from this guy. They have the same exact heavy tall racks. Dark chocolate horns and all.

That is a NICE buck....would love to get something like that this fall...congrats!!

Man another year or two and he really would have been a bruiser.

Nice deer, good story.

I like thick Dark Chocolate Racks...on Deer of coarse.

Congrats, I'd never been able to wait till morning...good for you gunnut308!

Awesome! Nice buck!

That's a dandy buck, congrats!

Congrats! How many inches around are them bases?

That is a really neat looking buck - congrats on a fine trophy!

Love that mass. Great buck!

Holy Cow! Great buck!

Roger texted me a picture of this buck yesterday. I've been showing to folks all day. I love this deer. Awesome deal, Roger!

Congratulations!

Great buck and great story. Thanks for sharing.

Great Buck, great story & love the pic spread.

Congratulations.

Paul.

Wow. What a deer. Congrats

Darned nice Arkansas mountain buck! Congratulations!

Fantastic buck!! Good going, thanks for the story.

That is a cool one - gongrats! Couldn't have waited 'till morning either.