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First Muzzy Buck

cotty16

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
Like many of you on here, I've hunted my butt off. I've spent hours upon hours on stand looking for the right buck and was really hoping to get it done with my bow. I passed on several borderline bucks throughout the bow season and ironically, the one I shot yesterday was passed on twice. The giant I was hoping for never appeared and my hope was really dwindling.

As gun week arrived, I had mixed emotions. I truly prefer bow hunting, but a part of me was excited to carry the gun around a bit. With Klay sitting idle after his bow harvest, it was Kody and myself all week with the company of my dad. Monday morning rolls around and at 10:00 I get a phone call from my dad that Kody had shot and they weren't sure of a hit or not. I left my stand to go help look for blood. After a lengthy search, we found nothing. The only real description I got about the buck was that it was at least an 8 point and pretty tall. They were sitting in the stand where I passed on this 9 point and pretty much the same location from where I would end up harvesting him yesterday.

Saturday evening: Kody did not feel like going so I decided to call up my dad to see if he wanted to go sit with me above the now infamous Crack Pasture. With the snow on the ground, the addiction to the pasture had slowed tremendously and this spot above it is littered with thick undergrowth and briar bushes. The perfect woody browse for just such an occasion. My dad jumped at the chance to go sit with me and just relax a bit without the pressure of dealing with a young 13 year old.

The plan was simple. Sit on the southern side of the upper thicket with the north wind hitting us in the face. The hopes were of any deer coming from the northern side bedding area and feeding into range. On the way up we jumped 3 doe. I swear, I'm 100% when it comes to bumping deer in this spot. But, they always seem to file back in later on. Our buddy stand where Kody missed Monday morning and where I passed on this buck earlier in the season is about 120 yards across this upper overgrown field. Going to sit in it would put us too close to the bedding and the wind just wouldn't be right. So we searched for a good place to sit in the souther side. There aren't too many big trees up on this flat, which is about the size of a football field, with two wood lots being the sideline stands. We finally located a decent sized tree nestled in a little cove of briars and got set up. I asked my dad to sit against the tree behind the briars, thus giving him the high ground to be my eye in the sky... so to speak.
I elected to sit down in front of the tree putting me about 4 feet lower than him in a little dip. My thoughts were that if just my head is sticking up, all I would need to do is stand and shoot if my dad saw anything from the left or in front. I was responsible for scanning to our right.

30 minutes passed as my dad, his head barely sticking up over the briars, says "there's a deer straight across... buck." I was looking to my right and immediately focused into the woodlot across the little field. About 110 yards in front I spot him. I raise the binos and see a nice high rack. I tell him that he looks like a possible shooter. I continued analyzing his rack and mentioned that his brows aren't real great, but the rack is perfect. He continued to feed and came a little closer, stepping into an opening around 100 yards out.

I was still iffy on my decision to shoot or not. At that point, I'm not sure exactly what came over me, but I slowly stood up, took aim, settled the crosshairs behind his shoulder, and fired. He took two leaps and disappeared. I looked back at my dad and asked if he thought the buck looked hit. He wasn't sure.

We gathered ourselves and decided to head over to look for blood. We could see exactly where he was standing and where he ran to. No blood. I started to figure I missed. We followed the tracks about 20 more yards and just over the hill, there he lay.

2013 Buck1.jpg

I tell my dad, "there he is!" And he immediately gives me a joyful handshake. There is nothing better than having my dad around for these experiences. I swear, he's a good luck charm. We have spent countless hours ever since I can remember sitting together in the deer woods. It never gets old.

I have to admit... I had my sights set on something bigger. However, sometimes I think the lofty goals takes away one major reason we do what we do - the fun. Do I wish he was bigger? Absolutely... no doubt. But the fact that this was my first muzzy kill and I got to chalk another one up with my dad makes this just as cool as if he was a 150" plus buck. I can't put a price tag on the experiences we share in the woods. I'm blessed to have family members to enjoy the outdoors with and I'm thankful for the chance to harvest a nice buck.

When I arrived home, I yelled into the house for Kody to come out and see. He was a little pissed. Lol
Don't get me wrong, he was happy for me, but I think he realized that he should've gone because it would've been him in that spot.
Hey, I tried to get him to go. In fact, he backed out on the night Klay shot his 10 point and he backed out on this night. Maybe he will learn his lesson that you can't kill em from the couch.
I would have much rather seen Kody harvest this buck.

Klay came outside and says, "wow!!!" Lol He was fired up for me.

Here are a few hero shots from the evening. I wanted to get dad into the pics, but I had a dinner date with my wife that I had to keep. This morning it didn't quite work out because the buck's nose was up against my tailgate all night and got a little deformed. Oops. It just wouldn't have looked right.

My plan is to do a Euro mount on him. I think his high rack will look cool as a Euro.

Thanks for reading everyone and I appreciate the kind comments on the "I know something" thread.

2013 Buck2.JPG

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"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,743
274
North Carolina
Great write up Mike, so glad Stan was there too witness and act as your spotter..... You're a lucky man my friend....
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,856
260
SW Ohio
Great write up Mike! It's so awesome that you and your dad got to experience another great memory together! That's what it's all about! Thanks for sharing and congratulations on harvesting your first muzzy buck and a nice one at that!
 

Griz

Junior Member
100
0
NH
Having your dad next to you, imo was the best part of the story. Don't get me wrong, the kill was great, but dad is greater. Contrats on a good buck, and expecially being able to have your father to share it with.