The past three years Joe and I have been getting pics of a buck Joe nicknamed "Tank". The legendary buck finally made a big mistake tonight. This summer he showed up at a salt lick sight I've been keeping up for around 5 years. Its become a good spot to get early pics of what's around in the area. Here he was...
In late October early November I saw him heading to a old cattle pasture and told my buddy and he put a cam there that day and that night he got this picture of him...
Joe shot at him the sat of gun week and didn't have the best shot opportunity at him.
My buddy has this property wrapped up right across the road we have permission to hunt and since he had already killed his buck he told me to go ahead and give it a whack. On dec 17th I moved everything in to try and lure him in. I took 15 bushels of corn and probably close to that in beans as well. I wanted to get it all in there at once and not be going in and out all the time taking bait in, only to hunt was my reasoning to go in there. My best winds were anything out of the north at first thought. This was the first pic at this bait sight...
On dec 23rd I made my first sit and at 5:09 he gave me a shot opportunity and I blew it. At only a 23 yard shot I managed to hit the only briar bush around and my arrow just brazed right under his chest. I thought it was over then. He went up the hill and stood there for about two minutes wondering what the heck that was flying under him...lol... The very next night he was right back there...
I hunted it half a dozen more times or so before muzzy came in and saw him two more times just no shot. Saturday I figured was gonna be my day. Got in the blind around 2 and got settled in. At 3:30 or so I look up and see a doe running down the hill. So I keep watching and there must of been 15 deer running down the hill and wouldn't ya know there comes Tank the very last one and they never stop...lol... Neighbor must of run the does out near Tank and he didn't like something so he went with them. Later that night Joe got a pic of him across the road. At 4:15 am sunday he was right back in there where I'm at. I went back in there right after church and never saw a single deer. He was a no show all night sunday and through this morning. I had doubts about even going out today cause of the weather but you can't kill anything sitting in the house and I can't be wasting chances. As some of you probably saw my fb comments about how dumb I was going out in this weather it turned out being one of my best decisions.
I was starting to get things organized to start packing up and get the heck out of there about 5:20. I'm in the process of putting my shoulder sling back on my muzzy when all the sudden I look out the window I see that little buck that is always with Tank going to the corn pile. He gets a couple bites and looks back the way he came in and I knew then Tank was coming. So I get my gun up on my lap and as I'm doing that sure enough there he comes running almost full speed to the bait. I open my window up while he's running and get ready for the shot. He stops and I gave him a 250 sst hornaday right through his chest out of my savage smokeless and he went about 50 yards and died. This all happened in what seemed like a blink of an eye. What a night it turned out to be...lol
That pic is gonna have to do for now. I already got em caped out cause he'd be solid as a rock tomorrow. I'll do the best I can to get some better ones... Also I'd like to thank Joe for coming over and giving me a hand getting him loaded up. Thanks a lot Joe!
In late October early November I saw him heading to a old cattle pasture and told my buddy and he put a cam there that day and that night he got this picture of him...
Joe shot at him the sat of gun week and didn't have the best shot opportunity at him.
My buddy has this property wrapped up right across the road we have permission to hunt and since he had already killed his buck he told me to go ahead and give it a whack. On dec 17th I moved everything in to try and lure him in. I took 15 bushels of corn and probably close to that in beans as well. I wanted to get it all in there at once and not be going in and out all the time taking bait in, only to hunt was my reasoning to go in there. My best winds were anything out of the north at first thought. This was the first pic at this bait sight...
On dec 23rd I made my first sit and at 5:09 he gave me a shot opportunity and I blew it. At only a 23 yard shot I managed to hit the only briar bush around and my arrow just brazed right under his chest. I thought it was over then. He went up the hill and stood there for about two minutes wondering what the heck that was flying under him...lol... The very next night he was right back there...
I hunted it half a dozen more times or so before muzzy came in and saw him two more times just no shot. Saturday I figured was gonna be my day. Got in the blind around 2 and got settled in. At 3:30 or so I look up and see a doe running down the hill. So I keep watching and there must of been 15 deer running down the hill and wouldn't ya know there comes Tank the very last one and they never stop...lol... Neighbor must of run the does out near Tank and he didn't like something so he went with them. Later that night Joe got a pic of him across the road. At 4:15 am sunday he was right back in there where I'm at. I went back in there right after church and never saw a single deer. He was a no show all night sunday and through this morning. I had doubts about even going out today cause of the weather but you can't kill anything sitting in the house and I can't be wasting chances. As some of you probably saw my fb comments about how dumb I was going out in this weather it turned out being one of my best decisions.
I was starting to get things organized to start packing up and get the heck out of there about 5:20. I'm in the process of putting my shoulder sling back on my muzzy when all the sudden I look out the window I see that little buck that is always with Tank going to the corn pile. He gets a couple bites and looks back the way he came in and I knew then Tank was coming. So I get my gun up on my lap and as I'm doing that sure enough there he comes running almost full speed to the bait. I open my window up while he's running and get ready for the shot. He stops and I gave him a 250 sst hornaday right through his chest out of my savage smokeless and he went about 50 yards and died. This all happened in what seemed like a blink of an eye. What a night it turned out to be...lol
That pic is gonna have to do for now. I already got em caped out cause he'd be solid as a rock tomorrow. I'll do the best I can to get some better ones... Also I'd like to thank Joe for coming over and giving me a hand getting him loaded up. Thanks a lot Joe!
Last edited:
