My quest for a nice buck with a bow has been long, hard, and full of ups and downs. I've only been bowhunting for 3 years. In these 3 years I've had opportunities at nice bucks every year and I either missed, or like last year I shot a 140" in the shoulder and never found him. This year started off no different. I told people I have the curse of the big buck. I can kill does with a bow all day long, but couldn't seem to make it happen with a nice buck. Last Saturday I had a nice 8, probably 125-130" come running down the hill and stop 30 yards from me offering me a broadside shot. I gave him a haircut right over his back. I was damn near at an all time low. Then on Sunday I had a decent 8 come in but a 50 yard shot was just out of my comfort zone. Later that day I had a really nice, tall 8 come sneak in behind me as I was sitting on my ass in my climber. By the time I got turned around he was out of range. I've been hunting hard this season and never gave up. I took a better job last month but now I'm on afternoons. So on Saturdays I'd usually go all day on 2-3 hours of sleep. Yesterday was no different. I told my buddy to meet me at the house at 5:15 and we'd smoke up, that would give me more motivation to get up. So after smoking up he headed to my land to hunt and I went to the in laws where I've done most of my hunting this year. I got in my climber and was 20 ft up by 6:15. A little bit after first light I notice a doe and two yearlings over in the neighbors field. They were acting very paranoid and after a while it was clear that it wasn't a buck making them act funny. They bolted for the thicket and I saw a yote hot on their trail. I started making the mouse noises to call him in. As I was doing that I look ahead and here comes a 4 point heading right for me. He passes by at 20 yards so I continue watching him. I'm standing up at this point watching him browse on twigs 60 yards behind me and downwind. A few minutes later I see a real nice buck pop up over the little hill and the 4 point wandered off into the alfalfa field. I stood there hoping that he wouldn't follow the little guys path and he didn't. He disappeared over the little hill and I couldn't find him for a few minutes so I grunted a couple times. Then I noticed a doe back where I last saw the buck, 5 seconds later the buck is hot on her ass and she starts heading right for me. Now mind you, these deer were downwind of me the whole time but I made sure I smoked up good. She continues straight for me on a trail that would give me a 30 yard shot. As they get to my ten O clock I draw back, of course that's when the doe stops and so does the buck. Then he looks up at me and I thought it was over. I held my draw for at least 30 seconds but it felt like forever. Then the doe continues moving and so does the buck. When he got broadside and into a shooting lane I bleated at him really loud and he stopped. That's when I let the fmj fly. Unfortunately I hit him in the spine and had to to shoot him again. But I immediately started fist pumping and called my buddy who hunts with me out there. After I got down and made sure he was dead I walked back up to the house and waited on my buddy who was at my land. We walked back down, I field dressed him and we drug him the 500 yards back up to the house, loaded him in the truck and headed home. I'm still on cloud 9 and I hope this means that the big buck curse is over for good! I want to thank all you guys for telling me to hang in there and I'd like to thank Brock for the scent smoker, I don't think I would of killed this buck without it!