My brother shot this buck last Wednesday evening 10/12/11.
The buck came through the clear cut to his left. He was hunting in a 20 foot ladder stand we had moved about 1 month prior due to some sightings last gun season. Around primetime that evening he had two small bucks working underneath him and he decided to stand up and wait out the rest of daylight. About that same time he heard a deer coming above him and to his left towards him. He first saw the buck walking with his head down. The buck was around 50 yards away at this point and closing fast. He deicded to draw at this point. The deer came to him on a string and turned broadside at around 20 yards. He anchored his Mathews Q2 and let the Rage fly. SMACK!! He bolted back the way he came in.
He called me immediately and we talked things over. He got down and found some blood. I made the hour drive to my parents to help him track. By this time It had been right at 2 hours since the shot. We followed blood for around 50 yards and found the arrow covered in blood from head to shaft. AWESOME. The trail continued really good for the next 50 yards or so. Mind you this is in the thickest nastiest stuff imagineable. The blood started really slowing down at the 100 yard mark until it became small puddles the size of your hand every 20 feet or so. We tracked him around 200 yards that night till 1130 and decided to back out with high hopes of recovering him the next morning.
The next day he and a buddy went out and could not find any more blood at all. They searched for hours that day. I took off work a couple hours early and still to no avail could not find jack shit. We were all sick to our stomachs but my brother was just devastated. It's like this deer vanished into thin air.
He and another buddy searched more Friday up the creek bank and into the dried up pond. Grid searching the hillsides and looking for any clues as to where this guy had gone. NOTHING. Turns out they were within feet of this deer that day but the chest high weeds in the pond were too thick.
The weekend found us again looking for this buck. I hung a stand Saturday moring and I was within 20 yards again of this buck but could not see him.
Monday night my mom was giving the grandkids a ride on the Mule when she crested over the dam and caught a whiff of something rancid. Adam was bound and determined to get on his knees in that stuff the next day and search out the pond. Mom heard coyotes all night in the pond.
Tuesday I headed down there to help him look but before I could get there I got the call I wanted. He was beside himself. He had no idea it was this big. It was not a hundred from my parents house. It had ran another 300 yards over the hill from the last blood we had.
I cant begin to explain how proud I am of my brother and this deer. It is definitely a once and a life timer. He doesnt' have a lot of time to spend in the woods with work and 3 kids. Plus his wife works second shift a lot too. THis past week has been a huge rollercoaster for both of us but especially him. I'm just so glad we could have a great outcome other than losing the meat on him.
A few measurements: 28" left main beam. 26" right main beam. 7" circumference on both bases. 11" g2's.
A few more pictures.
The buck came through the clear cut to his left. He was hunting in a 20 foot ladder stand we had moved about 1 month prior due to some sightings last gun season. Around primetime that evening he had two small bucks working underneath him and he decided to stand up and wait out the rest of daylight. About that same time he heard a deer coming above him and to his left towards him. He first saw the buck walking with his head down. The buck was around 50 yards away at this point and closing fast. He deicded to draw at this point. The deer came to him on a string and turned broadside at around 20 yards. He anchored his Mathews Q2 and let the Rage fly. SMACK!! He bolted back the way he came in.
He called me immediately and we talked things over. He got down and found some blood. I made the hour drive to my parents to help him track. By this time It had been right at 2 hours since the shot. We followed blood for around 50 yards and found the arrow covered in blood from head to shaft. AWESOME. The trail continued really good for the next 50 yards or so. Mind you this is in the thickest nastiest stuff imagineable. The blood started really slowing down at the 100 yard mark until it became small puddles the size of your hand every 20 feet or so. We tracked him around 200 yards that night till 1130 and decided to back out with high hopes of recovering him the next morning.
The next day he and a buddy went out and could not find any more blood at all. They searched for hours that day. I took off work a couple hours early and still to no avail could not find jack shit. We were all sick to our stomachs but my brother was just devastated. It's like this deer vanished into thin air.
He and another buddy searched more Friday up the creek bank and into the dried up pond. Grid searching the hillsides and looking for any clues as to where this guy had gone. NOTHING. Turns out they were within feet of this deer that day but the chest high weeds in the pond were too thick.
The weekend found us again looking for this buck. I hung a stand Saturday moring and I was within 20 yards again of this buck but could not see him.
Monday night my mom was giving the grandkids a ride on the Mule when she crested over the dam and caught a whiff of something rancid. Adam was bound and determined to get on his knees in that stuff the next day and search out the pond. Mom heard coyotes all night in the pond.
Tuesday I headed down there to help him look but before I could get there I got the call I wanted. He was beside himself. He had no idea it was this big. It was not a hundred from my parents house. It had ran another 300 yards over the hill from the last blood we had.
I cant begin to explain how proud I am of my brother and this deer. It is definitely a once and a life timer. He doesnt' have a lot of time to spend in the woods with work and 3 kids. Plus his wife works second shift a lot too. THis past week has been a huge rollercoaster for both of us but especially him. I'm just so glad we could have a great outcome other than losing the meat on him.
A few measurements: 28" left main beam. 26" right main beam. 7" circumference on both bases. 11" g2's.
A few more pictures.
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