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My 2011 bow buck

Schu72

Well-Known Member
3,864
113
Streetsboro
After reviewing some camera footage I had a feeling I might get an early morning visitor at my stand. I got down there bright and early, almost an hour before legal shooting time. It was much windier than expected and I was already regretting not wearing my heavy coverall. As time passed and I could finally start to see color I was pumped to see what would materialize. At about 8 am I heard something behind me. Just a small buck. He walked right under me, just like I had envisioned the better buck I had on camera. About 20 minutes later I caught movement at the far end of the property. This looked like a pretty good buck. Unfortunately, I was only able to get the binos on him for a few seconds. At this point I also noticed a small doe feeding out in the middle of the property. She fed for the next hour with no bucks coming to check her. By 9 am I was really cold. I had stuffed a body warmer down my shirt earlier, but it wasn’t cutting it. I debated if I should make a quick trip to the house to change, but decided to try and stick it out. Shortly there after I spot movement at the end of the field again. The bigger buck is back. I put the binos on him and I thought he looked pretty good. I still didn’t have a great look at him due to some limbs, but I really wanted him to give me a closer look.

The buck was facing away from me and looked like he wanted to head back to the up hill bedding area. It was really windy and I didn’t think he would be able to hear my grunt tube, but I tried anyway. I kept getting louder and louder until it really didn’t sound like a grunt at all. He never looked my way. For some unknown reason, before I left for this trip I packed an old rattle bag. I have had this thing for over 10 years and never had a deer respond to it. Not sure even why I tried. Anyway, I waited for the pauses in between the gusts of wind and was hitting and rolling the bag as loud as I could. At first nothing but I kept at it with every pause in the wind, and then he turned and looked my way. In my head I’m saying “ No way…he actually heard me.” The next thing I know he is walking my way on a string. He closes from 125 yards out comes right across the saddle and is walking up hill straight to me!

At this point I’ve put the rattle bag away and my release is clipped on my loop. The buck is 30 yards and closing steadily. He pauses and starts to turn to my left. Not good. I shoot lefty and this crosses me up. As if by Devine intervention, the buck stops and turns 180 degrees and starts to my right, lowers his head and starts to feed. I draw, center the 20 yard pin and squeeze the release. The buck tears off back the way he came, running out through the field and making a large semi-circle and cuts into the woods. I turn to grab the binos when I hear crashing. I can see the trees shaking, but then suddenly the deer comes back in the field and races toward the lower back corner. I gave him an hour because he was near our property line. He died just inside the tree line. There was a little ground shrinkage, but I’m proud of my first buck with a compound bow.





 
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Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
Heck yeah Scott. Way to rattle him in. Heck of a buck man. Love the color of the rack.
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
Dang! Ground shrinkage? First compound bow buck? Dude looks Pope and Young to me! Congrats Scott!