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IKS about another public land buck!

triple_duece

Ragin Cajun.
9,126
159
Ok let’s wrap this up. First of all I probably had the best week of hunting deer ever. Most hunts I had deer in bow range.

So to sum up things I left out. After I killed my bow buck, I returned to my stand to wait it out because buddy’s were between me and truck gathering my gear I hear foot steps. Look up and a doe flys by with a decent 8 pt ten yards behind. Watch them run off and another smaller buck trailing. Text my buddy’s and they said kill a doe. So I get back in my stand and climb a whole 6’ up. Sit down and stand is all unlevel since it’s set for 18’ up. I’m tight to a thicket that falls off the ridge to a giant slope to the n and nw down to a creek. Out pops a doe at 22 yards, I draw back still sitting and she catches me at 3/4 pull. I finish but I’m shooting straight in front of me and my shoulders are square instead of turned. Release and watch it sail a foot over her back and pinwheels a tree. Two minutes later another big doe comes out, same spot but I’m in a little better position to shoot. She sees me also as I let one fly and skimmed her back. I go round up arrows, one deep in the ground and the other is unscrewed from the broad head buried deep in the tree. We get my buck out around 12 and I didn’t hunt that evening. It was cold and I was trying to line up some place to cape and cut the meat. Finally I go to the parking area where we cleaned deer 6 years ago. Cut some limbs away and finally get rope over what I thought was big enough. Long story short and limb breaks and I find another tree.

Next morning back in same stand. Got 2 big doe and I’m ready. Put the pin behind the shoulder and squeeze. Looked good and sounded good but doe went into the thicket and stood there for ten minutes. I’m watching two small bucks staged 15 yards away from doe following her. Finally she takes a few steps and vanishes. I see the bucks horns running and knew I was screwed. Plenty of blood on arrow and where she stood but nothing after. It’s obvious it’s gut as I smell my arrow. I searched a grid pattern 3 hours after sticking her finding nothing I’m mad at myself and feel bad for making her suffer a slow death to feed yotes. That evening I don’t see a deer.

Next morning I catch a small buck skirting me. Few minutes later there is two does, I pick out one and release the arrow. It hits her a little forward and into the spine. She’s flopping on the ground breaking my arrow. I can’t get a shot since limbs are covering her. She finally gets where I can shoot and I hit an inch away from other shot. Figured she’d bleed out w two in her. 10 minutes later I get down and was thinking finish her w my knife. She’s way bigger than expected and going nuts while bawling at me. I grab my last arrow out putting it through the heart. She flips and I’m sitting there w 3 broken arrows. That evening I don’t hunt, go back to motel to debone and ice the meat down.

Saturday is rifle season and thinking this will happen quick. I was wrong, seen 3 deer all day. The next day same story except I decided to move and go to other side of the CA. Walked my Ass off and decide to hunt where I had been. Nothing scene that evening.

Monday comes and I packed food to ride the day out. Walking up to my stand I can see a light shining on the ground lighting up 40 yards or so. I climb up and think well I can only get a deer from the other way. As day broke I have two does coming w a buck in tow. I can see him but not shoot him. He chases them to other ridge while I wait for the report of a gun. No shot was fired and I wondered where the other hunter was. As the morning progresses the deer count going up. I’m at 15 now and watching a big doe on the other saddle feeding. She’s alone so I sit back down facing the other way. Couple minutes and I hear her run, turn around and see 2 bucks chasing her. Just getting glimpses I thought one was a good buck and 2 yr old. They top the ridge and I can’t see them. Looking hard I can see tines. He looks like he has the doe pinned down as I try to find him in the scope. 5-10 pass and he offers a little window to shoot. Pull the trigger and I hit him high in the spine. Watched the doe run off and can see the buck trying to get up and gives up the ghost. Get down and walk to him and got a serving of ground shrinkage. Still a good buck but wasn’t what I was expecting. Get him out and cleaned and I rolled out for the camp at 5pm.