Dan Andrews Posted October 7, 2012 Report Share Posted October 7, 2012 Well I went out for the first three days of October. Day 1 I had a nice fully antlered deer within 30 yards but couldn't take the shot because he was on the wrong side of the fence. That neighbour allows me to walk that property in search of sheds but not to hunt yet. When I came out of my stand I got busted on the ground by a doe. She ran around the corn and I heard her stop so having 20 minutes left I slowly came around the corner only to see the white flash and gone. It's cool I only have a buck tag. I start headed back to the truck still loaded and I spot movement in the next field. I see antlers. the ground I'm walking on has been worked so well by the deer that i can walk without making the non-existant grass crunch so I have a slim chance. As I get closer I spot more antlers. To my surprise there are three bucks all lined up on the other side of the hedge row and none have less than six points. They are all within 10 yards of the break in the scrub so I may be able to get a clear shot from 20 yards of the hedge row. As I crept closer I was feeling excited but ready to get busted at any moment. You just can't stalk a deer but then it happened. On the other side of the road a group of coyotes started yipping. The deer stopped feeding and necks were up making a vital shot easier but I still had to clear the scrub. there was a 2 foot opening for my arrow to pass so I had to get a few feet closer so I could move to the left without hitting the last few rows of corn. as the coyotes kept their senses busy I made my final few steps. I remember thinking at that moment that this was what hunting was all about and this was better than any show you can't watch on Global anymore. That's when it happened. Within 10 feet of me on my left I heard the familiar exhale and as my head swung to look all I saw was a flash of white and the rear hooves of another doe right beside me and she crashed into the corn hissing the warning for the others. they ran about 25 yards towards my truck and stopped as once again the coyotes struck terror in the hearts. The paced a bit waiting for each other to make the decision on which was the least of two evils before turning right and hopping the fence back into the safety of the neighbours tall grass and scrub. I came up empty but it was still the best hunt of my life, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Andrews Posted October 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 7, 2012 Day 2. I returned to that spot where the three bucks were the night before. This corner of a small soy bean field was so worked by hooves there were no plants left. I dubbed this spot the square dance hall the night before. In the very corner was some tall grass and scrub where the tractor couldn't reach. I sat down i the grass and wiggled and squirmed until all the crackle was removed from the grass then bent the dogwood shoots in front of me to clear a shooting lane. I struggled to keep my legs awake but it didn't take long before a beauty 6 pointer was right in front of my less than 40 yards away standing broadside. he knew something was up because his head stayed raised and alert. I grabbed my crossbow and put the cross on his vitals and slowly squeezed the trigger. He jumped up and his hooves did the ballerina shuffle before he landed and then he ran the familiar "J" pattern before stopping. Something was up though. He didn't look the slightest bit drunk and almost seemed to be calming down. He then started a slow trot toward my truck and I hoped he would make it a long way before falling so I wouldn't have to drag him far. He never stopped and slowly made his way back into the neighbours property. What the hell just happened here. As I made my way back to the truck I searched for my arrow or blood but found neither. I returned my bow to my vehicle and when I returned with a flashlight there was a doe standing right where I had shot at the buck! She let me get quite close before making her exit. I called my son and he brought another light and helped me track but neither of us could find any blood or an arrow. It was a clean miss and for the life of me I couldn't figure out why. my only guess is my bow was sighted from a tree stand and I shot from the ground sitting on my ass. That night brought me back down and I didn't get much sleep. It was in stark contrast to the night before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Andrews Posted October 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 7, 2012 Day 3. I got out the broadhead target and fired from an elevated platform to simulate a tree stand. My last and only 2 arrows pierced the bulls-eye so I changed the blades and decided to hunt from the stand. Chances were after stirring up the square dance two night in a row that they would come out farther in the property anyway. I was a little later this time but I didn't have high hopes. I had left right from work so I stunk and my uniform made lousy camouflage so I covered up with the leafy suit and sat as still as I could. Not a sign of deer for the first time in that stand. That's when the robbins moved in. I knew if they detected me it was the end of day three so I stayed perfectly still. I could feel the whole tree move when the landed on the branches above. Something caught my eye though and I looked down to my shooting lane and there he was. I believe he may have even grazed my tree as he came out. i waited until he was about 8 yards out and looking away before I even touched my bow. A few more steps and he stopped facing directly way from me. With his nose touching the corn it seemed like he was having trouble deciding whether to go left or right so i put the cross on his spine and waited for him to turn. he did and was headed for the square dance. I put the cross on his vitals, aimed for the opposing front leg and just before squeezing the trigger I popped the other eye open to ensure my beams would both clear the branches. As I closed my eye I heard my bow clack and he was off. I could tell right away he was in trouble and he ran the familiar "J" pattern for about 50 yards and crashed hard into the corn. I walked back and put my bow in the truck before going back to tag him on the third day of the hunt. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw him. This thing had a massive neck. The arrow went in high and traveled down to smash his lower shoulder. there was no exit wound and I later dug out my fletching, shaft and broadhead in three separate pieces. To my surprise it turn out to be a nine pointer with the ninth being a downturn making this the nontypical I was in search of. I found this guys shed two years ago only one field over but this is the first time I ever saw him. I dragged this guy out of the corn and my wife came and helped get him another 50 feet or so but it seemed impossible. i went to talk to the other neighbour about access for my 4x4 into the fields and struck a deal. The heard, liver and back straps for a tractor ride out. It was a tough decision but it would have taken me at least 3 hours in the dark to get him out and I would have had a broken back for work the next day. We quickly got the deer in the bucket and to the truck. Unfortunately he had to spend the night sitting on the ground because the rafters in the shed were only two 2x4's scabbed together and were really showing signs of stress under the weight. This turned out to be about a 300 pound animal. I'm actually thinking of mounting the head not that I'm a trophy hunter. i wanted to mount my first fawn but cut the hide too far but this ones unique tines will make a good conversation piece. Too bad i gave his old shed to the neighbours kid. It would have been neat to have handy to go with the mount as it was so much smaller. It is a happy time because now I have time to do other things like fish, duck hunt and hang more nesting boxes but it's sad at the same time. when i was not such a good hunter I sat most of the year watching the land transform from green to white and learned a lot about deer movements by watching them from just out of range. I'll stay out of the field so other hunters can have some success now. Good luck boys and girl hunters. I know I'm still dreaming of deer at night. Happy Trails Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveC Posted October 7, 2012 Report Share Posted October 7, 2012 Awesome details and congrats on the nice buck Dan. Great read... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry b Posted October 7, 2012 Report Share Posted October 7, 2012 Congratulations on the Beautiful buck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesse Posted October 7, 2012 Report Share Posted October 7, 2012 That was a great read,congrats on that beauty & the time you have put in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickyy33 Posted October 7, 2012 Report Share Posted October 7, 2012 That's a nice lpoking buck congrats !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigugli Posted October 7, 2012 Report Share Posted October 7, 2012 A beautiful specimen, Dan. Good story too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AwolRJ Posted October 7, 2012 Report Share Posted October 7, 2012 Congrats man that is worth mounting for sure! Great detail to man, felt like I was there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted October 7, 2012 Report Share Posted October 7, 2012 Good shootin' Dan ....just like the old man ! That buck is a healthy plump specimen & should be fantastic eating ! I've heard from some who say the local deer are better eating than their northern cousins because they have plenty of good food here such as apples, soybeans , corn etc . A little fat on their bones goes a long way to improve taste . forgot to mention .......That is probably the best birthday present you have ever got !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fafaflohi Posted October 7, 2012 Report Share Posted October 7, 2012 What a nice size Buck!! That will fill the freezer for sure this winter. Congrats Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bones Posted October 9, 2012 Report Share Posted October 9, 2012 Congrats Dan, great buck and story. I'd like to tag out early for a change lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninepointer Posted October 10, 2012 Report Share Posted October 10, 2012 A 9-pointer; my favourite kind! Good going Dan! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishcatch Posted October 10, 2012 Report Share Posted October 10, 2012 Congratulations on a nice buck...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadrunner Posted October 10, 2012 Report Share Posted October 10, 2012 Beauty deer! I seen a 11pt and a 8pt last night so ill be after them again tonight! Congrats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pike007 Posted October 11, 2012 Report Share Posted October 11, 2012 Well the Niagara deer still hold up to their reputation as being huge as i can see, nice buck havnt seen one that big inawhile 007 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Andrews Posted October 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2012 I've never been a point counter and in fact I've shot a button buck that was bigger then the fork I got the year before. Body mass and rack size aren't in perfect relation although you need a big neck to hold up that rack. I'm thrilled to death to get the drop tine that I picked out of the snow two years ago in that same area. I can tell you this. He looked like any other deer from the tree stand with the exception of the head gear I usually only see from a distance. Today however I saw the jerky piled up as it came off the dehydrator. This evening my jaw is sore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Andrews Posted October 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2012 Maybe not the same antler. Maybe another drop tine out there. What do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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