This fall has been a hectic one and I've been MIA here on the site for a while but I'm back and want to share something with you guys.
We have watched this buck for 3 years and this year he was on top of my hit list. I had my chance at him during bow season and I blew the shot. We couldn’t find my arrow and only found a little blood. My only thought was that I had crippled him and lost him forever. I was sick for a week, then he showed back up on our trailcam, what a relief! Good thing was I had shot high and only grazed his back. Bad thing was he went nocturnal with only one trailcam sighting in daylight hours over the next 8 weeks.
Every day during that 8 week span this buck haunted me and each time I sat in a blind I thought about him. Early muzzleloader and rifle season came and went with the buck continuing to be a no-show. I was passing on lesser bucks with hope that one evening he would show up.
2nd day of late muzzleloader season I’m setting in a blind nearly ¾ of a mile from where we had been getting trailcam pics of this deer. Lo and behold at 5:15 he and 2 other bucks step into the foodplot. Smoke filled the air, he went down and FINALLY I was able to put my hands on him.
Yes, there are bigger bucks out there and he had broken off the G-4 on his left side but I had a special connection with this deer and I am very proud to have taken such a fine animal. At the same time I’m kinda sad that he will no longer show up on our trailcam pics. He will however have a special spot in my trophy room where I will be able see him each and every day.
Here he is during the summer at a mineral lick.
This is one of my favorite pics of him. I passed the 9 pt in the background several times and he should be a fine deer next year.
One of the last trail cam pics we got of him
You can see where my Muzzy cut across his back.
He had all but healed up before that fateful day in late muzzleloader season.
Finally!
