Post by budd on Nov 5, 2015 22:45:04 GMT -5
Good friend of mine wrote up this story on his Wisconsin buck, thought I would share it here.
I know some guys like the story behind the hunt, so here it goes. I like to write one up so years later I can look back and relive the memories. The following events began on Tuesday of this week.
.............................................................................................................................
Tuesday morning the alarm went off far to soon, as it always seems this time of year. I drove over to a public piece of land in Wisconsin that I like to hunt during the rut. The area is a decent sized chunk of mainly open hardwoods with some thick brush mixed in here and there. A few ridges throughout create travel routes that can funnel deer through certain areas. (Marty, you remember where you found my old back tag.....
)
After parking the truck I tossed my climber on my back and off I was into the dark. Unless a deer intervened, I wouldn't be back to the truck until dark again. Half way into my 1/2 mile hike I went to turn on my GPS and realized it was in the truck.... "Oh well," I said to msyelf, I know these woods pretty good.....
I was in the tree I wanted just as the night was succumbing to day. As the woods slowly illuminated, I realized something just wasn't right. The ridge I was on was much smaller and shorter, not where I intended on hunting. More light brought more surprises..... Soon I could see an old fence line to the south fifty yards away, then a ground blind, then an elevated wood rifle stand.... A beaten down ATV path wound around just on the other side of the fence.....
I silently cursed myself for making such a foolish mistake. With prime time upon me I reasoned staying put for at least a few hours would be better than giving myself up and moving to the next ridge over.
The first hour past with nothing more than a few squirrels awakening for their morning acorn. Then I heard what every hunter loves to hear, a deer running in my direction! I stood and readied my bow. Just as I clipped my release on a doe comes barreling over the ridge between the rifle stand and ground blind to the south of me. She jumped the fence and flew by me just twenty yards away.
Every rut hunter knows what's coming next, and soon she was out of sight behind me. The anticipation built, and built. Any second now......any second.
Soon after I hear something I didn't want to hear. In the distance, the monotone purr of an ATV slowly grew in volume. damn IT!!! (Okay, I said things worse than that)
Soon the rider was in sight and parked his machine near the ground blind. He jumped off and starting walking east out of vision. I assumed he was going to check a camera or something similar.
Five minutes past and I could hear some foot steps. I immediately assumed it was the rider returning, but the sound was from a different area? I looked up to see a gorgeous buck running the doe track like an ol' coonhound hot after some fur. I stood and again readied my bow. The puppet was on the string and coming right for me!!
As he hopped the fence I drew back and awaited him to continue through by my stand. At twenty three yards I let out a loud "UURRRP!" and he stopped dead in his tracks. In less than a second I settled my pin on his vitals and sent a Muzzy towards the promised land. As the arrow was in flight he again was too.... I clearly saw my arrow pass right through his paunch as he was moving forward. He let out a guttural grunt of suprise and pain as he was hit and ran off past my stand.
My body went from an ultimate high, to a dreadful low, faster than the speed of light. I made some sound I don't recollect in an attempt to get him to stop. It went unnoticed. After roughly fifty yards he slowed down some and continued walking up the next ridge. I lost sight of him around a hundred yards away.
After the urge to punch myself in the face passed, I sat down and collected my thoughts as best as I could.
I knew three things for certain. One: I had made a terrible shot. Two: He wasn't going to expire any time soon. Three: It was warm out and getting warmer.
As I sat there, I pulled out my range finder and scanned the area I saw him last. After a few minutes I saw him again just as he bedded down through a magic gap in the trees. A sigh of relief past over me knowing he didn't run to the next timezone. Minutes past and the purr of an ATV awoken me from my daze. I immediately thought "Oh no!", in fear that the noise would bump him from his bed! To my suprise, he stayed put as the rider slowly got out of hearing. I'm not a very religious man, but I thanked God for it.
Different thoughts raced through my head on what to do next. Since I could see him, it was possible he could see me. But the ATV didn't scare him, I should be able to climb down??? Do I wait a little while then climb down???
Eventually I decided that since I made this deer suffer, I owe him to at least sit here and do the same with him. It was going to be a long miserable day ahead, but I set my mind to do it. If I could be lucky enough to see him die before dark I wouldn't have to worry about spoilage. (Forecasted high was 70, low was 55 overnight)
The hands on the clock slowed to a crawl as I glassed him with my range finder every few minutes. After an hour, I again pulled up to glass him only to see him gone! I scanned the area just in time to again see him bed down in a sliver of a window through the trees. I again gave thanks.
Another hour passed, though it felt like ten, and the exact thing happened again. Another hour, and the same. He had worked his way thirty more yards UP the hill by now, but I could just see his rump now.
Thirty minutes later he stood, and walked all the way over the crest of the ridge and out of sight! My heart sank deep into my chest. I quietly climbed down and headed for the truck.......
......To be continued
I know some guys like the story behind the hunt, so here it goes. I like to write one up so years later I can look back and relive the memories. The following events began on Tuesday of this week.
.............................................................................................................................
Tuesday morning the alarm went off far to soon, as it always seems this time of year. I drove over to a public piece of land in Wisconsin that I like to hunt during the rut. The area is a decent sized chunk of mainly open hardwoods with some thick brush mixed in here and there. A few ridges throughout create travel routes that can funnel deer through certain areas. (Marty, you remember where you found my old back tag.....
)After parking the truck I tossed my climber on my back and off I was into the dark. Unless a deer intervened, I wouldn't be back to the truck until dark again. Half way into my 1/2 mile hike I went to turn on my GPS and realized it was in the truck.... "Oh well," I said to msyelf, I know these woods pretty good.....
I was in the tree I wanted just as the night was succumbing to day. As the woods slowly illuminated, I realized something just wasn't right. The ridge I was on was much smaller and shorter, not where I intended on hunting. More light brought more surprises..... Soon I could see an old fence line to the south fifty yards away, then a ground blind, then an elevated wood rifle stand.... A beaten down ATV path wound around just on the other side of the fence.....
I silently cursed myself for making such a foolish mistake. With prime time upon me I reasoned staying put for at least a few hours would be better than giving myself up and moving to the next ridge over.
The first hour past with nothing more than a few squirrels awakening for their morning acorn. Then I heard what every hunter loves to hear, a deer running in my direction! I stood and readied my bow. Just as I clipped my release on a doe comes barreling over the ridge between the rifle stand and ground blind to the south of me. She jumped the fence and flew by me just twenty yards away.
Every rut hunter knows what's coming next, and soon she was out of sight behind me. The anticipation built, and built. Any second now......any second.
Soon after I hear something I didn't want to hear. In the distance, the monotone purr of an ATV slowly grew in volume. damn IT!!! (Okay, I said things worse than that)
Soon the rider was in sight and parked his machine near the ground blind. He jumped off and starting walking east out of vision. I assumed he was going to check a camera or something similar.
Five minutes past and I could hear some foot steps. I immediately assumed it was the rider returning, but the sound was from a different area? I looked up to see a gorgeous buck running the doe track like an ol' coonhound hot after some fur. I stood and again readied my bow. The puppet was on the string and coming right for me!!
As he hopped the fence I drew back and awaited him to continue through by my stand. At twenty three yards I let out a loud "UURRRP!" and he stopped dead in his tracks. In less than a second I settled my pin on his vitals and sent a Muzzy towards the promised land. As the arrow was in flight he again was too.... I clearly saw my arrow pass right through his paunch as he was moving forward. He let out a guttural grunt of suprise and pain as he was hit and ran off past my stand.
My body went from an ultimate high, to a dreadful low, faster than the speed of light. I made some sound I don't recollect in an attempt to get him to stop. It went unnoticed. After roughly fifty yards he slowed down some and continued walking up the next ridge. I lost sight of him around a hundred yards away.
After the urge to punch myself in the face passed, I sat down and collected my thoughts as best as I could.
I knew three things for certain. One: I had made a terrible shot. Two: He wasn't going to expire any time soon. Three: It was warm out and getting warmer.
As I sat there, I pulled out my range finder and scanned the area I saw him last. After a few minutes I saw him again just as he bedded down through a magic gap in the trees. A sigh of relief past over me knowing he didn't run to the next timezone. Minutes past and the purr of an ATV awoken me from my daze. I immediately thought "Oh no!", in fear that the noise would bump him from his bed! To my suprise, he stayed put as the rider slowly got out of hearing. I'm not a very religious man, but I thanked God for it.
Different thoughts raced through my head on what to do next. Since I could see him, it was possible he could see me. But the ATV didn't scare him, I should be able to climb down??? Do I wait a little while then climb down???
Eventually I decided that since I made this deer suffer, I owe him to at least sit here and do the same with him. It was going to be a long miserable day ahead, but I set my mind to do it. If I could be lucky enough to see him die before dark I wouldn't have to worry about spoilage. (Forecasted high was 70, low was 55 overnight)
The hands on the clock slowed to a crawl as I glassed him with my range finder every few minutes. After an hour, I again pulled up to glass him only to see him gone! I scanned the area just in time to again see him bed down in a sliver of a window through the trees. I again gave thanks.
Another hour passed, though it felt like ten, and the exact thing happened again. Another hour, and the same. He had worked his way thirty more yards UP the hill by now, but I could just see his rump now.
Thirty minutes later he stood, and walked all the way over the crest of the ridge and out of sight! My heart sank deep into my chest. I quietly climbed down and headed for the truck.......
......To be continued
