The one that got away
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j-bird
Moderator
The best deer that "got away" that I have had is below. This was in 2012 the tree in the back is a scrape/rub tree I placed there and just beyond it is a 2 man ladder stand I have. Never saw him in person....but man was it motivation to get out of bed in the morning....
The sheds below.....I actually saw this deer. It was very early in my hunting career and I was out "scouting" I was in a tree the weekend before general firearms season opened (I wasn't a bow hunter at that time). I heard what sounded like a hog making a grunting noise.....and I looked up and all I saw was his back. He stopped and picked up his head and I just about crapped my pants. I have official 145ish gross deer on the wall now and this deer would make them look small. I never saw the deer again. In fact the neighbor swears he shot the deer but was never able to find it. Later the sheds had been found in a cut bean field (set was about 100 yards apart) about a mile as the crow flies from my place. I have never had the antlers scored. The forked brows are cool and I know the long G2's and G3's as well as the mass carried overall is just something I dream about.
I have no doubt my area can grow big deer.....killing them on the other hand.....that is why they call it hunting and not killing!
The sheds below.....I actually saw this deer. It was very early in my hunting career and I was out "scouting" I was in a tree the weekend before general firearms season opened (I wasn't a bow hunter at that time). I heard what sounded like a hog making a grunting noise.....and I looked up and all I saw was his back. He stopped and picked up his head and I just about crapped my pants. I have official 145ish gross deer on the wall now and this deer would make them look small. I never saw the deer again. In fact the neighbor swears he shot the deer but was never able to find it. Later the sheds had been found in a cut bean field (set was about 100 yards apart) about a mile as the crow flies from my place. I have never had the antlers scored. The forked brows are cool and I know the long G2's and G3's as well as the mass carried overall is just something I dream about.
I have no doubt my area can grow big deer.....killing them on the other hand.....that is why they call it hunting and not killing!
Just think. He will be bigger this year.
Mortenson
5 year old buck +
Here's a wide 8 I was holding out for this year. He was all over my go to spot the afternoon before opening morning, seen in these pics. These are the 1st and only daylight pics of him I have. Also the last pics. Keep hoping he shows up on a camera sometime. My dad says he had him at 175 yards three days after the pics, but he has 70 year old eyes and we had a lot of 8 pointers around this year.
Tap
5 year old buck +
Maybe. I have personal experience with 3 different middle-aged deer that added almost no inches the following fall. Sometimes they pretty much top out by 3.5.Just think. He will be bigger this year.
Not all bucks can grow 150" racks no matter how old or well fed they are.
Telemark
5 year old buck +
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
J-bird - - That buck on post #2 is just a horse !! What a muscle-y slab he is/was. And those sheds are incredible.
Mortenson - That wide 8 pt. is a beaut. I love any rack that's wide. If I can pick between a tall, narrower rack or a wide, shorter rack - I'll take the wide one every time.
Mortenson - That wide 8 pt. is a beaut. I love any rack that's wide. If I can pick between a tall, narrower rack or a wide, shorter rack - I'll take the wide one every time.
T-Max
5 year old buck +
The one that got away..... Had well over 1,000 trail cam photos of this guy. Saw him once in the flesh. It was my first year bowhunting and I was effective out to 30 yards. I let him walk at 50 the only time I ever saw him in person. Shot or no shot, it was by far my most memorable moment in a treestand. That's why I do this. :)
Bill
Administrator
Tap
5 year old buck +
Had this guy at 23 yards today...last 15 minutes of the last day of the last Pa season. He was in my lap, and coming on the trail I needed him. He would pass me at 10 yards if he kept coming. I got caught looking the other way watching some does 150 yards away. The woods were so quiet. Snow on the ground so I couldn't hear him coming and no wind or other noise to cover my noise...I think he heard me more than once. He got nervous, turned around, and left.
Very exciting encounter, though.
He's not huge but he's the best buck we had here this year. It wasn't a great year for bucks here.
The neighbor wounded him back in October. You can see the entrance wound in this one photo. He almost died twice...or more,for all I know. No telling what other close calls he's had.
Hope he makes it till next fall.
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Very exciting encounter, though.
He's not huge but he's the best buck we had here this year. It wasn't a great year for bucks here.
The neighbor wounded him back in October. You can see the entrance wound in this one photo. He almost died twice...or more,for all I know. No telling what other close calls he's had.
Hope he makes it till next fall.
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Tap
5 year old buck +
I suspect that the broadhead deflected off a rib. That pic shows the exit hole. I'll find a pic of the entrance hit. The wound never seemed to effect him much. I've watched him many times since the wound...fighting, scraping,chasing does. He's none the worse.
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Tap
5 year old buck +
EDIT:I was looking at the wrong pic on my little phone screen. I originally thought that spot on his side was the entrance. It's not. This is the exit side. You can see the wound down in the white.
(My stupid phone scrambles the order of the pics when I try to post photos with Tapatalk. Makes it hard to select the proper photo.)
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Here's a slightly better view of the exit wound...
(My stupid phone scrambles the order of the pics when I try to post photos with Tapatalk. Makes it hard to select the proper photo.)
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
Here's a slightly better view of the exit wound...
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