SCORED!! AGAIN!!!!!!! KILLER SEASON SO FAR!!!!

[renegadephoenix]

Well, after watching the deer sign in the woods I knew this would be the week to get a buck. I have been hunting as much as I can and as much as my back will allow, (recovering from a head/neck/upper back injury). After seeing a real nice 8 point yesterday Nov. 2nd. I knew that the cold front heated up the rut.
During the night while sleeping I had some vivid dreams of shooting a buck today. I woke up several times and each time I fell back asleep I would have another dream of a buck coming up to my stand. The alarm was a shock at 0430 hours and I hit the snooze 3 times. the third time I realized that I needed to be in the stand ASAP. got up, ready and headed out to the stand with a glowing moon guiding my way through the woods.
Upon reaching my stand, I put out some Bob Kirschners Silver Top and Rutting Type Lure, sprayed down with Scent Away spray, and donned my Scent Blocker suit. I promptly climbed up my ladder stand (15 ft.) and when on the platform realized I forgot my safety belt on the ground. so I waited a little since I can't get up and down ladders like I use to by wrapping the shock cord around my belt. once I was satisfied I could go down and get back up, I did, and got secured in the stand, and pulled my crossbow up.
Dawn came slowly and I can start making things out on the ground. To my surprise, there is a fresh scrape less than 10 yards from my stand that was not there the day before. I pulled out a cotton ball sprayed Silver Top on it and tossed it into the scrape. I also had a bottle of Code Blue with a spray nozzle on it and proceeded to put some Code Blue on the gentle breeze that started blowing.
Every day I hunted this stand I have had a yearling button buck and yearling Doe come by and hang around for an hour or two. sometimes they would come back 4 or 5 times a day. most evenings these two deer wait only 10 yards from my stand waiting for me to get down and then they would follow me the whole way back to my house.
this morning was no different. they came by just like clockwork at 0645 hours and hung around for almost an hour the little buck grunting away like crazy. next came the squirrels, birds, and even a groundhog.
0845 I happen to look to my left across the small crick I hunt along and notice a deer coming down the hill towards me. I notice it was a buck almost immediately and get ready to shoot. I swivel in my seat and lean on the rail looking through the scope trying to count points. it turns out to be a nice little 8 point. no sooner had I acquired the little buck and out of the corner of my eye I catch more movement coming down the hill.
A big doe is being tailed by another buck. as I look at this second buck head on at about 75 yards I notice he doesn't have a wide rack, so I go back to tracking the 8 pointer. I still kept an eye on the other buck and I keep seeing something peculiar about his right beam. I get behind my Nikon Binos and notice the right beam is palmated with points sticking out everywhere. I did a quick count and stopped at 9 points with more to count. I concentrated on a where he was going and where I can shoot.
He came across the crick at 23 yards but offered no shot. he then walked directly away from me still not offering a shot. he finally turned broadside and I had an opening to take the shot. I hit the range finder, 38 yards, settled the scope on his vitals and squeezed the trigger. CRACK!!!!! the buck bolts and runs up a small rise about 50 yards away. I look through my scope trying to see where I hit him and NOTHING!!!!!! no blood, no wound, nothing. I look back at the shooting lane and low and behold 10 feet from me a small branch is hanging by a thread.
just to be certain I didn't wound him, I got out of the stand and looked for the arrow, hair, blood....... Nothing! I looked for about 45 minutes to ease my mind and then made the climb back into the stand pissed that I missed a unique buck.
the day went on and I heard a few shots and saw some more squirrels playing the shot back in my mind over and over again.
(1100 hours) Soon that playback came to a crashing halt as I heard the sound of crunching leaves. I look to my right and here comes a buck at a fast walk around the hill only 40 yards from me. I stand up and without using the scope I know he was a legal buck, having seen him earlier in the season.
This buck was on a mission. I started grunting at him to no avail. he was past me now on my right side so I gave a loud doe bleat (all my calling is done by mouth/voice). he stopped on a dime and just stood there looking around. I gave some more grunts and he was looking in my direction at about 60 yards. then I gave a series of grunts and bleats. next thing I know he is coming full bore at me. I have the crossbow raised, looking through the scope making sure he was in fact the nice 8 point I saw earlier in the season. Yup, he was. now I am concentrating on his vitals as he is coming closer and closer. 40, 30, 20, 15 at this point he started turning. once he hit an angle where I knew I would get into the vitals I squeezed the trigger. THWAP! it looked like I hit him with a rifle. a huge ball of hair right where I wanted drifted down to the earth.
he bolted for about 10 yards right at my stand. there he was directly below me only 5 yards away. I can see the blood pouring out of his nose and mouth while a steady stream exited out near his hind quarter. soon he started coughing up massive amounts of blood as his chest filled up.
at this point I pull out my cell phone a snap a picture while he is still on his feet. in a fit of stupidity I closed the phone without saving the photo. he then stumbles forward and collapses 11 yards from my stand.
every time I shoot a buck I always give out a loud YEA!!!!!!! WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!! I proceed to make some phone calls. first, my wife, next to all my friends asking if they can come out and help me get this buck out of the woods.
I got a hold of Falcon Four and NP17whateverthehelltherestofyournumbersare to come out and help me get this buck out of the woods. both of them show up and assist me in field dressing and then each took one side of the drag pole and drug the buck out of the woods
at this point I would like to thank Kevin AKA Cigarmanpa, Brian AKA Falcon Four and my other buddyNick AKA NP17whateverthehelltherestofyournumbersare for helping me get this deer out. I owe yinz big time.

here he is:



Today was the Quickest Turkey hunt i have ever had.

It started off with walking my Dad into his stand for his first Archery hunt in 2 years. he got his crossbow back from me after i tagged the above buck.
got home, took my son to day care. then went and took my grandmother to get her hair done. after picking my grandmother up she wanted to treat me to lunch. i love spending every minute with her. we reminissed about my Grandfather and how much we both missed him being here.
after getting her home i decided i would go out for turkeys and push for my dad. after donning my camo pants, jacket and blaze orange hat, i grabbed the 20 ga. Rem 870. with my neck still giving me problems i just used 2 3/4" #6 out of an extra full turkey choke. i told myself to keep my shots under 20 yards.
I made my way out the back door of the house, loaded up the shotgun, and made my way into the woods. as i crested a a small embankment where and old coal road lies i heard a yelp and right infornt of me there were three hens.
i shouldered the gun, and quickly shot at the nearest Hen about 15 yards away. MISS!!!!!!! How could i MISS!!!!!!!!!! i worked the pump and the gun jammed. in a fit of stupidity i put the plug in backwards and the plug stuck in the spring cap and there was no spring pressing on the shells to eject them onto the follower to load.
i bounced the gun off my knee to load another round that was half out of the mag tube. it dropped onto the follower and i chambered it just in time to see the three hens take flight.
Out of nowhere a gobbler comes flying almost over my head. without much thought i fired from the hip. the whole pattern hit the gobbler square in the head. i watched as the bird crumpled and fell toward the earth.
he was finished by the time i got to him. i then unloaded and disassembled the shotgun and fixed the plug problem.
upon arriving back home i was greated by my son who my mother, his grandma, picked up from day care. we took some photos and this is the Bird:

7" beard
1" spurs

[ungawa]

Yeah!!!

[urbanamish99]

Nice score there! Wish I'd have more time to get out in the woods these days. I'd rep ya, but it says I have to spread it around.

Great write up too!

[knight0334]

Good job! And nice clean kill!

[cigarmanpa]

glad to see ya got one chris!

[renegadephoenix]

KEVIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! how did i forget about you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! REP COMING YOUR WAY MAJORLY!!!!!

without Kevin i would not have gotten the shots i did. he was nice enought ocome and help me move the stand to that new location!!!!!

editted oringinal post to thank ya. forgive me my mind has been gong all day.

[bogey1]

NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[GuyMontag]

Excellent!! So glad you were able to get out and do what you love!

[cigarmanpa]

KEVIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! how did i forget about you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! REP COMING YOUR WAY MAJORLY!!!!!

without Kevin i would not have gotten the shots i did. he was nice enought ocome and help me move the stand to that new location!!!!!

editted oringinal post to thank ya. forgive me my mind has been gong all day.

no problem chris, I was happy to help you out. Glad to see my help was...well helpful and you were safe.

[runningdeer]

Great buck congrats. I have some relatives that live in Murrysville and the deer herd is impressive. Glad you scored on a nice buck!