roysclockgun
Handloader
- Dec 17, 2005
- 736
- 1
Hello All. Below I copied a note that I sent to our hunt club president, regarding the buck that I bagged this past Monday.
Hi Bobby,
I think that I may have gotten the buck that the deputy told you about.
Sunday morning, I saw a very nice six point buck, alone. And later a doe. This, from the Cotton Field Stand. The six point buck was hard to pass on, but I abide by the club rules and let them walk away. He'll be a nice one next year.
After everyone left Sunday, I went out and near dark saw a buck with two long spikes came through. Shortly after that I saw a doe.
Before bed, I got the weather forecast calling for temps below freezing in the morning. Sure enough when I got up a 4:30 DST, the temp was 28 degrees. I had breakfast and dressed extra warm and headed out at 5:45 to the horseshoe stand.
I got comfortable in the still pitch black. At 6:15 I could have shot a deer close up, but still not good light. My head swiveled back and forth from the feed strip and back to the road leading back to my truck.
My thoughts wandered: 28 degrees. These deer have to be hunting up carbs in this cold. Even the deer are not used to 28 degrees this early in the winter, in south Georgia.
As my head cranked back to look toward where my truck was parked, my inner voice screamed "BUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!!!......StevieBoy do not blow this!" That has been my mantra for many years. You have been waiting all this time for a buck, there he is. Do not screw it up!
He was broadside, right to left, in the middle of the road at about 40 yards. I knew that I had to get the rifle up fast and quietly. The rifle was in my lap, muzzle facing the buck. After years of watching deer, I knew that he was getting antsy. He was not spooked yet, but he knew that something was not right.
I am sure that you have the same reactions. After hunting all these years, the rifle comes up and no conscious thought is given to bringing it to your shoulder and acquiring the sight picture. As I got him in my scope, he turned ninety degrees and was looking right at me. Did the rifle make a soft sound rubbing on my clothes as I brought it up? I do not know, but I did know that I had little time, because this buck was bunching up muscles to spring away, probably forever out of my sights.
I tell you, reflex took over. The bucks chest was in my crosshairs. The trigger was squeezed and the buck, hit with such force, went down. There was no gap in time, before he was up and lurching back in the direction from where he had come.
Silence!!!!!...........I waited long seconds and heard nothing. No crashing through the pines. Nothing............ I took out my watch and using all my will power, I waited 10 minutes. I was hoping that if he went down, the ten minutes would not only give him time to bleed out by also to stiffen up.
Stillness, as if the buck were still there, looking at me, I climbed down quietly and with as little noise as possible, I crept up the break to where I knew I had hit him. Not off the middle of the trail more than ten feet, lay the buck. No movement or even signs of breathing. I believe that after the first seconds of shock, he died quickly and humanely.
I sat with my deer, as I always do and through my hand, lying on his neck, I felt his warmth and power. As I sat with him, I said my hunters thank you pray to my maker. For those of us who do not hunt year 'round, or do it as a job, sitting next to a nice antlered buck is a rare treat. I have killed bucks with bigger racks, but this one is definitely chest mount quality. If I had room, I would have him mounted, but there is no place to put him. So, I will hang up the rack and be happy with that.
Being by myself, I was worried about loading him into the truck bed. So, I removed the head to lighten him up and dragged him over the berm of the ditch and up onto the break trail. I was able to get his rump up on the bed and then the rest, but had to sit a while to recover after huffing and puffing to hoist him up.
I used the gate on the Cotton Field Stand end, as the other pipe gate was so heavy, I almost did not get it locked when I had taken corn to the feeder. I did not know that the other gate was just propped up. When I unlocked it, it fell down. Going out, I locked the one end and lashed the other with some rope that I had with me.
Then back to camp. The hoist, block and tackle was a God send, at I was able to string him up and skin and quarter him by myself. I did not know how to get the water turned on, so I washed out the tub as best I could.
Clear camp and head home. I had Storm look into the truck bed, before she knew that the buck was in there. She was a little shocked to see old bucky looking back at her.
We took the attached photos to send you. I took more in camp with my phone, but I need to find out how to get them into my computer.
Anyway, when we get a good buck, all the waiting is worth it. I hope the others won't be angry with me, because I am able to stay up there as long as I care to.
Let me know if this buck qualifies by club standards. <8^))
Best,
Steven
Hi Bobby,
I think that I may have gotten the buck that the deputy told you about.
Sunday morning, I saw a very nice six point buck, alone. And later a doe. This, from the Cotton Field Stand. The six point buck was hard to pass on, but I abide by the club rules and let them walk away. He'll be a nice one next year.
After everyone left Sunday, I went out and near dark saw a buck with two long spikes came through. Shortly after that I saw a doe.
Before bed, I got the weather forecast calling for temps below freezing in the morning. Sure enough when I got up a 4:30 DST, the temp was 28 degrees. I had breakfast and dressed extra warm and headed out at 5:45 to the horseshoe stand.
I got comfortable in the still pitch black. At 6:15 I could have shot a deer close up, but still not good light. My head swiveled back and forth from the feed strip and back to the road leading back to my truck.
My thoughts wandered: 28 degrees. These deer have to be hunting up carbs in this cold. Even the deer are not used to 28 degrees this early in the winter, in south Georgia.
As my head cranked back to look toward where my truck was parked, my inner voice screamed "BUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!!!......StevieBoy do not blow this!" That has been my mantra for many years. You have been waiting all this time for a buck, there he is. Do not screw it up!
He was broadside, right to left, in the middle of the road at about 40 yards. I knew that I had to get the rifle up fast and quietly. The rifle was in my lap, muzzle facing the buck. After years of watching deer, I knew that he was getting antsy. He was not spooked yet, but he knew that something was not right.
I am sure that you have the same reactions. After hunting all these years, the rifle comes up and no conscious thought is given to bringing it to your shoulder and acquiring the sight picture. As I got him in my scope, he turned ninety degrees and was looking right at me. Did the rifle make a soft sound rubbing on my clothes as I brought it up? I do not know, but I did know that I had little time, because this buck was bunching up muscles to spring away, probably forever out of my sights.
I tell you, reflex took over. The bucks chest was in my crosshairs. The trigger was squeezed and the buck, hit with such force, went down. There was no gap in time, before he was up and lurching back in the direction from where he had come.
Silence!!!!!...........I waited long seconds and heard nothing. No crashing through the pines. Nothing............ I took out my watch and using all my will power, I waited 10 minutes. I was hoping that if he went down, the ten minutes would not only give him time to bleed out by also to stiffen up.
Stillness, as if the buck were still there, looking at me, I climbed down quietly and with as little noise as possible, I crept up the break to where I knew I had hit him. Not off the middle of the trail more than ten feet, lay the buck. No movement or even signs of breathing. I believe that after the first seconds of shock, he died quickly and humanely.
I sat with my deer, as I always do and through my hand, lying on his neck, I felt his warmth and power. As I sat with him, I said my hunters thank you pray to my maker. For those of us who do not hunt year 'round, or do it as a job, sitting next to a nice antlered buck is a rare treat. I have killed bucks with bigger racks, but this one is definitely chest mount quality. If I had room, I would have him mounted, but there is no place to put him. So, I will hang up the rack and be happy with that.
Being by myself, I was worried about loading him into the truck bed. So, I removed the head to lighten him up and dragged him over the berm of the ditch and up onto the break trail. I was able to get his rump up on the bed and then the rest, but had to sit a while to recover after huffing and puffing to hoist him up.
I used the gate on the Cotton Field Stand end, as the other pipe gate was so heavy, I almost did not get it locked when I had taken corn to the feeder. I did not know that the other gate was just propped up. When I unlocked it, it fell down. Going out, I locked the one end and lashed the other with some rope that I had with me.
Then back to camp. The hoist, block and tackle was a God send, at I was able to string him up and skin and quarter him by myself. I did not know how to get the water turned on, so I washed out the tub as best I could.
Clear camp and head home. I had Storm look into the truck bed, before she knew that the buck was in there. She was a little shocked to see old bucky looking back at her.
We took the attached photos to send you. I took more in camp with my phone, but I need to find out how to get them into my computer.
Anyway, when we get a good buck, all the waiting is worth it. I hope the others won't be angry with me, because I am able to stay up there as long as I care to.
Let me know if this buck qualifies by club standards. <8^))
Best,
Steven
