Patience & Persistence . . . My First Pope & Young Buck

[Ms Grit]

I’ve been hunting hard since the season opened up in my zones back in mid-September without having anything pan out for me. Small bucks in the spots I wanted to shoot does and does in the spots I was hoping for a decent buck.. I filmed bucks that I had named “Not Quite,” “Next Year,” “Stupid,” and “Maybe” with “Maybe” being the buck I thought I would shoot this year, but he just didn’t really do it for me.

Well, last Tuesday I finally got a picture of a buck that looked very much like the buck I clean missed last year on October 12 that I named him “Could Be Lucky” as “Lucky” is the named I gave to the buck I missed and hunted so hard last year. He’s been on my camera for the past week, but only making evening appearances.

Yesterday started as usual with me getting into my blind around 6am in zone 7. From the minute daylight came, the woods had an almost magical feeling about them. They just felt different. I don’t think that I went 10 minutes without seeing deer. Does with fawns, lone BB’s, the buck named “Stupid” and even a new 7pt joined the picture and decided to spar with “Stupid.” Leaving the blind for several hours during mid-day was difficult as I couldn’t find a time when there were no eyes to catch me leaving.

Anyway, I got back in slightly after 2pm, only to have deer again before I was even set up and I really can’t stress enough how the woods just felt different. Around 5:30 when I had deer, does, fawns and bb’s around me, “Stupid” came down off the hill followed by the new 7pt chasing him. They all seemed to be milling around and I could see deer in every direction I looked when all of a sudden “Could be Lucky” started his majestic stroll down the hill and the girls all scattered. I couldn’t believe that it was HIM. He was actually coming down !!!

The first thing I did was back away from the opening of the blind window and start talking to myself . . . “Keep Calm Rob” “You Got This!!!” “Breath” “Focus” “You Can Do It” “In through Your Nose, Out Through Your Mouth” all while I was watching what was transpiring on the small viewer of the video camera. As he rounded some small sapplings and was broadside, I drew and then moved to the opening of the blind, but as I did, I COULDN’T SEE HIM !!! He was gone !!! He had walked around, was on the other side of the small trees and was facing me head on !!! And I am at full draw !!! Well, with my bad shoulder, I thought, “HOLD THE DRAW, you will never be able to draw on him again !!!” Funny how this scenerio has played out on me before. Anyway, there I am at full draw while he is facing me and there are eyes all in the woods . . . 30 seconds go by . . . 60 seconds go by . . . My bow starts to creep on me . . . “DAMNIT ROB, DON’T LET DOWN !!!” After several minutes, he finally turns broadside, but the trees are IN THE WAY !!! “BREATH ROB !!!” “HOLD IT!!!” “YOU CAN DO IT!!!” After what seemed like FOREVER, he finally took the final step I was waiting for and I let my arrow fly. It sounded like a good hit, but at 20 yards into his run, I saw the lighted knock and the arrow break off ah he hit a tree and my heart sunk thinking that I only tapped him and got little to no penetration. He then stopped running and walked very very slowly about 40 yards up the hill and stood in the same spot for 15 minutes before walking another 10 feet and laying down. He laid there for over half an hour with his head up before he got up and walked away but I couldn’t see much because I lost him in the brush.

As difficult as it was, I backed out and went back in at first light this morning with help. Found him after about half an hour of searching as there was no more blood. He was laying down, head up. He required another shot . Inspection of the first arrow determined that 12 inches of the arrow had broken off inside of his body cavity and although it appeared to be a decent hit on video, it was a liver shot and the tip of the broadhead also penetrated his stomach.

Boy, have the last 24 hours been very stressful, but patience and persistence have finally paid off again. He gross green scored at 128 5/8 so I’m going to have my head in the clouds for quite some time . . .

 

 

 

 

 

[Bowhunter444]

Good job Robin!

 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk now Free

 

 

[BowhunterNJ]

Wow awesome buck and story Robin! Glad you were able to find and get him the next morning!

Great pictures too, certainly a memorable hunt!

[NJBowman]

awesome buck Robin!! Congrats. I better see him entered into the UBNJ big buck contest!

[BowTechExperience]

Wow, great story and congrats on a beautiful buck

[BHC]

now that is fantasic.....congrats !!!!

[Palawman30]

Awesome job! Fantastic buck! Congrats he's a beauty

[Ms Grit]

awesome buck Robin!! Congrats. I better see him entered into the UBNJ big buck contest!

ABSOLUTELY !!!

[jerseyhunter]

You sure set the standards high for an outdoors woman. Congratulations.

[NJBowman]

Maybe women will take the top spot 2 years in a row!

[Ms Grit]

You sure set the standards high for an outdoors woman. Congratulations.

Thanks Kjell. They're my standards and I hold only myself to them. I think I'm gonna have to hunt out of state pretty soon though . . . that and up the poundage on my bow, lol

[sam3]

Awesome pics and story Robin. A great buck and you should be very proud. What a beauty!!

[Cousin Brown]

Congrats robin!

[Axiom]

sweeet..  

[runum n gunum]

WTG GO ROBIN AWESOME BUCK CONGRATS and well earned at that