Picture, hang and hunt Buck

**Buck154** · November 16, 2024

Just had this buck show up. He looked good and in a non resident on the property . So the next day I was thinking I’d like to sit and take a chance for him. I didn’t have a stand hung there yet so I needed to hang one. Luckily I get out of work fairly early but I still rushed to get there.
   Got the stand hung and settled in at 3:50pm. Wind was perfect in my face but the only tree I half way liked was like being on a telephone pole. I texted Denis (Spearfish) that there is no way I am going to get a shot from this tree.
   4:30 have a group of does coming from behind me down wind. Took them 20 minutes to finally come up past me. Ended up with a total of 11 does in front of me. Few minutes later they start looking hard behind me and I hear it coming the distinct sound of a buck coming straight in heavy walking. I firs see it I think it’s the new wide 8 but then realized I was one I have had on camera all year. Thin wider buck with a broken point. He walks right in but not chasing the does.
  Two minutes later a small basket 8 come in and goes right by the first buck. Both had no problem with each other. Couple later they both look behind me and the first wide buck get pissed. Puffing up and starts side stepping to the deer I hear behind me. He start pawing at the ground and ears laid back. I see out of the corner of my eye that it is the new comer. Now he is behind me on my right so I have to slowly get turned. As I was the buck walked in to a smaller opening in the saplings. So i was able to get a shot.
   The sound of the hit was loud and the buck only went 30 foot and stopped. I’m thinking he is going to fall there and at that time the other buck is heading towards him. I look back at the one I shot and couldn’t see him. Then the other walks with his ears back where my buck was. Thinking I’m going to see him goring him but I see him walk of that way.
After I get out I look where I shot and there was a few small branches. Blood right there and where he stop 30 foot away was 2 lines of good blood. Since I didn’t see him go down I left and called two friends. Meet back two hours later and tracked 100 plus yards of good blood then got do to tiny drops. After a ways I said we are out. I worked half day and then went to look. Dennis said he was available to help me so two of us is better. We went thro the blood trail from the beginning to where I stopped at night. From t there we were able to track it 220 yard farther by pin drop every 10-30 foot apart to the buck. Tough animals. The shot was back maybe 2-3 inches from where I was shooting so I think I clipped a twig. It hit the liver and one lung. Probably missed the heart by an inch or so. 20” inside 8pt. Not the older age buck I typically try to shoot but I was happy take him. Thanks for looking at the long post. I usually don’t type that much.