Still getting it done!

[Highguy]

Thursday September 13th found me in a stand that I had set up with my son Chris back in April. Preparation for deer hunting is a year-round task for my son Chris, our good friend, and the one I call my adopted son Mark, and my Grandson Chris Jr. As a result of our hard work and dedication to preseason scouting and preparation, three of us have taken a total of eight Pope and Young bucks in our hunting areas here in Northwestern New Jersey over the past few years. We set this stand up about 200 yards from the location where I received a serious eye injury last October when I was setting up a stand for what was possibly the same buck I would shoot this year. I was blinded for three months and still do not see very well out of my right eye as a result of that bungie cord accident. Fortunately for me, I am left eye dominate and I can still shoot my crossbow. I had a few photos of this target buck from back in the first week of July. I knew then that he would be number one on our hit list. I was hopeful that one of us would get a chance to arrow this good-looking buck I had named “Highbrow”. On Thursday evening I went into this ladder stand for the fifth time this season hoping that since we had had such heavy rain for the last twenty-four hours that the deer would be up and feeding hard. I was not wrong is thinking this would be the case because after an hour in the stand deer started coming in to the bait location. First in was a doe and a fawn, followed by two spike bucks, then another doe with two fawns. Soon there after in came a nice wide six pointer with a seven pointer not far behind him. I watched all these deer milling around and trying to sneak in for a bite or two of the corn I had put out to attract them. I kept watching in the direction where the six and seven pointers had come hoping that Highbrow just might be following them in. Suddenly I saw a tree shaking in the brush about 30 yards out but I could not see the deer I knew had to be doing it. After a minute or two, I saw him! It was Highbrow who was slowly walking in to join all the others already in front of me. I knew my only task now would be to try to raise up my crossbow to take the shot with out spoking any of the deer that were there. I knew that if one deer spotted me moving that they would all be gone along with my chance to shoot Highbrow. As luck would have it, I was able to raise the bow, get on my target and squeeze off the shot. Highbrow only went twenty yards and he was down! I knew that he was a big eight pointer but he looked even bigger as I walked up to him! I had taken another great Northern New Jersey whitetail and I had a wonderful feeling of satisfaction for all of the hard work that all of us had done to help me in being the one to arrow Highbrow. Since I am still not allowed to strain myself with lifting anything heavy, I called my son who came with my Grandson to get my deer out of the woods. It was a wonderful feeling standing over that beautiful buck with three generations admiring his super-wide rack. We got the deer out and celebrated with photos and a couple of cold ones. My Adopted son Mark green scored Highbrow and he came in at 133 4/8” gross, and 131 ¼ net. Shooting a nice buck at age 71 is a great accomplishment but getting one that will make the Pope & Young record book is an added bonus. To everyone who is still out there trying to shoot their buck I wish you the very best of luck. Remember as I always say, be safe and good hunting!

[JHbowhunter]

Greg that is awesome!   Beautiful buck.   Will still net over 130 most likely after it dries but who cares that is a great buck, that looks very mature. 

Hope you can still keep at this for many more years to come and thanks for sharing. 

CONGRATULATIONS

[birdshotnj]

Good God that's a gorgeous animal. Congratulations!

[Blend No 27]

Wow congratulations

[Wallew]

That buck is ridiculous!!!

 

Huge congrats.

[Lunatic]

Very cool buck. Congrats!!

[Rusty]

What a great deer Greg, congratulations.  I remember you showing all the young whipper snappers up here with us how it's done not too long ago.  You're a deer killing machine.  Congratulations again on a great buck.   

[walt]

[yoda4x4]

Why would you shoot such a small deer? Sorry... Sarcasm aside...

That's a heck of a buck! Awesome job!

David

Sent from my moto g(6) play using Tapatalk

[Buckeyes11]

Wow. What a buck. 71 and still getting it done. Congrats sir!!!

[Live to Hunt]

Great story congrats on a beautiful animal. Thanks for sharing with us. 

[3Blade]

Congrats on a great buck!

I hope I am still hunting at 71.

[Livesintrees]

Congrats on that beauty! The terrain looks like zone 2 or 3 

[iluv2hunt]

Congrats on a great buck and getting it done at 71. 

[Shootemandmountem]

Great job!