Sun 11 Nov 2007
This story about the harvest of this spectacular deer was submitted to us by Mike from RealDealOutdoors.com. Mike is co-owner of the shop and an avid bowhunter. Their shop specializes in Archery Supplies & Bowhunting Equipment.
On the morning of November 3rd 2007, I was fortunate enough to encounter a trophy buck while on stand in northeast Ohio. I was hunting with my Mathews Switchback XT on a creek bed at the extreme north end of a tree line where the tree line turns to woods. This stand is located to the east of a 70 acre soybean field and to the west of an 80 acre bedding area which consisted of clear cut woods and an overgrown field. This area works as a natural funnel for the deer to come to and from both areas. At approximately 8:00 am, I saw my first buck of the morning. He was a 15” wide 2 ½ year old 8 point. He came in from the heavily wooded north of me and passed briskly through my shooting lanes in search of a hot doe. I let him walk through as he passed into the bean field. Later at around 8:20 I caught movement in the bean field. I looked and 125 yards to the southwest of me I saw a doe running east into the overgrown field. She was followed by 2 more does all of which were in a full trot. Moments later I heard a buck making several grunts but could not yet see him. It was a monster 9 point that was himself trotting, trailing those does into the thick overgrown field. Upon seeing him I let out several grunts and bleats in an effort to change his or the does’ course. Neither the does nor the buck were interested in what I had to offer, and they continued into the overgrown field much to my dismay.
Within in two minutes of the deer leaving the soybean field, I had yet another buck come racing to my tree stand and the sound of my grunts and bleats. He was a small four point who was very interested in the estrous scent trail I had left upon entering my tree stand. This little guy walked in and around my stand for another 15 minutes constantly smelling the ground and my scent bombs that were also filled with estrous scent. Finally he moved on and was off in search of a doe. I was now very confident that it was going to be a very successful morning as the deer seemed to be in full blown “chase” phase.
As I returned to the seated position of my tree stand, I found myself wondering which way the does took that buck through the field. I was hoping he would cross my trail from earlier and get a whiff of the Code Blue estrous scent I had laid on my way to my tree stand. At around 9:00 I heard what I thought was a grunt from behind me. I stood and turned to look and there he was, the monster 9 point. He was working his way down the trail and into the bean field following my scent just as I had hoped. He was lip curling and grunting as he worked his way down my trail in search of the doe he believed left the scent. The particular stand I was hunting has a shooting lane just on the north side of a very large oak tree. This is by design so that any deer that approaches from the south (as this deer did) the hunter will have ample time to pull his bow without being seen as the tree will block any view the deer would have. That being said sometimes the deer don’t care about your “plan”.
This deer was moving up the edge so fast that I could not even get into position let alone pull my bow and get ready to shoot in time. So through my lane he went. He walked about 5 more yards and began to enter the woods. He took 3 steps into the woods and stopped. He stood there for a few seconds that seemed like hours and turned back and walked back out to the field edge. Upon returning to the field edge he was walking north and would very soon be gone. Panic was beginning to set in as I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out the same Primos grunt call that he had ignored earlier. As my lips touched the grunt call my only though was I had to make this deer mad to have any chance to bring him back into range. With that, I gave him the nastiest grunt/growl I have ever attempted. This stopped him cold in his tracks. As he turned to look back in my direction at about 45 yards his hair stood up on his back from head to tail. Knowing that I have now made this brute mad, I gave him another angry grunt. With the second grunt he instantly came into the woods to see who wants to fight. I then gave him two more shorter to the point grunts which seemed to infuriate him to the point where he walked in stomping his feet with every step.
As he approached, I quickly scanned the woods out in front of him for a shooting lane. I found only one small hole in the brush where he was headed. I thought to myself I need him to stop right there or he will be gone for good! He quickly was approaching my lane when he slowed to a slow walk and was looking hastily for his challenger. He walked right into my opening and stopped letting out a nasty grunt of his own. I took aim behind the shoulder and squeezed the trigger of my release, figuring he was 33 yards away. My Carbon Express Maxima Hunter 350 was headed right for where I aimed. He jumped and took 5 or 6 huge bounds off into the clear cut and stopped. Now at fifty yards or so away I could see him standing there apparently unscaved from our encounter. I could not believe I missed! Then after about a minute he walked off and I could no longer see him. I stood in the stand heartbroken when I heard a crash. It sounded like he went down. Not being sure I just stood there for another 20 minutes waiting to hear something, anything else and nothing. I decided to get down and take a look. Upon entering the area where I shot I found nothing, no arrow, no blood - nothing!
Back to heart broken when I noticed a bunch of leaves turned over about 5 yards from where I was standing. I went over to take a look and found good blood and no arrow. I backed out and waited two and half agonizing hours. Upon returning the blood trail was tremendous and I claimed my trophy some 60-70 yards from where I shot! He turned out to be 300+ pounds and was a main frame 7 point with a couple smaller points at the base of his rack. He sported a 22” spread and his G2s are 11 1/2” each. We field scored him at 131 3/8 gross. You can see this buck in our Trophy Room.
