[urahicks2]

This all started on a morning like any other morning... you know.. when the blessed warmth of the bed is trying to steal any attempts to get out of it... you ponder how nice it would be just to stay under the covers and catch some more zzzzsss.... then in an instant you realize that staying there, all warm and comfy, would be the easy way out.. your mind races with images of what you might miss out on if you stayed there all toasty! You picture the biggest and best deer in the woods... the ones you havent even seen yet and thats all it takes, your feet hit the ground and your up and at'em.

Walking to the stand your mind ponders the events that are about to unfold and the harvest of the "dream buck".. but the sting of the frosty morning air tears at your face and fingers. Walking down a row of unpicked corn on your way to the perch for the day... your at peace with mother nature and she has graced you with the first hint of daylight.. the purpleish, black sparkle on the horizion greets you like a friend! Life is Great!!!

Next thing you know your choking on your heart ....the cornfield erupts right under your feet and stalks are cluttering and shaking in all directions.. you stop midbreath and time stands still....mother nature has a sense of humor or so it would seem,and she lead you right into a huge couvy of quail.. they didnt appricate it either and scattered like the wind. When your heart finally decides to settle down and you catch your brerath you look around to see if anyone is watching you knowing full well your the only one in the field. Dose make you feel like a foolish school girl though!!!

As the black haze of the morning sky turns to a slight golden red above the trees.. your hear deer snort upwind and ponder the situation.a few moments after you hear the sound of the frosty ground come to life..closer and closer the sounds get until just a few yards in front of your stand you see a pack of coyotes heading right for you.. glad to be in the tree, you watch as they wimper and shreek as the pass on thier way just moments after you accended your tree.

Good thing i got out of bed... wounder what the rest of the day has instore?
This was the moning I harvested my first buck with a bow.. about 13yrs ago.. funny how you never forget these moments!!!
any one else have a story to share???

 

[whitetailfreak]

First deer

It was a cool fall afternoon, the lazy afternoon sun filtering through the fall folliage. I had decided to move my Warren and Sweat plywood climber (remember those) about a 100 yards where I had seen a yearling 6 point come from in the morning. I had yet to harvest my first deer either with gun or bow and I really felt like the evenings hunt held promise. I had gotten into hunting only after taking up archery 5 years prior and deciding to take on the challenge of live game. I considered myself a pretty good shot withthat old Golden Eagle Turbo Hawk but my woodsmanship skills were as green as a field of winter wheat. I was shooting 125 gr. Thunderheads on 2413's at around 62 pounds...less than 200 fps, boys, but some serious KE!

I ascended my tree as quietly as possible and pullled my bow up. I nocked an arrow and scanned the old field. It had been planted in pine trees but they were harvested and now the new treees were in competition with every thing else that grows in this central region of Virginia south of Charlottesville. While catching my breath and getting settled in for a wait till darkness I caught a flash of light from the cutover. Again I saw it in the waning daylight but this time I made recognition--a buck was making a rub! Mesmermized, I continued to watch the show as the young buck slowly made it toward the trail which circumnavigated the field. Starting to breathe harder I realized this may be the one as soon he might turn left or right with right being right to my shooting lane. He did, and not wanting to get busted for the upteen milionith time, I drew at first possible opportunity reckoning that is why I had 65% let off wheels. Soon after the buck hung up- I think now he must have come across my scent trail--aren't rubber boots invisible to a deer's nose? Finally, as I trembled from holding the bow for what seemed like ever, he proceeded to walk slowly broadside in front of me at 15 yards and SMACK I let the T-head fly. He bucked like a bronco and then took off like shot out of a cannon and I could barely stand up for all the excitement and disbelief. I did hear some kicking and thrashing in the leaves about 10 second after I shot but at the time wasn't sure what that was. I waited and tried tracking him to no avail but got some help later and with the help of a lantern and an experience tracker we found him not 40 yards behind my stand although he had run a good 100 yard 1/2 circle. I had heart shot my first deer with the arrow snapping after hitting the off shoulder and him bolting. We found the broadhead and 5 inches of shaft in his chest cavity while gutting. And a bowhunter was born! And that all happened roughly 20 years ago and now I have a 13 y/o who has taken his first with a bow while I stood next to him and watched and a 10 year old who is a pretty good shot who will be videoing us this fall and hunting with us once he can pull 40 lbs. and "qualify" in the backyard like his brother did. :darkbeer:

 

[ILLbucknut]

The morning of Oct. 25 2004

I had left home on the afternoon before to set a stand in the same area for a hunting friend of mine. I scouted nearly all afternoon finding a good spot in hopes he would intecept a nice buck. After setting the stand I went and set up camp for the night thinking about the stand I had just set. The next morning Steve showed up about an hour before light and we dressed and headed into the timber along a creek bed to our stands. Now... I'll take you back to the days leading up to that morning. I had been hunting this area for a good week prior and had moved my stand 5 times trying to get within range of a P&Y buck. I had seen him several times, but he would enter this staging area from a few different trails. He came with'in 35yrds several times, but the shot did'nt feel right, so I held out knowing I might get a shot if I remained patiant and watched the wind. O.K. ....Back to our walk in the creek bed.
After a 30min. walk we finally reached my stand, I turned and asked Steve " Do you wanna just hunt my stand?, that way you dont have to search for the stand I set up yesterday." Knowing that I was on this big deer, he said NO and I pointed him towards the stand. I got settled in and watched the sun rise over the cut corn field behind me, the wind perfect for the set-up and the morning could'nt have been any better. As I sat in my stand I watched a yearling buck dogg'in a doe, passing 10yrds from my tree. I thought " what a great start".
As those 2 deer left the area I caught a glimps of 4 deer moving from my right to left 80yrds, out in the open grass field in front of me. As I looked I could see that 2 were nice 8pts and 1 nice 10pt, the other taking up the rear of the pack was my 13pt drop tine. The 2 8's worked their way toward me as the 13 and 10 kept moving to an opening in the field were the creek was. My heart just droped, thinking no way. Well, the biggest 8pt was near 140" so I planned on going ahead and taking him. As he made his way into my lane I drew, lined up the shoot and took a last look around, the 13 had turned and started making his way toward my direction to meet up with the other bucks. I let down my draw and waited. All I could imagine is he smelt our foot prints in the creek where we walked and did'nt like it. He came in too freshen up a scrape about 25yrds from my stand, perfect shot, I cant remember drawing or even releasing the arrow. The arrow hit him right behind the shoulder and fell out as he turned to run. Agian, I thought no way, what did I hit?
By then I was shaking so bad I had to get out of my tree, afraid I was going to shake myself out. I sat at the bottem of the tree and settled down for 30min. I went and got Steve telling him I had just shot that monster that I had been on. We went and found the arrow, 5" or 6" of penatration is all I had gotten. We looked for blood as we made our way in the direction he had ran. We found no blood, I was sick to my stomach, I almost puked..really! We stood and talked for several minutes telling him that I would never get another shot at a deer like him the rest of my life,and I decided we should check the creek about 100yrds away where I had last seen him. Steve went ahead and walked to the creek as I kept looking for sign.
All I could hear was Steve yelling "Wooo Hooo.Joe...Joe... he's a toad". I was in shock and just stood there in the field not believing him, then I took off running his way like a liitle girl running through the tall grass. I got to the edge of the creek and all I could see was blood everywhere, then I seen Steve with A big grin on his face standind next too my trophy.
I was in awe, he was beautiful. I could not help it as a tear ran down the side of my cheek, I had finally shot my first buck with a bow and it only took 5yrs. My eyes water as I type this story, I was on top of the world and I will remember that moment for the rest of my life. Emotions ran, as I called my wife first off, telling her what happened. She could feel the excitment and I think she shed a tear or two knowing how heard I had worked to get to that point and the passion I have for the sport.

I love this sport with all my heart and my son has taken his first deer, passing on the love of the sport and the outdoors.

 

[12ptDropTine]

Please excuse my spelling..typo's and whatever else I may mess up.... I just started deer hunting in 2000.... I am now almost 52 years old. I was never interested in deer hunting , since where I lived seeing them was about an everyother day thing... I never percieved it as a challenge... Never even shotgunned for them. I loved to rabbit and squirrel hunt... That wasmy boyhood passion. But in 1999 my sone brought me home a used pse nove. Told me he had always done whatever I hade wanted him to... And that now I was going to take up archery with him.... I tried to tell him that my shoulders hurt to bad to even think about a bow... I am thankful he kept after me.. The cam's on the nova killed my shoulder's. We went to every shop around so as I could find a bow that didnt hurt to shoot.... We found and setteled on a Martin Rage with the fusion cam... Set it @58 lbs got some 310 gr arrows... It was fast...280fps with a 27 draw... Fun to shoot cause it didnt hurt. Took up 3d in 99... Still enjoying it. I didnt feel competitent enough to hunt in 99...so came 2000.... Oct 1 here in Illinois... Hunted hard the first 11 days... anywhere I could hunt... had all my Scentblocker... and all. Didnt know anything about hunting the wind or the such.. Even seen a couple deer the first time out.. Just couldnt make the shot... Stuff in the way... But better as not to have shot her anyway.. she had a yearling with her... I never regretted it .. I got to watch them for awhile. But anyway... I was getting pretty frustrated cause I wasnt seeing anymore deer... Then my son's best friend called me up and asked me if I would like to go with him to his "spot".....I couldnt say yes fast enough... Got there and we were walking . I seen this tree that seemed to have all the trails convergein; on it .like a major intersection. He didnt like the spot.... I put my Lone wolf handclimber(terrible choice for a chubby guy)...started climbing... got tangled up... fell...stand banged and clanged together.sounded like a kid beating on a wash tub... landed on my butt kerthud!! thinking to myself.. He aint never going to invite me anymore.... pulled myself together...got up the tree never seen a thing. WONDER WHY ???. Got out of the tree... Told him how sorry I was for the mis-hao..and ruining his hunt also... He was 40 yds away. He was a real good sport about it... So I thanked him for letting me tag along and went on home. Embarased....... The next evening I was debating on where to go. The phone rang. It was Brad......Hey man you wanna go and give it another shot? I gant get my gear fast enough... It was 75 degrees that day.. I was hunting in lightweight shorts and a T shirt, Under my Scentblocker. Went to the same tree... started climbing... Got up to 10 feet. Got out my Gerber saw to trim some limbs to climb on up.... Droppedthe saw .bang &clang on the way down. Ok no problem..Now I KNOW I am never going to get invited back... So I sit there and pout... Trying to be a man about it.. Then I see movement to my left.It has antler's... OMG a buck !!! He is right under Brad's stand... I am thinking shoot...shoot...!! But he never even see's the deer... He is 28 feet in the air and the leave's are thick enough he cant see right down in front of himself.... I grunted a couple times to get his attention... No luck.. So I think he is 35 yds away so I decide to shoot him.... I gave it my best shot.... As the arrow flys on over his shoulder. I see Brad about fall out of his stand... Scared him terrible he says.. he whisper;s loudly... 'Did you get one"... I replied no.... I missed But I gave thanks to god for letting me see something... He ran off to safer ground. Now all my hunting buddies had told me that if you miss....and dont scare them to bad they might come back and see what that noise was. About 20 min later I hear a squirrel chattering..and guess what ?? About 90 yds down wind of me... I see him sneaking back... He come's right on the trail that lead's to my tree.... At about 30 yds he went behind a tree... I think.. now is the time to stand up.... Then at 29 yds he goe's behind some large bush's.. I think now I should draw.... then he goe's down through the little washout and starts up... And looks right at me...ear's perk up .... nose goe's in the air... I am looking at a quartering towards shot... It is all I am going to get... I see him getting lower like he is loading up to bolt.... I think NO!!! he starts to drop ... The bow goe's off... I se him run off with my arrow waveing as he runs... I hear him crash and then thrash... I am sure he is down... Brad says stay put? Gotta give him @least 20 minutes to be sure. By the way "Are you sure you hit him" I am confident... Yeah... I got him this time. In the meantime I am down the tree.... And doing laps around it... He FINALY gets down and over to where I am and says "Lets go find him"... We follow the trail... Right to him. About 65 yds.. He is down ! When we get to him... I cant count... I tried numerous time's.I cant count.. So I say Brad you count him for me... He counts them and says rather somberly.... He is a 12 point...with a droptine. I aks what is a droptine... He explains... I ask .. Is that good?.... Then we notice something on his face... A cut... and then along his neck... a slight cut and the hair cut just like you would trim your daughter's bangs.... Then we figured it out... When he dropped the arrow hit him in the nose... halfway betweeen the eye and the nosetip... cut along his neck... right through the top of his left lung... and through his liver.... He is my first and most memorable deer... On my wall.... killed on the 12th of October the 12th time I had hunted Oct 12 2000..... Thank You Brad.... And to my son Corey....For bringing tha dern thing home for father's day...P:S: My wife got a bagel slicer for mother's day Drop

 

[urahicks2]

Great Stories Guys... Good IL boys and awesome stories!!!!
Do any of you guys from IL ever hunt Site M???

 

[12ptDropTine]

dont even know where that is... I hunt private ground

 

[urahicks2]

dont even know where that is... I hunt private ground

Site M or Jim Edgar State park.... by Chandlerville... by Plesant Plains.. its like 15k acres of public hunting ground.. and has huge bucks on it!!!!

 

[ILLbucknut]

Site M or Jim Edgar State park.... by Chandlerville... by Plesant Plains.. its like 15k acres of public hunting ground.. and has huge bucks on it!!!!

I hunted it a few times, seen more hunter than deer, never go back.

BTW, the buck in my story above was killed on public ground....no not JEPC.

 

[urahicks2]

we go up every nov 1st for 10 days.. and there are others there but never had a problem with any other hunters.. my best friend 4 years ago shot a 173 inch and a 151 and I have seen some huge bucks there while hunting! Just havent been as lucky as my friend LOL!!!