I have resided in Western Pennsylvania for my entire life and have made it a point to archery hunt every free second I have. But, believe it or not, my encounters with record-book Whitetails have been few and far between. That is not to say I didn’t have my opportunities, but they were hard earned and I always managed not to capitalize on every opportunity. The stories of the ones that got away far outweigh those of the bucks that hang on my walls. I have taken several good bucks with my bow, along with a few not-so-good ones in my early days. Keep in mind that there is a reason one makes a trip half way across this great country: The obsession to claim a monster fall monarch that all hunters dream of. Big Eric, my father, and I have this very obsession. This passion lead us to Illinois (once again) in an attempt to bag a book buck like those that have plagued my nightmares from the all the big ones that have gotten away in years past.
This year would be different for many reasons, especially for me. Those out there who are serious about this sport understand that every time you step into the woods a new learning experience awaits, especially if you miss out on an opportunity of a life time. I’ve watched too many book bucks walk away when the opportunity to arrow them was present. I didn’t take the opportunity, though, because I always waited for the perfect shot. You know – quartering away, eating and standing still with his eyes closed. Experienced hunters know that the ideal shot and situation only happen about 1/10 th of the time; the rest of the time I now believe (after watching too many book bucks pass me by) that you can sacrifice the perfect shot for one that will enable you to take the deer in a sportsman-like fashion. Chances are, you’ll never see the monster again so taking the shot will at least leave you feeling like you tried, but keep in mind I am not condoning bad shots that will wound the animal. I practice with my bow year round and have done so since the age of four. I do everything to prepare myself for the unknown situation that I will be faced with once in the fall woods. There is no luck, luck is preparation meeting opportunity .
It was November 1, 2005 and I was sitting in a tree in Illinois only 50 yards away from the stand where I previously missed two book bucks just one year ago (and saw six others). The spot was beautiful, with several large draws feeding down the hill from the bedding area to the fields. The stand sat on a bench that that cuts across the bottom of the draws. During the rut, bucks travel across these draws in an effort to catch the scent of a hot doe traveling up and down the draw. So I sat in the stand telling myself the entire time to stay focused because these big bucks appear out of no where and disappear as fast as they appeared.
It was a warm afternoon shortly after 4 o’clock when I looked up the hill and saw a horse of a deer feeding only 80 yards away. Even though he hadn’t picked up his head, I reached for my bow. When his head rose I saw more horn than I was ready for. I ranged the trail he was on at 45 yards, well within my range, so I squared myself for the shot. He stopped at the crossroad in the trail where he could either turn and come right to me or continue on the trail 45 yards out. I didn’t want to draw too early, so I waited for his next move. Unfortunately, hindsight proved that I waited too long. He continued on his trial and I drew, hit my anchor, and attempted to set the pin. However, I ran into a problem: once I set the pin on the monster it was sitting right on his chest and he was still walking. Due to the fact that he was walking, I needed to lead him by a foot or so at that distance. Realizing this quickly, I passed on the shot and let him walk for a few paces while I reached for my calls. First I grunted, which caused him to stop, but only for a second. Then, I doe bleated, but nothing. Finally, I slapped some horns together, but to no avail: the monster disappeared into the Osage trees. I greatly regret that I didn’t take the initial shot I was presented with.
But, during my initial anger at my own haste, I heard a snort wheeze right beside me. I turned my head to see another nice buck standing only 25 yards away, munching on acorns and looking in the direction where the monster had just disappeared. I was completely unprepared, of course. My bow was hanging and he was coming into my bad side. I was going to have to stand and turn 180 degrees to get into position to take a solid shot. This hunt turned into the chess match I love so much, I was just waiting for him to make a mistake and I was doing everything not to.
He turned to look behind him and I reached for my bow and stood all in one move. The buck then continued right at me until he was standing only 8 yards away. This was one of the most nerve-racking situations I had ever been in because he then proceeded to stand right under me and lip cur. All the while, he was looking right at me but never knew it. This went on for over two minutes, while I did everything I could to tell myself to stand still, but those two minutes felt like hours. Finally, he took a jump to a near-by trail and I used that opportunity to draw. He was walking away from me at 28 yards, when I let the arrow fly. I hit him behind the last rib and the arrow exited thru his opposite front shoulder. The shot was a little low and I caught the bottom of the liver and heart.
We tracked him for over 300 yards that night and jumped him once. We decided to let him lay for the night and pass in peace. At first light we found him laying dead only 20 yards from where we last saw him. He was a main frame 8 point with sticker points on each of his G 2’s. He turned out to be a legit 9 point with a 20+ inch spread that scored 129+ gross P&Y. Although this prize was well worth the hunt, I still couldn’t shake the disappointment of missing out on the monster.
After taking care of my buck, Big Eric and I decided we should put a stand where I saw the monster the night before. While my Dad ate lunch, I went out and found a little pin oak up the hill that was located a little further from my stand. Just by where the big boy walked past the night before. It was the only tree where I could put a stand but it was the perfect spot. Now all we needed was for the impossible to happen… for that buck to come back through again, a rare occurrence. It seemed as though it was clockwork, though, because that same big buck strolled thru only five minutes later than the night before – right down the same trail! Big Eric simply doesn’t miss, especially a buck like that, and at 4:15 pm Big Eric arrowed him with a perfect double lung shot and the buck ran down to the field and died gracefully. The fall monarch turned out to be a 13 point that scored 150+ gross P&Y and qualified for non-typical scoring on account that every tine split. The fact that I passed on the shot ensured that buck felt comfortable with his travel pattern and led him down the same trail. That, my friends, is what archery hunting is all about.
Good Hunting,
Michael
