Better late than never

[Kurtish]

I just finished up my 10 day bowhunting vacation here in Wisconsin. Had a great time this week with my dad and brother in law trying to catch up with some rutting bucks. November 1st through the 5th was really rocking but i was having trouble getting within bowrange of any good deer. The 6th through the 8th was tough with most of the big boys paired up with does and mainly just young bucks out crusing. So it came down to the evening of the 8th, my final bowhunt for the regular archery season and i was going to bank on one spot on my dad's farm. It's a draw that was clearcut 5 years ago and the whole hillside is basically blocked off with the old tops. All except for one slot that we opened near the bottom to get the 4 wheeler through. I knew the bucks liked to cruise through that little slot from observations in the past years. So i slipped in and hung my stand at 11:00am and climbed in at noon. Being that i had just hung the stand i opted to not cut any shooting lanes to lessen my disturbance on any nearby deer. Knowing that i only had a couple of really good open lanes to shoot from i decided to throw an apple core in my best opening in hopes that it would get a deer to stop there and allow for a clean shot. Well when i threw the apple core i didn't account for it's ability to roll down hill 15 feet right behind some brush. I had a feeling that it might bite me in the end but i figured that it wasn't worth geting down for. I sat till 4:15 without seeing a single deer and with the sun slipping under the horizon i figured i would be eating buck tag soup. Just then i heard footsteps coming towards me about a hundred yards away on the hillside. I got stood up and ready and i seen him coming, he worked his way through the cut in the treetops and was coming towards me at a steady pace. I drew back when he was behind the tree that i was sitting in and wouldn't you know it he stops to smell the apple core that accidentally ended up right behind some thick brush. I held for a minute or so before he turned his head which gave me an opportunity to let down. Well after he had stood behind that brush for nearly 5 minutes, he finally started to move into my shooting lane. I drew and mouth bleated to stop him at 12 yards and sent my arrow through both lungs with the arrow stopping in his offside shoulder. He only made it about 30 yards before going down. It was a great week to be in the woods and i'm happy that i was able to close the deal in my final hour of the season.
[attachment=46612:jessies1.jpg]

[Kurtish]

Here's the one that got away.
[attachment=46613:jessies2.jpg]

On the 3rd i drove to my 21 acre farm to sit for the evening and when i pulled in at 2:00 in the afternoon this big brute was on my CRP field. I sat and glassed him and took pictures for 20 some minutes without him ever leaving the field. I ended up driving out to where i could get the wind in my face and try to slip in on him. I ended up coming to the point where he had been standing and didn't see any sign of him. I waited and glassed looking for him but never picked him out until i started to slip across the field towards my stand....he had moved about 40 yards and was bedded with a doe. She bounded out upon seeing me and i watched this stud follow her right out of my life. Saying i was dejected was an understatement but at least i got pictures of him.

[BelchFire]

Kurtish, I'm speechless. (and that's rare)

Both of those are fine bucks by any standards. And I'm impressed with your determination and perseverance. I like the CRP buck but I sure wouldn't be sneezing at the one you ventilated. He's a stud too! Great Job!!!!

[Arrowhead]

Congratulations. Those are both great deer. Fine archery trophy.

[empa]

wow great bucks!

[Chenango Dave]

Congrats Kurtish - thats one hell of a buck anybody would be happy with. Nothing like waiting till the last hour of the last day of the season. Persistance does pay off. When does your gun season open? and can you get another buck during gun season? If so - good luck, I can't wait to see what you'll get with a gun.

[Gomer76825]

great buck congrats. Love the scenery in the background.

[Kurtish]

Thanks for the kind words everyone. Chenango, our gun season opens on the 17th and i can take another buck in the rifle or muzzleloader season. I'm really not much of a rifle hunter....mainly just go to for the comraderie, and to hang out with family at our cabin. I'm definitely not opposed to knockin down a big un' with the gun, but i like to hold out for muzzleloader season to get out there when the woods quiets down again.

[inchr48]

Kurtish, I'm only in my first year bow-hunting, but I'd have to say that is an archery trophy buck by my standards! Glad you got to snap an arrow on him.

We have a one buck/season reg' here in Indiana. I'd like to get one with my bow, but will use other options if I can't get within range.

I ran out of daylight a couple hunts ago, to getting a shot at a doe. Haven't spotted my buck-of-the-year since August. Firearms opens the 17th also here.

Tonight driving home from a field trial with our dogs, we spotted 12-15 deer at last light that would have given me a 10-12 yard shot from one of my stands. Will be out there the rest of the season to hopefully send a 100gr. Montec downrange.

Again, Congratulations on a fine WT Buck.

Off Topic: Do any Musky hunting in your area? I got two on my trip to the Chippewa Flowage in September.

[madhunter]

That is a great buck, congratulations. Good luck on the CRP buck during gun season if you choose to go after him.

[THE ROMAN ARCHER]

con http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-faces-toast-beers.gif grats Kurtish on the excellent whitetail bow http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-deer.gif http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/archer-green.gif kill buck, nice body size for sure and i know thats some tasty venison http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-cheeburga-yellow.gif too. how lucky you are to have such fine bucks pass through your 20 acers! sometimes its all about the right time and right place when whitetail hunting! what type of head and shaft brought the young brute down?.........tra

[Kurtish]

Thanks again guys

Inchr48 best of luck to ya with the rest of your bowseason...hopefully that group of deer will show up when your in your stand. There&#39;s nothing sweeter than having them close when they have no idea that you&#39;re looking down your sights at them. Yeah i do quite a bit of musky fishing locally, i&#39;ve never fished the chippewa flowage much but i know it&#39;s one heck of a fishery. I fish the Black River right near my home and it has a ton of muskies, smallmouth, and walleye. it&#39;s pretty much all bank fishing but a guy could float a canoe or kayak down it. Didn&#39;t catch any whoppers this year but i did get into quite a few fish.

TRA I was using the 100gr. rage 2 blade with a gold tip 5575. I&#39;ve been really pleased with the rage expandable this year. They worked great for me and really leave a devastating hole.

[Bullfrog 31581]

Unless I overlooked it in an earlier post, did you get to weigh that deer? His body looks huge. Congrats on a good harvest! http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-faces-toast-beers.gif

[Kurtish]

Bullfrog, i didn&#39;t get to weigh him but he was only a 2 1/2 yr old buck...probably weighed about 170-180 on the hoof. He had more fat on him then i&#39;ve ever seen on a buck during the rut. Two years ago i shot a buck on november 8th and he didn&#39;t have an ounce of fat on him. This guy definitely hadn&#39;t burned up his fat reserves when i shot him.

[Brettski]

congrats on a great buck!....I too gave a thought on the rage expandables very large entry and exit holes

[jhuhtala]

Heck of a buck Kurtish, nothing like getting one in the bottom of the ninth. Congrats!

[guyintx]

thats a great buck congrats. and good luck with the CRP buck