My Dec 2017 Buck

[Partikle]

I checked out the weather forecast at the beginning of the week and Wednesday the 20th looked like the day to be out in the woods, clear and just a couple of degrees below zero. I booked the day off work and got to my tree at 11:00am where I took my summit tree climber up to about 22 feet and got settled in for a 6 hour sit. I had selected a funnel location between a couple of clearings where the deer seemed to travel during daylight hours. I had a small 8 on my camera and an old 10 point with really short tines, maybe 3 or 4 inches max, but no other bucks on my camera. Over the next 5 hours I saw 10 does and fawns passing by the area. About 3:45 that afternoon the small 8 from my camera passed by out of range, I wasn't too worried as I would have let him grow anyway. Then at 4:15 I saw movement over my right shoulder. A large doe was coming along a trail about 20 yards to my right side, behind her was a smaller doe and then behind her I could see some horn. I slowly moved my exomax to my right side and looked through the scope to see a decent set of horns and I knew right away I wanted him. It was going to be a bit of a difficult shot as I had my left (wrong) hand on the trigger and my right hand holding the front of the bow. As the buck crossed my shooting lane, I didn't even blee and he stopped broadside on his own. Within 1 second I let my slicktrick fly and hoped my wrong hand shot was steady. He did the donkey kick and ran a few steps and then slowed down to a walk. He stopped about 30 yards in front of me and then laid down for about 2 mins and slowly got up started walking away. I could see the blood in the white snow and waited about 5 mins before I descend the tree. I walked back to my truck to drop off my gear and then came back to where I last saw him. It was about 4:45 now and light was fading but he had only went about 20 yards and fell over. My arrow flew perfectly and got him right behind his left shoulder and through both lungs. He has a broken brow tine but it tells a story and gives him some character. He is only my second crossbow buck ever, my first was almost exactly 10 years ago to the day. That bow still has the original string on it and shoots as well today as it did the first day I had it. Thanks Excalibur!

Here is how he looked when I walked up on him:


And here he is with the happy hunter.

[janesy]

Very nice!

[wabi]

Nice!
Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[vixenmaster]

Mighty fine deer congrats to you on him

[SEW]

Very nice! Great narrative.

[quake]

Congratulations! Nice little read and a really nice Buck! My hat's off to all of you Brothers and Sisters up there in the far North, I don't know how you guys sit out there all day in those sub-zero temps, I seem to freeze to death when the temps get down in the teens here in Indiana! Great job man.

[W.Miguire]

Nice buck, congrats.
W.M.

[rossh]

Very nice man , way to go . Nice early Xmas present .
One week left here for to get mine . Luck

[bobcattrapper]

Very nice buck!

[Timbrhuntr]

Nice and congrats !

[gerald strine]

Oh Yea nice buck way to hang in their. great harvest congratulations.

[Reinyrooster]

Very nice!

[L. E. Carroll]

Very nice ! Congratulations
Gene

[xbowrook]

congrats... great buck and nice story.. i love hearing the stories as much as i love to see the pics... congrats..

[xcaliber]

Nice buck, congrats!