The biggest buck of my life was “only” an eight pointer but it was a thick, wide antler. Also, it's body was big and heavy. I wish I would have weighed it but I guess that it came in at 200 lbs if it weighed an ounce.
It was a deer hunt that almost didn't happen. I had just gotten back from elk hunting in Montana and because of the expense of that trip had decided that I would not spend money on another non-resident license. So, I showed up at deer camp just to hang out with the crew determined to be the camp cook. My uncles-in-law, however, had a different idea. They decided to pool their resources and pay for my tag. I was very happy to receive this kind gift. However, since I had long missed the application date for a doe tag I was buck hunting only. Because of this restriction the opening weekend came and went with no venison on the pole for me.
This left the next, final weekend. For reasons which I don't remember now, my schedule only allowed one half of a day available to try and tag a buck. Also, I had already winterized my cabin so if I did go I'd be relying on the hospitality of brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Charlie and Rachel. I got there Friday night and was shown to my room for the night. As I laid my head on the pillow I realized that Rachel was a fan of Snuggle fabric softener. The aroma was strong and pervasive. I thought, “Man am I going to smell up the woods in the morning!”.
I got up before the sun in the morning and headed to the same tree stand I wrote about in the story of 'The Bedded Down Buck'. I sat for a couple of hours there but I didn't like the unusual east wind that was happening that day which was blowing my Snuggle scent towards the best bedding area. That, plus my need to make something happen because of my limited schedule convinced me to try a walk about.
I decided to sneak over towards the southeast end of the Blueberry Swamp. In the past I had been able to get up to the edge of the area and scare up a deer bedded there. I was hoping that if that happened again to be able to get a quick shot off. My plan actually worked well in that there was a deer there except for the part about me getting a shot off. I watched the deer's white flag run straight up the other side of the crevice and then head to the left.
Coincidentally, I had just read an article by Gary Clancy about what a hunter should do in such a circumstance. He said you should determine which direction the deer turns (to the right or left) and then head that direction yourself and try to catch him circling around on you. So, I determined to give this method a try.
I walked about 100 yards to the left and then slowly hunted my way towards the direction I saw the deer run. When I got to the far end of Charlie's property I was sneaking around and peaked around the left side of a pine tree over towards the direction of the Blueberry Swamp. Suddenly I saw a deer moving quickly down the far hill into the valley below between us. I remember saying to myself: “there's a deer, it's moving towards me and it's a big buck!”
I got my gun up and moved the cross hairs unto his body as he passed left to right in the valley below me, probably 80 yards out. At the shot the deer suddenly spun to the right and started running up the same hill I was on but I lost sight of him. I ran to the right around the pine tree to try and get another shot off and was almost run over by the buck! He and I were extremely startled and I shot again as he slammed on the brakes and did a 180. That shot was so rushed, however, that I doubt if I even got my rifle up to my shoulder. I quickly ran the lever of my Savage Model 99 another time and shot a third time as he disappeared over the far side into the woods.
Wow, I could not believe all that had just occurred in the last minute and a half! I checked my watch, determined not to push the deer until at least 20 minutes had passed just in case one of those shots had connected. I did, however, walk down to where the deer stood when I took my first shot. I was able to find his track in the nice fresh snow and also found some fur and blood. I did get a bullet into that deer!
I waited there the allotted 20 minutes, then started following the blood trail, and followed and followed. I could tell he was hit well, a good amount of blood and foot prints that were obviously stressed. I kept expecting to find him crumpled up at any time but I tracked that deer for nearly ½ mile until his trail went into the Pine Plantation on the opposite end of Charlie's land. Fortunately, I only walked a few steps into the Pines when I finally found him lying dead in the snow. What a great sight!
Normally, a shot deer will bed down somewhere within 100 yards and watch his trail, then die in his bed. But I think that when we had our near collision, he felt motivated to get as much space as possible between him and me. When I found him it was obvious that he had never bedded down, but just fell over dead in his own tracks. When I field dressed this big buck I was very surprised that while none of my other shots had connected, my first trigger pull was a perfect shot and had passed clean through his chest cavity. I could not believe that he was able to run full speed up one hill, turn and run back down and up another, then walk half a mile before expiring. What a strong, bull of a deer, … the biggest buck of my life!
