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Pop's did it!!! (Long read) #5993804 10/25/15 10:27 PM
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txshntr Offline OP
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My father, BIL and I made the trip up to the lease. Unless something changes (or unless we kill out in Kansas), my father and I will probably not be back out to this lease until Thanksgiving.

We have had some nice deer on camera, but nothing like we were hoping for. One of the theories is that we are seeing the result of the drought 4-6 years ago and are seeing that in the mature deer and the smaller antlers in those age classes. We didn't get the rain that most the state did this Spring, but we still had good rain. The Summer dried up like it did everywhere and the pastures aren't in the best condition. This has made corn a high commodity and we have had some great hunts with plenty of deer each set. We do have a few nice deer running around and have been putting our limited time into hunting these.

Since this is the last weekend that we would be there for awhile, it was time to get serious...but the weather wasn't very cooperative. Again, we didn't get the rain that most the State saw this weekend and we didn't even get the rain that our neighbors did. It became a joke that there was a High pressure zone sitting over the ranch. You could watch the storms literally split around us. Problem was, those cells made the wind unpredictable and kept me out of two of my favorite sets bang

I was only able to work in 2 hunts were I got to sit out. Since the wind changed, I let my BIL hunt one of my stands that has a nice 8 coming in and decided to sit in the rifle blind and watch my dad try to kill his kicker deer.

Turned out to be one of those hunts that I will remember for a long time.

We have had pictures of an 8 pointer with 2 kickers coming into this stand since September. Dad will typically see him 3 to 5 hunts a weekend, but hasn't been able to connect. He has plenty of video, but the right shot just hasn't been there. He had one shot opportunity, but it only lasted about 7 seconds and he hesitated.

Saturday night, it couldn't have been planned any better. Pop's got set up in the bow blind and I settled into the rifle blind. Within 20 minutes, some doe and a nice 8 pointer showed up. More deer were moving in, so I pulled out the video camera to find that he hadn't charged it bang No problem, just used my redneck zoom (phone and binoculars) and snapped a few pictures and took some video.

About 30-40 minutes into the hunt, I noticed a buck come over the north ridge and was working down the fence line. Didn't take but a quick look and I knew it was the buck that we were waiting on. He still had to make it in without anything happening, he had to get on our side of the tall fence and then he had to leave the feeder and go to the chum pile...which had been the issue in the past.

He came on down the fence line and started feeding across the fence. Didn't take long and he moved off to the south and jumped the fence but went straight back into the feeder pen. The waiting game had begun...

More deer had showed up by this time. Finally, I caught a mature deer coming out of the woods. He came up and was the dominant buck, and pushed our buck off the feeder. His only option was the chum pile.

Part of the chum pile was blocked from my view, so I couldn't see what was going on. I was waiting to hear the shot and trying to watch both sides of the bow blind to see which way the deer went so I could mark the trail as best I could.

The waiting was exciting. I wasn't sure how well I would be able to hear the shot or how quick I would be able to pick the buck out when he broke loose, because he was going to be mixed in with alot of deer.

Seemed like forever, but all of a sudden, I heard all kinds of noise. Sounded like someone ran into a fence post and rattled the fence. Not really sure what just happened, deer bolted everywhere, except the 8 in the feed pen and two doe across the fence. I marked the deer I was supposed too and he made it about 50 yards before he stopped to look back. I am guessing that the deer remaining there and the mature deer already feeding again made him decide it was his imagination because him and 8 other deer started working their way back in.

I couldn't believe it. He was going to get a second chance! The deer came in to the North side of the chum pile and I could see him this time. I didn't realize at the time, but Dad couldn't see real well that far over, but I couldn't figure out why he wasn't shooting. That is when the noise from before came back into my mind and I began to worry that maybe my Dad's bow had done something and he could be hurt. I decided to wait a little longer, but wasn't going to give it too much time. The more time past, the more I began to worry...That was when the second shot went off. I could see his luminock fly and connect. The deer dropped in its track, spun once and made three leaps off the front end off to the north.

I turned my redneck camera back on and started filming again. Dad waited a few minutes, got out of his stand and worked his way over to the deer. The deer gave a few good attempts at leaving, but couldn't get his rear behind him. I finally got the wave that he was done, so I headed that way. Dad met me halfway back and said the deer was done. Said the hit looked good but must have turned up and hit the spine. Said it was broke down on the rear and had blood pouring out the front. We went to the truck to celebrate and drink a DP before going back to collect his trophy.

We make it back to the deer but the deer isn't there....What the...We start looking around and are losing light fast. We knew he couldn't make it far, so we just started walking a quick grid. Didn't take long before we called in reinforcements and flashlights. A few hours of tracking and searching made us realize that something wasn't right. Light drizzle had started, so we called in the dog man. He wanted $500 to come out wtf We tried to find another dog, but never did.

To say it was a restless night would be an understatement. We thought over the shot, my video of Dad approaching the animal, and replayed it over and over. We tried to come up different scenarios or theories, but nothing was sticking. So this morning, we hit the woods and started looking. We had four on the ground and Ramsey on a 4 wheeler. We set up a grid and worked out 300 yards in each direction. Once that was done, we spread and went down hill to start another grid. I sent Ramsey to start on one side of the power lines off the 4 wheeler and we ran grid on the other side. Hope was dwindling quickly.

We had two more sweeps to make and head back toward the stand when we heard Ramsey yell. We made it over to him to find that the deer wasn't dead. He had made it about 600-700 yards and his back end was still broke down. He was weak but still had some fight left in him. We were able to dispatch him.

Overall, was a memorable hunt riddled with plenty of "what-ifs" and "coulda, woulda, shoulda," but in the end, we had a great "father/son" hunt and ended up recovering the deer.





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Re: Pop's did it!!! (Long read) [Re: txshntr] #5993810 10/25/15 10:29 PM
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Man that's a great deer and great read. Congrats.

Re: Pop's did it!!! (Long read) [Re: txshntr] #5993831 10/25/15 10:39 PM
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Great buck! Great story

Re: Pop's did it!!! (Long read) [Re: txshntr] #5993832 10/25/15 10:40 PM
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great buck and write up.

Glad everything worked out and what a memory y'all will have. cheers

Re: Pop's did it!!! (Long read) [Re: SapperTitan] #5993833 10/25/15 10:40 PM
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Originally Posted By: SapperTitan
Man that's a great deer and great read. Congrats.


Awesome! up


Originally Posted by Sneaky
I believe in science and I’m an insufferable [censored]
Originally Posted by beaversnipe
Actually, BBC is pretty damn good

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Re: Pop's did it!!! (Long read) [Re: txshntr] #5993834 10/25/15 10:40 PM
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Well done on finding your dad's deer. Nice buck and story.

Last edited by Old Rabbit; 10/25/15 10:48 PM.
Re: Pop's did it!!! (Long read) [Re: txshntr] #5993858 10/25/15 10:51 PM
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Good story and congrats. Way to stick with the search.


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Re: Pop's did it!!! (Long read) [Re: txshntr] #5993865 10/25/15 10:54 PM
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I couldn't stop reading txshntr, great story. And mucho grats to your dad. NICE buck!!!

Re: Pop's did it!!! (Long read) [Re: texasspazzman] #5993886 10/25/15 11:09 PM
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Actually probably worked out better that you found him alive, meat still good.

Great kill.

Re: Pop's did it!!! (Long read) [Re: txshntr] #5993894 10/25/15 11:12 PM
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txshntr Offline OP
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Thanks everyone!!

One part I left out was the noise that spooked the deer the first time, when I couldn't see the deer he was after...as it turned out, Dad had forgot to lock his drop away rest in the up position. Only thing we can think is that the arrow was off to the side when the drop away locked itself on the draw. He had shot the front of his blind about 2' below the window. Said it scared the snot out of him and he really thought that a cable or something had broke on his bow rofl

What made that part even better is that Dad has over 50 years of experienced and has killed numerous animals. He has killed 4 over 150" and has a 190" ten on the wall...but he still gets excited over the smaller deer at our Texas place. Kind of funny to me, because I saw someone post on here before I left about "people's thin horned pitly deer". Not saying this deer is anything to shake a stick at, but when put up against some of the great deer people shoot and even the deer on my Dad's wall, he isn't as big. Truly shows that a trophy is all in the eye of the beholder and it is more than the amount of antlers on his head cheers


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Re: Pop's did it!!! (Long read) [Re: cameron00] #5993899 10/25/15 11:13 PM
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Originally Posted By: cameron00
Actually probably worked out better that you found him alive, meat still good.

Great kill.


Yes sir. Unfortunately true. Meat was still good and not sure we would have found him if he hadn't of tried to move.


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Re: Pop's did it!!! (Long read) [Re: txshntr] #5993901 10/25/15 11:13 PM
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Congrats on the hunt and harvest.




Re: Pop's did it!!! (Long read) [Re: txshntr] #5993921 10/25/15 11:22 PM
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you just described why we hunt - grandchild, spouse, parent - does not matter - great story and one you will take with you to your grave - congrats to all


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Re: Pop's did it!!! (Long read) [Re: txshntr] #5993931 10/25/15 11:27 PM
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Crazy story, and great ending for your dad. I had the same thing happen with the first 8 point I ever killed, think I was 12. Shot it, sat for about 20 minutes then walked back to camp and waited on my dad. Drive back to the location and nothing. Huge puddle of blood, but no drops leading in any direction. A full day of making circles and we never found him. I was heart broken. Took me 12 more years to connect with a deer of equal size, and I literally sat on him until somebody came to find me.


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Re: Pop's did it!!! (Long read) [Re: txshntr] #5993941 10/25/15 11:33 PM
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You couldn't have said it any better... "a trophy is all in the eye of the beholder and it is more than the amount of antlers on his head." That's awesome - congratulations on a weekend of action and great memories with your dad and BIL.


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Re: Pop's did it!!! (Long read) [Re: txshntr] #5993960 10/25/15 11:45 PM
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Great Day DL, One that I will never forget.


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Re: Pop's did it!!! (Long read) [Re: txshntr] #5993974 10/25/15 11:55 PM
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Great post!

Re: Pop's did it!!! (Long read) [Re: txshntr] #5993984 10/26/15 12:03 AM
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Tell him congrats. Really nice buck.



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Re: Pop's did it!!! (Long read) [Re: Ramsey] #5993987 10/26/15 12:04 AM
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Originally Posted By: Ramsey
Great Day DL, One that I will never forget.


cheers Yes sir, never been so glad to hear you yell rofl


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Re: Pop's did it!!! (Long read) [Re: txshntr] #5994021 10/26/15 12:17 AM
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Congrats to him up


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Re: Pop's did it!!! (Long read) [Re: txshntr] #5994078 10/26/15 12:35 AM
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Awesome! congrats to Pops!


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Re: Pop's did it!!! (Long read) [Re: txshntr] #5994094 10/26/15 12:44 AM
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Thanks for sharing the story of your hunt. Really good that you guys found the deer, nothing worse than losing a deer. You are so right about the trophy being in the eye of the beholder.

Re: Pop's did it!!! (Long read) [Re: txshntr] #5994113 10/26/15 12:51 AM
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Good read. WTG Pops !! Very nice buck.


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Re: Pop's did it!!! (Long read) [Re: txshntr] #5994123 10/26/15 12:55 AM
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Great write up, Dave. I was nervous waiting on updates this morning. Sure glad it all worked out in the end. Definitely a hunt you will never forget, and a great trophy as a bonus. up



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Re: Pop's did it!!! (Long read) [Re: txshntr] #5994127 10/26/15 12:56 AM
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Great Read...
And very glad your Pops found him.....That Gentleman is a true Gentleman up


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