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Oklahoma Freak Buck Down!!!
#6481836
10/05/16 03:14 PM
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 4,004
JThoele
OP
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OP
Extreme Tracker
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 4,004 |
I apologize in advance for a long write up and pic heavy thread. I included the hunting story below for those interested in reading, otherwise, skip down to the last paragraph for preliminary score. After a poor quality 2015 deer season on our 96 acre Atoka, Oklahoma property, I was just hopeful that I would see a mature buck in 2016. Spring 2016 yielded some hopeful prospects as we watched velvet development at our protein feeder sights. In September, it was evident that there were about four shooters coming pretty regularly, but then a fire consumed over half of the property mostly burning underbrush and small post oaks. We immediately planted in all open areas that were scorched, and by season opener started to see the black ground being slowly replaced with new green growth. My wife actually made it to the property with her family two days before me and was able to hunt and pull the camera chips to review pictures. Pictures blew my expectations out of the water. Several more mature big bucks were regularly occupying feeding stations across the expanse of the property though pictures were 90% nocturnal. The reports from my wife and in-laws were deer were moving only just before night and after dark, but with the no moon pattern I was hopeful deer would make a little more daytime movement. I had a hang on stand hung 25' up an oak in a rocky creek bottom that overlooks a trail that communicates between two of the protein feeders that was in perfect position for the prevalent SSE wind. I made my first hunt Saturday evening and saw some does and a scraggily 8 point early on, and just before dark, had a bachelor buck of four bucks (one being a 130" 8pt and one a 140" 10pt) came in. After a mundane season last year, I was tempted to draw on the 10pt, but after further observation and consideration, I decided he was less than four years old and wasn't near the caliber of some other bucks we had on camera. I ended up getting stuck up the tree waiting for them to vacate the area as they milled around nibbling on the corn and BB2 I hand scattered in the creek valley. Surprisingly, several times the four bucks would swap partners and spar abnormally aggressively for this early in the season. I sat in the dark enjoying the cool evening weather and the sounds of the night being interrupted by deer rattling their antlers against each other and making rubs. Needing to get back to camp, I made a series of loud owl hoots to try and push the deer away, but to no effect - in fact, one of the bucks bedded down. I finally was able to deter them from the area with coyote yelp and howls. The next morning very little activity occurred except for a handful of does. Monday evening I got to the stand with the wind still in my favor and encountered the same does and bachelor bucks in the late evening. I again had ample opportunity to shoot the 8 and 10 point, but declined as day light began to fade. Assuming that would be it for the evening, I began gathering my things back into my climbing pack, but beyond the bachelor group of buck I caught movement of a tree branch swaying as it was displaced by a buck's antlers. I got still and watched as a buck with points sticking in all directions made his way on a string into my corn/BB2 piles. I had a few pictures of this deer at night, but couldn't really gauge his size in any of them. I saw antlers everywhere to confirm it was a shooter buck, and then I never looked back at his rack. When he came to a pile at 16 yards, I settled the pin and quickly executed the shot before I was influenced by nerves. The arrow impacted with a positive thwack and the deer jump kicked and ran for a few seconds before I heard a crash and legs kicking in the brush. The adrenaline dump hit and prayers of thanks were lifted up as I sat up the tree until well after dark in fear of pushing the deer. I made my way across the rocky and hilly terrain back to camp and let another hour of wait time passed as it all had happened so fast I began to doubt if I made a good shot or if I heard it actually go down. Returning back to the scene of the shot, I found my arrow tipped with a QAD Exodus head to have a scant amount of red blood across its full length, but absolutely no blood on the ground that I could find. Somehow I convinced myself I heard him turn in his short run and go up the brushy hill, so ending the fruitless efforts to find a blood trail, I began aimlessly wandering around the brushy and rocky hills audibly asking for God's help to find the downed deer. I spent at least 2 hours desperately searching a large area to no avail and became very defeated. Doubt hit me hard making me think I possibly made a low brisket shot that accounted for the small blood and white hairs on the arrow and no further blood trail. With my flash light batteries fading, I returned for the third time back to the arrow to search for blood on my hands and knees. On my way back to the initial spot, I decided to go the opposite direction and search the rocky, briar laden creek bottom. At one point I was walking in the ruts of the creek contour and looked down and saw tan in a hole in the embankment. I had found him! In retrospect, he actually only ran 40 yards before expiring, but due to the terrain I couldn't see this and instead was driven by the belief I heard him turn and scale the hill. As exhausting as the search was physically and emotionally, so was the effort of getting this big bodied animal out of the creek bottom and up to an area 50 yards away where I could get the Gator. Through back breaking effort I made the haul and got him loaded and back to camp to be caped and quartered. Skinning it, I found the shot was perfect, high through the right lung, through the left ventricle of the heart, and exited the apex of the left lung, and the thorax was evident of massive hemorrhage, but I am still very troubled by the lacking blood trail. Nonetheless, with the work done, I got him loaded on ice, and dropped off to the taxidermist, yesterday. I plan on having a pedestal mount on him as he is quite likely the biggest deer that I will encounter in my hunting locations in my lifetime. By no means am I am expert, but I took the measures as indicated by the B&C score calculator and entered them accordingly and resulted in 192 3/8" as a gross with a net of 177". This seemed overly high, so I had some other individuals with better scoring experience lay eyes on him in person, and the calculations were accurate per the consensus of others. I am blown away by the sheer blessing of observing this awesome animal, much less being able to kill him with my bow at less than 20 yards. I apologize in advance if this is a redundant hunting report, as I have posted this on TBH and some hunting FB groups for those that frequent there, but I consider this achievement akin to winning the lottery and am simply basking in the moment for just a bit.
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Re: Oklahoma Freak Buck Down!!!
[Re: JThoele]
#6481837
10/05/16 03:15 PM
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 4,004
JThoele
OP
Extreme Tracker
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OP
Extreme Tracker
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 4,004 |
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Re: Oklahoma Freak Buck Down!!!
[Re: JThoele]
#6481841
10/05/16 03:16 PM
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 4,004
JThoele
OP
Extreme Tracker
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OP
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Posts: 4,004 |
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Re: Oklahoma Freak Buck Down!!!
[Re: JThoele]
#6481843
10/05/16 03:17 PM
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 3,698
Hoytman
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 3,698 |
(Sig Pic to be no more than 125 pixels tall)
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Re: Oklahoma Freak Buck Down!!!
[Re: JThoele]
#6481844
10/05/16 03:17 PM
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 9,185
hook_n_line
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 9,185 |
just roll with it!
Sometimes it's hard being me! But somebody has to do it.
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Re: Oklahoma Freak Buck Down!!!
[Re: JThoele]
#6481850
10/05/16 03:19 PM
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 4,004
JThoele
OP
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OP
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And one more with my ugly mug!
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Re: Oklahoma Freak Buck Down!!!
[Re: JThoele]
#6481851
10/05/16 03:19 PM
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Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 11,657
colt45-90
Texas colt45
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Texas colt45
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 11,657 |
that's a deer of a life time, if its low fence
hold on Newt, we got a runaway
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Re: Oklahoma Freak Buck Down!!!
[Re: JThoele]
#6481855
10/05/16 03:21 PM
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 29,609
SapperTitan
Taking Requests
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Taking Requests
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 29,609 |
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Re: Oklahoma Freak Buck Down!!!
[Re: colt45-90]
#6481865
10/05/16 03:24 PM
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 4,004
JThoele
OP
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OP
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Posts: 4,004 |
that's a deer of a life time, if its low fence It's mostly "no fence" with frequent visitation by the neighbor's donkeys and goats!
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Re: Oklahoma Freak Buck Down!!!
[Re: JThoele]
#6481870
10/05/16 03:26 PM
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 17,117
MikeC
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 17,117 |
Great buck of a lifetime right there. Congratulations
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Re: Oklahoma Freak Buck Down!!!
[Re: JThoele]
#6481878
10/05/16 03:30 PM
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Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 21,271
SniperRAB
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 21,271 |
Outstanding and wonderful write up! Congratulations Sir
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Re: Oklahoma Freak Buck Down!!!
[Re: JThoele]
#6481890
10/05/16 03:36 PM
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Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,118
BarneyWho
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 4,118 |
WOW! Congrats!
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Re: Oklahoma Freak Buck Down!!!
[Re: JThoele]
#6481894
10/05/16 03:38 PM
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Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,690
BOLT GUY
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,690 |
Dandy buck! Good job on holding out, paid off in the end.
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Re: Oklahoma Freak Buck Down!!!
[Re: JThoele]
#6481912
10/05/16 03:46 PM
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 4,459
majekman
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 4,459 |
Stud buck...major congrats!!
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Re: Oklahoma Freak Buck Down!!!
[Re: JThoele]
#6481917
10/05/16 03:48 PM
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 6,863
HuntnFly67
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 6,863 |
Don't apologize for that write up! It's just one more way to honor that stud, brute, beast, bruiser, helluva buck! Congrats! I always thought the Atoka area looked 'deer-y'
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Re: Oklahoma Freak Buck Down!!!
[Re: JThoele]
#6482039
10/05/16 04:58 PM
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Joined: May 2008
Posts: 2,307
BowsnRods
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 2,307 |
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Re: Oklahoma Freak Buck Down!!!
[Re: SniperRAB]
#6482044
10/05/16 05:05 PM
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Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 3,126
kdkane1971
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 3,126 |
Outstanding and wonderful write up! Congratulations Sir
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Re: Oklahoma Freak Buck Down!!!
[Re: JThoele]
#6482047
10/05/16 05:09 PM
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Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 3,161
SouthWestIron
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 3,161 |
OH heck ya!
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Re: Oklahoma Freak Buck Down!!!
[Re: JThoele]
#6482100
10/05/16 05:35 PM
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,344
Ag Hunter 78
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,344 |
In south Texas, or anywhere really, that is a Muy Grande!!! Congrats!
No prayer in school....What's next, no thinking in church? It's not just about pie in the sky when you die. It's also about steak on your plate while you wait!
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Re: Oklahoma Freak Buck Down!!!
[Re: JThoele]
#6482120
10/05/16 05:43 PM
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,636
AdvTX
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,636 |
Amazing buck and with a bow! Congrats
Bow Only
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Re: Oklahoma Freak Buck Down!!!
[Re: JThoele]
#6482135
10/05/16 05:50 PM
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Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 14,279
Ramsey
Pepe' Le Pew
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Pepe' Le Pew
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 14,279 |
Big Beckett!!
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Re: Oklahoma Freak Buck Down!!!
[Re: JThoele]
#6482141
10/05/16 05:54 PM
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 4,004
JThoele
OP
Extreme Tracker
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OP
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 4,004 |
Thank you all for the kind words.
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Re: Oklahoma Freak Buck Down!!!
[Re: JThoele]
#6482157
10/05/16 06:04 PM
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 4,579
Son of a Blitch
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 4,579 |
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Re: Oklahoma Freak Buck Down!!!
[Re: JThoele]
#6482166
10/05/16 06:10 PM
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296
stxranchman
Obie Juan Kenobi
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Obie Juan Kenobi
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296 |
Congrats on an outstanding buck
Are idiots multiplying faster than normal people?
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Re: Oklahoma Freak Buck Down!!!
[Re: JThoele]
#6482182
10/05/16 06:19 PM
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Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 300
AledoGYoung
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 300 |
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