Well the freezer is full and my wife officially declared "You're done hunting for the year... right?" I think that was a rhetorical question. :)
Anyway, my tags are punched, save one more doe tag. Best of all, I'm a content man.
I took these two deer two weeks ago today. I forgot to bring my camera so I had shoot cell phone pictures. Because my phone's a dinosaur, it took me a while to retrieve the photos. But... it was worth the effort.
The story of these deer is as follows. Last year I sat a stand near the river and watched some deer move through a willow thicket. I decided I needed to figure them out. This spring, a friend of mine and I snuck in and cleared a path with a chain saw to a small stand of cottonwoods in the middle of that nasty thicket. I know deer bed in there, but I figured if I left it until Nov. and I got the right wind, it would be a money stand.
Well it was. I saw probably 25 deer that morning and had 6 bucks milling and fighting around me. With no real slam dunk shots... I held out. Finally a small doe worked in slowly and I took out my frustrations on her. The shot was slightly forward but she died on a dead run crossing an irrigation ditch.
Now I settled in and felt better about my slow deer season. At least I had some great tender venison to go with the antelope and elk. Then low and behold... just as many bucks do...this three year old slipped in and appeared. He walked right in and made a perfect circle around me. Just as he was to get my wind... I took him through the heart at 12 yards.
A great end to another good year. He died after just 50 yards. As I sat and reflected, more and more deer filed past. I have to bone out these critters to get them across the river and back to my truck a mile away. Two was plenty! Besides my wife would really say "you're done" if I shot three. :)
Sitting in the willows (it was cold!)
(http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd448/fluffery/2011elkhunt090.jpg)
the ditch doe
(http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd448/fluffery/2011elkhunt091.jpg)
buck and Toelke Lynx
(http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd448/fluffery/2011elkhunt092.jpg)
the shot
(http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd448/fluffery/2011elkhunt093.jpg)
Jeff
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Congrats! Nice shootin', that's a pretty pair.
Congrats great shots!
Freezer filling!!! Congrats on two fine animals!
Congratulations!!
Thanks for sharing and glad you were able to get the phone pics.
Nice pair of deer and nice shooting.
Nice pictures thanks.
Jeff, Good shooting on both deer. Is that a lynx your shooting? Congrats
Very nice :thumbsup: Congrats!
Congrats and you are useing the right bow i see. Gotta love those Toelke's, very sweet bows. I hope to own a Lynx before long.
congrats , nice shootin :thumbsup: :clapper:
Nice twosome, yep most would have the smile of contentment!
Very nice! Congrats!! :clapper: :clapper:
Very nice! Congrats!! Nice shots.
Very good! Congrats!
Congratulations!
Way to go sir! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
:thumbsup: ..Well done..!
Congrats on the two fine deer.
What a morning! Congrats!!
Congrats, and great shot on the buck!
Bisch
Great story and the old dinosaur did quite well!
Nice double and a heck of a shot on the buck,congrats. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Good shooting! Congrats!
Nice shooting!
Jeff,
Congratulations, you have had a good year! I have enjoyed following your posts through out the season.
You have done good.....really good!
Congrats. thats awesome
Well done, congrats!
Congrats! :clapper: :clapper:
Nice Jeff. Congrats!
Very nice. Congrats!
Don,
yeah thats a lynx. It has golden mycarta in the riser vs black. I love the way it shoots! I have never shot so well. (by declaring that... I probably just jinxed myself)
So here's a side story....
The land owner we hunt on told me this year he didn't believe there were any really nice deer. He believed the last couple of winters had nocked out the older age classes. I took that to heart and really didn't do much recon this season.
My deer season was slow but came to good ending thanks to that good stand. My partner, on the other hand, was struggling to take a buck and also hadn't seen any dominant mature bucks.
Enter guy number three: He also has permission to hunt our slice of the river. However, he never crosses to the good side and honestly rarely hunts. Also there is a gentleman's agreement decreed by the landowner to hunt trad only.
Fast forward to last weekend.... With only a couple of days left in the season, Guy 3 calls my buddy and asks for help finding a buck. My partner(being the stellar guy he is) says "meet me there this afternoon with some waders and we'll hunt.
HE SHOWS UP WITH A COMPOUND. My buddy helps him with the river crossing and points him to one his best stands. Guy 3 wanders that direction and gets lost. He ends up finding my river edge stand (the one mentioned in my first post that lead me to this year's stand).
You guessed it... He has a 150 class buck walk under him. Luckily (for me :) ) He hits a sapling dead center and the deer lives! The buck runs down along the river and passes my buddy out of range. He confirmed it was massive!
Let me add some perspective. A 150 buck along our river is like a 190 buck in IL,IA,KS. It is a once in a lifetime archery buck!
I was sick for two reasons. 1) After that experience he will be spending alot more time poking around my thicket next year 2) What happened to fair chase trad only!!! Guy 3 is a sheriff's deputy and I'm not about to lecture him. :)
A double is a good day anywhere, congrats!
Nice bow! Mine is in the works, can't wait!
Congrats!
Very nice. I have always wanted to hunt whitetails in Montana.
Nice job Jeff!
Nice Job!
Very nice congrats. Like your bow.