Well, this one begins last year when I sold a bow that Bill made for me with some very special woods in it. I sold it as the longer limbs just didn't trip my trigger. I know I am weird but I really like shorter bows for hunting purposes and thats all I do. I'm not much into targets. Anyway Bill made one of his Nitro risered long bows out of a fantastic piece of walnut I had found. He liked the walnut so much he drug out an old piece of cocobolo he'd been sitting on for such an occasion. The combo is stunning to say the least.
I sold the bow then in a twist of fate he bought it back a few months later. Well anyway at that I asked him to build me another and he said "Trust me I have what you want" and nothing else. A few months pass and to make a long story short my new bow shows up in the mail. Its my old riser matched with a new set of 58" carbon longbow limbs. Well I loved it from the get go.
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Fast forward to this weekend, finds me perched in an acorn patch in the corner of a small woodlot on a buddies farm. I had found that they deer were in these acorns and hung a stand last Thursday planning to climb aboard during this weekend. I climbed in last night and settled in for the evening. The weather was perfect with a NE wind and the temp was in the low 70's.
At just after 7 I see a white tail flicker in the thicket and stood to ready myself. Figuring it was a doe or young buck I was surprised to see a flash of long antler. He was around 25 yards out and slinking very slowly toward me. As he passed a cedar tree my curiosity rose when I see a long G2. Then at about 20 yard through the thick canopy I see he has a ton of junk points around his bases. That sealed the deal for me. Already standing and posed for the shot my heart started pumping like we know happens.
He stood there for about three minutes motionless surveying the oak flat and then stepped into a shooting lane. He took one steep too many and his front end was in the leaves covering the shoulder. He stood there eating acorns and I thought oh what the heck, I'll slide one close by the leaves into the back of his lung area. Off the arrow went. High and low it was perfect but I think my mind inherently aimed left to avoid the bushes and the hit was a touch back.
The buck bounded off at a slow pace and disappeared after about 20 yards. I sat down inspected my arrow that was laying there with the binos. I could tell there wasn't much blood on it so the worry started setting in. I texted Bill that I just stuck a dandy but was worried about the hit being too far back. He asked me a few questions and then assured me his dog would find it. I got down and with every step surveyed up through the woods with the binos looking for bedded deer. I did not want to bump him. I walked over and got the arrow and it had very little blood on it.
Well I have to say I wasn't as confident as he was as I have been on many many trails with hits like that. The only thing that gave me hope was this happened to be a small woodlot and I figured he wouldn't leave it if he was staying in there. Bill and I were to meet up at 8 am.
He made the drive down and we were off to the farm at a little after 8. We parked, harnessed old Moe and were off to my stand. Bill let him smell my arrow and dropped Moe on the spot of the hit. Instantly he was off pulling Bill as hard as his little stubby legs could pull him. We made a brisk paced walk in a loop back the way the deer had come and I thought "Huh, this may actually work". Well let me tell you, old Moe took us straight to the deer like he had done this trail in his back yard 100 times. We were over my buck in less that two minutes.
The night before I thought I had heard a thump and some leaves thrashing in that direction and I am sure that was him dying. But with me knowing the hit was back and with what the arrow told me I knew I had to back out.
On closer inspection the shot was exactly where I'd thought and was a touch back. I assume it caught some liver and the 185 grain razor sharp Grizzly head had done its job very well. Unfortuneatly the coyotes got too him during the night and there was little left.
Bill thinks this is about the 17th successful find for Moe. Special thanks to a great friend and a special dog!
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Congrats, Very nice Buck..
Man he is a beauty! Sorry the yotes got to him before you! I hate yotes sometimes, but in reality, they are just doing the job God put them here to do!
Congrats on another great buck, TJ!
Bisch
Awesome harvest TJ! Thanks for the story and pictures. We start tomorrow here in MO, and I can't wait to have some pictures to share back.
Beauty of a Buck Tom. Nice Bow too ;)
Do you have a picture of your bow as well?
Congrats!
Congrats, I have never personally witnessed a tracking dog doing it's job. But the stories sound fantastic.
Nice!
Superbe ,congrats :thumbsup:
Awesome job Tom... and Moe! :notworthy: :clapper:
Congrats brotha!
Man what a buck! Great story and to bad about the 'yotes. Congrats though all around! :thumbsup:
great buck! Congrats...love the character in the bases!
:archer:
Great buck, lots of character on that rack. Congratulations :thumbsup:
Awesome job Tom. Way to go Moe !!!!!
Very nice! Congrats
Nice buck Tom, and excellent job Moe.
Congrats buddy! Good stuff!
Congratulations! What a trophy! I was wondering when you would have one down and story behind it.
Nice job Tom!! You make it look so easy!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :)
Congratulations! What a trophy! I was wondering when you would have one down and story behind it.
:thumbsup: Good job.
Attaboy Tom! Congrats brother :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
Good job Tom! Great story, and nice dog work.
Congratulations brother...very nice deer!!
How SWEEEEEET it is :thumbsup: :Congrats Tom on a great deer :archer2:
Nice buck !!
Wish I had an old Moe.... Looks like the real deal!
Congrats on a fantastic buck TJ :thumbsup: That dog is the real deal !!! Sure wish Bill lived a little closer.
Bill
Way to go Tom, I love all of the wild stuff around his bases!
It looks like Bill's Dog did a great Good job too! By the way, does the tracking service come will all Zipper bows? Just kidding.
Congrats to both of you guys!
QuoteOriginally posted by CoachBGriff:
Do you have a picture of your bow as well?
Here you are Brad.
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Beautiful Buck and Bow Tom. Congratulations!!
bretto
Wow what a nice buck. Good job Tom.
Jack
Congratulations to you and Moe on the buck,and that's a great looking bow to.
That is one sexy bow TJ !!! Let me know if you decide to sell her. :D
Bill
Wow... :clapper:
Well done Tom , Moe has done an excellent job,I need one of these dog me too for tracking boars.
You are been lucky to have Bill buy back that beautiful riser!!
congratts! that's the way to get the season started, cool rack to boot. :thumbsup:
Congrats Tom !
Congrats TJ! You've been overdo :)
Fine buck, great story and pics ... thanks for sharing
Nice goin :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Congrats Tom, very cool story and a great looking deer!
Cool buck! Love the velvet strips.
Hey, how did I miss the elk story? Or is that not Bill Dunn???
Good job Moe!
Nice bow......Great deer......cool dog!!!
Awesome job brother way to go... Good to see a good friend and dog come down to help out!! He will make a awesome mount with his summer coat
Tom,
Well done, great buck ! I been taking your advise and checking the acorns, looking good so far.
A couple more weeks before the opener here.
Tom, congrats :thumbsup: That didn't take long!
Is anyone really surprised Tom killed a big buck...nope!
Is anyone really surprised Bill and Moe can find anything that dies..nope!
That said...MAN do I LOVE hearing these stories. Way to go guys!!!
Great buck
Congrats Tom on a beauty! Little Mo is really working well. Loved the story :thumbsup:
....Beaut of a buck . Sorry the yots took the hunters share . Great looking dog !
Why everyone hasn't jumped in and allowed tracking dogs is beyond me .
Big Congrats !!
Nice buck, Tom! Cool dog and great looking bow as well. Great story, short and sweet. Looks like you were able to salvage much of the deer, right?
Very nice buck, awesome dog!
Congrats TJ! Nice buck and nice bow to boot! One thing I love about tagging a buck early in ky is you have till the third week of January to pile up doe's, turkey's, squirrels, coons, possums, yotes, and everything else that resides in our great state. Makes for a super fun season, good luck on the rest of it!
Congrats on a very unique buck! Old Moe deserves a good treat.
Magnificent for TJ and Moe!
Congrats Tom!
Thats a beauty TJ. Them Zippers are way cool too.
Great buck congrats
Way to go TJ, congrats on a fine buck.
Congrats good looking buck! Joe
Way to go.
Awesome buck. Congratulations.
Ole' Tom knows how to get it done! He is a buck killer.Once again congrats buddy!!
I have a stipulation on the next tracking job.If there is one. You have to give Moe a bath before I haul him back home. GOOD GRAVY it was a stinky ride home! :biglaugh:
Deer that are hit back like that are perfect for tracking with a dog. That shot is likely the most difficult track for us to try to blood tail but it may be the easiest track for a dog. There is just so much scent on the ground when an arrow passes through stomach. That and the fact that Tom played it perfect. He did not try to track the deer. He just backed out without bumping the buck. It made for an easy job for Moe.
Steve O. Not a lot to tell on the Elk hunt. It was a great time. Tracy and I loved every minute of it. We did get into elk 4 days but the swirling wind made it tough on us.It took some doing to find some canyons where there were not cattle and the guys on atv's could not reach. Still it was a great hunt and I have a plan for next time. We have some great pictures. Maybe once things get back to normal around here. We will share some of the pics. I have 2 weeks worth of business stuff to finish sorting out so its going to take a while.
Bill
Man....awesome buck TJ!!! Nice and early too!
QuoteOriginally posted by ishoot4thrills:
Nice buck, Tom! Cool dog and great looking bow as well. Great story, short and sweet. Looks like you were able to salvage much of the deer, right?
Doug, the side u see in the photo was the side the deer was laying on when we found him. The other side was gone and the Yotes had hollowed him out. Stripped to the bone. Only meat left was the neck and a little left front shoulder. Had to be a bunch of them.
Beatiful buck TJ. Way to go Moe. To bad about the coyotes. Ben there, it sucks. You did the right thing. As my hunting buds call me "We'll find him in the morning Jeff" Have a great remainder of your season. Jeff
How 'bout that Moe!!!! :thumbsup:
Ron
cool buck great story too bad on the coyotes . Congrats!!
Congrats on the nice buck!
Well done buddy!!!
QuoteOriginally posted by zipper bowss:
I have a stipulation on the next tracking job.If there is one. You have to give Moe a bath before I haul him back home. GOOD GRAVY it was a stinky ride home! :biglaugh:
Well that's what you get for letting him lick and roll on the prize. Good greif haven't you ever heard of dog biscuits?
Seriously though, sounds like a good deal to me and a small price to pay for his talents Brother!
Very nice, I love all the character points on his bases
Somehow I missed this thread. Way to go Tom! That is a cool looking buck! The new bow and even getting Bill to drive down to track will make this memory last a lifetime!
Congrats TJ! Nice buck with a lot of character!
Very cool buck, congrats!
Nice buck Sir!!!
Congrats to you AND your 'best friend'. :)
Congrats!! TJ Job well done and the dog did well to!
Thanks guys, I really appreciate it. I have eaten three buck tags. This one feels good!
Great buck Tom...you are 'rack'ing up quite a nice collection.
What a beautiful deer Tom! To bad the yotes got to him, but you definitely made the right call to back out. Moe took it from there!
Congratulations on a great start to the fall :thumbsup:
nice one TJ! Nice to see you got a bruiser on the ground early in the season. Especially a unique looking one like that. Great job! SS
Excellent TJ....way to go brother!!!
Congratulations on a Knurly buck Tom, you always seem to come thru with a dandy!
Congrats TJ! Very cool buck!
I was able to see Bill and Moe work on tracking a couple of Hogs. Moe was on those hogs as fast as Bill could go holding the leash. Very Impressive!
Congrats again TJ!
Thanks alot fellas! Hope you all have a great, safe season!
Nice buck Tom, Congrats! I know Bill has to be proud of Moe, sounds like he did a great job.
QuoteOriginally posted by KentuckyTJ:
QuoteOriginally posted by zipper bowss:
I have a stipulation on the next tracking job.If there is one. You have to give Moe a bath before I haul him back home. GOOD GRAVY it was a stinky ride home! :biglaugh:
Well that's what you get for letting him lick and roll on the prize. Good greif haven't you ever heard of dog biscuits?
Seriously though, sounds like a good deal to me and a small price to pay for his talents Brother! [/b]
I still have not given Moe a bath. Last night he hopped up on the couch with Tracy. :D All I heard was "OH NO!!!Bill call Tom and tell him he needs to come give this nasty thing a bath!!! :biglaugh:
Letting the dog woller his find is much better for pray drive than any ole dry dog biscuit.
Congrats Tom. Awesome pics of you and Moe. Good stuff. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
QuoteOriginally posted by zipper bowss:
QuoteOriginally posted by KentuckyTJ:
QuoteOriginally posted by zipper bowss:
I have a stipulation on the next tracking job.If there is one. You have to give Moe a bath before I haul him back home. GOOD GRAVY it was a stinky ride home! :biglaugh:
Well that's what you get for letting him lick and roll on the prize. Good greif haven't you ever heard of dog biscuits?
Seriously though, sounds like a good deal to me and a small price to pay for his talents Brother! [/b]
I still have not given Moe a bath. Last night he hopped up on the couch with Tracy. :D All I heard was "OH NO!!!Bill call Tom and tell him he needs to come give this nasty thing a bath!!! :biglaugh:
Letting the dog woller his find is much better for pray drive than any ole dry dog biscuit. [/b]
I can't believe you let poor Moe take the blame for that. You told me yesterday you had beans and rice for lunch! I'm calling her.
Isn't Moe a long haired dashhound (sp) ??
He seems to have longer legs than the normal weiner dog..
I assume you need to get one out of hunting or tracking parents for the best chance of success.. Any leads on puppies ??
Yep wirehaired dachshund Pat. I asked Bill if he was interested in a Ky deer hunt in swap for Moe. He hasn't returned my call yet.
A big congrats TJ. I love antlers with character like that. A Zipper and a Grizzly are a deadly combination.
Thanks Colotrad (Steve).
I sold this Riser to Steve. He sold it to someone else who traded it back to Bill I believe. Still amazes me I have it back.
Thanks fellas.
I had your riser but it wouldn't handle the 61 pound limbs I put on it. So I sold it back to Bill and bought a new riser. I'm glad you got it back, looks like it's working well for you!
Awesome job, congrats.
Logan, many thanks for letting it go.
Congratulations, I am glad the dog was was available and so close.
My slow internet service is letting me see nothing but yer grinning mug ! I reckon that's enough ! Congrats man !
Spectacular buck and bow! Well done!
-Jay
QuoteOriginally posted by randy grider:
My slow internet service is letting me see nothing but yer grinning mug ! I reckon that's enough ! Congrats man !
Well you've seen the best part Randy, Haha!
QuoteOriginally posted by Pat B.:
Isn't Moe a long haired dashhound (sp) ??
He seems to have longer legs than the normal weiner dog..
I assume you need to get one out of hunting or tracking parents for the best chance of success.. Any leads on puppies ??
Moe is a wire hair.Long legs is one thing he has not been blessed with. He only has about 2.5"-3" of ground clearance. Needless to say it does not take much snow and he is making 5 tracks everywhere he goes. :biglaugh: He came from this line of dogs. http://born-to-track.com/ Ryan Rothhaar has a great dog from a breeder in North Carolina. I'm sure he would be willing to share some contact info.You can also do a search here on tradgang. There have been several threads about these dogs.
Bill
Thanks Bill !
Our house dog is getting long in the tooth.. She's a Westie and has been a big part of our family for 14 years...
I think a wire hair might be just the thing to keep her company!
Way to go TJ. I read this a week ago but have been hit or miss on the 'puter. Trying to put down one of my own still. Very close, but not yet. Love the character.