# Deer stories anyone?



## sportsman18 (Jan 18, 2005)

I really havent had that many great hunting experiences but have harvested some nice deer. I was wondering if anyone had some good exciting hunting stories they would like to share.


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## gunattic (Jan 9, 2005)

the first deer I ever got in my life was with a bow.... I had practiced all summer and had told myself I wouldn't hunt until I never missed a paper plate at 20yds.. well, I got that good and better with the bow before season. while at the river hunting.. about 6 deer came running through the cattails.. several large does and several small does.. well the larger ones kept moving on but several smaller ones stopped just off the edge of the cattails on the ice.. I was about 50yds out and worked my way closer by crawling and staying crouched down through a beaver or muskrat trail in the cattails.. every now and then slowly raising up to check on the deer.. at first I was sure they were all small.. but the closer I got the bigger the one in the opening got.. soon I was within about 25yds and the deer was much bigger than I first thought... a good clean shot through the heart! my first deer.. a little doe. Still, I was very thankful, and what an experience! have I taken a lot of deer since then....


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## Bore.224 (Mar 23, 2005)

It was my first Deer hunt I was only 12 years old and my older couisn "John" was my guide. Well mostly I sat and froze to death . I would follow John into the woods he would say this place looks good and I would sit their for the next 3 hours trying to stay warm! On the 3rd and final day of the hunt "no game taken" I found myself sitting on a log watching my frozen breath rise out of my ski mask. I started to wonder if John knew what he was doing and started to look forward to going Home. I saw a chipmonk on a rock 40 yards away and almost took the shot with my dads 30-30. Well after a time I jumped up clapped my hands together rubbing them back and fourth to keep warm and thats when it happend! Off to my left an exploshon of twigs craking and snow flying I know I saw a spike Buck and others I grabbed for my rifle when I spun around all I saw was the last second glimse of White Tails bouncing out of view. I had buck fever after that!


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## ViperTwo (Dec 18, 2004)

I posted this on another site, but it does fit this thread. I did get a little (?) long winded on this one, sorry.  I hope you enjoy it anyway.

A side note for Soiux_Bowhunter in case you read this. This story happened 12 miles from downtown Grand Forks, durring the 2004 season. I don't subscribe to the idea that you have to go 20-30 miles west to find good hunting either.
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The deer were there, I'd seen them many times before the bow season opened. There were does in the corner of that little field every evening. I'd also observed bucks out there on quite a few evenings. From where I'd watched the deer, I could tell that there was one small buck in the area with a strange looking rack and a couple larger bucks that looked to be in the six to eight point range.

When the bow season opened, I hunted other areas that looked like the deer traffic would be high. Farmers in the area had reported seeing a couple "real big" bucks, so I wanted to be where I hoped those big bucks would be passing by. Although I was just hoping that a mature buck with at least eight points would wander into my shooting lane.

After spending the first month and a half having nothing but does come in range. And only seeing bucks from a distance so far off that I couldn't even tell how big their racks were, I decided it was time to try that corner of the little field.

It was a Wednesday, partly cloudy and cool. The wind was from the right direction and not blowing too hard. I decided that this would be the day. Today I would become "the dominant predator". No taking a leisurely walk into the woods to nonchalantly sit in a stand. This would be a hunt. I was determined that I would do everything possible to get in, set up, and be ready if a buck came through the woods on it's way to the field. Today, I would surprise the deer, they would have no idea that I was there until my arrow had punctured the lungs of a buck.

At that point in time, sunset was about five thirty. So at twelve thirty I grabbed my tree stand, backpack, and bow. It was time for the hunt to begin. The spot where I wanted to set up at was only about two hundred yards from where I parked. But I wanted plenty of time to sneak in there. It would be done as a serious stalk. No noise. No spooking any deer. If there were deer in there, I would see them long before they had any idea that I was there. There was so much determination flowing through my veins that I could taste it. This would be the day&#8230;

It took over an hour and a half for me to get to the tree I set up in. I'd take a couple steps and stop. Slowly looking around me. Listening as hard as I could, waiting for that "crunch, crunch, crunch" of a deer walking in the fallen leaves. Using my binoculars to scan further off into the trees, looking for any movement, anything that looked like part of a deer.

When I finally reached the area I wanted to be in, I set down my bow, tree stand, and backpack. Then decided which tree to set up in, and hung my stand.

Once I was in the stand and had my backpack and bow up there with me, I took a good look around at my set up. Eighteen to twenty feet up in the tree, twenty-two yards from the edge of the field facing north, toward the field. With a real good shooting lane into the field a few yards to my left. I'm right handed, I always set up so I can shoot to the left.

All around me I could see where the deer had been moving around, it was like a staging area where they congregated before moving into the field. There were trails coming to that spot from every direction. With one real heavily used trail coming from the south. It looked like something most hunters would see in a dream. You just know that the deer are in there more than anywhere else for miles around.

Sitting in the tree that day was easy. The intense anticipation, the squirrels to watch as they playfully chased each other, the eagles soaring over the field, and the big flocks of Canada Geese flying over. There was no boredom.

At three o-clock the fun began. I heard the sounds of deer coming through the woods behind me. A couple minutes later two does walked past my stand, about seven yards away. I watched them for over twenty minutes as they moved out into the field and began eating sugar beets that had been left behind after the harvest.

I was enjoying the show so much that I didn't even notice the sound of another deer coming through the woods behind me until he was almost next to me. It was the small buck I'd seen before. The one with the strange rack. On the right side he had four points. He was a young deer, so the points were short, but they looked normal. On the left side however, his entire antler was about three inches high and had a "Y" shape. As I watched him there was an argument going on in my mind. This was without doubt a management buck. I felt that I should take him out of the gene pool to preserve the condition of the herd in the area. But it was still early, and I was there for a bigger buck than that. Thankfully, before the argument ended, the little buck moved off into the field where I didn't have a shot.

A few minutes later the little buck suddenly stopped eating and looked back into the woods. His ears perked up and he went on alert. When the does also looked back into the woods I noticed that I could hear something coming. This time however, the sound was different. The steps sounded much heavier than when the other deer came by. The steps were coming slower too, more cautiously.

I very, very slowly turned my head. I couldn't make out the whole rack but I could tell that this was a bigger buck.

Time seemed to stop as I waited for him to move ahead far enough so I could get a good look at him. He was on a trail that was twenty yards west of my stand. Straight west of me the trail ran along the far side of a fallen tree who's trunk stuck up about three feet above the ground.

Finally, the buck cleared that last tree, giving me a clear view of it's rack. It felt as if my heart would jump right out of my chest. It was huge! This was a true "monster buck"! I knew that I wouldn't have a shot because of the fallen tree, so I started counting points on the rack. I forced myself to look away when I hit ten and there were still more than just a couple points to count. I was afraid that if I kept counting I would get so freaked out by the rack that I'd miss my shot, if I were presented with one. In my mind I kept hearing hunters I've known before, "don't look at the rack", "don't look at the rack".

The big buck continued toward the field, staying behind the fallen tree. I caught myself looking at the rack again and quickly forced my eyes to look only at it's base. The mass was enormous. I knew there was no way that I'd be able to touch my fingertips together around it. "Don't look at the rack", "don't look at the rack"! Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump. How was it possible the buck couldn't hear my heart beat&#8230;?

When he finally cleared the fallen tree I still didn't have a shot because he was protected by another clump of trees. He then turned to the east and took a few steps toward me. I remember thinking that if he'd go south again, away from the field, he'd be on the right side of the fallen tree and I would have plenty of opportunities to take a shot. To my amazement, he turned south and stopped. His head and neck were now clear of the clump of trees, but his heart and lungs were still protected.

That's when the big buck gave me a lesson in how a big buck stays alive long enough to get that big. He lowered his head and began sniffing the ground. In the exact spot where I'd set my backpack down while I hung my tree stand.

He went on full alert. His head turning back and forth. His nose sniffing the air trying to pick up my scent. He was definitely looking for me.

I was thinking that if he would just take one or two steps forward I could take a shot. My heart was pounding even harder than before. Then he did it, he took that one step. I immediately started to draw my bow. But as he took the second step he went into a full run. He was gone. The small buck and the two does also bolted.

I stayed in my stand till after dark. Just in case the big buck decided to come back again. But all I saw was four does that walked by along the edge of the field.

My feeling that "this would be the day" had come to pass. It may not have ended the way I wanted it to. But it ended with me learning something new, and giving that buck more time to grow even bigger. Plus, I may have the pleasure of getting to see him again. I hope...

Post script: Now that the firearms season is over, I am happy to report that the monster buck has been sighted roaming the edges of fields in the area. He's still out there.


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## sportsman18 (Jan 18, 2005)

Great story. Hope you get him for good next season, send a reply of how good he looks hanging on the wall. Good Luck. You still hunting the same spot next season? Is that right outside of Grand Forks? I hunt over at Crookston and last season I was scouting this real nice "monster buck" that must have been atleast a 14 or 16 point. Never saw him that fall and havent seen him around but also haent heard any stories going around the area of him getting picked off. Good luck to you though.


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## ViperTwo (Dec 18, 2004)

sportsman18,

You bet I'll be trying that corner of the field again next year. I walked all over the woods hoping to find his sheds this spring. I didn't. But a farmer about a quarter mile up the road did. They were in the woods behind his house. They're the talk of the area. As I thought, nobody can touch their finger to their thumb around the base of it. It's got 15 legal points!


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## sportsman18 (Jan 18, 2005)

ViperTwo,

Did you try firearm hunting that same area or do you just hunt bow? Any luck finding that strange antle of that smaller buck?


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## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

Great story Viper....You have a knack for thw written word!!!!


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## ViperTwo (Dec 18, 2004)

The big one was spotted last week in the same chunk of woods where I saw him.

Seven days from now I'll be in those woods, bow in hand!

I can't wait!!!


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## curty (Sep 18, 2003)

You really dont want to hear mine. It is way too unbelievable!


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## Grouse Hunter (Aug 21, 2005)

here is one about my 7 point buck!:
Well Im not a big deer hunter Im more into birds so i was driving along (on a dirt road we just do the hollywood hunting out there for birds :wink: ) I had my 28 gauge in the front with me lookin for birds and my rifle is in the back in its case and all of a sudden and 7 point 200 pound buck walks out in front of my so i grab the rifle ( 308.)
get out go to pull the trigger and the saftey was on so the deer ran into the woods and i went after it and i was just gonna turn back when i saw him so i aimed for the neck he was about 75-80 yards away and i unhooked it and down he went!


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## 94silverado (Oct 16, 2005)

Here's mine it was only about 5 years ago i went with my Dad and some family we were walking a by some sloughs we just saw a doe run this way and we saw a rock pile about 110 yards out and my dad said there's the deer laying next to the rock pile and my brother said no its just a big rock thats when my dad lifted his .30-06 looked through the scope and said well thats the first brown fuzzy rock i ever saw! it was priceless.


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## DeltaBoy (Mar 4, 2004)

My younger brother and I were hunting near Montevideo, MN at my Grandma's meadow during an afternoon during deer season. My brother and I wanted to drive around the section to see if anything was running around and get a clear picture for the evening hunt. During the drive my brother spotted antlers in some grass... I stopped the truck and asked where and didn't see anything with the binos. He started freaking out and couldn't understand how I couldn't see the antlers. I didn't want to stick around long if a deer was sitting in the grass and spook him or other deer in the area. We drove about a mile up the road and turned around so I was on the side of the deer to get a better look out my window with the binos. I looked and still nothing... He could still see the buck in the grass. We started to talk about how to approach the buck in the meadow and it wasn't in an easy place to hunt without being seen first. We decided to walk right at the buck and hope for some luck or rut.

Since my brother noticed the buck first, he had first crack at the buck with his trusty 870 slug gun. We started to walk through the meadow and about fifty yards into the walk I still didn't see anything and my brother was pointing in the direction of the buck. I was confused and thought he was playing a joke or something. We continued to walk and I was ready for this buck to jump up or at least show his antlers. We were about 100 yards into the walk and my brother had his gun up ready to shoot. I quickly look up and noticed it was a nice buck... A really nice 4x4! I couldn't figure out why he didn't shoot since the buck was about 50 yards from us and it was an easy shot. He was flinching as he was trying to fire his gun. The trusty 870 didn't fire... I asked him if I could shoot and he said... Hella ya! I fired a shot and hit the deer... It went about 20 yards and fell over. I was very, very happy that I hit the deer. I went over to the deer and my brother was going the other direction where the deer was standing. I couldn't figure out what he was doing and why he didn't want to see the buck. He said another deer is down! I told him to come and help me and I will go over there after we tag the buck. We cleaned the buck and loaded him into the pickup and went over to the spot where another deer was down... Sure shiz another deer was down! A very nice doe must have been standing right behind the buck when I shot. We cleaned this deer and placed the doe tag on and loaded that deer in the pickup too. We couldn't figure out how two deer were shot with just one slug...

He is still ****** at me for shooting his buck!

The buck was a nice 4x4 with an 18 inch spread and everything was symetrical. One tine is off an 1/8 of an inch.

I hope to have a muzzleloader buck story this year! :wink:


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