2004 ND Bow Buck

Delw

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I hunted the Badlands of North Dakota as usual this year looking for a good mulie buck to put my bow tag on. I came close to sealing the deal on a couple nice bucks, but for various reasons didn't connect. If you have ever hunted mulies with a bow, you know what I am talking about!!

I had just started hunting some property outside of Bismarck, ND trying to harvest a whitetail. I first saw this buck on October 20. He came past my stand very late and gave me a broadside shot at 8 yards. The only problem was I could see the deer, but not my 10 yard sight pin. I could see my 20 and 30 yard sight pins, just not my 10! I had to let my bow down and watch him walk away. It was a hard decision to make. There was that little voice that said, "come on, at 8 yards all you had to do was hold your 20 yard pin low and you would most likely have harvested him cleanly". I felt I had made the right decision though as there was a lot of season ahead of me yet!

The next time I hunted this stand was three days later on October 23 and I could see a fresh scrape 10 yards from my stand. Right after sunset I heard leaves crunching behind me. I saw this buck about 35 yards out and walking away from me. He looked very nice!! He proceeded to vent his frustration on some helpless saplings, then turned around and walked in like he was on a string. I had already drawn my bow when he stopped at 12 yards behind some brush and looked directly at me. For five very tense seconds, I tried to stay completely still, all the while expecting him to "blow" out of the area. He walked over to the scrape and started clearing away the leaves. He was giving me a great quartering away shot at 10 yards. I figured he would be occupied with the scrape for a little while and told my self to be patient until he opened up his front leg, exposing the vitals. It didn't take long to get the shot I wanted and I released the arrow. I knew I had a good hit, but was concerned that I didn't get the penetration I had expected. It was a clear sky overhead and I knew it would get cold that evening so I decided not to push him. I walked out to my vehicle feeling pretty confidant about my shot.

Right at sunrise the next morning I was walking into my stand and could see antlers sticking up in a thin part of the CRP field. I was pumped! I had clipped part of the spine when I hit the deer and that caused the lack of penetration. I still managed to get both lungs and he only traveled 100 yards before piling up. I had a beautiful frosty morning to take pictures and enjoy the moment. Work could wait for a little while!! I couldn't be happier with this buck. He is a clean 4x4 and is 17 inches wide. He has 5 inch brow tines, 9 inch G2's, 8 inch G3's, and 21 inch main beams. He fell just a little bit shy of Pope and Young, but I would be proud to take a deer like this every year. God bless and I hope you have a great hunting season.
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Buschy
 
Enough lurking on the Hunt Talk site!! I am friends with another fellow Nodak, Iminrut, and don't want everyone on Hunt Talk to think all Nodaks areas homely as him. Just kidding Iminrut!! Truth be told, Iminrut is a Nodak icon whom we all look up to!!
 
Busch-man, that is a heck of a buck....who cares about P&Y...not many people would pass up on a deer like that with archery gear.

And I may be an ugly sucker, but I dang sure ain't no icon....I'm more like a puncuation mark, LOL
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Or an asterisk....ya, that's it....an asterisk

It really was great meeting you that afternoon out in the flatlands.....I here that big goat fell to a rifle shot this year.....oh well, I'll have to find myself another to hound next fall.....

Getting fired up for our rifle deer opener this Friday........I'm gonna try to fill it with bow again this year.....rifle tag with bow......yep, gotta get 'r done !!


 
Dandy lookin' critter and surely one to be proud of. Congrats from another ND hunter.
 
Smalls, I was born and raised in Horace, just South of West Fargo. After school I moved to MT and WY for a few years before deciding to come back to ND. My wife and I both like the outdoors and didn't want to go further East than Bismarck. I enjoy being close to the Badlands. I do miss hunting whitetails on the Goose River outside of Mayville though.
 
I live in the Capital City now too. Originally from north of Jamestown. I like it out here also but miss living where I know all the landowners for access.

Again, nice buck.
 
I am actually looking for jobs in Bismarck. I, too, want to be closer to the badlands. Having the missouri right there to fish out of and hunt geese off of doesn't hurt either.

Speaking of the goose river, I grew up on it. It runs less than a quarter mile from my house. I grew up catching snotrockets behind beaver damsn and I will be hunting its riverbottoms tomorrow when rifle season opens.
 
Good luck Smalls. I know there are big ones roaming around those parts. Lets see the pics when you get back.
 
Gastro Gnome - Eat Better Wherever

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