‘21 Iowa whitetail

As I’m watching the deer I begin to see other deer, turns out to be lots of deer! At least 3 bucks! I’m glassing and waiting until finally that dang doe makes a beeline in my direction. I m in the prone position on the ground and she’s coming straight at me. I turn my head down so she doesn’t see my face and the next thing I know is she’s 10 yards behind me and there is that tall 10 pointer 10 yards to my left. I can’t move. My wind is good, so I let them pass. After they are clear I get back on the glass and I can still see deer, bucks in the woods. They are mingling, knocking antlers, being bucks. I’m thinking the buck that just walked past me was the shooter and I’m getting mad at myself for messing it up. But I’m also thinking to myself it’s early still, like 45 minutes of shooting left, and it’s only going to get better as the day and season progresses. A few does stick their heads out in my direction but nobody commits. Finally about 4:40 some does make an appearance to my left about 150 yards away. Im bouncing left and forward with the binoculars watching the deer and just like out of a cloud of dust a doe, an 8 pointer, what I thought was 12 pointer, and a spike appear! I can clearly tell the one is a shooter and kick my mitten off to get ready. Well, they took what seemed like forever to move forward. As they moved forward the doe went to my left, her right and the 8 pointer started coming right at me. What would the other two bucks do? More importantly what would the 12 pointer do? The 12 and spike followed the 8! They were coming on the same trail as the first buck and doe from earlier. I knew that would lead them close by me, to close. Luckily they turned and took a trail leading them 70 yards to my left, the East, upwind! The 8 went behind a tree with the other two lagging behind I got turned and ready. Scope caps flipped up, hammer back and I was on the 8 as he came into clear sight. I confirmed who he was and scanned back to find the next buck, the 12, about 20 yards behind. He had to clear the same tree as the 8 before I could shoot. As soon as he did I was on his front shoulder and squeezed the trigger. I immediately felt like I rushed the shot, and was not comfortable, especiallly given the fact I just put my scope back on my muzzleloader last week but he looked hurt running in a different direction than the other deer. I was watching him and he ran into a ditch and I heard a crash, I tried watching with my Bino’s to see if he’d come out the other side, but he did not. I got up off my belly and fumbled around trying to reload my muzzleloader. As I’m reloading my muzzleloader I feel my phone vibrate so I check the text. It’s a picture message from my wife. Of course it’s like 10 deer in our yard. I replied I just shot a 12 pointer. I walked to where he was standing when I shot him and saw the blood. I checked the time and walked out. At the truck I waited about a half hour, drank one of those leinies and went down to the blood where I shot him. I don’t like LED lights for blood tracking, but luckily in the fresh snow it was an easy trail. He had only gone about 80 yards crashed into a tree, redirected, crashed into another tree and passed away!
 
His head was facing down hill, so to gut him I grabbed his antlers and started to turn him uphill to allow gravity to take the guts downhill. As I’m pulling him around, POP! His antler comes off! I have heard of this happening to people, but never to me. Hell, I killed a buck last year on January 10 and drug it out by the antlers and they never popped off!
1640839151192.jpeg
 
They make some good specialty/flavored beers, but Leinies original has got to be the worst tasting beer ever made.
Congratulations on a great buck, late season is my favorite time to hunt whitetails
You know, in my younger years - so long ago, drinking a 6-pak of Leinies was a right of passage. A benchmark of sorts. Not because of the alcohol but the bad taste. Now they are a fashion statement. Wonders will never cease. Then again, I like a Grain Belt or a Hamms now and then.
 
Thats a beautiful midwest whitetail 10 point buck! congratulations on a great shot and good recovery. Too bad his antler popped off but im pretty sure a good taxidermist can fix that!
 
You know, in my younger years - so long ago, drinking a 6-pak of Leinies was a right of passage. A benchmark of sorts. Not because of the alcohol but the bad taste. Now they are a fashion statement. Wonders will never cease. Then again, I like a Grain Belt or a Hamms now and then.
Grain Belt or Hamms beats the shit out of any of that IPA horse piss!
 
He be thawing out right now and probably with something stiffer than a Busch latte. More than likely his fingers are more like clubs. Probably have to peck out a post with his nose.
My hands were pretty toasty because I got a zippo hand warmer for Christmas. They are sweet!
 
PEAX Trekking Poles

Forum statistics

Threads
110,808
Messages
1,935,221
Members
34,887
Latest member
Uncle_Danno
Back
Top