midwesthunter
Well-Known Member
Well my IN property is still recovering from the EHD outbreak in 2012. Numbers are coming back but most of the mature deer didn't survive it. But mother nature seems to be recovering as I have seen more 1.5 year old bucks then I ever have. We have some nice 2.5 year old's running around as well. Some are really nice and if one hung around in front of me to long I might have talked myself into shooting one. Well I knew this buck was around as I got trail camera pictures of him in Sept and seen him a couple times way off in the distance. I hoped to get a shot at him as I had only seen one other shooter buck all season once. Well this last weekend was the last weekend of muzzeloader and was setting up to be the perfect storm, dark period of the moon phase, cold weather, and they should be trying to regain the weight they lost chasing the ladies. Well seen lots of deer just not the right deer. Well Monday rolls around (late archery)and I decide to sneak out of work 30 min early. We get to the property, have the perfect wind to hunt the area I want to hunt, walking to our stand I spot a big buck coming out of the neighbors swamp. We had to quickly change plans and stand locations. I had another set 100 yards away in the bend of the swamp and crp meet. Well 25 min after getting in stand he is walking up a trail headed to the middle of the CRP. I draw my bow and anchor the pin to the middle of the shoulder for a walking shot. Right as I release the arrow he pauses and smack I shoot him in the shoulder, as hes running off I see my arrow hanging out and think its not a good shot. We waited a short time to trail him and found my arrow had broke off about 12-13" so I knew I got decent penetration. He was bleeding really good so we continued to track him. I found him roughly 125 yards from where I had shot him. He is by far the most massive buck mass wise I have ever taken. I'm also pretty sure he is probably the oldest. We were guessing 7.5-8.5 years old but hard to judge. The DNR will let me know though. My first late archery buck I have ever taken and feel very blessed to have harvested him.
