Syracuse.com - Lesson of the big Niles buck: You snooze, you lose

[HuntingNY-News]

You snooze you lose. That’s the lesson Anthony Suslik’s son learned last Sunday after his dad took a big buck in Niles. Suslik and his son, Anthony Jr., were out on Saturday last weekend and the son got a doe. “We butchered it up and didn’t finish until about 10:30 p.m.,” the father said. The following morning the two...

Anthony Suslik and his big buck that he shot from his son's treestand. David Figura, The Post-Standard You snooze you lose.

That’s the lesson Anthony Suslik’s son learned last Sunday after his dad took a big buck in Niles.

Suslik and his son, Anthony Jr., were out on Saturday last weekend and the son got a doe.

“We butchered it up and didn’t finish until about 10:30 p.m.,” the father said.

The following morning the two were scheduled to begin hunting again at 5:30 a.m. However, when the morning came the son decided to sleep in.

Suslik, of Niles, said he initially went to his treestand, which is about 700 yards away from his son’s.

This is the first year that rifles are allowed for hunting deer in Cauyuga County. At about 7 a.m., Suslik said he looked through the scope of his 25-caliber, Ruger rifle and spotted a big buck and a doe about 800 yards away from his treestand – and about 300 yards from his son’s.

“I decided to get down and sneak through the woods and got up in my son’s treestand,” he said. “The buck and the doe were still in the field. I ranged the buck at 365 yards away.”

Suslik noted he and his son are experience riflemen. “Both of us can shoot ¾-inch groups at 400 yards,” he said.

Suslik said he eyed the buck through his scope, aiming about two inches above its back.

“I shot and it fell in its tracks,” he said.

When he came up to the deer, he was amazed at its impressive rack.

“It green scored at 155 6/8 inches. The G2 tines were 12 inches, the G3s were 9 ¾ inches. It was 5 3/4 inches thick at the base. It’s crazy how thick that rack was,” he said.

The deer weighed 175 pounds after being field dressed.

Greg Walters, of Greg’s Archery in Moravia scored the antlers.

“It’s a pretty impressive buck for our area,” he said.

Suslik said he called up his younger son, Nick, to help him load it into his ATV.

At about 1 p.m. that day, he drove over to his other son’s house to show him what he missed by not getting up to hunt that morning.

“I told him the story and he said ‘I should have got my lazy (butt) up,’ “ the father said. “He was still happy for me.”

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog

[Renegade Hunter]

That thing is a TOOAAAD! Sucks for the son but awesome buck... 3/4 inch shot groups at 400 yards though?? come on dude.

[sampotter]

I can shoot a blackfly at 500- on the wing, with my .22!