Huge buck at 30 yards.....

[grampy]

And couldn't shoot him! I'm tagged out for buck! I was making a slow push to my buddy to try and put a doe in his freezer. All we had was a 4H DMP and a landowner antlerless tag. So I'm going through some thick stuff, just sneaking, cause I don't want to bust the deer out. Want to get them out easy to my buddy. Same area I saw a big buck during bow and even got a trail cam pic of him. We didn't see him at all during gun season. So I see a deer jump up in front of me about 30 yards and stand there looking to my right. I pull up get him in my scope and see it's a big buck! And I don't have a buck tag! He stood there for a couple minutes and walked out past my buddy and his jaw dropped too! Last hunt for us this year. Hope he lives another year!

[Pygmy]

Cool you got to see him...I had the same thing happen to me a few years back !

That one did not make it to the next year, however...He went out the side of the brushlot and a neighbor shot him ...<<grin>>...

[the_narrows]

Beauty! That's the kind you'd wished you've saved your tag for. If there's any justice at all, Diana will save that one for you for next year.

[grampy]

Besides today, I've had two other close calls with this buck during bow. Just couldn't get the shot. And my buddy saw him once on the edge of a field at last light during bow. With the split right ear he is easy to identify. Next year, I hope to post a pic in the harvest thread with a big split eared buck.

[The Engineer]

Funny how you got so close to him. I think the deer are getting use to people in the woods for various reasons hiking biking quading etc.

20 years ago you would have seen him running at 100 yards and never looking back. Save him for next year

[grampy]

He was bedded in very thick cover. Slightly up hill and light swirling wind. I think he caught my scent, but wasn't sure where I was. After he stood up, he looked to my right, not at me, before sneaking off.

[BowmanMike]

Wow, that is amazing you got to see him so close. Sometimes I wonder if they know that you can't shoot them at that time.

I hurt my shoulder this bowseason(it' fine now) and a buck showed up in the middle of the day just on the other side of the fence of my horsepasture. I walked to within 20 yards of him and he was unfazed and finally wandered off.

I have to admit he was a 1 1/2 year old,so not that wily yet.

It is neat to know that your buck made it so far. It seems like you are getting to know him pretty well, that should help you next year. Good luck with him. 

[grampy]

The time on that pic was 5:33 pm the night before the gun opener. 12 hours later, I was in a stand a short distance from this cam. Also hunted this general area a few times during the season and never saw him until today. I really hope he makes it to next year. He will be 4 or 5 years old then and #1 on my hit list. I may go after only him, all or nothing. He has already proved to be worthy of the challenge.

[Trial153]

Nice one!!

[ATbuckhunter]

Hopefully he'll be even bigger next year!

[dbHunterNY]

those are the stories that keep us going back every fall.  hope he lives and one of you get a shot at taking him next season.  this seasons almost over so it's a real possibility.  judging by the pic (and look at all that tarsal staining) he's seen some fall seasons draw to an end.

[covert]

Good for you for not cheating and shooting him anyway.

[NFA-ADK]

Nice adventure, hope he makes it to next year!

[grampy]

Good for you for not cheating and shooting him anyway.[/quote

We both knew before the hunt no buck tags meens be sure it's not a buck before you shoot. I never expected to see the buck I saw yesterday. He is the monarch of that property! He eluded all our efforts to kill him this year and deserves not to be shot illegally. When and if I ever kill him, it will be fair chase. He deserves no less and I could not live with myself otherwise. It will be so much sweeter with him on my wall, remembering yesterday's encounter with him.

Also my grandson among other family and friends knew I was tagged out for buck this year. I would or could never diminish myself in his eyes. What kind of example would I be as his mentor and grampy if I did otherwise? There was never a question in my mind to shoot that or any buck after I tagged out.

Edited December 13, 2015 by grampy

[DirtTime]

Good for you for not cheating and shooting him anyway.[/quote

We both knew before the hunt no buck tags meens be sure it's not a buck before you shoot. I never expected to see the buck I saw yesterday. He is the monarch of that property! He eluded all our efforts to kill him this year and deserves not to be shot illegally. When and if I ever kill him, it will be fair chase. He deserves no less and I could not live with myself otherwise. It will be so much sweeter with him on my wall, remembering yesterday's encounter with him.

Also my grandson among other family and friends knew I was tagged out for buck this year. I would or could never diminish myself in his eyes. What kind of example would I be as his mentor and grampy if I did otherwise? There was never a question in my mind to shoot that or any buck after I tagged out.

Well said.

 

I bet seeing him got the heart racing all the same. 

[grampy]

Of all the deer on the property, he was the last I ever expected to see, after not one sighting during gun season. And yeah, my heart skipped a beat, my eyes got big and I said holy shucks to myself. My buddy had pretty much the same reaction when he came sneaking out below him a couple hundred yards away.