I apologize for the length of this post but a buck of this caliber deserves a good write-up.
I’ll admit it; I was a little upset when I discovered that someone else had posted my buck. However, I have to assume some of the blame as I sent the photo to several people knowing full well how fast it could circulate these days. If I wanted to guarantee first posting I should have never released the photo in the first place. I also reminded myself that I don’t hunt for fame or notoriety and no matter who posts what…the buck is still mine. That said, let’s get to the story.
My typical “hunting season” consists of the highbuck hunt with my Dad and Brother, skipping the general season (I work for my Father-in-Law in Illinois harvesting corn and soybeans during that time) and then heading over to Montana for a late November hunt. Through hard work and putting a lot of time in the woods, miles from roads and trails, we have all had great success harvesting quality deer over the last several years. This year would produce similar results.
The season started off with the highbuck hunt. I put in 17.5 miles with 7,000’ of elevation gain that opening day. I spotted one large 4x4 I got on twice but couldn’t get a shot at, a small 3 pointer with some does that I let walk, a coyote I spotted just as he went out of sight and a moose hoof print. The next morning I found that moose in a nearby drainage and was able to seek in to get some photos. That morning also produced several does and three small 3 pointers I let walk. We decided to cut the trip short because of weather; which was okay because harvest came early this year in Illinois and I would be able to hunt the general season.
I told my friend Erik, who has been patiently waiting several years, that if I didn’t fill my tag on the highbuck hunt I would take him with me during general season to hopefully get his first buck. It wouldn’t surprise if he was praying I’d come back from the highbuck hunt with an unfilled tag. Now, I haven’t hunted general season on the east side for about 5 years. Fortunately my Dad and Brother have and provided scouting information that turned out to be spot on and priceless. My Dad, Erik and I hit the woods before daylight opening morning. I had decided that I would let Erik take first shots until he was able to get his first buck down. Erik quickly spotted a buck but got set up too late to take a shot. Less than 10 minutes later Erik was on another buck; but again could not get a shot off before it walked off the ridge. Another 10 minutes go by and we spot another buck feeding over an adjacent ridgeline. We spend about 25 minutes and about a 1,000 calories dropping in and out of two drainages and up the ridge above where we saw the buck go over. Erik worked his way to the edge of a small rise to overlook the backside of the ridge. He spotted two 3 pointers sparring with their antlers locked up. I got over there just as Erik was setting up to take a shot. The two bucks separated revealing one being much larger than the other. Erik takes a shot and connects low on the larger buck who takes off. Watching through my binoculars I know it’s a gut shot. I also know that this deer could run himself to the next county if we push him. We wait several minutes and then go investigate the location where he was standing when he was shot. It took about 20 minutes to finally find a chunk of bloody fat and some hair with prints leading away. We tracked the blood trail, losing it several times, for about an hour and a half. We finally caught up to him and Erik was able to put a kill shot in his first buck. We spent the rest of the day boning and packing him out.
Now it’s my turn. I had planned on hunting a lot deeper into the area that Erik shot his buck but plans change when bucks are spotted. I still wanted to get in there but decided to give it a day to let the pressure calm back down. We went out the next day to a new area and didn’t see a thing. We did a scouting trip that evening in the truck with my Dad which only produced does until we got back to my Dad’s cabin where we discovered a small 4x3 on the property. We don’t shoot pets and this one wasn’t spooked so we let him walk.
The next morning put us back in the area we had hunted the first morning. With light rain, thick fog and wind, I wasn’t expecting much. We hunted into the area I wanted to get to without seeing or hearing anything. After we took a break for a snack, Erik hiked over to the edge of the ridge to find a buck staring at him through the fog. I quickly came over to get my binoculars on him. He was a small 3 pointer so I decide not to take the shot. Erik lost his mind; all he sees is “a steak with legs” and doesn’t understand why I wouldn’t take the shot.
---Side Note---
I’ve been hunting for about 10 years now. In 2012 while in Montana I talked myself into shooting a buck I didn’t want to because of pride. I decided from then on that my goal for hunting was not to fill a tag but to shoot mature deer and let my gut make call. Nowadays, I know whether or not I’m going to take a shot the instant I’m able to get that first good look at a buck through my binoculars. This buck did not make the cut.
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We let him walk and continued to work down the top of the ridge. We spotted that buck again over the next rise. Again, Erik loses his mind and wants to shoot it with his pistol to force me into tagging it (jokingly of course). We let him walk and continued on. I peek down over the next rise and through the thick fog spotted that buck again at about 75 yards. What happens next takes less than 5 seconds. I turn to tell Erik that I found that buck again but upon looking back realize it’s not the same buck. I pull my binoculars up and because of the fog could only make out two big points sticking up and a kicker out to the side…my gut says shoot! I shoulder my rifle, find antlers through the scope, put the cross hairs low behind the shoulder and fire a shot. The buck takes off crashing down into some brush and out of sight...no chance for a follow-up shot.
The fact my gun hit the ground hard twice prior to taking that shot quickly turned my stomach over. Was my rifle shooting true anymore? Would we have to track this thing? Did I even hit it? We walk down to the spot he was standing and I can’t find blood; only large hoof prints bounding down into the brush. I start walking slowly in that direction and realize the brush opened up into a flat grassy area. I start scanning the grass and there he is…Buck Down! I call to Erik to come over. As I get closer I start to discover what exactly I shot. The left side of his antlers is sticking up above the grass and I’m seeing trash everywhere. I walk over to discover that I have just shot the buck of a lifetime. I pick his antlers up and just admire the sheer awesomeness of this buck and realize how blessed I am.
After saying a quick pray thanking God for this harvest and for a quick, ethical kill I get to work. I was able to contact my Dad who hiked in over 3 miles to bring an extra pack. He is 72 years old and put in a lot of hunting already that morning; but he forgot all about that when he saw the buck. I boned him out, packed the meat and the head in three packs and we all headed for the truck knowing we had just experienced something special.
Thank you Dad for being so generous with your cabin and helping me pack out. Thank you Erik for being an extra set of eyes and helping me pack out. Thank you Brian (brother) for putting in all those hours of hard hunting to discover areas like this. And most of all thank you Susan (wife) for holding down the fort with 3 kids and one on the way to provide me with this opportunity.
-Kevin
Alright, enough story already…here are some measurement and pics:
Buck Measurements – 10 points on right (includes 3 eye guards), the large kicker on the right busted off just over an inch off the beam, 12 points on left (includes 1 eye guard), 22.5” main beam spread, 26.5” largest inside spread, 36.5” largest outside spread.
10/22/16 - Thanks Everyone! This definitely didn't ruin hunting for the rest of my life...it only strengthened my love for it. And plus, he busted off one large kicker which means there's a even bigger one out there! Happy Hunting!
