5 years in the making........
Contributors to this thread:Pennsylvania
From: Mitch
24-Oct-15
In 2011 this buck showed up on my trail camera. He was a narrow 7 point with uneven brow tines.
From: Mitch
24-Oct-15
He was all over the farm I hunt and very visible. I watched him breed a doe in my backyard on Nov. 6th and could count on multiple photos every time I pulled a card.
From: Mitch
24-Oct-15
Even with his reckless nature he made it through the rifle season. Several nicer 8 points were killed off the farm and my neighbor passed him up, wanting to see what he'd look like the following year.
From: Mitch
24-Oct-15
He was back in 2012 and had turned into an 8 point. He still had that narrow spread and uneven brow tines, but he put on size in both his antlers and body. He was still living in his old haunts and bedding close to my house. If you look over the deer you can see my roofline in the background.
From: Mitch
24-Oct-15
If you look at the time stamps you can see I pushed him out of his bed when I started mowing the trail. He was bedding between the trail and my driveway, about 50 yards from the yard.
From: Mitch
24-Oct-15
Once again he was all over my cameras. Fortunately for both of us there was a big 11 point on the property and I was able to shoot it on the first Wednesday of the season.
From: Mitch
24-Oct-15
In October something happened to his right front leg. I saw him limping badly and it changed his demeanor. Never again would I see him in close proximity to other deer. With the severity of his limp I didn't expect to make it through the winter..
From: Mitch
24-Oct-15
I was pleasantly surprised to see him once the cameras went out in the summer of 2013.
From: Mitch
24-Oct-15
We almost killed him on Nov. 2nd that year. I was hunting with my stepdaughter and saw him coming toward us. I told her to get ready, but things didn't work out and he made us in the tree. She didn't get a shot and that was the last time I saw him while hunting that year.
From: Mitch
24-Oct-15
I had picked up his sheds in January so I wasn't too surprised when he was my first picture of 2014.
From: Mitch
24-Oct-15
Based on my luck getting him in range it also wasn't a surprise to have him be one of my last photos of the season. With the extreme cold and snow cover I wondered if this would be our last encounter..
From: Mitch
24-Oct-15
Just like clockwork the camera went up and he was there.
From: Mitch
24-Oct-15
As you can see he totally recovered from his 2012 injury. He never limped after that year, but his reclusiveness toward other deer remained. He was always alone and I never saw him casing doe or posturing with other bucks. He would make rubs and visit scrapes, but even when I saw him in the fields in the summer he was always alone.
From: Mitch
24-Oct-15
He was once again very visible and I hoped this would be the year our paths crossed. Then after I got this picture he disappeared. No more photos...........
From: Mitch
24-Oct-15
I didn't know what happened and then I got this picture on a farm I hunt about a half mile to the north of where I always saw him. In 5 years I never got a picture or saw him on this farm, but there he was moving in day light. I put my wife in the stand near that camera and she shot a nice 8 point on October 10th. I went in on October 15th to pull the card and see if he was still moving in daylight or if that activity pushed him off the farm or made him nocturnal. After I pulled the card I climbed up in the stand and saw him feeding on the other side of the field just before dark.
From: Mitch
24-Oct-15
On Friday the 16th the wind was favorable to hunt the stand on the other side of the field. I was hopeful that the approaching cold front and corresponding drop in tempature would have him moving again. I was able to get out of work and get to the stand a little after 4. I was catching up on bow site happenings on my phone and planned to put on my gloves and face mask at 5. At 4:52 I heard crunching in the leaves. I thought it must be that button buck from last night since it was so early in the evening. I glanced to my right and saw him coming in front of me on the 20 yard trail. I stood up and got ready. He stopped and surveyed the area and started moving again. As he hit the shooting lane he quartered away and I stopped him with a mouth bleat. The pin steadied and the arrow was away.
From: Mitch
24-Oct-15
I saw the arrow disappear and knew he was a dead deer running. He went down the side hill and crossed the bottom as he started up the other side I heard a crash and then silence. I sat Dow in shock. I waited 20 minuets to calm my nerves and then went to look for my arrow. It was drenched with blood and a great blood trail led me down the hill. I went about 30 yards and looked across the hollow and saw him laying there.
From: Mitch
24-Oct-15
After a long evening of dragging and skinning I sat down with a drink and started going through my old pictures of him. I was torn between being elated from a successful hunt and sad that he would no longer be roaming the woods and showing up on my trail cameras. I'm happy for the past 5 years of watching him grow and for the enjoyment he provided me and my family. I'm also glad for a quick clean kill and the meat that will be shared with family and friends. I also know that when looking at his rack in the future I won't be able to not smile reliving those memories, but I'll understandably wipe away a tear as well. Hopefully another buck will show up to occupy the void he left and another memory will begin. While I've been very fortunate to harvest larger antlered deer, I don't think any mean as much as this one. Thanks for allowing me to share with all of you and good luck the rest of the season!
From: DCNOE
24-Oct-15
Tremendous story. Thanks for sharing. Congrats on a great buck.
From: Phil Magistro
24-Oct-15
That is a wionderful story. Thanks for posting it here.
From: Mule Power
24-Oct-15
That's an awesome buck. But it wouldn't be the same without the story. The biggest buck I have killed I had never seen before. Shot him the first time I laid eyes on him. When I look at the animals on my wall, elk included, none stand out like the one I had seen and hunted before.
Funny but when I read that I shared your feelings. Happy for you that you got him, but a little sad that he walks no more. Hopefully a replacement will move in. Congrats Mitch.
From: Ben Farmer
24-Oct-15
Congrats Mitch on a great buck! Thanks for posting the story, I enjoyed it!
From: Brad Gehman
24-Oct-15
Very nice Dave. Congrats!
From: RC
24-Oct-15
Nice story and buck, congrats Mitch..
From: DaleHajas
24-Oct-15
Awesome! One of the best stories ever on the Pa Bowsite! And Thank you for showing that Grand Whitetail the proper respect by posting great pictures! He deserved a great respectful hunt and you gave it to him! Respect him as much in life as in death. Thats the way every hunt should be noted and remembered, whether big buck or not. Congrats!
From: bowfish
24-Oct-15
Thanks for sharing your story in The Life Of A Buck. It was done with with great purpose.
From: swiggy
24-Oct-15
Congrats...Enjoyed the story.
From: Treerat
24-Oct-15
Thank you Mitch for sharing a great story with us, defiantly one of the best stories I've ever read on Bowsite, I live for this stuff I have been doing the same thing as you have done here by having several years of history with a certain buck. I have a few I'm after right now that I have a few years of pictures and history with and hopefully I can close the deal in the next few weeks and post a similar story.
I hope people appreciate how rare it is to have several years of trail camera photos and history with a particular buck and then harvest him, the mis conseption is that trail cameras photos make hunting a buck easier and makes it a slam dunk to pattern a particular buck but in my opinion that is plain hogwash.
Thanks again Mike
From: Rut Nut
25-Oct-15
That's a great story Mitch! Thanks for sharing.
From: Huntinggal2009
25-Oct-15
Dave, Thanks for sharing this. It is a great story!!Sounds like he's been with you through "thick and thin".
From: Gonzo
25-Oct-15
Very nice & and great story to boot! congrats.
Pat
From: Wild Bill
25-Oct-15
Wow! Congratulations. One of the best hunt stories/photo spread I've read/seen on Bowsite.
Thank you.
From: bill v
25-Oct-15
Thats really cool Mitch.
Congrats
bill v
From: Smoke1
25-Oct-15
Dave, That's an awesome buck and an equally great story. Cool that you still had the history of trail can pics.
From: Zack
25-Oct-15
Great story, and a great report, congrats from Connecticut!
From: BSKED (mobile)
25-Oct-15
Awesome job..,. Congrats
B Sked
From: Stekewood
26-Oct-15
Great stuff Mitch. Congratulations!
From: Big D
26-Oct-15
Very Cool story with a very happy / bittersweet ending. Congratulation on the big stud!
From: Dave G.
26-Oct-15
Congratulations on a great buck Mitch.
Thanks very much for sharing your photo compilation - I found it, as well as some of the observations you've made, to be very interesting. Very well done.
From: DcoleinPA
27-Oct-15
Thanks for posting Mitch. That buck had an interesting personality. Congrats!
From: Mitch
27-Oct-15
Thank you all for the kind words. I don't get on here as much as I once did, but I couldn't think of a better group of hunters to share my story with. Good luck to everyone, the best time to hunt is here!
From: PAbowhunter1064
27-Oct-15
Congratulations, Mitch! It's refreshing to hear stories like this, where there is such strong evidence that we have respect and admiration for the animals we hunt. I can understand how you feel, but I couldn't imagine a more fitting end! The meat he provides you will last only a few months, but the memories will be with you forever.
This would be a great story for the UBP Newsletter!
From: deer tracker
27-Oct-15
Great story, thank you for sharing it.
From: JoeBow
27-Oct-15
Thanks for sharing the story what blessing to have such a long history congrats.
From: Bogey PA
27-Oct-15
Awesome! Congrats
From: Mitch
19-Feb-16
I just received the age results from deer age.com.
Dear David: We have completed processing on the whitetail deer specimen that you submitted on November 3, 2015 for forensic aging. We promised to have the results back to you by March 3, 2016. The cementum-annuli analysis has determined that the age of “8 point 10/16/2015” is 7.5 years. Really nice trophy! We will be sending you a paper copy of this result via the US Post Office. If you have any questions, or if we can be of additional assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us. As always David, we appreciate your business. Thanks. Henry Chidgey CoFounder
From: Red Beastmaster
20-Feb-16
Mitch
I rarely pay much attention to big buck trail cam threads because they tend to go down a path I don't share.
All I can say is, Very Nice! Really enjoyed your story and progression to a successful end. Some of these young guns with the "smoked 'em" mentality should read your thread carefully and learn from it. Your big smile says it all, something not seen in most harvest photos.
Congratulations.
From: Dennis Razza
20-Feb-16
Congrats on a great deer and accomplishment!
From: Joe The Teacher
20-Feb-16
Loved this!
From: George D. Stout
22-Feb-16
Very nice...I enjoyed that story.
From: Rut Nut
03-Mar-16
Wow- 7.5! Thanks for the update. Congrats.
From: HerdManager
04-Mar-16
Awesome trophy!
Amazing that from 3.5 years to 7.5 years, he never made any huge jumps in antler size. He was pretty big as a 3 year old, put on some mass and added a tine, but never made a huge jump in inches. I guess there are many factors that go into making big bucks, not just age.
From: Mule Power
05-Mar-16
Hunting deer and hunting one specific deer are two entirely different things. Especially in places like Pennsylvania where they could be killed any day leaving you to wonder where they went.
I think that's what makes stories like this cool.
