huntingchic's Big Buck
Moderator: Excalibur Marketing Dude
Button Buck story
Here's the button buck story guys, enjoy
Later,
huntingchic
It was my first year of hunting, I was eleven years old. That year in late December early January we'd had six to ten inches of snow for over two weeks. There was a warm snap that lasted several days melting off some of the snow and the deer came out in droves it was not uncommon that week to see 50 to a hundred deer out in the fields. For three days in a row in the late afternoon there were often 20 deer in our hayfield. I asked my dad to come home early from work to go hunt the edge of the hayfield. There was a small corn patch we had planted for the deer and we would sit in there for cover. When my dad got home that day the deer where already out in the field. I, as an inexperienced hunter, was excited. Dad didn't tell me that our chances of getting close enough were very slim. We suited up and headed out a few minutes later. We had to approach the deer from our neighbors horse pasture. It took us about 20 minutes to crawl across the pasture on our bellies. We could only go a few feet before one of the several deer would look up from browsing. We would freeze until all deer had resumed eating. By the time we got to the fence at the edge of the hayfield the deer where about 45 yards away. We crawled under the fence and progress now was tediously slow. One doe spotted us stomped her hoof stuck her tail up and ran. Making us think the gig was up. But the other deer where so hungry they paid her no attention. A button buck looked over at us and in all his young stupidness began walking straight towards us. We didn't dare move a muscle for quite some time. When the button buck was about 20 yards away looking straight at us, I asked my dad if I could shoot. Dad said no because the bucks chest was a very small target and a chest shot isn't always fatal. The wind was blowing very hard from right to left, so he couldn't scent us or hear us whisper. My dad told me to turn my safety off and as he turned his off the button buck saw his thumb move. He jumped straight up and the air and landed broadside 25 yards away. As soon as he landed I pulled the trigger before dad could even tell me to shoot. We saw the bolt hit the ground on the other side of the button buck so we new it was a hit. He turned and ran into a thicket about 50 yards away. I wanted to immediately go get him but dad made me wait at least a half hour. We retrieved the bolt, looked at it and it was covered in bright red blood. Dad told me it looked like a lung shot. We saw a very nice blood trail in the snow. I was so excited Dad sent me home to get my brother because all I wanted to do was get into the woods and find that deer. My brother and his friend came with a sled to help track the deer. The blood trail was so easy to follow that tracking was no problem at all. He had only run about 65 yards before he dropped. Dad has always said it wasn't a trophy deer but it was the most exciting hunt he has ever been on because we had to stalk them and it took great patience.
I don't have a picture for you because all our pictures cant be accessed right now. But if you have seen one button buck you have seen them all.
Later,
huntingchic
It was my first year of hunting, I was eleven years old. That year in late December early January we'd had six to ten inches of snow for over two weeks. There was a warm snap that lasted several days melting off some of the snow and the deer came out in droves it was not uncommon that week to see 50 to a hundred deer out in the fields. For three days in a row in the late afternoon there were often 20 deer in our hayfield. I asked my dad to come home early from work to go hunt the edge of the hayfield. There was a small corn patch we had planted for the deer and we would sit in there for cover. When my dad got home that day the deer where already out in the field. I, as an inexperienced hunter, was excited. Dad didn't tell me that our chances of getting close enough were very slim. We suited up and headed out a few minutes later. We had to approach the deer from our neighbors horse pasture. It took us about 20 minutes to crawl across the pasture on our bellies. We could only go a few feet before one of the several deer would look up from browsing. We would freeze until all deer had resumed eating. By the time we got to the fence at the edge of the hayfield the deer where about 45 yards away. We crawled under the fence and progress now was tediously slow. One doe spotted us stomped her hoof stuck her tail up and ran. Making us think the gig was up. But the other deer where so hungry they paid her no attention. A button buck looked over at us and in all his young stupidness began walking straight towards us. We didn't dare move a muscle for quite some time. When the button buck was about 20 yards away looking straight at us, I asked my dad if I could shoot. Dad said no because the bucks chest was a very small target and a chest shot isn't always fatal. The wind was blowing very hard from right to left, so he couldn't scent us or hear us whisper. My dad told me to turn my safety off and as he turned his off the button buck saw his thumb move. He jumped straight up and the air and landed broadside 25 yards away. As soon as he landed I pulled the trigger before dad could even tell me to shoot. We saw the bolt hit the ground on the other side of the button buck so we new it was a hit. He turned and ran into a thicket about 50 yards away. I wanted to immediately go get him but dad made me wait at least a half hour. We retrieved the bolt, looked at it and it was covered in bright red blood. Dad told me it looked like a lung shot. We saw a very nice blood trail in the snow. I was so excited Dad sent me home to get my brother because all I wanted to do was get into the woods and find that deer. My brother and his friend came with a sled to help track the deer. The blood trail was so easy to follow that tracking was no problem at all. He had only run about 65 yards before he dropped. Dad has always said it wasn't a trophy deer but it was the most exciting hunt he has ever been on because we had to stalk them and it took great patience.
I don't have a picture for you because all our pictures cant be accessed right now. But if you have seen one button buck you have seen them all.
huntingchic that is the best story i have ever heard. For a hunter to stalk to within shooting range of any whitetail deer is no easy task. Too top it off you was in the open most of the way. Great job Any deer taken that way is one to remenber I will have my grandson read this so that he knows what a hunter can do if they are willing to try