10:00 am (about) Friday, Maryland. I had a big buck come into me with a doe following him! Go figure, anyway he came out of a thicket above me. I had just seen two doe go into that thicket 10 minutes earlier, so I thought it was those doe coming back out. When he hit a patch of sunlight and stuck his head up, I about fell out of my tree! He stayed in a thick draw that came directly behind my stand. Way too thick to shoot through. He stopped behind my stand at about 15 yards. Then behind me, out in front of my stand I heard leaves crunching and some branches snapping. The big guy just stared under me at what ever it was behind me. I turned, real slow, and looked - it was a little 6 point. The 9 point started pawing the ground then he took a step toward me (and towards that little 6 point) and destroyed a sapling with his rack. That lil buck was looking mighty scared as he stared at the 9 (actually that impressive show, with ears back and hair bristled made me glad I was 30 feet up too!) Then the 9 started around on the right side of my tree, and I had the bow on the left. As he walked I turned in stand real slow, because I couldn't see the doe, and that 6 was right behind me. Some how I got turned around without anyone seeing. Now the big buck was 10 feet from my tree and I about lost it looking down on this hog. He was sniffing the ground, and started to walk out in front of me. I said a prayer that none of the deer would spot me, then eased my bow back. I got to full draw and waited till he hit an opening. Then I bleated/ grunted with my mouth to stop him in the opening. He threw his head up and stared at that 6 point. I held the pin for 2 or 3 second then punched the trigger. At the shot (about 7 yards real steep angle) he was facing that 6, so that's the way he ran. Man, that little 6 thought he was dead meat, he absolutely tore out of there with the 9 right behind him. My buck looked like a bull dog running off, he was so big, and had such a swollen neck. I saw blood on his side at the shot, and it looked like a good hit. He ran out of sight over a pine ridge, then I heard a loud crash. Boy, I got the shakes then. Then 2 minutes later, I saw a deer coming from that area. Hear it was that 6 again, I grunted and he came in and stood broadside in the open at 15 yards. He was real jumpy though. He's lucky I had just shot one. I didn't have a watch, but I tried to wait about 1/2 hour. I got down, checked the tree he destroyed and saw where he had pawed the ground, then started on the blood trail. I found my arrow 25 yards away, with good blood covering over 1/2 of it. Real good blood trail. I followed the blood up onto that ridge and started looking in that hollow where I heard the crash. I could see the entire hollow, but couldn't see the buck. I started getting a little worried, then I looked down and saw the blood went to the left. I looked left and saw him laying 30 yards away, head up, with a tree covering his face, but I could see the rack sticking out from both sides of the tree. I nocked an arrow and snuck closer. Here when he dropped his rack got caught up on a blow down and had held up his head. He had made it about 85 yards or so. My arrow took out the left lung and had gone straight through the heart. He has a 19" spread, and real good mass. He'll net well over 100". I think he'll net about 120" if I guessed right. Then the work began. Take all the gear out, come back in, and I drug him for 2 1/2 hour to get him to the vehicle. I pulled a muscle in my leg, one in my shoulder, and by the end of it all, I couldn't close either of my hands. I still hurt, but it was worth it. He dressed out at 145 lbs. He's at the taxidermist right now. He'll be done by February, and I can't wait.
Derek Smith