Last minute buck twice

deercrazy! · #1 12-02-2016, 12:06 AM

So here's the back story. I was out all week in my favourite area and had passed on a bunch of smaller bucks earlier in the week and was starting to rethink a couple of those decisions as it was Thursday afternoon and I had to leave home Friday morning. After sitting most of my last afternoon rattling and watching for any movements and seeing absolutely nothing I decided while there was still time before the sun goes down I would just slowly and quietly walk some game trails instead of the main cutline while heading back to the quad to ride out .
I had walked about 1km through a nice little draw in the bush ,there was lots of sign but saw nothing .just when I started thinking it was over and I would be calling it a season the trail led me over a small ridge and there was a shooter buck I was holding out for .
I took aim on the front should , I had a lane to shoot through although I won't lie it was tight through the poplars trees , kinda like threading the needle.I let off a shot . 1st thought was it was a good hit I heard the signature smack of the bullet hitting and thought I saw him arch up as he turned and ran . At this point the sun was going down quickly and knowing there wouldnt be much light after giving him sometime to expire without pushing any farther if it wasn't a truly fatal bullet placement. I just hung my orange toque in the tree by where I shot from and decided it best to return in the morning
After meeting up with a buddy/ neighbor that night for a couple sodas he offered to come help me out in the morning
We arrived to the site at first light and began looking ,with no sign of blood I was starting to question my shot. We played CSI for a while only to discover a freshly blown out tree between myself and where the buck was standing DANG!!! I didn't hit him, I hit a f*~€#n poplar about 10yrds in font of him
Now being I was saposed to be leaving that morning I was totally discouraged at missing my opportunity and was ready to go ,when my buddy says "since we are back here would I mind hunting for a bit befor we leave ", of coarse I agreed as he was there helping me, so we said we would go our separate ways and meet in a couple hrs
I spent those couple hrs reliving the miss the evening befor over and over thinking about what I could have done different to have changed the out come . Honestly As far as I was concerned my season was done I missed my chance at a big mature whitetail and I was only waisting time untill we meet up . The 2 hrs were almost up so I started heading back to our meeting spot and 5 mins befor arriving at the meeting point I catch a glimmer of light out of the corner of my eye , It was the sun gleaming on a nice heavy horned buck to my right standing strait on ,looking right at me . As I took my 270 win mag off my shoulder and put the cross hairs on him he started to spook and I fired just as he began to run, he only went about 30-40 yards and stopped behind a few spruce trees ,after about a minute but what seemed like an hour, still on his feet he slowly took a few steps out of the stand of spruce and I shot again this time putting him down for good, I later discovered the first shot was fatal ,he would have gone anywhere but I was taking the chance
I couldn't be happier and can't thank my buddy Brad enough for coming with me that morning and giving me the incentive to stay and hunt .
I truly believe now that every minute in the bush counts and it's not over till its over , and for every missed opportunity it only leaves the door open for a new one.
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