My first P&Y

[Phishy]

Okay I think I figured out this pix posting thing, took me a while to find a host that could upload and keep the folder sizes i have, but here it goes





another view



anyone know how i can get my photos to fit into a reasonible viewing format?

[Phishy]

Here’s the story to go with the pix, oh you know the typical stuff sat in tree... etc etc

Seriously, I got the buck, Oct 16, 2000. A little before the pre rut. It came off public land as well. I learned a 1500 acre piece pretty well. I hunted the area for quite some time; I knew the trails etc. the biggest difference in this year compared to the rest were that I ended laid of from work. That’s right, break my heart and put me on unemployment during bow season. I contribute that to the biggest influence, I was able to hunt everyday. I found mornings were best for me, probably something to do with me hunting closer to bedding areas, but getting into stand without spooking deer was a challenge. On the particular day I got this deer, I had two options for entering the woods into my stand area. Do I go north and take the long route, or south and take the quick route with the wind in my face, both options take me into one of two openings, either way I usually end up spooking deer, but have learned to walk at a brisk pace and pay no attention to the deer snorting and running from me. It seems they go a short ways making a bunch of noise stop, check me out, and figure I'm not a threat at that time and go about their business. So I opted for the short route. Of course there were a ton of deer in the opening, but I put my nose to the ground and kept going as they crashed through the woods a short ways and stopped. I kept the pace up till I was about an eighth of a mile from my stand, (there's a ski trail that sees a lot of people walking on it, grouse hunters mostly, I think the deer are use to this and quickly dismiss human activity on it, I've watched a few hunters pass by as I sat off the trail 200-300 yards away) when I slowed down and left the trail and tried to find the tree I wanted to sit in. I knew of a trail that had seen lots of activity in past years, and wanted to be set in the right place. It was dark still and I couldn't find my tree, here I am wandering around, close but not quite where I wanted to be, but I knew I wanted to be in that one tree. As I was stumbling around trying to not leave scent every where, I did have a scent drag down, but lot of good that'll do if I'm brushing up against everything, then I heard deer coming from the direction I had just passed 20 or so min, ago. I could see a bit now, but it wasn't shooting hours yet. There was a buck pushing a group of does around. I had a couple of deer pass upwind of me probably only 20 yards away, but I sat still, then that buck started chasing another deer all around, she took off from him and stopped downwind of me at about 15 yards, I'm busted. I could see the whites of her eyes, she didn't snort though, stood there stomped a few times, the buck behind her was closing in and she continued to stare at me with her ears cocked back at the buck, caught between a rock and a hard place she just stomped then bolted to the north, the direction I came from. Okay that wasn't so bad, but that buck was still out there someplace. I think he was busy making a scrape or something and I tried to peer through the darkness to find my tree, (it was next to the funny one, I knew if I could just see the silhouette I’d find the one I'm looking for) then the buck started moving again, grunting like a pig, again I'm stuck. He passed downwind, but never showed any sign of winding me. How lucky can I get?

Finally there was enough light and I could see my funny shaped tree, I made my way over, put down a bunch of scent upwind (a non sexual curiosity scent), went back to my tree, shimmied up, got settled in and hoped for the best. I watched a bunch of squirrels and the typical tranquil setting while one is passing time in a tree. At 8:30AM I hear a deer coming, look, see legs, watch intently, horns, closer, BIG horns, he kept coming and coming as if pulled by a string. I told myself, this is it, don't blow it, don't look at the horns, don't look at the horns, OH MY GOD, LOOK AT THOSE HORNS, compose, don't look at the horns, at fifteen yards, I drew back, at seven I let one fly, I watched the arrow sink up to the fletching, high but at a downward angle towards the vitals, the deer took a series of lunges, and ran off to the south, I watched until he disappeared, but I never heard him go over. I sat there for a half hour, climbed down, and looked for sign of blood, none anywhere. I made the decision to let him lay, the only way I was going to do that was the get out the woods. It was the middle of the week and nobody typically leaves the trail, so I felt comfortable with this, so I went back to the truck, and drove home. If I sound calm through this whole ordeal, that's exactly how I was in the woods. It wasn’t till I got home that I had a problem. I literally forced myself to watch the Price is Right before I would go back. I paced the house and had to sit through 1 hour of Bob Barker. That was the longest hour of the hunt. Finally after the showcase showdown, I drove back to the parking area, went back, still didn't find any blood, and went back to my tree, found the birch I last saw the deer, took a compass reading, and tried to track this deer. I found a few places where the ground had been scuffed up, but never any blood or my arrow. I just kept looking for sign, but then as I got close to where I thought the deer was last seen, set myself back on the compass line and headed in the general direction, there he was. After a grueling 3/4 mile drag over dry leaves in 55 degree Oct. dry air, blood sweat and mud covered me. I was quite the sight at the registrations station. Now he sits on my wall, all the meat is long gone. He aged at 4 1/2 and went 225lb dressed. 16 1/2" spread, longest tines are the G3's on at 11 1/2" the other 10 3/4", scores near 140 typical, 145 gross, never officially measured, but that should be pretty close

kinda got long here, kinda hard to stop myself

[Win Mag]

Nice Buck Phishy !! Not to mention the story behind it.Thanks for sharing partner
Great Pic's


If you resize your photos to 640x 480 pixels it will fit,thats about the Average size.

[turk2di]

Fine lookin deer, congrats!

[texasrack]

Dude that is an incredible buck and I love the story....just does justice to the pictures. Love the tine length and mass on the buck too...outstanding..congrats

[tbryan]

great deer!!!!!!!

[barreledaction]

Niiiice deer & story - thanks

[THE GOB-FATHER]

That's a great trophy right there! Congrats on a fine buck! Haven't seen that apparition camo in a while, I've always like that pattern ;D

[bamabandit]

Great lookin buck. Congrats great story to go along with it.

[louisianahunter]

;D phishy. He look's like he was a real fighter. Congrat's on your FIRST P&Y.