There are many things that make up a great adventure. Perhaps one of the biggest is the size of the buck, bull, or boar. There are however, many other aspects that add to the story and adventure. Yesterday was such a day. I’ve been having a better than normal year for spotting big shooter bucks. Just none were 20 yards or less. A couple were close...oh so close. Arriving at my lot early yesterday afternoon I was dismayed to see the lower edge of my property which border a river was completely flooded out. Not a chance of hunting a single one of them. I had two choices. Go home or sit on the ground on one of the heavily used trails on the higher ground and hope for the best. After making the 45 minute drive, I was not interested in heading back home. Although I did consider it. The daytime high temp was around -6. The winds were simply howling. Big spruce were swaying like blades of grass. Add in the occasional snow squall and it was a full fledged blustery winter day more typical of January than the last day of November. With about 30 minutes of light left I first caught movement coming through the thick evergreens at about 40 yards. It was a small buck with a bearing that would put him right in my lap. When he was pushing through some especially thick stuff, I got into a kneeling position. Bow arm out...fingers hooked on the black widow’s string. The bucks kept coming directly at me. 30 yards, 20 yards, 10 yards !. After that I was measuring it in feet. I’ll have to go back and pace it off, but he came to somewhere between 10 and 20 feet. We were almost nose to nose. The wind was in my favor. But at 10 feet, even a young immature buck sensed the kneeling blob just wasn’t quite right. He stared long and hard at me. But, while I can’t really explain it, he was still curious not completely alarmed. Before I gave myself an imaginary slap, I briefly thought about shooting him in the chest. The things that go through your mind. With the fresh snow, I knew with such a shot, blood might be minimal, but I could follow his tracks, and if fatal ...I'd find him. The key word was “if”. I quickly dismissed the idea. I held my ground. The buck relaxed and turned hard to his right to head out into the field of standing wheat. He was broadside but brush covered his vitals. I watched his head for signs of what he was about to do. After a minute or so, he ducked his head down and I knew he was going to take a step. I had about a 2 foot opening where I could shoot. Luckily , he just took one step and stopped. Leaving his head behind cover but his vitals exposed. I pulled the limbs back to that beautiful S shape I love so much about recurves. My middle finger found the tooth I use as an anchor. I stared at a tuft of fur. Almost unexpectedly, the arrow launched. I saw the tuft of fur part. I heard the thump. The buck ran out into the field. I watched him fall while on the run at 40 yards with hardly a kick. Once again, I became aware of the brutal wind and sub 0 temps. Although the buck was down, I instinctively followed his tracks and blood trail to him. After a couple pictures, I went to my truck and retrieved the sled. Dragging would be easy with the sled and the fresh wind polished snow. I forgot about the biting wind though. It was especially bad out in the open field. Regardless, step by step I worked towards the truck. Being a small buck, the drag was one of the easier ones I've had recently. Make no mistake though, the fierce wind made up for the easy dragging. Once back home, after he was cleaned and hanging, ready for the butcher’s cooler in the morning, I retreated into the house and it’s warmth in front of the fire. By all accounts, it had been an adventure and a perfect day for a solo hunt from start to finish. Despite offers of help, for whatever reason, I enjoy doing such things alone. Sitting here today, nice and warm by a raging fire, the outside temps are still cold. I’m glad he’s in a cooler as he would be frozen hard by now. I thoroughly enjoyed yesterday. I hope I enjoy future hunts as much.

Good write up. I could feel the bite of the wind all the way down here in Texas. Your young bucks are larger than our big mature bucks. Congrats.

Nice sized deer. I've killed a lot of Pa. 11 point bucks.

Great hunt, especially in tough conditions. Congratulations and thanks for a great story.

Michael

You desereved that deer.like hearing stories about not taking marginal shots and bad choices.this only shot i had stuff is just wanting to shoot something.

You desereved that deer.like hearing stories about not taking marginal shots and bad choices.this only shot i had stuff is just wanting to shoot something.

That's a great account! Thanks for adding to the story!

One question I do have is it seems you didn't gut the deer until you got it back home. Is that normally what you do or did you do it this time due to the cold and dark?

I have always gutted my deer where they drop as there's less weight to drag.

"... and the fresh wind polished snow."

Well written, great story and congrats!

Way to stick it out. Not sure there are many who would be hunting in that weather. Thanks for the story.

Well done. I can identify.

Pdiddly....on deer size critters, if I can, I usually bring them home and dress them unless there are mitigating factors like warm temps, a need to reduce some weight, or lord forbid-(but it happens) a nicked paunch etc.

I find it helps keep the meat cleaner when you have to drag them out.

I should add tho...even a field dressed deer stays pretty clean in those sleds that are sop popular these days.

Good hunt and so well described. I enjoyed your adventure. Thanks.>>>>-----> Ken

Well done Roger. Nice animal and great story. Hard for a TX guy to believe a deer that big is a youngster. Brad is right in that he is bigger than our mature deer. I got a nice 11 point a couple of weeks ago that was 5.5+ yoa and he was not as big as yours. I thoroughly enjoyed the read Roger.

Congratulations and great story telling, like I was Their. That spike smaller to you, but looks a lot bigger than our spike bucks in my area ,

Bea, Great account of a Great adventure. Not sure where your from, but we here in MN Identify with those weather conditions. Congratulations on a fine, fine, deer and thanks for taking us along. Stay Safe/Shoot Straight. MTQuiver

He's from New Scotland.

DDave

Great story. Congratulations.

Why was it flooded?

Bowmania

Good story. And your spikes are a lot bigger than our Jersey ones.

Yes our deer are bigger here in the great white North. Bucks that go over 300lb are fairly common. That's where Bergmann's rule comes in.

Bergmann's rule states..." It is an ecogeogripical rule that within a broadly distributed taxonomic clade, populations and Species of larger size are found in colder environments and Species of smaller size are found in warmer regions".

Bergman had a way with words! Sandy

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