Big Nine

The 2015 Wisconsin Bow Hunting Season came up on us quicker than ever this year.   In preparation of this season we spent countless hours in the woods working on existing food plots, clearing trees, and maintaining trails.  Additionally, we also had trail cameras out for the entire antler growing season beginning in April of this past spring.  This summer we had a severe storm come through that had straight line winds that brought down several large trees across the property.  The chainsaw was ran many days straight for about a week and a half in cleaning up the fallen mess that was left behind.

                After reviewing thousands of trail camera photos over the months it became apparent that the deer had a pretty good winter and spring this past year in contrast to the past couple as there were more fawns present, the antler growth appeared better, and the overall health of the deer certainly looked a lot better. 

Two bucks ran together all summer and frequently were caught on film together, “High Boy” and “Big Nine.”  High Boy is a buck that I have known from years past and believe him to be a 5.5 or 6.5 year old this year.  –I saw him from my stand twice two years ago, had him on film many times last season, and had him on film again this summer.  High Boy is not a high scoring during by means of inches of antler, but is simply a very high racked buck that is a clean eight point.  Meanwhile, the buck that I was seeing with High Boy was the Big Nine.  Big Nine is simply a very clean nine point that I really didn’t know of prior to this summer.  I would guess him as a 3.5 or 4.5 year old, but that’s just a guess based on body size.  Both of these bucks were ones that I decided to try to target for the upcoming bow season. 

The opening weekend of bow season found me perched in a couple of my favorite stands.  I hunted one stand by the east side of the property and one on the west side property.  Both days the weather was perfect and I had activity around me.  I had a pair of twin fork bucks wrestling with one another directly beneath me on evening and had a smaller nine, eight, and an unidentified buck all within 50 yards of me on the second sit of the year.  Although I didn’t pull the string back I was feeling good about the year to come. 

The following weekend I once again found myself perched about 20 feet up one of my favorite stands.  –I had checked a trail camera close by and had seen Big Nine on it twice and High Boy on it once the previous week shortly after shooting hours.  (The weather had been warm earlier this week so I was optimistic that a little cooler weather may have the deer moving slightly earlier, which gave me an additional glimmer of hope.)  After sitting in the stand and watching a grey squirrel that had a snowball white tail dance around picking up acorns for a couple hours I gazed behind me as I ritually do from time to time while leisurely reading while in the stand.  When I looked back I saw a buck, Big Nine, standing in patch of sunlight about 80 yards away.   My heart jumped and was now kick started.

The Big Nine was coming from the south, just as I had suspected he would, and the slight southwest wind was perfect for me if he was coming to the food plot like I had suspected he was.  I sat motionless in my stand as I knew he was approaching.  I envisioned him coming straight off my left shoulder and had plans on drawing and releasing as he quartered away towards the food plot, which I was about 75 yards off of.  I envisioned him being 12-15 yards where I would likely get the shot... Unfortunately, he came around the right side of my stand over my right shoulder where I knew I would be extremely vulnerable to him with the wind and could not draw and spin as I am right handed.  (Seems like it is rare that things happen as planned!?)  As Big Nine continued to move forward it was evident by his body language that he knew something was not right and would take the smallest of steps and then scan, scan, scan.  He did this for what seemed like a half hour, but in reality probably was less than five minutes.  Although he didn’t ever visually detect me his nose was clearly telling him something wasn’t right as his body language said so.  He was now easily within bow range at maybe 25-30 yards however I was exposed in drawing my bow and Big Nine was ready to blow and bolt at any second.  In fact, I would have bet anything at this point that he would have busted out of there and I wouldn’t see him again until rut if I was lucky.  

Fortunately, a doe, which was walking the same trail about 5-10 minutes behind him decided to come to the food plot and go directly towards it like I had envisioned the Big Nine would.  She passed my LEFT at 12-15 yards and had not detected me as the wind was favorable on this side of the tree.  The Big Nine was now about 55 yards out and was looking like he would be passing on the food plot visit for the evening, however he saw the doe that had safely made it to the food plot.  His confidence increased and emotion to safety suddenly was tossed aside as he began bee-lining straight towards the food plot right in front of me.  Now, my fortune had quickly changed and I knew I would get a shot so long as I wasn’t busted drawing back.  Big Nine walked behind a large white pine about 25 yards away and I started to draw, but somehow my nock came off of the string as I was beginning to draw.  (I recall doing this once when I first started to hunt as I was usually shaking like a leaf at this point.) Although I thought to myself that I messed up the opportunity the buck continued to walk from right to left in front of me now.  I kept my cool and regrouped and got the nock back on the string as I weaseled it forward ever so slowly.   (To this day I don’t know what happened there outside of me possibly not having the nock snapped on tight???)  I started to draw back again as the buck  was now behind another white pine.  As he came out from the white pine I was at full draw and released the arrow from about twenty-seven yards as his forefront leg moved forward.  The arrow disappeared through Big Nine right where I was aiming with a “whump” sound.  Big Nine quickly spun a 180 degree turn and loped off.  I did not hear a crash or any running sounds after just a couple seconds. 

    I scanned the woods for the next fifteen minutes and then exited my stand as quietly as I could.  I found the arrow after a couple minutes of looking and decided to exit the woods and leave the tracking until I got my sons, JD, and Nolan.  However, immediately upon getting on the trail that leads me into my stand I looked down to where I thought the buck may have crossed and spotted crimson soaked leaves.  I looked up and there was the Big Nine lying dead not 30 yards off of the trail and only about 70 yards from where I shot him.  As much as I wanted to check him out I waited until the boys could help me “track” him as they both live for this and it’s a wonderful learning opportunity. 

Once I got the boys back in the woods with me the two easily found Big Nine. Upon inspection,  I had taken out the top off one lung and the bottom of the other with the shot.  JD and Nolan both helped me load the deer and get him back.  –I think the best part of the hunt was seeing the smiles on their faces as they found the deer.   Another great kick-off to our family’s favorite time of year!