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2002
THE HUNT FOR "JULY'S BIG BOY"
At
7:14 the July's Big Boy buck walked out of the brush and browsed
along the edge 80 yards from me. He gradually came close to my position,
but by then the light had faded and I could not see my pins clearly. I
had to let him walk by at under 20 yards.
 On
July 8 I saw a buck in velvet that was much further along than the other
bucks. I scouted hard and hung with him and put
up pictures as his rack develooped. On September 10 he lost his velvet.
I was totally focused on
this buck. He was very spooky and, although he kept watch on them, he shyed
away from other deer. And any disruption sent him packing. Here is my hunt
for this buck.
 
July 16 and & Septmeber
3
 
On September 16
2002
Deerhunt In Progress - Day 1
5:33am:
Jim Autrey (Texas Deer Hunter
TV Show) is here and we are going to our stands now so we can get to
them before deer are in the area, I don't want to be spooking any deer.
My hunting buddies Robbie Cramer and John Askew are down for opening weekend.
I got a good night's sleep and ready if July's Big Boy shows. As in year's
past, since 1996, I will log in after the morning and afternoon hunts with
today's results.
9:01am:
Jim & I are back in. After daybreak 6-point walked under my tree
and later on we saw a lone doe. Robbie & John should be in shortly.
1:01am:
Robbie hunted the leaning tree. On the way out, in the dark, he ran into
a group of wild hogs. They growled and snapped at him and Robbie retreated.
Later, on the stand, a young 8-point with a nice rack and a scraggly racked
buck came by within shooting range. John hunted the back 200 and saw a
6-point, two does and a fawn. We all went to town and ate at the Red Barn
Restaurant.
4:14am:
We are all going out for the afternoon hunt.
9:17pm:
At 7:14 the July's Big Boy buck walked out of the brush and browsed
along the edge 80 yards from me. He gradually came close to my position,
but by then the light had faded and I could not see my pins clearly. I
had to let him walk by at under 20 yards. Robbie and John both saw bucks
and does.
2002
Deerhunt In Progress - Day 2
  
Sept
29, Morning: In the faint pre-dawn light I watched 5 bucks file under
my TrailTimer stand. Sunlight came gradually and I recognized July's Big
Boy and his 2 buddy bucks. A big 8 point was with them. Eleven does circulated
around. They browsed around the area for nearly an hour. When Big boy left
he walked by my stand, some 40 plus yards away. I saw a sixer and some
does in the next two hours. But that was just the beginning of an eventful
day ...
MORE
2002
Deerhunt In Progress - Day 3
Oct
1: Afternoon - The rancher across the road purchased the manure from
a nearby turkey farm and they've been unloading truckloads of turkey manure
all day. They are still at it. Heck, I'm going hunting anyway. Hunt
Results - Nothing moved.
Morning
- Jim Autrey came over again to video. We saw 3 does and 1 fawn that has
nearly lost it's spots.
2002
Deerhunt In Progress - Day 5
Oct
3: Morning - Again, the trucks started at daylight. I got down and
returned to the house and started doing web stuff.
Afternoon
- I talked to the turkey farm manager and they finished hauling earlier
today. This turkey do-do deal has messed up my hunting big time. But things
will be better now. I'm on my way.
Afternoon
hunt: Without the pressure of the trucks in the area I saw a few does
this afternoon. About 6:30 a monster black, wild boar came up out of the
gulch. The deer all ran, pronto. Ordinarily I would have shot the boar,
but I don't want to track up the area, to say nothing of the sign that
would be left from the 4 or 5 people it would take to drag him out.
2002
Deerhunt In Progress - Day 4
Oct
2: Morning (6:01am) - Another hot day, temperature wise, in the
works. Maybe the deer will move this morning anyway.
(7:54am)
Several deer were in the area at daylight time. The turkey manure 18-wheeler
rolled in across the road. At first the deer went uphill and watched. Then
they left, quickly. Trucks are going back and forth so I came back to the
house. Wheew, that turkey do-do is upwind and it smells real stout.
2002
Deerhunt In Progress - Day 6
Oct
4: Afternoon (8:21pm) - Tim Getts saw 3 doe at the Point. The Duck
saw one doe at Myron's Corner. I hunted the Pocket and had 3 does come
through. I left my video camera on at my camera blind where we saw July's
Big Boy so many times. No deer were on the tape.
Mid
Afternoon - Tim Getts and the Duck arrived (separately but at the same
time) to bowhunt for the weekend. THE WIND JUST CHANGED AND IS OUT OF THE
NORTH. Relief at last.
Morning
- This morning at daybreak they started loading the turkey manure into
a pick up truck and taking it somewhere else. Loading is a very loud, clanking
process. I hung in on my stand but nothing moved. This turkey deal has
fouled the hunting and apparently driven the deer out of the immediate
area.
2002
Deerhunt In Progress - Day 7
Oct
5: Afternoon - The Duck hunted the "L" and I went to the Hammer Hole.
We both zipped.
 Timm
Getts, however was covered up ... with bucks, 8 or 'em. He videoed most
of them, including a nice, outside it's ears 8-point that was 10 yards
away. Plus, Timm saw a bomber buck that he range findered at 150 yards.
He checked it with his binoculars and it was a thick necked heavy beamed
8 with long tines. (Timm is hunting as a does only guest.) We are
on our way to the Red Barn to eat and will be at it again in the morning.
Oct
5: Morning - The Duck spooked some deer close to his stand at Myron's
Corner. An hour later a lone mature doe came by and he bagged it at 8 yards.
(No picture this time. The temperature is in the high 80's and he processed
the deer before we came in form hunting.) Timm Getts hunted the point and
a 6-pouint, 2 spikes, and 2 young does and a big, longhead doe. He almost
got a shot at the longhead but it turned wrong at the last minute. I saw
10 does and one fawn.
2002
Deerhunt In Progress - Day 8
Oct
6: Sunday Morning: - An unidentified deer snorted me near my
stand at the Pocket. Later I saw 3 does there. At 9:00 I put up a ladderstand
40 yards from the stand I hunted. I picked Timm Getts up at the Point.
He saw a yearling doe and 6 bucks, including the 8-point he saw yesterday.
The Duck saw 2 does at Myron's Corner. Timm returned to his home and then
we tilled for a food plot at Myron's Corner.
Oct
6: Afternoon - It's been quiet at my place for a day and a half. I'm
hunting here this afternoon, maybe July's Big Boy will wander through.
(8:45pm) No such luck, a group of does were in sight at 6:42 but the ranchers
started clanking and stuff. The deer melted back into the woods. Near his
stand the Duck walked up on a group of wild hogs. They ran away. Later
he saw 4 does.
2002
Deerhunt In Progress - Day 9
Monday
Morning: - Early this morning it rained. I went to the Trailtimer stand.
It rained off and on. A lone doe walked by me, looking like a drowned rat,
which was exactly how I looked. When she was out of sight I took my soggy
self home.
The
Duck (Don Beckwith) hunted the Point. In this order he saw 3 does and
a sixer, 8 does, 5 bucks, 3 does and a flock of wild turkeys. A long beamed,
long tined, wide 8-point was with the bucks, broadside 15 yards away. As
Don drew on the big 8 another buck hopped the nearby fence and hung himself
up and thrashed himself loose. The noise spooked all the deer before Don
could shoot.
Oct
7: Monday Afternoon: - After a quiet day deer moved at last light;
from the Trailtimer stand I saw 7 does and a young 8. Back in the woods
I caught a glipse of a wide racked buck. It was him. The Duck saw 5 bucks
and 2 does water at the Point. The large buck from this morning did not
show.
2002
Deerhunt In Progress - Day 10
Oct
7: Monday Afternoon: - After a quiet day deer moved at last light;
from the Trailtimer stand I saw 7 does and a young 8. Back in the woods
I caught a glipse of a wide racked buck. It was him. The Duck saw 5 bucks
and 2 does water at the Point. The large buck from this morning did not
show.
Monday
Morning: - Early this morning it rained. I went to the Trailtimer stand.
It rained off and on. A lone doe walked by me, looking like a drowned rat,
which was exactly how I looked. When she was out of sight I took my soggy
self home.
The
Duck (Don Beckwith) hunted the Point. In this order he saw 3 does and
a sixer, 8 does, 5 bucks, 3 does and a flock of wild turkeys. A long beamed,
long tined, wide 8-point was with the bucks, broadside 15 yards away. As
Don drew on the big 8 another buck hopped the nearby fence and hung himself
up and thrashed himself loose. The noise spooked all the deer before Don
could shoot.
2002
Deerhunt In Progress - Day 11
Oct
8: Afternoon: - I had to go to Bodoodle today. The Duck hunted the
Point and saw several bucks & does. But not the big one he saw yesterday.
Robbie Cramer came down and went to the Hammer Hole. Nothing moved there.
Oct
8: Tuesday Morning: - At daybreak, in my photo blind, it was like old
times. Five does, a fawn and 2 young bucks were in view and other deer
parts were moving in the woods. Then the sky broke and it poured rain.
Hmmm, that means the neighbor rancher has to wait longer to run all that
loud do-do spreading equipment that has ran the deer off here. Gee, that's
too bad.
2002
Deerhunt In Progress - Day 12
 Oct
9: Wednesday Morning: - It's 6:01am and old man rain is doing
his thing. We will hang tight and wait to see if it breaks so we can hunt
this morning.
9:02am
- It stopped raining at 7:07 and I went out. I saw 6 does. A cow came up
from behind me and I got a short video of the
deer's reaction.
10:39am
- Robbie shot a doe at Myron's corner. The deer was 40 yards from the stand.
That's Robbie and the doe in the picture. (Robbie, here's a
full size picture.)
2002
Deerhunt In Progress - Day 12
Oct
9: Afternoon: "Big Boy is at the Point!," said the Duck. He was with
an 8-point that was just as big. Don was unable to get drawn in time as
the 2 bucks passed through the brush 15 yards away. "You need to be there,"
Don added. Before leaving I took some practice shots. I was 18 inches high.
A bow inspection showed that my peep had slipped. The Duck changed my peep
and I resighted. At the Point I saw 10 does and 7 bucks, all close up.
But when July's Big Boy passed he was 60 yards away. The other deer lease
members Rick & Ricky Phillipi, Robbie Cramer, the Duck and John Askew
all hunted and saw deer.
2002
Deerhunt In Progress - Day 13
 Oct
10: Afternoon: John Askew watched a long tined 8-point as he finished
making a scrape. A few more steps and John released his arrow for a perfect
shot. The buck ran 40 yards. (John, here's
a bigger picture.) The Duck saw two bomber bucks and Rick had a flock
of turkeys fly up near him. The rancher starting up the turkey do-do operation
and since Ricky was on the truck hauling route it ruined his hunt.
I
took a Treesuit with me to the Point so I could set up lower and in
a different tree and see if I could tell better what was happening. I keep
water in a puddle here and soon 11 wild turkeys came running to it. I drew
on a longbeard but another bird yelped me. They retreated and watched the
area for awhile. (Turkeys don't like movement in a tree. They hadn't seen
me, just the movement.) At 7:15 I counted 8 bucks coming my way, two big
8's and a very wide buck. I watched through the live oak leaves as they
came within 12 yards of me. I could not ID the July buck because of the
leaves and all the different antlers. When they came out of the brush 35
yds away I recognized him.
Morning:
What a cool morning! By 8:30 seven different bucks had walked by within
10 yards, I lost count of the does. July's Big Boy passed through, again
60 yards away. I stayed until 10:30 and saw several more deer. Rick Philippi
hunted the Hammer Hole and a wide, tall, heavy beamed bomber walked up
to the opposite side of a nearby tree and passed on without giving Rick
a chance to shoot. The Duck saw a big 8. Ricky and John saw a few deer.
2002
Deerhunt In Progress - Day 14
Oct
11: Morning: Fog crawled along the ground as deer moved through my
area, July's Big Boy didn't show but I saw 15 does and 6 bucks. At 10:00
I changed trees so I could cover the area the bucks used last night. I
set up with my Treesuit, high in a 20 foot tree, in the crooked limbs,
so I could look down through the live oaks at where the large bucks had
come
yesterday. This Treesuit
is one awesome tree hunting device, I could not get a stand where I put
it and I need to be where it is. When this 8 buck buddy group breaks up
it will be hard to find the July buck. I trimmed some branches and now
have a doughnut hole like shooting lane below me through the leaves in
a live oak tree. I'm ready for this evening's hunt.
The
Duck hunted the "L" and saw three 8-points, a spike and a doe with 2 fawns.
Afternoon:
Robbie Cramer came down. At 4:30pm the 3 of us got in my truck and Robbie
said, "Oh, oh your bowstring's broke." They hunted and saw a few does.
Meanwhile, I drove to Peacock Archery in Belton for a new bowstring, peep
and stuff. So at 10:00 tonight I was in my front yard sighting in my bow.
2002
Deerhunt In Progress - Day 15 - Bingo!
Oct
12: Morning - Continued:
I
felt incredibly in the "zone", it could all happen right here, right now.
I did not move a muscle. The July buck leisurely followed the other bucks,
walking the 65 yards that led to me. The instant he was under the leaves
of the live oak tree between us I closed my hand around my bow handle,
silently slipped it off it's hook, and locked my release on the shooting
loop. Several big racked bucks were there, 10 to 12 yards away and I looked
through the leaves at the maize of antlers and found the tell tale kicker
on the antler, the long brow tines and that big body -- broadside -- and
two steps would put him in my doughnut hole shooting lane. He took the
steps...
Without
a sound I pivoted slightly to my left in the Treesuit and drew. I was already
focused on the buck's vitals behind the leg and I put my pin there ...
my arrow followed. There was an uncustomary loud cracking sound and all
the bucks ran into their back trail. My arrow should have passed through
but it didn't. But it didn't matter, I was 100% positive my shot was exactly
where I wanted it. I knew the buck would be down already. I looked
at my watch, it was 8:23am.
Tradition
has it between Robbie, the Duck, and I that when one of us arrows a big
buck we all find it together.
Now
that my search for the July buck was over I was pumped, I had to tell someone.
I drove home and phoned Rick Philippi, John Askew and Jim Autrey, telling
all of them that I had just bagged the July buck. Jim said he was on his
way over.
We
picked up the Duck and Robbie Cramer at their stands. They both had seen
several deer. At the Point Robbie and I fanned out 40 yards apart and walked
in the direction the buck had ran.
 "Here
he is." Robbie said.
The
buck had gone 80 yards. I cut over toward Robbie and saw the antlers sticking
out of the range grass & weeds as everyone converged here. I reached
down and pulled up his head up by the antlers.
Jim
Autrey spoke, "Robert, that's not the July buck in the pictures!"
It
wasn't. It was an 8 point, not a 9. Somehow I'd shot the wrong buck!
This is my Treesuit Buck.
There
were 8 bucks together and the July Big Boy buck was positively with them,
along with two other fine bucks like this one. When I looked away to get
my bow and hook up my release I lost track of him in all the leaves and
when I saw the right antler kicker and big body on this buck that was stepping
into my shooting lane I thought it was the July buck. My shot was a perfect
double lunger.
A beautiful buck and, although
I was completely surprised that he was not the buck I intended to shoot,
I'm lucky to get him. He weighed 152 pounds and had several battle scars
on his face, neck and ears. He was in great shape.
TWO ASIDES:
1. The Broadhead:
The entry and exit wounds were perfectly in the ribs. This really made
me wonder why I didn't get complete penetration, I use the double tough
Innerloc
Broadheads and they've been shooting accurately and doing a fine
job for me ever since I started using them in my Ohio
hunt in 2000. A close inspection of the area where I shot the buck
revealed that my arrow had hit a steel fence T-Post the deer had been right
next to. That accounted for the loud noise and it kept the arrow from passing
through. (But the broadhead stayed together and is ok. When you see how
securely the Innerloc goes together you know why it is so tough!)
2. The Treesuit:
Jason Nolz's cool Treesuit
got me in the right tree, in the right place, at the right time. An ordinary
treestand would not go in the tree up where I needed to be to intercept
these bucks who had eluded me two days ago. The Treesuit got me where I
could get a shot.
 Treesuit
Buck Photo Gallery: Here is a 5 picture
photo gallery of the Treesuit buck taken on October 12. GO
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