On Nov 7th may father and I decided to do a evening hunt out our 20ac for the first time of the year. With the dry summer we had he was looking forward to getting to this property without water going over his boots as it’s always been very, very wet. Before even getting across the neighbors to reach our land he turns around to me and says “I’m never coming back here again.” U guessed it, one boot had been breached and it’s the slopy, muddy, smelly type water. This property should have been dryer but I think a beaver on the creek had a different idea. Anyway, that evening we both saw deer and I let a small 8pt and an ok 10pt walk past along with a couple does and fawns. I hoped the 10pt would make his way to my fathers stand as I already filled my bow tag and our hunt in northern MN the w-end prior was less than stellar.
Anyway, the next day Nov 8th at work (we work together) I asked if he had plans to hunt in the evening. To my suprise he said he planned to go back out to the 20ac. I offered to give up a pair of my kneeboots and we were back again. From the time I left my truck that day and the time I reached my stand a little over an hour and a half had passed. I just really took my time, knowing deer were most likely there and one little bump and they’re off the property. At 4:10 I heard some water splashing and a what sounded like a deer directly in line with the setting sun, not to mention we had a goofy east wind blowing right at him. It didn’t take but 2 seconds and I saw a dark bodied deer coming straight at me about 50-60yrds outand I could see a tall heavy rack. As he got in the woods he turned right and I knew I had to decide quickly were I had a shot or he’d be it some thicker brush. He stopped, I picked my shot and fired. He took about 4 or 5 jumps right toward me and stopped were I fired again and he took his final steps. After doing a quick looksee I made my way to my fathers stand where he asked if that was me who shot. LOL- he’s about 100yrds from me but very hard of hearing. I told him I just shot my biggest buck ever.
I then headed to the truck to head home and grab an otter sled as my father waited behind because he didn’t want to walk that terrain anymore than he had to. I phoned Gobbler to see if he could help get the deer out as I knew it was more than my father could handle. Years back him and I were brushing fencelines here and he had a heartattack and certainly didn’t want to relive that. Ricco and I made it back in the swamp and to my dad’s stand just as we needed lights. My father was nowhere to be found when we walked to his stand, needless to say, his curiousity go the best of him and we found him next to my deer. Where he stuck out his hand to shake mine saying “Gotta shake your hand after this one” We never expected our small 20ac to produce such a great animal and made trudjing through the unforgiven terrain well worth it. After a few pics and gutting him out we knew we were in for some real work getting him out. We loaded him into the sled, I pulled the rope facing the sled, 4 or 5 feet at a time and Ricco pushed from the back trying to time our push/pull as my dad stayed ahead trying to find the easiest route. The hardest drag either of us have ever had and a measly 1/3 mile took about an hour and half. After falling facefirst, backfirst and sidefirst into the cold water I was soaked but finally back to the truck.
A huge thank you to Ricco who dropped what he was doing to help us out and did it all with a smile, literally! Also my wife for my constantly being “gone hunting” and to my father who was apologizing for not helping but he was the biggest help of all for buying the land and paying the taxes every year just so we would always have a place to hunt not to mention handing over his tag for me! Also my family for giving me a hand in the butchering garage.
In the end he’s a beautiful deer with some neat character and I couldn’t be happier!
