2013 Success – Pics and Stories

Please post your stories, successful or heartbreaking. Any pics? This is the post to share everyone’s 2013 experiences in the field.

well this year has started out bad and good. Had my climbing sticks stoled. i found out this morning when i went to the stand. So i went to the back up stand witch turn out to be a good thing. i saw 13 deer 2 where bucks. never got a shot off. so i went out tonight which started almost the same way this morning started drive up and there is a truck park on the high side of the field so i called the land owner and he then called his dad who let a guy in in to hunt also. So on my way to my stand i’m was waiting to see a guy come walking up to me and start yelling. i maded it to my stand and seen no one. Start there for a while and had 3 deer walk by. no shot. At 645 i had a doe step out into the field. She walked out of range before i could get on her. About 5 mins later she spooked and ran back into the woods. At 701 she walked back out. She stop at 39.5 yards i put my 40 yard pin on her and let fly. My arrow fly true nad hit her, then i had something happen that i have never done before. I drop her right in her tracks. i didn’t not spine high in the back. hit right by the shoulder about dead center. i’ll take that tracking job all day long. Going out in the morning with my sons first bow hunt. He 4 years old hope to get one more to fill the freezer.

Awesome! Great job!

Got this one this afternoon about a hr before dark, sorry hard to take a self pic with a deer.

managed to get lucky on sun night in mn and finally got 1 from the “hit”list,been chasing him on camera for 2+ years but he stayed nocturnal,made a mistake in his old age!!!

That’s AWESOME Corey!!!

That is one awesome looking buck! Congrat, Corey!

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That’s AWESOME Corey!!!

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X2!!!
Congrats!!!

Awesome Buck, Congrats!

Hey Guys!

I’m coming over here from the “darkside”. I am IDO’s cameraman, I figured before the ice season kicks off and things get crazy I needed to start filling some tags!

Here’s the story on my buck!

It’s not everyday you end up with stitches, stranded with a dead outboard, and put down a Minnesota bruiser Whitetail all within the same day!

The day began innocent enough. It was the first chilly day of September, and only would be fitting to get up early and send a few arrows downrange. After putting a half dozen in the sweet spot, I nocked another, and drew back on one of my last for the morning. As I was midway through the draw cycle, my fist came racing back and found it’s mark directly on my nose.

A stream of blood followed as I looked down at my bow in shock. It turns out the d-loop had torn in two, abruptly ended my practice session for the morning.

After stopping into Cabin Fever in Victoria, Minnesota and replacing my loop, I was headed off for an afternoon sitting aloft in my tree stand waiting for Mr. September to greet me.

A 3 mile boat ride up river was all that laid between me and the stand.

I jumped into my 12′ duck boat and cranked up the old 6 horse, and she sprung to life. After a mile into the trip, the motor began to slowly wind down and eventually left me floating back downstream. I accepted it for awhile and began to row back down with the current. Less than one minute into paddling I knew I just couldn’t quit. On one hand it was almost like the man upstairs didn’t want me to make it to my stand, and on the other I was determined to get there.

With a few strokes I turned the boat around and proceeded to paddle with wiggling oar sockets, and loose oar locks the two miles upstream to get to my spot.

I made it, sweating up a storm as I donned my Scent Lock clothing. At this point all of my scent control measures were pretty much out the window, I just wanted to get into the stand.

Walking into the woods, I looked up and sure enough there were two mature bucks walking right for me. I quickly hit my knees and tried to seek refuge in the open hardwood flat, to no avail. I was sticking out like a sore thumb.

The two ended up making their way inside of 20 yards,when the second deer looked up and we met eyes. The gig was up! He gave a snort and bolted off. Uncertain of what just happened, the second deer stood on alert around 15 yards. His vitals were directly behind a clump of trees offering no shot. I was terrified he would dart away, never to be seen again.

Sitting at full draw, he hesitantly took a step back ready to trot away, as my muscles tightened and the arrow jumped out of the bow.

It all happened so fast, and as I look back there was major tunnel vision going on! I didn’t know if I had hit him, all I saw was a deer running over the ridge. It was an odd sensation, almost as if my body went into auto-pilot.

I backed off and waited for fellow Avery Pro-Staff Eric Wolf to come help me get on the blood trail, and hopefully bum a ride off of him back downstream!

I had hit the deer in a marsh which was filled with 2 feet of water. I vividly remember seeing my arrow skip off the dirt and land in the water. The water was too deep & mucky to enter with my boots, so seeing if blood was on the arrow was out of the question. We didn’t find blood around the edge of the swamp, so I told Eric let’s go check right where I saw him climb out of the small swamp.

Sure enough we got onto the blood, and no more than 75 yards later Eric looks up and points out the buck, down and out! We ran up and I couldn’t believe it. As I wrapped my hands around his antlers, there was no ground shrinkage. He was a gorgeous symmetrical 10pointer, and I had double lunged him! We were both ecstatic, as we dragged the Minnesota bruiser back to the boat!

I told myself this year I was going to solely concentrate on deer. It was a stark transition as I lived in North Dakota for four years, and had been known to spend an ungodly amount of time waterfowl hunting while still making it to class!

I still have my North Dakota and Wisconsin tag left to fill, so I’m not done yet!

Congrats! That second picture is awesome

Such a beautiful buck Ben!! Congrats!

Congrats guys!

congrats on some nice deer so far fellas.

Welcome to the hunting side Ben and Congrats on an awesome MN buck!!!
Thank you for sharing your hunt with us!

Awesome start boyz – nicely done!

well starting where the other story left off. We didn’t get out last weekend in the morning because of the rain. Fastforward to this weekend, we made it out saturday morning late ( 630am late). was up at 5 but had some trouble get ever thing ready to go. We only sat a little while because i was heading up north to help a buddy some stands moved on his land near Strum. Did a little hunting while we where there. We got ho,e at 1:00 pm on sunday. when i got home i ask Hoyt if he wanted to go hunting. Well i didn’t get it out of my mouth and he was going to get his camo. We went out at 530. Didn’t want to make him sit to long and deer don’t move till later where we are sitting. well this first deer came in at 630. When i say see came in is a understatement. when she came into view she was 3 yards from the blind. Well someone was shocked that she almost in the blind with us us. She was there about 30 seconds. she ran off, when i looked over i knew Hoyt was hooked for life. Now it’s 6:55 and here comes two more doesfrom in front of us this time.way better for Hoyt to watch them a little bit. i had my bow in hand and she was walking right at us. When she 20 yards out i asked Hoyt do you want me to try shoot her. Oh yeah i what he said. She is still feed up to us. At 10 yards she looks at the blind and notices something. she starts stomping her foot. She takes a few more steps up to us. Now she is at 7 yards. Thens she blows and hoyt jumps She keeps doing it about 4 or 5 times. i tought it now or never, so a drew back and she turns broadside and looks back from where she came from. I had to lean over next to Hoyt his head was right under my arm looking right down arrow. i released and she snowplowed away. Hoyt says you got her dad out loudand then high five dad. I was thinking i was to far forward. I saw her standing in the grass and i thought she went down but was not sure. So got out and walk back to car and went home. Hoyt was not able to come back out with me because he had school today.(moms orders). I went and piced up the trail and found right where i had thouhgt she went down. Here are some pics. By the way Hoyt is 4 years old and he sat better then i use to at that age.
This was by far my best hunt ever.
Ps last pick shows the next one that will be going with to make some more memories.

Congrats guys I have seen alot of bucks so far but not one that I want to put my tag on. Keep the pics coming

I got this doe last Friday. She was 35 yards broadside. First deer with the new Bowtech. Super happy with this bow.

Nice lookin doe! Congrats, John! The Bowtech looks to be spot on!

Nice work guys

wow, congrats everyone so far!!! I have had 3 sits, 2 of them wind was wacky circulating but that’s when I could go, and the other I should have drawn the second I heard her coming from behind me even though she turned and acted like there was no way she would come into any of my lanes. Out of no where she did, I drew knowing it was the only chance to have time to get her to stop before the lane, she sensed something wasn’t right and hung out behind brush right in front of me until it was too late. This is only my second year but I am absolutely fascinated with how intelligent and instictive these critters are- Everything needs to be perfect to harvest with a bow- love it!

After I polished off my Minnesota tag, my good buddy Evan and I went down to his home farm in the Buffalo County area and had a heck of a trip.

The rain and the cold front was an absolute blessing, the deer were moving like crazy on saturday night. I was able to see a few deer each sit and then after the storm, I had about 19 deer in the small bean field in front a ground blind I set before the storm. Mostly does but a few small year and a half old bucks.

Evan sat in an area he calls heaven, and heaven it was. He was covered in bucks, the ratio of deer he saw for the weekend was 5:2 -5 bucks to 2 does. Saturday night was also good to him! 60 yards a nice main frame 10 crossed a trail in the big mature forest and Evan let one fly.

It was pouring blood but we decided to back off because it looked like a little liver action. The next morning we went out but couldn’t get on blood, because of the constant rain dripping from the canopy.

We ended up gridding the area, and I eventually found it laying on the edge of a dried up stream bed! The relief was pretty apparent as he sprinted down the giant hill to lay his hands on the brute.

The buck ended up going 157″ gross with 15 scorable points due to all the little stickers. He has at least 5 more deer over 150″ running around including a giant 10 that will push 170″! Heading back out there for the next weekends and then the rut!

Good luck to everybody as October kicks off!

Jeepers, come hunt with me Ben. I could use some of that horseshoe you got hidden in your pack.

Congrats Evan!

Great Buck! Where did he end up hitting it??

Congrats to your buddy darn nice buck for sure.

Feel free to ‘pass’ the horse shoe anytime this season

Great job everyone! There have been some nice deer shot already this year.

Another for freezer

Scratched the itch last night!