It was a semi-great archery season for my wife and I this past fall. Like last, I spent time hunting MN and a new property in WI. My best spot is in MN, and this year the farmer rotated his crops to beans instead of corn. I had my hopes set on a buck that I called Medusa, a 4.5 y/o nontypical. He didn’t show himself during daylight, and only came through a few times throughout the season. A few weeks after he lost his velvet, he broke off his double main beam and dagger point…
I had a nice 3.5 y/o coming through pretty regularly and I anticipated getting a chance at him the weekend of October 14-17 with the moon phase.
I hunted that Friday but didn’t see him. He came through every evening the 11-13, but I wasn’t able to get back to hunt him. On the 15th, he finally showed himself about 20 minutes before dark and worked his way into the beans. He browsed in the beans for about 10 minutes-offering no shot. I thought he was going to go to a 35 yard window, the same window I shot Cote at last October 17, but he didn’t.
About 5 minutes left of light, he jumped the fence and was heading towards me. He ended up walking 12-15 yards in front of me and offered a shot. I tried several different ways of stopping him but he wouldn’t stop. As he got slightly quartering away while walking, I took the shot.
I figured I got 8-10 inches of penetration in his left shoulder. I gave him 3.5 hours before tracking. There wasn’t any blood where the arrow broke off, about 50 yards from the hit. I found little blood after 45 minutes of tracking and decided to wait until the next morning.
I found blood, but it wasn’t spitting like a double lunged shot. In total, I found blood 100 yards after he jumped a fence. I decided to grid search with my dad after 3 hours of looking, but to no avail.
Around 11:15am, I decided to go to another end of the property and begin another grid search. Just as I was about to turn and start walking, I heard comossion in the leaves about 50 yards away. It was him. He jumped out of his bed and ran down a ravine and out of sight.
I kicked him up 16 hours after I shot him. I found more blood in the direction he ran and decided to give him another 3 hours before tracking again. Long story short, I kicked him up again…
My heart was broken as I headed back to my home in Hayward. After 19 hours, I figured he’d live.
I went back the weekend of gun season and checked my cameras. To my surprise, he came back through October 22 and 25, but at night. From the pictures, I can’t tell where I hit him, but I’m hoping he lives until next fall!
My wife and I took November 7-11 off to bow hunt in Hayward. At 3:30pm on the 7th I had a 135-140″ 9pt come in to 35 yards but offered no shot! This was the biggest buck I’ve had come in that close without offering a shot. Later that evening and through the 9th my wife and I had incredible rutting activity. I called in a few 1.5 y/o and saw plenty of chasing.
The morning of the 9th my wife and I were hunting 1/3 mile away from each other. This was her 4th sit of her bow hunting career. I called in a 1.5 with The Can right around shooting time. At 7:45am, I had a doe and fawn coming in from behind me. After watching them for a few seconds, I heard something back in front of me. It was a decent 2.5 y/o who came to 15 yards. I had a few days left of my vacation and decided to shoot him. He looped around me after looking up at me. I shot him at about 18 yards and he was dead 40 yards later.
I was pumped as this was my first WI buck! I called my wife but she didn’t answer. She then calls me back and said “I shot a buck!”
Once we met up, she couldn’t really recall where she hit the buck. All she knew is that it was a “six point”. We gave him 5.5 hours and took care of my buck in the meantime.
We found blood not far from where she shot him. However, it was a clear-cut and very difficult to track. I decided it’d be best to walk in the direction he ran. I found him about 200 yards from where she shot him! He was stiff as a board and my wife was thrilled!
I pulled a double with my wife of all people! One hunt I’ll never forget!
On a side note, the morning of the 9th I hunted a different stand from the one I saw the 135+” 9 pt. He ended coming through at the same stand at 18 yards…that sucks but is hunting
Medusa is the nontypical before he broke everything
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