The Brow Tine buck has finally run out of good luck and hiding skills as the Ultimate Muzzleloader has taken down another giant. It was really my first season that I have solely hunted a single buck on our property. I had my sights set on this deer and I wasn't going to shoot something else until this buck was down.
There were several close calls and through the month of October he was spotted multiple times during hunting hours. Several hunters had bow in hand but he just wouldn't cooperate and managed to slip away. On November 19 I managed to rush a 90 yard freehand shot from a tree stand at him that turned out to be a clean miss, lessen learned, use a rest.
On Thanksgiving eve morning I slipped into a pop-up blind I had set out in early October. This was a spot I was saving until later in the season when the deer had been pushed off the food plots during day light hours. When shooting light finally came the woods was very quiet with a faint breeze drifting through the trees. Less than an hour passed when some movement caught my eye about 100 yards out through the trees.
Through the binoculars I instantly realized it was the Brow Tine Buck and quickly grabbed my gun. Before I could even get my scope on the spot he was standing he was gone and it was so thick with trees I couldn't find him back. Suddenly a rack walked into view and I nearly squeezed the trigger when I noticed it was a buck I call Capt. Hook. He walked on and the monster 6 peeked out from behind a tree and slowly walked into my shooting lane. Now he is facing me wand walking straight towards me at an angle. With him at about 80 yards and a clear shot I decided to take it and not risk losing him in the trees again.
When the smoke cleared he was laying on the ground with what appeared to be a little life in him. I reloaded and started walking towards him to put the finishing round in him when he quickly jumped to his feet and started staggering off through the brush. I ran to a tree to use as a rest and waited for a semi-clear shot. I forced a tight shot between a couple trees and he took a couple big leaps through the creek and into some thick brush on the other side. I ran up to another blown down tree and used it for a solid rest to put in the final shot which finally put him down for good. Needless to say he was a tough guy that refused to go down, the first shot was found to clip the top of the vitals and exited in front of the hind leg.
The downside of being a great photog is you are always behind the camera. Thanks to Eric we have these great shots.
The evening after I missed him he showed up on camera. Unfortunately I didn't check this camera until Thanksgiving weekend when he was already at the taxidermist.
Early October and a picture from 2009.
