The Haunting is over......

[Terry Green]

We all have hunts that don't turn out just the way we want them....some worse than others.  And those can seem to haunt us eternally.

Sometimes fate is just belated, and a late victory, although not as tasty as an instant victory, is still mighty sweet.

I got a call last week from 'Peanut' Campbell at Solana Ranch asking me to describe my buck's rack that we never found.  I did, and he said my description of the rack looked a lot like the one he was holding. I asked him where he found it, and he said "Only 50 yards downstream from where your buck crosses the river on his escape". It made sense it was mine, being in the back yard basically of my tree stand, and the fact that we were on the last hunt of the season.

Peanut sent me some pics, and I was pretty sure it was him, but I couldn't tell for sure. There was one pic from overhead that sure looked like the shape of the main beams as I remembered it. Peanut was kind enough to send it to me to have a look in person.

Soon as I opened the box and looked in I didn't even have to take it out, there was no doubt it was him.  I immediately had the vision of this buck standing below me broadside in the opening.  He was magnificent!!! I've never experience a recovery like this before, a recovery after the fact, but I'm thrilled let me tell ya.

We can only speculate at this point, as it 'seemed' the buck was held up in some really nasty stuff in the river bottom in his death bed, and he somehow eluded 4 of us and a dog.  I'm still not sure just how that happened.  But after we left, the rains came and they came causing a big flood that evidently drug my buck out of the thicket coming to rest in the edge of the river just a stones throw of his crossing. That's Peanuts take on it.

Sure, I'd love to know the real story, but I wont. I'd love to have had the thrill of the recovery, the photos, the camp celebration, and the fine venison, but I can't get any of that back.........

But I'll settle for the icing just the same.


             

             

             

             

[wislnwings]

Congrats on recovering your trophy.  I know what you mean about that haunting feeling when you loose an animal you shot.  Its nice to have some closure.

[MJB]

Terry,
Icing is good  

[Larry Surtees]

Nice rack.  At least you got the memories to go with it and chance to "lick some of the icing."

[Dannon]

Icing IS the sweetest part of the cake.

[ishiwannabe]

Im sure that it caused alot of sleepless nights. Glad you know the ending, although still not completely.
Congrats on you and your hunting buddys for never giving up the search, and a great deer.

[tradtusker]

beautiful buck for sure, real pity you could not find him when you where there, but its good to see you got it back.

something really mystical about those particular antlers

[DIAMONDBACK]

It still hurts inside I am sure,It is something that you will never forget.AT least you have a part of him.Those horns will help the healing,very nice deer.

[vermonster13]

Glad you got closure. Fine rack there.

[Gordy]

Wow !  Magnificent to say the least.

I'm haunted by a magnificent rack like that too....never got to draw on him as it was a little too dark, but I'll never forget all those tines !

[pseman]

Awesome rack! I can see how that could lead to some sleepless nights.

[4runr]

Glad you got the rack, better than never finding hide nor horn!

Congrats on a beautiful buck!

[Mike Gerardi]

Very cool. Congrats. I think of one myself, oh like every day...from 06. about 170 class non typical. Funny how no one mentioned it until I brought it up. Then they all admitted to seeing him.. Very , very cool you got it back.

[drewsbow]

congrats Terry :0)

[Chad Lewis]

Glad to hear it.... I'm still in haunting from a hunt two years ago. Half of it ended like yours, the other a bit worse. I can't say that getting the rack back in my hands made a difference.

Take care.

[kennym]

Hate when that kinda stuff happens. I've had a couple over the years that I never knew what happened,it eats ya for a long time! Glad you found out!

[wingnut]

Well as Forrest Gumps said "IT HAPPENS".  It doesn't matter what weopon, it will happen if you spend enough time in the field.

I knew that this was the buck when the pic showed up a few days ago.

I'm glad that you have closure.  I still have a blacktail buck on the mountain in Washington state that haunts me.

Mike

[bowdude]

Nice buck Terry.  So will it be european or buying a cape?

[SilverTip]

awesome man, you should be proud.

     Billy

[bow loving man]

Nice buck Terry.  At least you got to silence the haunting!  BLM