2022 buck

[chefrvitale]

Hi guys,
I was able hit the woods this past weekend for the first time all season and wanted to share my hunt.
My buddy Ryan from SC drove up to hunt with me Saturday and Sunday but between the EHD outbreak and crazy weather we were not confident.
Saturday started off very promising with a doe encounter walking in.
Unfortunately that was the last deer we would see all day.
We sat through a long hot morning that turned into the worst wind storm I have ever had the pleasure of sitting in the woods for.
With ash trees snapping and walnuts flying by as if they had been launched from a potato gun I felt lucky to have made it out alive.
The best part of the hunt was the single barrel EH Taylor I opened back at the house.
We enjoyed a glass and chuckled about other near death adventures we have had together.
After reassuring ourselves that Sunday was "the day" we turned in.
Morning came too fast and the effects of my bourbon were still evident.
I attempted to make coffee but after careful consideration of this sizable undertaking I microwaved what was left from yesterday.
We split up for our morning hunt then would hunt a ground blind in the afternoon together.
Roughly 10min after Ryan turned off down his trail I could hear the familiar sound off deer blowing out  of the area.
I continued on slowly down my trail trying not to make the same mistake he had.
I could hear a small group of does foraging through the leafs ahead on my trail.
To prevent bumping them in the same manner as my counter part, I balled up and pretended to be a rock.
With very low morning light and wind in my favor this seemed to be working.... but they were headed straight for me.
Ultimately the lead doe almost stepped on me before jumping out of her skin and blowing into the next county with two others close behind.
Assuming my hunt was ruined I made no further attempt at a stealthy entrance to my stand.
An hour went by without so much as a squirrel in bow range when I saw a nice buck 75yds away with his nose down.
He was on the same trail the doe group had been on and was coming in hot and bothered.
I clumsily put my phone away and stood up in anticipation of a shot.
Sure enough he stopped at 12yds broadside and started destroying a sapling.
I let the arrow go and watched it pass through both lungs, the buck walked 30yds and fell.
As I approached the animal I realized there wasn't a knife in my pocket.
I considered making the 700yd drag without field dressing until I saw the size of buck.
A broadhead would have to do.
I hung my bow on a branch, unscrewed a broadhead and walked over to dress the animal.
As I knelt down next to my buck I heard a snort that made my hair stand up.
The noise was coming from a thicket 20yds away.
A noise like this had to either be the world's most aggressive buck or Bigfoot..... either way I was armed with a single broadhead and my bow was 15yds away hanging in a tree.
In a truly heroic act of bravery I climbed under a log trying not to pee my pants as this creature stomped around plotting my demise.
I suppose this display of manhood was too much for the beast because it eventually walked away.
This gave me the opportunity to efficiently dress my buck in record time with nothing more than a broadhead.
I grabbed an antler and attempted to sprint the 700yds back home.... stopping only to puke in a bush a few time out of exhaustion.
Meanwhile Ryan was feeding a fawn an apple and enjoying his peaceful morning.
Later we hunted the blind and saw absolutely nothing.
I attached some pics, thanks for reading

[Terry Green]

Congrats!!!

I too forgot my knife once in hunting in the Cohutta Wilderness and used a broadhead to gut a hog.  I filed one edge on a rock so I wouldn't get cut.

[buckeyebowhunter]

Nice work man!

[Bisch]

Awesome buck!!!

Congrats!!!

Bisch

[supernaut]

Great buck and pics, congrats!

[Orion]

Very nice.  Congrats.

[Joeabowhunter]

Beautiful buck, congrats. 

[katman]

Congrats on a fine hunt and buck.

[hawkeye n pa]

Congratulations, nice buck and story.

[GCook]

A good buck and better memories.

[Homey88]

Congratulations! That's quite the buck! Way to go!

[stevem]

Good story, nice buck, way to go!!!!

[goingoldskool]

Congratulations on a fine buck!

[bucknut]

Nice animal.  Congrats.

[Guss]

Very nice..! Congrats..!!!

[durp]

Loved the story  ...good friends, bows and bucks don't get much better

[kennym]

Congrats man!!!

[Irish Archer]

Really nice buck. Good story. Congrats.

[ShadeMt]

Very nice! Congrats!

[awry]

Nice buck and a good write-up