Crimson Arrows
Well-Known Member
I posted a story back in November called “The Halloween Ghost” and although I won’t torture you with another post on the hunt, I thought all you whitetail enthusiasts may appreciate this.
Back in 2005-I purchased my first farm, and with it, subsequently purchased my first trail camera in 2006. That fall, I captured a lot of does, but STILL remember getting my first “buck” on film that fall on my own farm. I was excited to say the least, even though it was just a small 1.5 year old.
In any case, we printed all of the photos that fall and threw them in a box, as few, if any, had any size to them.
Flash forward 5 years
On October 31st, 2010 I was fortunate to take a whitetail I had never seen with my own eyes, but had captured a few pictures of in 2008 and once in 2009, before he vanished. To see this “Halloween Ghost” with my own eyes for the first time, and be fortunate enough to take him, was a privilege and honor.
I was able to share it with great friends, one of which was my friend’s son, Seth. A young man, just 15 years old, a very ethical and accomplished hunter in the few years he has taken to the field. He has taken to the whitetail woods with a passion that I know all too well, and is hungrier than most. He pours over the trail cam pictures we take, watches over the farm, and is constantly asking questions, wanting to always learn more.
Seth’s father called me about two weeks ago and said, “Your not going to believe this, but the owner on the farm about a mile over from yours, found a beat up shed in April (2010), while out walking around. When Seth went to look at it he swears it’s the 2009 shed from the buck you killed.”
I said, “That’s unbelievable!” Especially since it was a good distance away and was still only partially chewed up, I was thrilled and astonished at the same time. What were the chances? It was a neat find but if I was surprised at this discovery, words couldn’t describe the next bit of information Don was about to share with me.
Don says, “Are you ready for the next part?” Sure I said…
Don hesitated then said, “I am not kidding when I tell you this, but Doug (the neighbor to the west), was out the other day and here comes his dog through the yard with a big antler in his mouth.” He went to show me and you won’t believe it, but it’s the OTHER SIDE!
Now I am speechless; I had found the only physical evidence of this buck on a cold March day years back, miles from where i ended up taking him.
His 2008 Shed as a three year old...
Now, his 2009 sheds had been found, separated by over a mile and nearly a year apart. The right side found in April 2010, the left side just a couple weeks ago, badly damaged and hollowing out, but still…a matching set to my 2010 buckJ
Now having all the pieces of the puzzle come together, three years worth of his history, and I couldn’t be happier. But the story was to get better still….
One Last Surprise…
When I arrived on Sunday to pick up the sheds and meet up with Don and Seth, they had yet ANOTHER SURPRISE.
“Take a look at this Eyad.” Seth says.
He places three pictures in front of me, taken from our 2006 pictures we had placed in a box.
As I glanced down, looking right at me was a picture of a young deer, 1.5 years old, and I remember it being one of the first pictures I had ever taken back in 2006.
“What’s this I said?”
“Look again Eyad…it’s him.” Seth said.
As I glanced back down at the young buck, with scrawny antlers and a baby face, it hit me. There was no mistake; it was Palmy, the buck I had taken this year.
2006
2008
2008 Shed
2009-the ONLY night he was seen all year on camera
2009 Sheds
2010 Harvest Pics
Joe Meder finished work with 2008 Shed at base
Undoubtedly, he had been born in 2005, the year I bought my farm. Growing his first set of “miniature” antlers in 2006, we had captured a glimpse of him, but never could have imagined what he would have become.
As you may recall, in 2008, a palmated buck began to appear on my farm, earning the name Palmy, showing up a few times, but at that point, NOBODY had put that 2006 photo and this buck together. If you look at the bases, the palmation and growing tines, you can see he is in fact the same deer.
I am grateful to have had this opportunity, to be able to say I really have a history with a great Midwest whitetail, have great neighbors I owe a big thank you too, and to take a buck that was likely born weeks after I bought my first farm, only to see it come full circle in 2010.
This story is evidence that wild whitetails travel many miles and cover many farms. We never know where they will go or when they will appear. All we can do is manage the land we have access to the best we can, and hope that one day, the young animals we laugh at on trail camera and toss into cardboard boxes, become the monsters that dreams are made of.
Thanks for reading.
Back in 2005-I purchased my first farm, and with it, subsequently purchased my first trail camera in 2006. That fall, I captured a lot of does, but STILL remember getting my first “buck” on film that fall on my own farm. I was excited to say the least, even though it was just a small 1.5 year old.
In any case, we printed all of the photos that fall and threw them in a box, as few, if any, had any size to them.
Flash forward 5 years
On October 31st, 2010 I was fortunate to take a whitetail I had never seen with my own eyes, but had captured a few pictures of in 2008 and once in 2009, before he vanished. To see this “Halloween Ghost” with my own eyes for the first time, and be fortunate enough to take him, was a privilege and honor.
I was able to share it with great friends, one of which was my friend’s son, Seth. A young man, just 15 years old, a very ethical and accomplished hunter in the few years he has taken to the field. He has taken to the whitetail woods with a passion that I know all too well, and is hungrier than most. He pours over the trail cam pictures we take, watches over the farm, and is constantly asking questions, wanting to always learn more.
Seth’s father called me about two weeks ago and said, “Your not going to believe this, but the owner on the farm about a mile over from yours, found a beat up shed in April (2010), while out walking around. When Seth went to look at it he swears it’s the 2009 shed from the buck you killed.”
I said, “That’s unbelievable!” Especially since it was a good distance away and was still only partially chewed up, I was thrilled and astonished at the same time. What were the chances? It was a neat find but if I was surprised at this discovery, words couldn’t describe the next bit of information Don was about to share with me.
Don says, “Are you ready for the next part?” Sure I said…
Don hesitated then said, “I am not kidding when I tell you this, but Doug (the neighbor to the west), was out the other day and here comes his dog through the yard with a big antler in his mouth.” He went to show me and you won’t believe it, but it’s the OTHER SIDE!
Now I am speechless; I had found the only physical evidence of this buck on a cold March day years back, miles from where i ended up taking him.
His 2008 Shed as a three year old...
Now, his 2009 sheds had been found, separated by over a mile and nearly a year apart. The right side found in April 2010, the left side just a couple weeks ago, badly damaged and hollowing out, but still…a matching set to my 2010 buckJ
Now having all the pieces of the puzzle come together, three years worth of his history, and I couldn’t be happier. But the story was to get better still….
One Last Surprise…
When I arrived on Sunday to pick up the sheds and meet up with Don and Seth, they had yet ANOTHER SURPRISE.
“Take a look at this Eyad.” Seth says.
He places three pictures in front of me, taken from our 2006 pictures we had placed in a box.
As I glanced down, looking right at me was a picture of a young deer, 1.5 years old, and I remember it being one of the first pictures I had ever taken back in 2006.
“What’s this I said?”
“Look again Eyad…it’s him.” Seth said.
As I glanced back down at the young buck, with scrawny antlers and a baby face, it hit me. There was no mistake; it was Palmy, the buck I had taken this year.
2006
2008
2008 Shed
2009-the ONLY night he was seen all year on camera
2009 Sheds
2010 Harvest Pics
Joe Meder finished work with 2008 Shed at base
Undoubtedly, he had been born in 2005, the year I bought my farm. Growing his first set of “miniature” antlers in 2006, we had captured a glimpse of him, but never could have imagined what he would have become.
As you may recall, in 2008, a palmated buck began to appear on my farm, earning the name Palmy, showing up a few times, but at that point, NOBODY had put that 2006 photo and this buck together. If you look at the bases, the palmation and growing tines, you can see he is in fact the same deer.
I am grateful to have had this opportunity, to be able to say I really have a history with a great Midwest whitetail, have great neighbors I owe a big thank you too, and to take a buck that was likely born weeks after I bought my first farm, only to see it come full circle in 2010.
This story is evidence that wild whitetails travel many miles and cover many farms. We never know where they will go or when they will appear. All we can do is manage the land we have access to the best we can, and hope that one day, the young animals we laugh at on trail camera and toss into cardboard boxes, become the monsters that dreams are made of.
Thanks for reading.
