Daver
PMA Member
OK, OK...you just had to go and open the wounds 6x6?!?!? 
Unfortunately for me, I could tell several stories of the "big one that got away", but here is one that I can add a picture too...
The buck below was one that we were well aware of on our place probably 6 or 7 years ago. I set a killer stand in the summer time that I was quite confident I could kill a nice one out of later that fall and I stayed out of the area until "it was right". Well it was also the same year that my older son was beginning to bow hunt, I think he would have been 13 or 14 at the time.
So in late October, with the perfect wind, we went in together for an evening hunt and I hung a second stand right next to and slightly above the one that I had there from the summer. I had my bow with me, but I was committed to letting my son have first dibs. (I confess that I had second thoughts about my largesse when this dude stepped on the scene.)
Several deer had passed by us and on up to a nice food plot that we had that year when I heard some more coming. A little buck stepped out and I told my son that I had a feeling he would have another one with him and sure enough...he did! I had my son get ready for a shot because if he followed form he would be wide open at 14 yards in just a minute. I started ranging him as he came towards us. I whispered to him, 67 yards...46 yards...33 yards...27 yards...16 yards...OK, go ahead...CLANK!
The poor kid knocked his bow on the side of the ladder stand and that buck was GONE! John was miserable and I was right there with him. (I failed to consider that since my boy was much shorter than I was that he may not be able to clear the side rail of the stand he was in when it came time to shoot. AARRRGGHHH!)
We never got another close chance at this guy and then we found him 1-1/2 years later locked up with another nice 10 point. I suspect he was dead within 2 weeks of our close encounter with him in late October. I had told people that he had 14" G2's and there were some doubters, but after laying out there for a year and a half his G2's were 13-7/8"...so I wasn't too far off. His near side was still in good shape even after being out there dead for so long, but his far side was on the ground and got chewed up some.
Unfortunately for me, I could tell several stories of the "big one that got away", but here is one that I can add a picture too...
The buck below was one that we were well aware of on our place probably 6 or 7 years ago. I set a killer stand in the summer time that I was quite confident I could kill a nice one out of later that fall and I stayed out of the area until "it was right". Well it was also the same year that my older son was beginning to bow hunt, I think he would have been 13 or 14 at the time.
So in late October, with the perfect wind, we went in together for an evening hunt and I hung a second stand right next to and slightly above the one that I had there from the summer. I had my bow with me, but I was committed to letting my son have first dibs. (I confess that I had second thoughts about my largesse when this dude stepped on the scene.)
Several deer had passed by us and on up to a nice food plot that we had that year when I heard some more coming. A little buck stepped out and I told my son that I had a feeling he would have another one with him and sure enough...he did! I had my son get ready for a shot because if he followed form he would be wide open at 14 yards in just a minute. I started ranging him as he came towards us. I whispered to him, 67 yards...46 yards...33 yards...27 yards...16 yards...OK, go ahead...CLANK!
The poor kid knocked his bow on the side of the ladder stand and that buck was GONE! John was miserable and I was right there with him. (I failed to consider that since my boy was much shorter than I was that he may not be able to clear the side rail of the stand he was in when it came time to shoot. AARRRGGHHH!)
We never got another close chance at this guy and then we found him 1-1/2 years later locked up with another nice 10 point. I suspect he was dead within 2 weeks of our close encounter with him in late October. I had told people that he had 14" G2's and there were some doubters, but after laying out there for a year and a half his G2's were 13-7/8"...so I wasn't too far off.
His near side was still in good shape even after being out there dead for so long, but his far side was on the ground and got chewed up some.
bkcrrtnps
Well-Known Member
If u tag out early next yr let me know and Ill keep an eye on him from your stand lol
6x6
PMA Member
Wow alot of heartbreak here. Some of you will remember this buck from last year. Lucky for my sanity I was never gonna be hunting him, just running cameras and helping with a foodplot and a plan to hunt him, for a friend. He was tagged early by another hunter, but what a summer last year, watching him grow to 278 2/8ths net.
NWBuck
PMA Member
Wow 6x6...that's a tough act to follow, but I'll try. In honor of your site name, I'll post a trailcam pic of a typical 6x6 from a couple years ago.
The droptine buck in the foreground was shot by my nephew in mid October, but the big 6x6 in the background spent most of the fall in one relatively small area of the farms we hunt. The Saturday after Thanksgiving I thought my son was going to get a shot at him on the edge of a cornfield, but a hot doe distracted him and took him the other way. The next night my partner let him walk at less than 10 yards...convinced us that he was a younger deer and could blow up into a once-in-a-lifetime kind of deer the following year. I know I wouldn't have been as disciplined
The sad end to the story is that he showed up in the back of a truck from a group hunting a neighboring piece of ground during 1st shotgun season. Oh well...it's just a deer :way:
NWBuck
The droptine buck in the foreground was shot by my nephew in mid October, but the big 6x6 in the background spent most of the fall in one relatively small area of the farms we hunt. The Saturday after Thanksgiving I thought my son was going to get a shot at him on the edge of a cornfield, but a hot doe distracted him and took him the other way. The next night my partner let him walk at less than 10 yards...convinced us that he was a younger deer and could blow up into a once-in-a-lifetime kind of deer the following year. I know I wouldn't have been as disciplined
The sad end to the story is that he showed up in the back of a truck from a group hunting a neighboring piece of ground during 1st shotgun season. Oh well...it's just a deer :way:
NWBuck
dedgeez
death from above
Although I never really hunted him (tagged out on a different buck) I always liked this dude. Had probably 10 pics of him and one visual after I was tagged out. He was really camera shy, but was always around the farm in 09'. Not sure what ever happened to him? Probably the largest framed deer I've seen in awhile.
skyleralan
PMA Member
Gundog, you look like you need a hunting partner. I can be that guy.....
6x6, that is truly a giant of several lifetimes.
Here is the one buck I have been after for two years now, not huge, but one you you would be proud to take, definitely one a top of the hitlist. I have notions to believe he was poached this year. I only found out he was dead when I saw his rack on a taxidermist website (don't get me started)!!!
Blades 2011:
Blades 2012:
6x6, that is truly a giant of several lifetimes.
Here is the one buck I have been after for two years now, not huge, but one you you would be proud to take, definitely one a top of the hitlist. I have notions to believe he was poached this year. I only found out he was dead when I saw his rack on a taxidermist website (don't get me started)!!!
Blades 2011:
Blades 2012:
Cyclone27
PMA Member
Here are a couple of my favorite bucks that I set out to hunt and never even had a chance at. First is a buck named Bruiser came in 2010. I had about 10 pics of him through the summer and into September all over our farm. Right after he shed velvet he disappeared. This was my first year bowhunting and I wanted this guy because he was so unique. I hunted our farm all season and never saw him. The next spring I found his sheds from the year before, turns out he was on the decline but I still never saw him and never heard of anyone taking him.
This next buck is a complete mystery. I got this picture not long before the season opened this past fall. I named this guy Alpha because he was on top of the list. This turned out to be the first and only picture I would get of him. I thought for sure he would use this trail again becuase I had just hung this camera a few days before and that I would have a shot at him (my stand was about 15 yards in the direction he is looking). He must have been passing through or spooked away by the camera becuase I never saw him again. But the thought of an encouter and the fact that it may have been my fault that he was never seen haunted me all season.
This next buck is a complete mystery. I got this picture not long before the season opened this past fall. I named this guy Alpha because he was on top of the list. This turned out to be the first and only picture I would get of him. I thought for sure he would use this trail again becuase I had just hung this camera a few days before and that I would have a shot at him (my stand was about 15 yards in the direction he is looking). He must have been passing through or spooked away by the camera becuase I never saw him again. But the thought of an encouter and the fact that it may have been my fault that he was never seen haunted me all season.
skyleralan
PMA Member
This guy was only around for 2 weeks this year.
I've been after this 8pt for 2yrs now. He sticks to our property for the most part but doesn't move in the daylight after his velvet drops.
That 8pt won't score much, but it won't matter if you are able to put him down. Those are the real trophy bucks, the ones that just seem "unkillable".
That top buck is obviously a stud, goes without saying!
Brett Morris
PMA Member
Several I've chased and never connected with:
Neighbor killed this buck in November, scored 167" as a 9
This buck was a complete ghost, been MIA for 18 months now.
This buck is still on the run as far as I know, never got a chance to hunt him yet:
This is my heartbreak buck: I found both sheds off him the year before and he would have scored 165" - 170". Well 2 years ago he gave me the shot of a lifetime. We pushed a few farms and got him on his feet and I took a stab at where I thought he'd go. Well I guessed right, at least within 100 yards of being right. He came to a stop on top of a hill with 30+ does and let me have a free crack at him at roughly 100 paces. Needless to say he didn't ever drop. Nothing to blame but myself but it ruined my love for hunting for 8 months. I guessed him high 180's last year and didn't get any pics/sheds from him this year. My father in law did find a 205" buck dead from EHD that has to be him, you guys make the call!
Dead buck: His frame was still upper 180's but he added to his typical 12 point frame with another 12+ scoreable stickers
Neighbor killed this buck in November, scored 167" as a 9
This buck was a complete ghost, been MIA for 18 months now.
This buck is still on the run as far as I know, never got a chance to hunt him yet:
This is my heartbreak buck: I found both sheds off him the year before and he would have scored 165" - 170". Well 2 years ago he gave me the shot of a lifetime. We pushed a few farms and got him on his feet and I took a stab at where I thought he'd go. Well I guessed right, at least within 100 yards of being right. He came to a stop on top of a hill with 30+ does and let me have a free crack at him at roughly 100 paces. Needless to say he didn't ever drop. Nothing to blame but myself but it ruined my love for hunting for 8 months. I guessed him high 180's last year and didn't get any pics/sheds from him this year. My father in law did find a 205" buck dead from EHD that has to be him, you guys make the call!
Dead buck: His frame was still upper 180's but he added to his typical 12 point frame with another 12+ scoreable stickers
Team Haastyle
Host of Haastyle Hunting
Well for this thread I have to bring up the legend of our Iowa property....nicknamed "Tonka" for obvious reasons. This buck was by far the biggest buck, at least according to his body, that we never got to put our hands on. We had two years of sheds of him and on the third year we had these trail cam pics. Enjoy.
And here is the second year shed we had of him. 6 5/8" base.
And here is the second year shed we had of him. 6 5/8" base.
skyleralan
PMA Member
Brett, awesome buck sucks how it ended for all of these bucks! Not quite as bad when at least someone killed it who you may know.
flugge
Well-Known Member
Here is another one I just found I had the trail cam pic on my work computer... chased this buck a few years back, and actually got snuck up on him while he was bedded with a doe at 30 yds.. As I shot, he spun and I hit him in the shoulder blade. This photo was taken the week after that happened..I have tons of video of him too..he got poached about a half hour before slug season started that year... reportedly scored 166ish... (camera date and time wrong)
CurtisWalker
Well-Known Member
Here is another buck that seemed to just vanish this year. This is the only picture I have of him. Wish I could of had a better view of him.
Packnasty
New Member
Dude, there are some gorgeous deer on this thread. Absolute jaw droppers.
I've only been running cameras for a couple years. My best pics have been in velvet over a salt lick.
Here's Macho Man Randy Savage. Not quite the biggest, but I loved this pic.
Tony Mandarich
I didn't name this one, but had a pretty intense encounter that didn't quite work out.
I've only been running cameras for a couple years. My best pics have been in velvet over a salt lick.
Here's Macho Man Randy Savage. Not quite the biggest, but I loved this pic.
Tony Mandarich
I didn't name this one, but had a pretty intense encounter that didn't quite work out.
flugge
Well-Known Member
The first two pics are a buck that I have yet to see on the hoof. I picked up his shed 2 years prior to these pictures, and he only shows up one week a year. Otherwise I have never seen him on the hoof, but one of my buddies might have on a failed spot and stalk...
This next buck I have never seen before..He showed up for about ten pictures, and never to be seen again.
and this is another buck that showed up out of thin air, only to vanish just as quick... funny thing about most of the bucks I have pictures of, is usually they have to walk past other cameras as well, but they sure can avoid them...
This next buck I have never seen before..He showed up for about ten pictures, and never to be seen again.
and this is another buck that showed up out of thin air, only to vanish just as quick... funny thing about most of the bucks I have pictures of, is usually they have to walk past other cameras as well, but they sure can avoid them...