Bow Ben
Member
Well guys just getting a chance to sit down at the computer after a crazy couple of days. November 6th, 2011 will go down as probably one of the best if not the best days of bow hunting in my life. I was born and raised in Michigan but moved to Iowa 2.5 years ago for a new job opportunity and the deer hunting (don't tell my wife)! I hunt primarily public land since I am new to the state. I have passed several decent bucks over my first 2 seasons here that would have been personal bests for me but just not the caliber of bucks I was looking for in Iowa.
Well fast forward to Sunday and I headed out to a new piece of public ground that showed some potential and 2 weeks of vacation in front of me I was ready to hit it hard. I got to the property about 10:30 am to hang a stand in a good lucking area and check a couple cameras. The cameras showed some pretty decent bucks but nothing huge. At 1:30 I grabbed my climber and bow and headed to a tree I had hunted the previous weekend and saw good action and was perfect for the south wind that was blowing pretty hard. With the high winds activity was none until 4:15 when a small 4 point wandered by. About 30 minutes later I saw another buck heading my direction making a scrape. He slowly got closer and I could see he was a nice buck but not sure if I wanted to shoot him. He proceeded to come by at 12 yards and I had to decide if I wanted to take him. He was a nice 130 class 9 point but I let him walk with 2 weeks of vacation in front of me, he would have easily been my personal best. After he walked off I was kicking myself for not taking the shot thinking I woulf not get a better opportunity. Then the last 30 minutes of daylight the winds died down to nothing and the deer came out from everywhere. I doe was making her way over to me and I decided I was going to fill a doe tag if she gave me a shot. She made it to 25 yards but was either facing me or covered by brush and just never gave me a clean shot which was frustrating. I looked to my right and saw a small buck heading over to check out the doe when I see a big bodied deer run over to the small buck and run him off. That deer turns and starts heading over to the doe. He picks up the pace and starts trotting and I can see he is a very nice buck so I draw my bow as he is headed toward a shooting lane at 25 yards. I grunt with my mouth to stop him but he goes right on by with no shot. He gets over by the doe and stops about 40 yards but facing away. I thought the doe would keep going away from me and they would be gone when all of the sudden she does a 180 and heads back toward my shooting lane and passes through. I am still at full draw and the buck turns and follows right behind on a slow walk. When he hit my lane I grunted again and got him to stop broadside. I knew he was about 38 yards so I settled my 40 yard pin on him and let it rip. It was the last 15-20 minutes of light so I didn't see my arrow hit but heard that tell tale "thump" of a solid hit and he took off hell bent. He made it 40 yards and went down, got back up and went another 40 yards and went down again thrashing around for 4-5 seconds and then the woods went silent and I could see white belly facing me in the fading daylight....and then the shakes set in. I had to sit down for a good 6-8 minutes just so I could calm down enough to function with the climber just so I could climb down. I knew he was a good buck but wasn't sure how good because it all happened so fast. When I walked up to him he blew me away.....and then I really started shaking. He is a 10 point with a 2 inch kicker on his right base making him an 11 point. His 3 longest tines are 10, 12, and 12.5 inches with a 21 inch outside spread and incredible mass throughout his rack. He dressed out at 190 pounds. Being from MI I have never shot a buck worth scoring so I don't even know how to do it so a buddy here in IA scored it for me and he grossed 173 and 3/4....not bad for my first IA buck. He is a magnificent buck and to take him off public ground makes it all that more special to me. Iowa in November is truly a special place. Good luck the rest of the way fellas.
I also got a trail cam picture of him on November 5th. He is the first buck I have got pics of that I have actually killed.
Well fast forward to Sunday and I headed out to a new piece of public ground that showed some potential and 2 weeks of vacation in front of me I was ready to hit it hard. I got to the property about 10:30 am to hang a stand in a good lucking area and check a couple cameras. The cameras showed some pretty decent bucks but nothing huge. At 1:30 I grabbed my climber and bow and headed to a tree I had hunted the previous weekend and saw good action and was perfect for the south wind that was blowing pretty hard. With the high winds activity was none until 4:15 when a small 4 point wandered by. About 30 minutes later I saw another buck heading my direction making a scrape. He slowly got closer and I could see he was a nice buck but not sure if I wanted to shoot him. He proceeded to come by at 12 yards and I had to decide if I wanted to take him. He was a nice 130 class 9 point but I let him walk with 2 weeks of vacation in front of me, he would have easily been my personal best. After he walked off I was kicking myself for not taking the shot thinking I woulf not get a better opportunity. Then the last 30 minutes of daylight the winds died down to nothing and the deer came out from everywhere. I doe was making her way over to me and I decided I was going to fill a doe tag if she gave me a shot. She made it to 25 yards but was either facing me or covered by brush and just never gave me a clean shot which was frustrating. I looked to my right and saw a small buck heading over to check out the doe when I see a big bodied deer run over to the small buck and run him off. That deer turns and starts heading over to the doe. He picks up the pace and starts trotting and I can see he is a very nice buck so I draw my bow as he is headed toward a shooting lane at 25 yards. I grunt with my mouth to stop him but he goes right on by with no shot. He gets over by the doe and stops about 40 yards but facing away. I thought the doe would keep going away from me and they would be gone when all of the sudden she does a 180 and heads back toward my shooting lane and passes through. I am still at full draw and the buck turns and follows right behind on a slow walk. When he hit my lane I grunted again and got him to stop broadside. I knew he was about 38 yards so I settled my 40 yard pin on him and let it rip. It was the last 15-20 minutes of light so I didn't see my arrow hit but heard that tell tale "thump" of a solid hit and he took off hell bent. He made it 40 yards and went down, got back up and went another 40 yards and went down again thrashing around for 4-5 seconds and then the woods went silent and I could see white belly facing me in the fading daylight....and then the shakes set in. I had to sit down for a good 6-8 minutes just so I could calm down enough to function with the climber just so I could climb down. I knew he was a good buck but wasn't sure how good because it all happened so fast. When I walked up to him he blew me away.....and then I really started shaking. He is a 10 point with a 2 inch kicker on his right base making him an 11 point. His 3 longest tines are 10, 12, and 12.5 inches with a 21 inch outside spread and incredible mass throughout his rack. He dressed out at 190 pounds. Being from MI I have never shot a buck worth scoring so I don't even know how to do it so a buddy here in IA scored it for me and he grossed 173 and 3/4....not bad for my first IA buck. He is a magnificent buck and to take him off public ground makes it all that more special to me. Iowa in November is truly a special place. Good luck the rest of the way fellas.
I also got a trail cam picture of him on November 5th. He is the first buck I have got pics of that I have actually killed.
