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Your craziest hunt that no one believes...?

buckfever321

buckfever321

Member
A thread from earlier this fall got wondering if there are others on here who have hunting stories that are so crazy, people won't/don't believe you, but really did happen. I have one from the 2012 bow season that I still wonder whether or not it was just a dream. I will apologize in advance for such a long story but I think you will enjoy it.

It was November 21 and I was home for the week from college for Thanksgiving break. I wasn't able to crawl into a stand before daylight that morning so I decided to hop in the pickup as the sun came up and drive around to see what was moving.

I pull out of our driveway, and drive the half mile down the gravel road to the county highway; I turn on to the highway and drive another half mile past a property that I have permission to hunt on and 250-300 yards from the road I see a nice buck with a very visible droptine on his left side walking with his nose to the ground, I suppose following the trail of a hot doe that must've passed through earlier. I practically went from 55 to 0 in the blink of an eye and was grabbing for my bow and jumping out of the pickup all in one motion (after pulling on to the shoulder of course). The buck was walking straight west, parallel to the road along a wooded draw. The wind was out of the southwest and at that moment in my favor. He never looked up at me as I was running to his east across the CRP field, all he had on his mind was the doe he was hunting for as he came to the north/south fence and turned north. I knew I was never going to get in front of him at the rate he was moving, so I decided I would try rattling at him with the horns that I was (thankfully) smart enough to grab before barreling out of the pickup. I set up at the the tip of the draw behind a bush next to an old dried up pond. I smashed the horns together and he made an immediate 180 and started running right towards the pond. I dropped the horns and got ready. Seeing him pop over that old pond damn at about 30 yards is something I will never forget. He was wide, massive, and that drop was looking better with every step he took. He ended up walking right through the middle of that little dry pond to 10 yards where I released the arrow.

Nothing too "out of this world" yet.. but wait, it gets better.

I thought I had made a perfect shot. Why wouldn't I make a perfect shot? It was 10 yards for crying out loud! The buck ran about 30 yards and stopped all while flicking his tail like he'd been hit hard! I thought I was seconds from jumping up and down and squealing like a little girl as he toppled over. But he never did. After a few seconds he just trots over the hill like nothing happened. :confused: I stand up and walk to where he was standing after the shot. There was blood, not a lot, but there was blood. I then returned to where he was standing when I shot him and I find an approximately 6" piece of the nock end of my arrow but there was no blood on it. I set the arrow down and decide to go take a look over the hill to see if he had piled up just over the hill.

What I saw as I popped over the hill was one of the last things on the list of "Things I Expect to See Looking for this Buck". 100 yards straight to my north I see him walking with his nose to the ground looking for his lady like nothing had happened!

So there I am getting in my cardio for the second time that morning as I run across the CRP hoping to get another shot. This time however the wind is not in my favor. He again comes to within 10 yards with me at full draw but winds me and runs back to the east.

"That has to be the end of this BS story" you say. Nope...

I then run BACK to the draw he was originally walking down when I first saw him from the road. I find a downed tree and squat down. He is now close to where I had shot him the first time around. I grunt at him a couple times and sure enough he comes in on a string AGAIN! But again he gets down wind of me and bolts before I am able to take another shot. He jumps that north/south fence on to the neighbors and I'm forced to give it up.

I'm completely confused. I had never seen anything like that and had no idea what to do. I called my dad and told him the story, fully expecting him to burst into laughter and call me a liar. But to my surprise he didn't even if he maybe wanted to.

Fast forward to that afternoon and we decided to go look for some sign. I called the neighbor and explained my situation and he said it was fine to jump the fence and if we needed some help, he would be glad to do give us a hand.

We start following what little blood trail there was for about 2 or 300 yards before it nearly vanishes. The draw that the blood was in had come to a fork, I went one way, my dad the other. I get to the end of my side of the fork after finding no sign of the buck and walked over the hill to find my dad. I get to my dad and he tells me he had just jumped him. My heart sank. He said he didn't look like he was in BAD shape but he wasn't running great either. Sure enough down in that draw was his bed with a puddle of blood about the size of a basketball. To this day I feel that he was in his death bed right there if we would have waited a full 24 hours. Live and learn I guess.

I spent the next several days walking that whole section looking for that deer before having to go back to classes with that sick feeling of having lost a deer. The Monday that I went back to class, my dad decided he would go look one more time before giving up. He spent several hours looking and he finally found the buck about 1/4 mile from where the shot occurred. The buck was miraculously still alive, but barely. Five days later and he was still hanging on. Dad put an arrow in him to end his suffering. I had walked within 30 yards of where he was a couple days earlier. He sported a 6 inch droptine, 22" spread, and 25" main beams. He ended up grossing 153 6/8".

Because I was 2 hours from home, I never got any harvest pictures with that deer. Which still pains me to this day. And it sickens me that the shot was so bad. I believe my arrow hit some sticks shortly after leaving the string causing it hit him in the guts and exit out his left rump. Lets just say it was a smelly process when it came to gutting him. That was the only benefit of being 2 hours from home during this ordeal.

This is the first time I have ever told this story to anyone other than my dad, all because I'm afraid of friends thinking I'm full of it. I couldn't lie someone if my life depended on it but I don't want to be labeled a liar. Silly, I know. This will probably always be the most exciting hunt I have ever been on and I can't bring myself to share it with the dozens of friends and family members that enjoy deer hunting as much as I do.

So that is my 100% true hunting story that sounds 100% false. HA. I figured at least a few of you have a crazy hunt or two to share to help pass the time before rut kicks in and this forum is (hopefully) being flooded with awesome harvest pictures.

Good luck to everyone still trying to fill their tag. Stay safe and have a good fall.
 
Me and my buddy were hunting my 80 acres last year when we had about 10 deer in a CRP field below us. All of the sudden there were deer running everywhere. Next thing we seen was one coyote. Just one... He had the who field of deer running all different directions. He got a small, and I mean really small, fawn cut off from the rest of the herd. As that fawn jumped the crick to get back with the others a coyote that we didn't see pounced on him out of no where. The fawn let out a loud bleat and just like that there were 7 coyotes on him. Crazy how they split the herd and picked the smallest one off. I'm glad he was with me because no one else believes it happened.
 
Was walking back to the truck after my morning hunt when I spotted a buck waking out of the CRP field. He was coming straight at me about 200 yards from where I had parked. When he was about 50 (yes 50) yards he raised his head and I could see 2 drop tines and big kickers off of G-2's. I shot and he just stood there, so I shot again and he looks behind him. So I shot 2 more times and missed 2 more times. Now the buck figures he better get gone and starts to run, I have 1 shot left and I hit him right in the ankle. Out of bullets I run to the truck to find an empty box. Dig through console, dash and find 1 in door pocket that corroded green and looked bent, but after getting my air and a solid rest it put him down at about 200 yards. I pretty sure I had the FEVER!
 
murphranch said:
Was walking back to the truck after my morning hunt when I spotted a buck waking out of the CRP field. He was coming straight at me about 200 yards from where I had parked. When he was about 50 (yes 50) yards he raised his head and I could see 2 drop tines and big kickers off of G-2's. I shot and he just stood there, so I shot again and he looks behind him. So I shot 2 more times and missed 2 more times. Now the buck figures he better get gone and starts to run, I have 1 shot left and I hit him right in the ankle. Out of bullets I run to the truck to find an empty box. Dig through console, dash and find 1 in door pocket that corroded green and looked bent, but after getting my air and a solid rest it put him down at about 200 yards. I pretty sure I had the FEVER!
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It's the deer pictured in my profile
 
I have posted this story before,,but there may be some here that missed it. I had gotten so discouraged hunting Northern Lower MI, deer, which were very spooky, and constantly chased by the states 400,000 bow hunters,,that I saved my dimes over some yrs and finally booked a hunt on a Blk Hills-S-Dakota cattle ranch. I was the first bow hunter these two cowboys had ever had. Once out there they confessed all of their previous hunters had been rifle, and consisted of taking them out driving around the ranch. They would spot a buck,,,stop,,have the hunter lean over the hood,,and shoot the buck. Before going out there I informed them bow hunting was different than rifle. I would need blinds set up in strategic spots for close range shooting. First eve out they sat me on a 5gal pail with my back against a tree. For cover they had placed some green pine boughs around the pail about knee high. I told them this was not a sufficient blind. The deer would never come near me sitting there in the open. They could not believe my stories of edgy MI deer. They said just sit there and see. They were right. A good 2 hrsbefore sunset deer started to parade down a trail past me only 15 yrds away. Does with fawns,,yearling bucks, 10 to 15 of them walking right past me giving me little mind. I was shocked at this behavior! Never would see this in MI! Finally two decent 8 pts walked out in front but theywere a good 70 yrds or so out. Obviously feeding on scub acorns along another trail . I watched them until dark. When the cowboys came to pick me up I told them they were right,,but that they had to get me in a tree in those acorns! I had a 4 day hunt. Day 4 was forecast to have a snow storm so time was of the essence. So next day they picked me up around noon. Drove me out to the acorn area, put an aluminum ladder up against a tree. Hung up a home made stand,cut fresh pine boughs out of the way,,piled the boughs on the ground nearby and got me up there. They were sweaty,,the area was smelly. Then they laid the ladder just to the side. I said from the tree,,you cant leave that ladder there,,they just laughed don't worry and walked away. Sure enough,,about 2 hrs before sunset here came another parade of deer,,does,,fawns,,young bucks,,stepping right over the fresh boughs,,even the new ladder in their way,,without a care. I was stunned! Finally near dark,,and under time pressure a bit bigger buck walked by,,and I shot. Thebuck ran down a hill and disappeared. When the cowboys arrived,,I hoped we would take some lights and get on the trail. They said if the shot was as I said,,no problem coming back in the morning. So we did,,with their dog even! After a 4 hr search,,NO deer. So they brought me back in the afternoon. Once up in the stand again for awhile I spotted a brown spot across a drainage on a hillside. This evening they left the ladder against the tree so I could get down. So I got down and went over to the deer. When they came for me at dusk I took them to the now bloated buck. They acted surprised the deer had gotten so far. They were used to rifle shots and deer dropping in their tracks. I explained bow shots were all together different. They were poor trackers anyway and their dog was a joke. So,,they cut the horns off and said better luck nxt time. Sent me home with some horns. First day they had showed me their trophy barn loaded with booner bucks and two freezers full of meat. They could have at least offered me some venison. I was disgusted with the quality of the hunt and service. Before dropping me at the airport they admitted bow hunting was a little different than rifle. That they would have to allow a few more days with the next bow hunter! Yea,,so what about me??? Moral of story,,if you book a hunt,,make sure you spell out just what you expect from the hunt to the Outfitter. I had a friend out in WY I met latter that booked elk and deer hunts. If he saw a hunter was not satisfied with the hunt, he made sure he left happy. He would usually give them a free hunt next season. A quality guy...Long story,,but those almost tame deer were worth the trip. Just wild deer too,,no fences,,no bait,,just showed me how deer act with little human,hunting pressure.....
 
loneranger said:
I have posted this story before,,but there may be some here that missed it. I had gotten so discouraged hunting Northern Lower MI, deer, which were very spooky, and constantly chased by the states 400,000 bow hunters,,that I saved my dimes over some yrs and finally booked a hunt on a Blk Hills-S-Dakota cattle ranch. I was the first bow hunter these two cowboys had ever had. Once out there they confessed all of their previous hunters had been rifle, and consisted of taking them out driving around the ranch. They would spot a buck,,,stop,,have the hunter lean over the hood,,and shoot the buck. Before going out there I informed them bow hunting was different than rifle. I would need blinds set up in strategic spots for close range shooting. First eve out they sat me on a 5gal pail with my back against a tree. For cover they had placed some green pine boughs around the pail about knee high. I told them this was not a sufficient blind. The deer would never come near me sitting there in the open. They could not believe my stories of edgy MI deer. They said just sit there and see. They were right. A good 2 hrsbefore sunset deer started to parade down a trail past me only 15 yrds away. Does with fawns,,yearling bucks, 10 to 15 of them walking right past me giving me little mind. I was shocked at this behavior! Never would see this in MI! Finally two decent 8 pts walked out in front but theywere a good 70 yrds or so out. Obviously feeding on scub acorns along another trail . I watched them until dark. When the cowboys came to pick me up I told them they were right,,but that they had to get me in a tree in those acorns! I had a 4 day hunt. Day 4 was forecast to have a snow storm so time was of the essence. So next day they picked me up around noon. Drove me out to the acorn area, put an aluminum ladder up against a tree. Hung up a home made stand,cut fresh pine boughs out of the way,,piled the boughs on the ground nearby and got me up there. They were sweaty,,the area was smelly. Then they laid the ladder just to the side. I said from the tree,,you cant leave that ladder there,,they just laughed don't worry and walked away. Sure enough,,about 2 hrs before sunset here came another parade of deer,,does,,fawns,,young bucks,,stepping right over the fresh boughs,,even the new ladder in their way,,without a care. I was stunned! Finally near dark,,and under time pressure a bit bigger buck walked by,,and I shot. Thebuck ran down a hill and disappeared. When the cowboys arrived,,I hoped we would take some lights and get on the trail. They said if the shot was as I said,,no problem coming back in the morning. So we did,,with their dog even! After a 4 hr search,,NO deer. So they brought me back in the afternoon. Once up in the stand again for awhile I spotted a brown spot across a drainage on a hillside. This evening they left the ladder against the tree so I could get down. So I got down and went over to the deer. When they came for me at dusk I took them to the now bloated buck. They acted surprised the deer had gotten so far. They were used to rifle shots and deer dropping in their tracks. I explained bow shots were all together different. They were poor trackers anyway and their dog was a joke. So,,they cut the horns off and said better luck nxt time. Sent me home with some horns. First day they had showed me their trophy barn loaded with booner bucks and two freezers full of meat. They could have at least offered me some venison. I was disgusted with the quality of the hunt and service. Before dropping me at the airport they admitted bow hunting was a little different than rifle. That they would have to allow a few more days with the next bow hunter! Yea,,so what about me??? Moral of story,,if you book a hunt,,make sure you spell out just what you expect from the hunt to the Outfitter. I had a friend out in WY I met latter that booked elk and deer hunts. If he saw a hunter was not satisfied with the hunt, he made sure he left happy. He would usually give them a free hunt next season. A quality guy...Long story,,but those almost tame deer were worth the trip. Just wild deer too,,no fences,,no bait,,just showed me how deer act with little human,hunting pressure.....
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Had the same thing happen in Texas, I don't know if anybody read the story where I had two bucks eating at the feeder while I was setting up my blind with my jeep running about 10 yards away. I moved my blind back to 50 yards but those deer are TAME and they didn't care at all I was there. Guide said they only shoot 8 bucks total off of 4,000 acres. I'm going back in March to hunt, he offered me to come back even after I was unsuccessful for Axis/Aoudad and only was able to get a hog. Can't wait to go back!
 
Jake_Schlotterback said:
Me and my buddy were hunting my 80 acres last year when we had about 10 deer in a CRP field below us. All of the sudden there were deer running everywhere. Next thing we seen was one coyote. Just one... He had the who field of deer running all different directions. He got a small, and I mean really small, fawn cut off from the rest of the herd. As that fawn jumped the crick to get back with the others a coyote that we didn't see pounced on him out of no where. The fawn let out a loud bleat and just like that there were 7 coyotes on him. Crazy how they split the herd and picked the smallest one off. I'm glad he was with me because no one else believes it happened.
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Reminds me of one that is almost the opposite of your story. I'm out looking for Indian artifacts in late May several years ago and a fawn a couple hundred yards away lets out a death cry. Just like that there are several does bouncing in the area of the screaming and then a red fox leaves the area. Not sure if the fawn survived but those does were too much for that fox and he let it go.
 
I have a few, only one is of me.

A long time ago my dad was out shotgun hunting with a party. He was hunkered down behind a tree waiting for deer. He said he saw a fox coming towards him and it was obviously going to go right past him. Not wanting to shoot it, he did the next best thing, smack it over the head with the barrel. He said the fox did a 360 and took off. Funny stuff but the best part is the barrel got bent after hitting the fox on the head. My dad put the barrel in between a limb and the tree and straightened it as best he could. He said it shot straighter after that episode than it did before it!

Next was an uncle if mine, again during shotgun season years ago. He shot a doe that had a yearling with her. The doe went down and the yearling ran off towards a fence. It went to jump the fence, didn't jump high enough and landed on a steel post. Basically gutted itself. Two deer in one shot I guess.

This last one was just this last winter. Not terribly crazy but kind of surprising. A co-worker and I were doing some late night coyote hunting and had just finished and were back at my place. We were standing in the driveway chatting, this was about 2 in the morning. Moon was full and there was snow on the ground, so we could see very well. There is a wildlife refuge immediately south of my acreage. So we're just standing there and I look over and here comes a small doe running through the snow, from the refuge, across the driveway about 50 yards away. I noticed her and pointed her out. Then about 20 yards behind her comes a single coyote chasing her. Crazy! We ended up getting the coyote to stop and were able to get a shot off at it but by the time we got a gun out it was pretty far away and we missed.
 
I grew up in hunting in Texas, and have several interesting stories but the funniest/ craziest one happened while my brother and I were out scouting a new piece of property we got permission to hunt. The landowner had told us to be on the look you for wild hogs and that he had several traps around the area. He also told us of several spots we should check out that he used to hunt when he was younger. Having grown up in the area we were use to/prepared for hogs as having hunted them most of our lives we were very aware of the damage they can do especially in close quarters. That being said we were walking down a old fourwheeler trail checking out one of the spots the landowner told us about, in some thick cover when all of a sudden I catch movement out of the corner of my eye then “BAM” there is a loud crash. Thinking it’s a hog or hog’s crashing through the woods we both take off running looking for a tree to climb (because that’s how real men deal with hogs). About the time I get to a tree I am envisioning this massive hog getting ready to take a bite out of my butt so I do my best Michael Jordan impression as I leap and grab a the lowest limb “viable” limb in what looked like a healthy Live Oak tree. As I grab the limb and am in the process of trying to pull my feet up to safety I hear the dreaded “snap”. I can still remember to this day the terror going through my mind as I fell. In that split second I had completely played out how the hog was about to tear my throat out as I lay unconscious on the ground. Well, when I hit the ground I land flat on my back which knocks the breath out of me and now I am in full blown super panic mode. I manage to get back to my feet and I grab the tree thinking it could at least act as a buffer between me and the wild beast. As I am hugging this tree for dear life looking around for the charging boar I hear laughter coming from up the tree and I look up and my brother is about 20’ up the tree dying laughing. As I catch my breath I politely asked him what the **** he was laughing at. He said “well us, but mostly you” and he start to climb down from the tree. By know I have regained my wits enough to know the charging boar is not charging us, probably because he was scared off by my manliness while I was screaming like a girl as I was falling to the ground. My brother is about 80lbs lighter than me and a lot quicker hence he was already up the tree watching when my heroics took place, so I am really resenting him as he climbs down and about to tell him just how much I love him of course, when “BAM” there is the loud crashing sound again. So as I am about to head back up the tree my brother (still laughing) grabs my arm and says hold on it's ok. I said what do you mean, the I look at what he is pointing at. Hidden in the brush I can barely make out a fence panel, and then things start to make sense. It was an old hog trap with what I assumed was a hog or hogs inside. So now feeling somewhat brave again knowing that the beast was at least contained, we head over to see the beast that had just sent both of us up a tree, well at least one of us. As we get closer to the trap I can see that it is not a hog but a deer and she is just laying there, and it almost looks like it is dead but I can see it’s breathing. As we get closer to the trap (which is 6’ high cattle panels in a 20’ circle) the deer jumps up and starts running around the perimeter full speed, but instead of jumping out, (like I presume it got in) it tries to duck into one of the four inch squares on the cattle panel completely knocking itself out. The deer (young doe) had been at this for quite some time as the top of its head was completely bald and it’s nose was swollen and bleeding. This happens two more times as we are contemplating what to do. This was before everyone had cell phones, and we did not have a way to open the trap as it was wired shut to keep animals out. We could either leave it to die and go on with our day, or go for help, which we were a long ways from the truck and about 15 miles from anyone else. While contemplating our options my first thought was “as bad as this animal scared me and as sore as my back and ego was, it deserved to die”, but the sportsman in me who loves to hunt and loves the satisfaction of a clean ethical kill could not leave this poor animal to suffer, so I say to my brother I bet we could climb in there and somehow either manage to get her to jump out or wrangle her and throw her over the top, she was a small doe, probably 120 lbs no problem for two strapping young men… WRONG.. My brother tells me I am crazy and that we should just go about our business and come back later with some wire cutters to open the door (this incident is the sole reason you will never catch me without a leatherman or muti-tool of some sort). I told him the poor deer will not make it that long, and that I am going to try and get her out whether he helps me or not. He says have at it, but he is not going to get kicked in the head by an angry deer, Keep in mind my brother is 80lbs smaller than me, and at the time I was around 6’1 230lbs. I figured I could manage this “smallish” doe by myself after all she looked like she was half dead already how much of a struggle could she put up??? By now the deer is laying down looking at us with its tongue hanging out of its mouth, kind of like what is wrong with these two idiots, but as I start to climb the fence she hops up and slams into the fence knocking herself out cold. I think perfect here is my chance so I jump down and quietly slip up behind her. She is laying flat on her side with both her front and rear legs crossed, I very easily squatted down behind her and positioned myself to grab both her front and rear legs at the same time. I was thinking, man this is going to work perfectly, WRONG again... As soon as I grabbed her legs she came alive with a vigor and started bleating and bucking, it was all I could do to hang onto her legs. My perfect plan of easily lifting her over the fence, soon became the reality of I am not sure how long I can hold on to her, and it also became very apparent I had either drastically underestimated her weight or drastically overestimated my strength. I somehow manage to drag her over to side of the pen/trap and get my back to the wall (6’, tall as me), all I could think of were my high school “glory days” in powerlifting and the power clean. In high school I could power clean 290 lbs, so no problem right? WRONG for a third time. I squat down and and prepare to explode this deer over my head backwards over the fence, except when I “exploded” it didn’t go as planned. Keep in mind this whole time the deer is still bucking and bleating, and as soon as I “exploded” to perform the “Power Clean” so did she… Yes, poop and pee on top of the blood pouring from her nose started flying everywhere and to make matters worse my power clean only managed to bring her body to my face level. Power clean is a lot easier when the weight is not moving, and I could not get enough momentum to get her over my head much less over the fence. So here I am holding on to this doe by the legs in the power clean position (arm straight above my head) trying for dear life to not drop her, because I know I will not have it in me to do this again, with my back against the wall being covered in deer bodily fluids, and just when I think I am about to give up my brother reaches over and grabs the deer pulling her over the top. She flops down on the other side tries to get up and run but takes about five steps does a cartwheel and flops down just laying there. I jump out of the trap and check on my brother as he took a nasty fall off the top of the trap pulling her out. He was ok, and was still laughing at me while he was on the ground. This kind of ticked me off, until I realized exactly what he was laughing at. I was covered from head to toe in deer body fluids blood, poop and pee. Looking back now I am very glad camera phones did not exist. Well after we collected ourselves, and I cleaned up as best as I could we turned our attention to the little doe who had just totally kicked my butt. She was just laying there labored breathing through her mouth not even attempting to get up. I felt really bad and that by possibly trying to help her I had just injured her more. We talked about ending her suffering as my brother had a .22 pistol with him (Hog Protection). We made the deal that after we finished walking this trail out, (our original goal) if she was still laying there when we came back through we would end her suffering. We continued on and about an hour later when we came back through to my surprise she was not there. We spent a few minutes following her trail just to make sure she hadn't stumbled off a few yards and layed back down to die, and after we went about 50 yards the brush got to thick and we were not seeing any trackable signs, so we left just hoping she would make it. Two months later I am hunting that same area when lo and behold this little doe with a crooked nose and a bald head walks right under my tree stand. I know this is a little silly, but I like to think this was her way of saying thanks and letting me know she had made it, which brought a little tear to my eye, so I shot her and it cleared that right up. That last part is a joke I let her walk and live to tell the story of the heroic human she pooped and peed on. We both saw her several more time that year. My brother tells this story a lot better than I do, and he laughs his tail off every time and to be honest when I hear him tell it so do I.
 
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I'm pretty sure it was on this site that someone told a story about having to take a "duece" really bad while hunting, so they climbed out of their treestand, did their business, and then used their camo gloves to wipe and left them near the "pile".......only to have someone come along and pick up the gloves and give them a sniff and keep them! That was one of the funniest things I've ever read on any internet site! If it was you or you know who wrote that please tell them to write that story again, it was hilarious!
 
One story easily comes to mind, it was probably 10 years ago spring turkey hunting.

Me and two buddies meet at one of my spots, I was in school and hadn't had time to scout, but pretty much knew there should be turkeys in this spot. So we snuck in and got set up in a fresh planted corn field, and sure enough turkey started gobbling just to the east of us about 150 yards away. Soon the birds pitched down, there was several hens, 2 gobblers and 3 jakes. The gobblers soon decided they were going the other direction, but the three jakes headed straight to the decoys. We're are not picky when it comes to turkeys, so there was three of us and three of them, and you can guess the game plan pretty easy.

Soon they were right in front of us, three simultaneous shots rang out, two turkeys drop, and the third was trying to make his getaway, but couldn't fly. So the guy that wounded the bird jumps up and takes off cashing the turkey.

Well the issue was his "turkey gun" is an old bolt action Marlin Goose gun with a 36 inch barrel, and that day it wouldn't eject the shell. So here he is running down this turkey, feverishly working the action, me and the other guy laughing as the turkey is gaining ground, and then things get interesting.

All of a sudden the turkey does a 180 and heads straight back to us, the guy chasing him squats down and then lays down, like he is really hiding from him?? Anyway now the turkey is bearing down on him, he jumps up, grabs his gun by the barrel, and as the turkey runs past him at distance less than 2 feet he tees off(think full golf swing), and smacks the turkey with the stock of the gun.

It was great! We were far enough off we see the turkey crumple before the sound of impact is heard. We always figured the bird must of caught a BB somewhere that made him go looney, regardless I'll never forget that hunt!
 
Not a crazy story per se, but darn funny. Sorry for the length!

Growing up we had a killer deer camp, one worthy of Field and Stream articles...complete with moonshine, cigars, red flannel jackets, cussing, lies and biscuits and gravy.

In the early 80's our base camp was an ancient airstream camper that my great uncle Ed always stayed behind to "keep camp and hunt the big field", as camp was on the edge of a 400 acre CRP field.

One morning, one of my younger uncles, Johnny, harvested a great 12 pointer and pulled up around 8:30 only to find Ol' Uncle Ed sound asleep with a pile of biscuit crumbs on his stomach. He drove the buck about 400 yards out and propped him up in some saplings so he looked alive. Drove back to camp and waited.

He woke Uncle Ed up (who was oblivious he was there earlier) and told him to warm up the food as most were due back.

Johnny never let on to anyone about his deer. He waited until most were back at camp and eating when he causally looked out the window into the CRP field. He excitedly yelled "Giant Buck" and pointed to his deer.

There were 5 adults and me (9 year old) in the camper, and everyone but Johnny sprinted for their trucks to get their guns. Uncle Ed was first to take up arms, as the camper was obviously his deer stand. He had a semi-automatic rifle and loosed 4 shots before anyone even touched their gun. Before we knew it, there was at least 12 other shots fired at that deer. Then silence. Uncle Ed screamed excitedly "I got him, I GOT HIM. He feel dead against that tree with my first shot".

There was some slight arguing on "who hit the deer" but everyone took Uncle Ed at his word that he had the first kill shot.

We piled into the back of Johnny's old GMC, somehow ignorant of the blood in the truck bed, to go check out Uncle Ed's trophy! We pulled up and Uncle Ed, first on the scene, from about 10 yards out said "see, got him right in the boiler room". Then noticed his giant buck had magically already been field dressed for him. He turned around to to see Johnny laying on the ground in hysterics.

There were some hugs and high fives, and one "sure shot ol' biscuit cook" grinning from ear to ear knowing he'd been had.

Funny part about it all is that old mossy horn still only had one bullet hole, the initial shot from Johnny.

I miss those days, when we cared less about scores, scent-blocking clothing and 400 FPS bows :)
 
MO-APE said:
Not a crazy story per se, but darn funny. Sorry for the length!

Growing up we had a killer deer camp, one worthy of Field and Stream articles...complete with moonshine, cigars, red flannel jackets, cussing, lies and biscuits and gravy.

In the early 80's our base camp was an ancient airstream camper that my great uncle Ed always stayed behind to "keep camp and hunt the big field", as camp was on the edge of a 400 acre CRP field.

One morning, one of my younger uncles, Johnny, harvested a great 12 pointer and pulled up around 8:30 only to find Ol' Uncle Ed sound asleep with a pile of biscuit crumbs on his stomach. He drove the buck about 400 yards out and propped him up in some saplings so he looked alive. Drove back to camp and waited.

He woke Uncle Ed up (who was oblivious he was there earlier) and told him to warm up the food as most were due back.

Johnny never let on to anyone about his deer. He waited until most were back at camp and eating when he causally looked out the window into the CRP field. He excitedly yelled "Giant Buck" and pointed to his deer.

There were 5 adults and me (9 year old) in the camper, and everyone but Johnny sprinted for their trucks to get their guns. Uncle Ed was first to take up arms, as the camper was obviously his deer stand. He had a semi-automatic rifle and loosed 4 shots before anyone even touched their gun. Before we knew it, there was at least 12 other shots fired at that deer. Then silence. Uncle Ed screamed excitedly "I got him, I GOT HIM. He feel dead against that tree with my first shot".

There was some slight arguing on "who hit the deer" but everyone took Uncle Ed at his word that he had the first kill shot.

We piled into the back of Johnny's old GMC, somehow ignorant of the blood in the truck bed, to go check out Uncle Ed's trophy! We pulled up and Uncle Ed, first on the scene, from about 10 yards out said "see, got him right in the boiler room". Then noticed his giant buck had magically already been field dressed for him. He turned around to to see Johnny laying on the ground in hysterics.

There were some hugs and high fives, and one "sure shot ol' biscuit cook" grinning from ear to ear knowing he'd been had.

Funny part about it all is that old mossy horn still only had one bullet hole, the initial shot from Johnny.

I miss those days, when we cared less about scores, scent-blocking clothing and 400 FPS bows :)
Click to expand...

I was waiting for the 12 pointer to turn into a 6 pointer! Great story.
 
A friend of mine and his dad were early muzzleloader hunting years ago. As they were sitting there a decent buck showed up and my friends dad made the call that the buck was out of my friends range and decided that he (dad) could make the shot. So my buddies dad shoots and drops the buck in its tracks. They do some celebrating then walked up to the buck. When they got to the buck they looked it over and couldn't find blood or a bullet hole. Under closer inspection they realized he had hit the buck in the base of the rack and figured it caused enough trauma to kill it. They were getting ready to gut the deer when his dad realized he had left his knife in the truck. So he pulled out his tag and tagged the deer then laid all of their gear by the deer and walked back to get the knife. When they returned with the knife the deer was nowhere to be found. Evidently it just knocked the deer out and while they were gone it recovered and walked off. We still laugh talking about that story and wonder if any other hunters encountered the already tagged buck later in the season.
 
As I was getting out of my truck to post a draw my 2 friends were going to push, I noticed a half rack buck standing in the same draw on the other side of the road about 100 yards away. I slammed my truck door and it didn't even flinch. I looked him over with my binos and didn't see any movement. Was just weird. So I went and posted and when my friends walked up to me 30 min later(no deer on the push by the way) that buck still hadn't moved a bit. So I wait till my friends unloaded and cased their guns and pointed out the half rack standing there. They immediately grab for there guns but I stop them and tell them that it was there since I parked. Just standing in the wide open grass. We start thinking decoy sting. I walk out in the field aways and walk right up next to the buck. Now I know it's a real deer. I kick it in the side and its legs kick over a bit and it stays standing there frozen. My friend yells at me to back off and he takes 2 shots at it, misses(100 yards by the way) Deer doesn't move. I walk back up to it, take out my knife, put it next to its neck, now it takes off trotting right too my friends who then shoot it. We did not eat that deer. Wish I would have remembered I had my camera in my pocket. The next year I am pheasant hunting and I almost step on another half rack buck laying in the crp. Standing there looking at it, my dog Is sniffing it and I kick it really hard in the back and the buck stands up, trots in a circle 15 yards from us and lays back down. Find out later that the landowner hit a buck with his car the night before. Kicking 2 live half rack bucks in 2 years was just weird.
 
Dad's story

When I was a kid, too young to hunt, my dad pulled off a "Babe Ruth called shot." I'll explain:

Dad had gone to his neighbor that shotgun hunted a different season to borrow some gear. Neighbor asked if he needed more slugs, giving him a hard time that he'd need a lot of shots if he were to shoot anything.

Dad says to him, "Hell, I'll only need one shot and it will be right between the eyes!"

Fast forward a week to dad's hunting season...big 8 point running right at him, and dad shoots. Deer drops on the spot.

Dad and another hunter in the party approach the buck...no entry exit wounds, but notice a brow tine broken off. Upon further inspection, they see a flesh-wound on buck's forehead (between the eyes). Slug had glanced off the deer's head, broke the brow tine, and my dad had his "called shot."

Fortunately, his hunting buddy was there with his knife to put down the buck before he woke up!

Still have the rack today!
 
Bowtech84 said:
A friend of mine and his dad were early muzzleloader hunting years ago. As they were sitting there a decent buck showed up and my friends dad made the call that the buck was out of my friends range and decided that he (dad) could make the shot. So my buddies dad shoots and drops the buck in its tracks. They do some celebrating then walked up to the buck. When they got to the buck they looked it over and couldn't find blood or a bullet hole. Under closer inspection they realized he had hit the buck in the base of the rack and figured it caused enough trauma to kill it. They were getting ready to gut the deer when his dad realized he had left his knife in the truck. So he pulled out his tag and tagged the deer then laid all of their gear by the deer and walked back to get the knife. When they returned with the knife the deer was nowhere to be found. Evidently it just knocked the deer out and while they were gone it recovered and walked off. We still laugh talking about that story and wonder if any other hunters encountered the already tagged buck later in the season.
Click to expand...

I've got some friends with a story similar to this.. They were doing a push and one of them shot a nice buck and it dropped right up by a road. They tagged the deer and drug it like a hundred yards to the woods so they could finish the push and no one would stop on the road and take the deer. They go back to field dress it and pick it up and it was gone. They found a blood trail though and started tracking it and then the buck jumped up and his dad happened to have his slug gun and took a shot and hit it in the leg and it died..lol
 
One of my funniest moments ever happened when I was about 8 or so. My dad and I were sitting behind a couple hay bales bow hunting. I couldn't see a thing but he had a lane between the bales to shoot. I was sitting there playing with some dirt when my dad looks over and whispers " big buck!" He shoots and immediately puts his bow down to lift me over the bales to see the deer. As he lifts me up he says "Keep watching him he's going to fall." I pointed to the middle of the field and said "what about that deer there?!" My dad had his arm tore off in a machinery accident and reattached so he shoots a Darton bow that actually belts to his arm. It takes a while to put it on. In that time it took a basket rack made it into the field without him knowing. That just happened to be the deer in his shooting lane when he looked back. Had no idea that he'd shot the wrong one. Dropped him in his tracks and was just kicking. A perfect shot. It was probably about a 150s and class buck and by far the biggest of my dads 35+ year hunting career. At first I felt bad for him but thinking back on it now that's our most talked about either of us have been on and I'm sure he wouldn't change a thing about it
 
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