Post by Chris on Apr 20, 2014 23:15:09 GMT
I don't remember when I got this deer but I remember every moment of the chase and the recovery. Heard him and a eight point tearing it up, about 300 yards away from my tree stand, so I got out of the stand and hoofed it to the scene. There I found the two of them going at it with a small young doe weaving in and out of the thicket that they were in the middle of.
Well I stood there for perhaps 40 minutes with no shot at all because of the thickness of the thicket. She passed me (during that time) 3 times, within 5 yards.... looking right at me. I am very sure that my camo wasn't hiding me from her view... she just didn't care.
Well, finally the big guy (pictured) runs the other guy off and starts up with the doe. She did the same routine that she had been doing all along and eventually, she came right by me again... with him in tow. 
The shot was 3 yards nearly head on and it was like he hit a invisible rubber wall. He raised his head and just stood there looking at me, for a good minute I would guess. Then he turned and just walked away.
The blood trail was very very poor but I was able to follow it and did so for over 500 yards. At the end, there he was. The arrow centered the liver, missing all other vitals but I knew that would be the case when I released. His weight exceeded 200# but I believe 216 was the recorded weight, although I can not be absolutely sure for a fact. Too many years gone by to be keeping particulars like a few pounds in the memory bank. 
I am not a Buck hunter at all but this guy made me very happy that day.