Date Harvested: 10/21/2002
Equipment Used: Pearson Diamonback, Muzzy Zero
Effect Rest, Toxonics adjustable sight, Beman ICS 420 Carbon Arrows with
Muzzy 115gr 4blade heads.
Taken By: Steve Collins
Location: Franklinville, NJ
Time of Day: 6:10pm
The season started on Sept. 29th here in
S.Jersey with high expectations. We knew we had a lot of deer on our
property so a freezer of meat was to be no surprise. Well, as always the
whitetails lived up to their nickname of "The ghosts of the forest".
We were seeing deer but just not close enough
for a good bow shot.
My neighbor and friend told me of a nice buck
and four does that were venturing from my property onto his at 8am every
morning. So with that information I setup on the property line in hopes to
get a shot at a nice buck or maybe just get a nice doe to put in the
freezer. I chased these deer for 10 days straight night and day and only
saw two does the whole time.
Frustrated, I decided it was time to look
further back onto my property and see what was what. I found a lot of
great sign crossing the logging roads back by my stand that produced a
small buck and a doe last season. So, I decided I would put my climber in
my faithful pine tree and go back to basics.
I climbed in around 5:10pm knowing that It
wasn't getting dark until 7:15pm. I sat for around an hour watching
squirrels rustle around me. I hear rustling to my right at 60 yards toward
the thicket and peeked over expecting to see another squirrel but caught a
glimpse of a nice buck heading straight for me. Now mind you I am around
25 ft. up in this pine tree so looking down at the horns he didn't look
that impressive as the tines were blending in with his main beams. I
thought maybe he was a good 7 point. He continued heading straight at me
and when he reached a small group of chestnut oaks beneath me, and I mean
right beneath me I took the opportunity to draw. It was perfect, I had
full draw and he was only at 5 yards, I just needed two more steps and he
was mine. Uh, uh, he decides to stop and smell the roses beneath the
cover. "Or smell me" and he stays there for what seemed to be forever but
was more like 2 minutes. With my arms fatiguing fast I'm now searching for
a hole in the cover to get him because I cant hold back any longer and
just when I thought I couldn't hold any longer he steps and then steps
again proving me with a perfect quartering away 7 yard shot and I took it.
He bolted, and bobbed and weaved till he was out of sight. With heart
pounding beyond control I get my radio out and call to my brother who was
on stand 150 yards away in the direction the deer bolted. I told him that
I just shot a nice 7 point, he responds I knew something was happening I
heard a deer come crashing toward me then it stopped.
We got down out of our trees and decided to go
back to the house for a cup of coffee, flashlights and the video camera
and give this boy time to lay. We return about 45 minutes later to the
spot of impact and starting taping and looking for blood. We found what we
were looking for, a blood trail 3 ft. wide and it only took 5 minutes to
find the buck balled up 60 yards from the point of impact. To my amazement
he was a perfect 5X5 with a small kicker on the bottom of his left beam.
His rack was 14 1/2" wide and his g2's and 3's were 5 1/2" high and brow
tines 2 1/2" high. He was impressive to me as it was the best buck I have
ever taken period. I was ecstatic and we got it all on tape. He dressed at
130lbs which some might say that is small but we don't grow em' real big
in the flatlands of S. Jersey and 130lbs is tipping the bruiser scale
around here.
Never thought it would have happened to me to
get two wall mounters in one season. I'm just a freezer hunter but most
of all I am a hunter and just love being out there regardless of the
outcome.
Thanks for listening and I hope you enjoy the
pics.
Steve Collins
