|
| The U.B.C. ... working to protect YOUR bowhunting rights! |
Site by: WhiteTail Solutions, LLC.
| Mike Long |
The 8 pointer would just not line up with my view finder. He was the 9th deer I had spotted since I began sitting on this ladder
stand in south western Iowa. In the last five minutes, two doe had walked calmly past followed by a fork-horn, another doe, a 6
pointer, a spike, another couple or three doe and now him. He was working along the lip of a bowl from my right to my left
when I heard the crashing of many deer off to my left. This was followed by some really deep grunting. I stuffed the camera
into my pocket and got the bow ready. It was November 17th, 2007, the first day of a week long Iowa bow hunt and I had been
on stand for about 2 and ¾ hours. It was around 58 degrees with a slightly shifting, light, south west wind. I was still unsure of
what to expect here in the land of the giants, things were shaping up well, little did I know how well.
The sounds of many deer now got closer and it seemed as if they were going to pass right in front of me. The whole group
veered to their left and away from me to join the rest of the deer that had come in from the right. They were all now milling
around in the thicket in front of me about 50 yards out. The intense grunting continued.
In all of my years of hunting I have never used a grunt tube very much but had one in my pack that was hanging behind me on
the tree. I grabbed the pack, fished out my grunt tube and let out 2 short burps followed by a longer one as I bent the tube back
around towards me. I have never seen such a quick reaction to a grunt tube ever. Two of the doe came running flat out right
towards the tree I was in. They stopped at about 3 yards from the base of the ladder stand and began looking for the source of
the grunts.
A massive buck now appeared behind them, rubbing his antlers to his right on the saplings and then, after taking a step or two,
twisting his massive neck around to rub his rack on the left side. He went back and forth like that through the thicket closing the
distance between us at a slow, leisurely pace. Gosh, this is taking forever I thought.
The does at my feet were getting kind of nervous and one of them began stomping her front foot as she worked her nose
through the air. Slowly the big buck moved from right to left stopping to rub even more of the saplings as he moved into an
opening 23 yards away. I drew and took very careful aim. The arrow hit its mark and the buck made a giant mule kick before
dropping over the lip into the next ravine over. I was confident I had a good shot and felt good about the way everything had
happened.
After waiting for 1/2 hour I climbed down from the ladder stand to look for my arrow. It wasn't anywhere to be found. Uh
Ohhh!!! No blood trail? No arrow? What’s up with this? I decided to back out of the spot and go get my buddy Jon and Joe,
our guide.
I came back just over an hour later with Jon and Joe and found very little blood to trail him by. We looked around and then had a
conference. Due to the very steep terrain and light blood trail the consensus was to come back at first light because it was now
well after dark.
We found him the next morning at the bottom of the next ravine over. He had gone just about 75 yards from where I had shot
him. The arrow had lodged in the far inner shoulder and had not been a complete pass through. That is why there was so little
blood, no exit wound. The next problem was to get him out of the ravine and up to the truck. We decided to leave him whole
and place him on a game cart to get him out without contaminating the area. This was a struggle even for the three of us but we
took our time and stopped for a couple of breathers along the way.
He is a massive Iowa Monster, 17 points, 32" neck and over 235lbs. The inside of his spread is just over 15" so he is not very
wide but he has a unique character all his own. He has broken off two of his points in the dash he made after I arrowed him.
One of his sticker brow tines is freshly broken off and the split off of one of his G3s has been snapped off as well. We looked
over the entire area but could not find them.
I have not had him measured but have been told he will gross well over 160” and is a Pope and Young qualifier. I used my old
faithful PSE Infinity SRL500 with an Easton 2213 XX78 tipped by a NAP 100 Shockwave expandable broad head.
I could not be happier or more thankful to my best friend Jon for helping to make this trip come about. He was the one to
convince me to go with him and I will be forever thankful for his encouragement and company on this wonderful journey.
Mike Long
PS: Final Gross score was 170 4/8; net was 166 4/8 and is officially recorded with Pope & Young as well as the North East Big
Bucks Club
stand in south western Iowa. In the last five minutes, two doe had walked calmly past followed by a fork-horn, another doe, a 6
pointer, a spike, another couple or three doe and now him. He was working along the lip of a bowl from my right to my left
when I heard the crashing of many deer off to my left. This was followed by some really deep grunting. I stuffed the camera
into my pocket and got the bow ready. It was November 17th, 2007, the first day of a week long Iowa bow hunt and I had been
on stand for about 2 and ¾ hours. It was around 58 degrees with a slightly shifting, light, south west wind. I was still unsure of
what to expect here in the land of the giants, things were shaping up well, little did I know how well.
The sounds of many deer now got closer and it seemed as if they were going to pass right in front of me. The whole group
veered to their left and away from me to join the rest of the deer that had come in from the right. They were all now milling
around in the thicket in front of me about 50 yards out. The intense grunting continued.
In all of my years of hunting I have never used a grunt tube very much but had one in my pack that was hanging behind me on
the tree. I grabbed the pack, fished out my grunt tube and let out 2 short burps followed by a longer one as I bent the tube back
around towards me. I have never seen such a quick reaction to a grunt tube ever. Two of the doe came running flat out right
towards the tree I was in. They stopped at about 3 yards from the base of the ladder stand and began looking for the source of
the grunts.
A massive buck now appeared behind them, rubbing his antlers to his right on the saplings and then, after taking a step or two,
twisting his massive neck around to rub his rack on the left side. He went back and forth like that through the thicket closing the
distance between us at a slow, leisurely pace. Gosh, this is taking forever I thought.
The does at my feet were getting kind of nervous and one of them began stomping her front foot as she worked her nose
through the air. Slowly the big buck moved from right to left stopping to rub even more of the saplings as he moved into an
opening 23 yards away. I drew and took very careful aim. The arrow hit its mark and the buck made a giant mule kick before
dropping over the lip into the next ravine over. I was confident I had a good shot and felt good about the way everything had
happened.
After waiting for 1/2 hour I climbed down from the ladder stand to look for my arrow. It wasn't anywhere to be found. Uh
Ohhh!!! No blood trail? No arrow? What’s up with this? I decided to back out of the spot and go get my buddy Jon and Joe,
our guide.
I came back just over an hour later with Jon and Joe and found very little blood to trail him by. We looked around and then had a
conference. Due to the very steep terrain and light blood trail the consensus was to come back at first light because it was now
well after dark.
We found him the next morning at the bottom of the next ravine over. He had gone just about 75 yards from where I had shot
him. The arrow had lodged in the far inner shoulder and had not been a complete pass through. That is why there was so little
blood, no exit wound. The next problem was to get him out of the ravine and up to the truck. We decided to leave him whole
and place him on a game cart to get him out without contaminating the area. This was a struggle even for the three of us but we
took our time and stopped for a couple of breathers along the way.
He is a massive Iowa Monster, 17 points, 32" neck and over 235lbs. The inside of his spread is just over 15" so he is not very
wide but he has a unique character all his own. He has broken off two of his points in the dash he made after I arrowed him.
One of his sticker brow tines is freshly broken off and the split off of one of his G3s has been snapped off as well. We looked
over the entire area but could not find them.
I have not had him measured but have been told he will gross well over 160” and is a Pope and Young qualifier. I used my old
faithful PSE Infinity SRL500 with an Easton 2213 XX78 tipped by a NAP 100 Shockwave expandable broad head.
I could not be happier or more thankful to my best friend Jon for helping to make this trip come about. He was the one to
convince me to go with him and I will be forever thankful for his encouragement and company on this wonderful journey.
Mike Long
PS: Final Gross score was 170 4/8; net was 166 4/8 and is officially recorded with Pope & Young as well as the North East Big
Bucks Club
| The U.B.C. ...working to protect YOUR bowhunting rights! |