Posted By: sticksender
Thank You Brother - 11/11/2014 10:08 PM
Today as I sat quietly in the tree stand waiting for something to happen, my thoughts drifted back to the 2013 deer season and my friend's advice.
His home being a couple hours away, most of the time we keep in touch by phone calls and text messages. And more often than not, the subject turns to our various outdoor adventures. So it was nothing unusual last fall when I'd sent him a picture I'd snapped of a buck that I'd just let pass on November 1, 2013.
![[Linked Image]](http://www.hollygarrett.com/NinenoBrowLeft131101.jpg)
I mentioned to my friend that I might regret that decision later, since he was a pretty decent buck and he'd stood there for a long time in easy bow range....what was I thinking!?
But his broken left brow tine and also being "only a 9-pointer" was my rationale for letting him go. Problem was, for him to make it through the rest of the seasons might be tough since most hunters in these parts won't let a buck like that walk. Even if the buck did survive, there was no guarantee he'd be bigger next year.
But my friend re-assured me, after looking at the pic, that it was the right choice. He said he had a good feeling the buck would make it, and was also convinced he'd be bigger and a more noteworthy trophy with another year of growth. That made me feel better about letting him walk.
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My friend was right as it turned out, and the buck did indeed survive the gauntlet of bow, gun, and muzz seasons last year, and started showing up on trail cams all through the winter months.
![[Linked Image]](http://www.hollygarrett.com/BrokeBrowNine140112cr.jpg)
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So as this year's seasons got underway I wondered if I'd ever see that buck again. I'd gotten a few velvet pics and one September pic (below) of a buck that I thought could've been the same deer. If so, he was a nice looking buck and a shooter now for sure. Unfortunately, so far during the first 5-1/2 weeks of the bow season I hadn't seen him.
![[Linked Image]](http://www.hollygarrett.com/TenAndStixsm.jpg)
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But as luck (or fate) would have it, that finally changed all of a sudden today, on Veterans Day 2014, when a big buck quietly materialized 25 yards from my stand like a ghost. Without hesitation I grabbed the bow and was able to place a single, specially-marked arrow through the center of his heart.
I can't recall the mechanics of the shot, like drawing or aiming or releasing. Something else took over and made it happen with very little effort. The buck ran 50 yards and piled up.
He turned out to be the same buck from last year, with no mistaking it after studying the nose band, throat patch, brow tines, and the main beam conformation.
And my friend had been right on another account as well....he got bigger! I found the arrow and laid it across his neck for the picture.
![[Linked Image]](http://www.hollygarrett.com/BuckArrow.jpg)
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I sure wish I could share this tale with him. But he's off to a better place in the Universe and can't be reached now.
About the best I could do was keep the #1 arrow in my quiver christened with his name and logo on the windward side of each of it's three vanes.
By the way, that special arrow was unscathed after it's trip through the buck. After cleaning off the blood, it's back in the #1 position in my quiver. I'll be attempting to put it through an Iowa buck next week.
It's one d@mn lucky arrow, and no one will convince me otherwise!
Thanks for everything brother.
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![[Linked Image]](http://www.hollygarrett.com/Keith.jpg)
![[Linked Image]](http://www.hollygarrett.com/Dutton.jpg)
![[Linked Image]](http://www.hollygarrett.com/Gundude.jpg)
His home being a couple hours away, most of the time we keep in touch by phone calls and text messages. And more often than not, the subject turns to our various outdoor adventures. So it was nothing unusual last fall when I'd sent him a picture I'd snapped of a buck that I'd just let pass on November 1, 2013.
I mentioned to my friend that I might regret that decision later, since he was a pretty decent buck and he'd stood there for a long time in easy bow range....what was I thinking!?
But his broken left brow tine and also being "only a 9-pointer" was my rationale for letting him go. Problem was, for him to make it through the rest of the seasons might be tough since most hunters in these parts won't let a buck like that walk. Even if the buck did survive, there was no guarantee he'd be bigger next year.
But my friend re-assured me, after looking at the pic, that it was the right choice. He said he had a good feeling the buck would make it, and was also convinced he'd be bigger and a more noteworthy trophy with another year of growth. That made me feel better about letting him walk.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
My friend was right as it turned out, and the buck did indeed survive the gauntlet of bow, gun, and muzz seasons last year, and started showing up on trail cams all through the winter months.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
So as this year's seasons got underway I wondered if I'd ever see that buck again. I'd gotten a few velvet pics and one September pic (below) of a buck that I thought could've been the same deer. If so, he was a nice looking buck and a shooter now for sure. Unfortunately, so far during the first 5-1/2 weeks of the bow season I hadn't seen him.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
But as luck (or fate) would have it, that finally changed all of a sudden today, on Veterans Day 2014, when a big buck quietly materialized 25 yards from my stand like a ghost. Without hesitation I grabbed the bow and was able to place a single, specially-marked arrow through the center of his heart.
I can't recall the mechanics of the shot, like drawing or aiming or releasing. Something else took over and made it happen with very little effort. The buck ran 50 yards and piled up.
He turned out to be the same buck from last year, with no mistaking it after studying the nose band, throat patch, brow tines, and the main beam conformation.
And my friend had been right on another account as well....he got bigger! I found the arrow and laid it across his neck for the picture.
.
.
I sure wish I could share this tale with him. But he's off to a better place in the Universe and can't be reached now.
About the best I could do was keep the #1 arrow in my quiver christened with his name and logo on the windward side of each of it's three vanes.
By the way, that special arrow was unscathed after it's trip through the buck. After cleaning off the blood, it's back in the #1 position in my quiver. I'll be attempting to put it through an Iowa buck next week.
It's one d@mn lucky arrow, and no one will convince me otherwise!
Thanks for everything brother.
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