I was lucky enough to have several days off to put meat in the freezer this year. Several of you have met my buddy Brandon, well we had been formulating a plan together for some hunting. I left last Weds at 3am from Tenn. and arrived in time to get in the tree. I bowhunted Weds, Thursday and Friday without as much as putting an arrow on my recurve but that was it. The Rut was on but just a lot of youngins chasing. We had figured that the older class deer were using the near full moon to do most of their breeding and chasing in the middle of the night and relax and sleep during the day. This brings us to the opener of the Indiana Firearms season. I chose a stand that I christened 2 years ago by taking 2 does out of with my recurve on one evening hunt ie why we call it the double doe stand (I know we are original)

The wind was out of the south, the stand is located in a weedy timbered funnel/finger. I arrived at the stand 45 mins before shooting light, getting all my gear positioned in the tree and hanging my H&R Ultra Slug hunter 20ga. First deer to appear was a small button buck and put on a good show, coming to with in 6ft lol, of me eating as he went. Through out the morning I was fortunate enough to see 8 deer. I had texted Brandon around 945 am that I was going to stay up till 11am but wanted to know how to check his covert cam that was down the draw. He texted back and gave me the instructions on how to view the pictures etc. I put my phone away and for some reason looked behind me in the ravine, now mind you I can't hear anything due to the gusting 18+ mph winds. I look behind the tree out about 65yds and stare at what appears the last 3/4 of a deer, big bodied deer. I am now on full alert, and slowly retrieve the sluggun. As I am getting into position I notice the glint of white as he is making his way around a shagbark hickory. I shoulder my gun and inspect the deer, since there were two deer on this farm that we were after, crabby and another split brows. Well as this unidentified buck makes his way around the hickory, I automatically see the split g-2. GREEN LIGHT

I positioned the cross hairs on crabby's shoulder after he fully cleared the tree and squeezed the trigger. At the report of the sluggun an unknown doe that was in-between crabby and myself runs closer to my stand. I am watching Crabby knowing I had put a great leathel hit on him but this tank of a body deer took the shot and kept his feet and trotted to where the doe had been standing during the initial shot. I loaded another lightfield slug and knelt down in the ladder stand and used the seat to steady myself. Crabby was standing under a honeysuckle bush and was pretty much blocked. He started to turn and positioned the crosshairs for a quartering away shot. He gave it to me and squeezed the trigger again. This buck took this slug and still kept his feet, but trotted forward to disappear in the thick honeysuckle and molta floral rose bushes. This all took place in about 30 second period but seemed like it took forever to get that second shot. Well I regained my composer and lowered my gear to the bottom after about 15 mins. I headed directly to the honeysuckle bush where the 2nd shot took place. There was hair but no blood and I say again no blood. I slowly started walking in the direction of his route after the 2nd shot, still no blood. I was about to hit panic mode because I was within 20 yds of making it out of the funnel and ahead of me was a large patch of 6 ft tall switch grass. I chose to stop and start my way back out the way I came and wait for Brandon and his Dad. As I turned around I see Crabby, he had only made it about 20 yds after the 2nd shot and went down on a little rise of ground. I swear that image will be forever burnt into my memory, it was something that was very solemn and honorable on how he was laying.

I didn't go to him, I just backed out and waited for Brandon. Brandon and I have hunted together for 17yrs and this is the first buck either of us has taken while we have been together. Brandon and I are not related but probably have a closer relationship than most brothers. He takes food plots and habitat pretty seriously and started putting out plots and native grasses 4 years ago when he purchased this farm as his own.

Well I will let the pictures speak for themselves, it was a great memorable hunt.

Nov. 16, 2013

Taken at 10:10

65yds 20ga lightfield hybred slug

11pts 210lbs dressed

Dnr aged him at 4yrs of age.

Congrats again Buddy!!!!

NICE!

First off congrats on a beauty of a buck... And my best friend is more of a brother to me then my own brother and he is my identical twin...

VERY nice bro! Congrats!

PS....I want my gun back...

Wow!

That's a monster

Stud of a buck!
Congrats!

Nice beast!!!

Wow! What a Buck!

That right there is an awesome buck. CONGRATS!

Super buck. Congrats.

great buck, congrats!

That buck is ginormous! Congrats!

Great buck!

Congrats!

Awesome buck Eric.... Congrats again bud!!!

Wow what a buck! Congrats!

Great buck and again the WSG connection, Alamo Switch grass in the back ground

Congrats and they don't grow em like that in Tenn. Huh.

Nick, Nope but I will say this they aren't far off, gun season opens this weekend and I will be back in the tree with the ultra, hoping to put one of the 3 I have on trail cam. Good luck to everyone and again stay safe.

Thanks for the story, great buck!

Congrats on a heck of a buck!

Wowzzers what a hog. Congrats on a very nice buck....

Just roughed scored the rack, 165 6/8 gross.

Awesome buck! I found out through an aquaintance I live only a couple miles north of there (don't worry, completely private). Perfect habitat. Looks like I need some switchgrass! Congrats!

Great Buck. Gotta love those 20ga

What a deer!! Well Done!!

Great deer. Congrats . I like a 20ga also

Great buck. Congrats!!!

Great Deer!! Congrats!!