On the morning of September 3/2023, my wife and I set up in our ground blind for two specific White Tail bucks. We had seen them on our game camera three consecutive days prior, and they were traveling in a bachelor group of five. In the photos, all the bucks were still sporting their velvet antlers, and each day these bucks would appear like clockwork, approximately 45 minutes after daylight.
As dawn was settling in, the second largest buck came in right on time...only now he was with a lone doe. It also appeared that he had stripped the velvet clean from his antlers. Although my wife was extremely excited at the opportunity of harvesting this majestic animal, she ultimately chose not to pull the trigger. Unfortunately the buck did not present in a still broadside pose, and as a novice, she was not comfortable taking the shot. After rehearsing various strategies throughout the day, we were again set up in the blind for the evening hunt. He didn't show!
The next morning on the 4th, we were back in the blind, waiting patiently but this time with anxious anticipation. Would this beautiful buck show up just one more time? Had he already been harvested by another hunter the night before? Or was he simply dogging that doe on a different route?
Suddenly, from an unexpected direction, three bucks appeared in an opening as if Captain Kirk himself had beamed them into our location. One larger buck and two smaller basket bucks were heading our way. It was him! My wife was the first to spot the bucks and they were already at 30 yards and closing in. Similar to the previous day, the 4 X 4 buck passed right by us, but this time he stopped broadside at 17 yards. My wife was calm and cool as a cucumber; all the while I felt my heart pounding in my chest. Just as I began to whisper to my wife, "Take the shot," the familiar sound of our Ravin R26 Crossbow deploying rang out. The Ravin bolt fixed with a deadly G5 Montec 3-blade 100 grain broadhead was on its way. The mighty buck jumped with an explosive kick, with the bravado of a rodeo bronco. He immediately spun while clamping his tail tight to his body and disappeared into the timber approximately 40 yards from our blind.
I was so proud of my wife, as this was her first opportunity at a White Tail buck with our crossbow. We waited 30 minutes and then slowly worked our way along the blood trail. We came upon him approximately 60 yards from the point of impact, and he was stone dead. The shot was perfect...it had completely passed through the center of his heart and both sides of the animal. It was a quick, clean harvest, and my wife's first crossbow White Tail buck...what a day! I was and still am very excited for her.
This buck was a blessing for us both. He is currently at our local butcher, weighing in at 95 lb., to be made into steaks and burger. He will also be proudly displayed on our wall. I will be doing a European mount of his skull with the attached antlers at my wife's request.
Thank you, Scott and the staff of International Shooting Supplies, for the opportunity to enter this contest and thank you for reading our story!......
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Originally Posted by freddyfour
