Mrs pinwheel says" It's like shooting fish in a barrel" (pretty wild story)

pinwheel · #1 11-03-2009, 11:47 AM

Now for the story & an understanding of where the thread title comes from. "Like shooting fish in a barrel"

I had been saving a stand in the deep woods for the rut. I scouted this stand for myself & hung a climber in there about month ago. Since I'm tagged out, I wanted Jenny to have a crack at that spot beforemy buddy got up here tomorrow night. We had the perfect wind for it too.

The plan was to stop at the house & get the mule & drive her up to the tractor shed & let her walk the 1/4 mile in from there. As we approached the house, we decided she didn't need anything from the house, so I'd just driver her up in the truck.

Just as I'm going across the 4' culvert we put in 2 years ago , I looked down into the big ditch & immediatly stopped. Thinking you guys would never believe what I saw, I told Jen, get the camera, get the camera. No, wait, get your bow, get your bow.

Believe it or not, the buck she's holding onto, was standing in the bottom of that ditch, facing away from us, 15 yds from the truck. His chest is pushed up against some willow trash & he's standing there motionless, as if to say, if I don't move, they won't see me.

Jenny was able to get out of the truck, get her bow out, strap on her release, get an arrow nocked, walk around in front of the truck & put an arrow through him, all while the truck is running.

Now, you know why she said, "it's like shooting fish in a barrell"

This picture will give you a pretty good visual to go with the explanation.

The truck was parked to the left of the deer, by the tall weeds, the deer was in the ditch behind her, down in the ditch under the overhanging branch, & she was standing on on the lane in front of the truck.

I checked the camera on the opposite side of the lane, (20 yds from buck in ditch) This buck is still alive in the neighborhood. At first, I thought it was the buck she shot, but the crabclaw is on the wrong side.

letemgrow · #2 11-03-2009, 11:57 AM

Heck of a buck Mrs. PW!!!

Dogwood · #3 11-03-2009, 12:50 PM

Some people have all the luck.

Congrats to her for being a good fisherman/achery shot. Great story. Maybe not what you/she would've planned, but how are you gonna pass that up??

biglakeba$$ · #4 11-03-2009, 12:57 PM

So thats all I have to do to shoot my first buck with a bow???

Cripes. All this time I have been working habitat, planting crops, finding the perfect trees to ambush them; and all I needed was my pickup????????

Beautiful fish BTW!

bhanks55 · #5 11-03-2009, 02:44 PM

Congrats again. Was he laying down or standing in the ditch?
What did he end up scoring?

pinwheel · #6 11-03-2009, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhanks55

Congrats again. Was he laying down or standing in the ditch?
What did he end up scoring?

He was just standing there, with his chest pushed up against some brush. Like he tried heading up the ditch, but that brush blocked his way, so he just stood still, thinkin if I don't move, they won't see me.

Haven't put a tape to him yet, but my best educated guess will be low 140's.

Throughout the summer & fall, we drive up this lane a lot, cause 200 yds on up, is where I keep my tractor. I make very little effort to be quiet or not go where I want through the summer. Except in the timber. For the most part, we stay to the open fields & along established trails & roads. Between where this buck was shot & the new house we just bought, is only about 100 yds as a crow flies. But it's a really rough 100 yds, uphill to the house all the way. Really thick cover with a couple shelves that deer bed on. My suspicion, he's spent the summer laying on one of those shelves, watching us drive by, over & over again, & we were never a threat to him. So, if he didn't move when he felt he was hidden, we'd just drive right by like we always do. Boy, was he wrong.

bhanks55 · #7 11-03-2009, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pinwheel

He was just standing there, with his chest pushed up against some brush. Like he tried heading up the ditch, but that brush blocked his way, so he just stood still, thinkin if I don't move, they won't see me.

Haven't put a tape to him yet, but my best educated guess will be low 140's.

Throughout the summer & fall, we drive up this lane a lot, cause 200 yds on up, is where I keep my tractor. I make very little effort to be quiet or not go where I want through the summer. Except in the timber. For the most part, we stay to the open fields & along established trails & roads. Between where this buck was shot & the new house we just bought, is only about 100 yds as a crow flies. But it's a really rough 100 yds, uphill to the house all the way. Really thick cover with a couple shelves that deer bed on. My suspicion, he's spent the summer laying on one of those shelves, watching us drive by, over & over again, & we were never a threat to him. So, if he didn't move when he felt he was hidden, we'd just drive right by like we always do. Boy, was he wrong.

Man. That is just amazing. Once in a lifetime experience right there. Alot like the deer at my house. I have never hunted there and always working outside. They feed all the time in my foodplot right across the creek (even when mowing grass and such)- ~30 yards away. I can almost pet a couple of the does. Bucks are a VERY different story.
How far did he go when she shot? I am assuming he wasnt hurt in anyway, so I figure he burned some serious rubber getting out of there.

WesternNY · #8 11-03-2009, 07:04 PM

Congrats On A Great Deer!

Nova · #9 11-03-2009, 07:31 PM

Great story, GREAT deer. Congrats Mrs. PW!!!