This is the story of my Adirondack buck, and it goes
like this. For many years my family has had a portable
camp in the Adirondacks and is located approximately
three miles from any motor vehicles, so you can imagine
what work is involved in hunting in the BIG WOODS.
All hunting season I had hunted hard trying to run on to
a great buck like the ones family members had taken in
the past. I don’t really consider myself an
inexperienced hunter but I am in no way a pro. I do
enjoy listening to other experienced hunters and what
they have to say and then trying to implement it to my
style of hunting.
On
the last Thursday night of the season, my brother Brad
and I sat around the camp in the lantern light enjoying
a little story telling. We were talking about scent
lines, cover scent, food plots, hunting in wind, and in
sun, uphill or downhill in the morning or night. After
we educated each other in a redneck sort ‘a way, we
decided a plan for a long hunt and to explore some new
territory in the morning.
We
were up early the next morning with a good breakfast
eaten and lunches packed. I was dressed and ready to go
a little ahead of my brother, so I started out of camp
and hunted slow till Brad caught up. There was a fresh
four inches of fluffy snow that had fallen the night
before. As I hunted my way down the trail I watched some
ruffed grouse sneaking off through the underbrush and
did not notice that I had crossed some steaming fresh
deer tracks.
I
felt like I was being watched. That is when I turned
around to see this ten point buck starring at me! It was
an awesome sight to see. The buck was standing looking
over its snow covered back watching every move I made.
As I stood there admiring this magnificent animal I
realized that this is what I have been waiting for all
season. I stood there, it seemed like forever, but
quickly drew up my 30-. 06 and fired one shot. Meanwhile
Brad was on his way out to catch up to me and could not
figure out why I shot.
Very
quickly I turn on my two-way radio and told him to head
up the hill to cut the deer off on the pass. As he ran
up the hill he asked, “How big of a buck is it?” Not
that I was excited, I replied, “You can’t miss it, it is
as wide as an ATV!” While Brad tried to cut the deer
off, I snuck over to where the deer was standing and did
not like what I saw. So I called Brad back to where I
was and we started to track this monster and found a
weak bloodline.
We
decided to push the deer a little and see if we got more
blood or less. Our luck was good and the deer started
leaving a nice bloodline. At this point we stopped and
conversed over where the deer was heading so one of us
could get in front of it and maybe get another shot. As
I button hooked around the deer to get ahead of it I
crossed its bloodline.
Brad
button hooked around me to get between the river and the
deer to cut it off again and I followed its track! All
of this time we are keeping in radio contact so we know
where the deer is headed. Brad got to a place where he
has seen deer cross before and I started to follow the
blood trail. As I followed the blood it got heavier. I
kept in radio contact with Brad, “he’s going west”,
“he’s going north”, he’s going south keep your eyes
peeled!” “Now he’s heading north.”
Brad
heard something coming through the brush straight for
him. So he shuts the radio off! That way my history
report of every foot track the deer left does not spook
the buck coming straight for him. As I step around an
uprooted tree the buck was laying there looking at me
just feet away. I fired the last shot!
Brad
comes back on the radio and I tell him that I got it but
it is not as big as it looked as it ran from me the
first time I saw it. To this day we do not know what was
about to bust out of the brush in front him. On Brad’s
way up to meet me he stopped to camp and got the deer
cart. He asked on the radio if I needed anything from
camp or if he needed his gun. I said, “I guess not!”
I
thought for a minute could not figure out why he would
not want his gun, (just in case he saw a buck on his way
up to me.) Well our camp tradition is that if you get a
buck then everyone at camp that day gets to take a shot
at your hat. (When it is hanging in a tree!) Well I
forgot about it until Brad shows up with his gun! Next
thing you know I am the proud owner of a hat with a hole
in the brim!
So
back to camp with a nice buck, a quick cup of coffee and
back to the original hunt planed. After this hunt I
decided that when hunting the BIG WOODS being in the
right place at the right is the only way to get big
bucks!
