A buck 7 years in the making

[sharpshooter97]

Decided to do a short write up on my 2020 deer hunt. So the backstory, in North Dakota our deer tags are drawn through a lottery aside from our otc archery tag. I was denied in '14 and '15 and then left for the Army. Although I am still an ND resident, training and deployment have kept me from making it home during our deer season so I had not applied for 4 years. I got home from Afghanistan last year just in time to tag along with my brother the next morning and watch him shoot a buck, this year I was bound and determined to make it home somehow as I love to deer hunt. I was full of excitement when I saw my application was successful this year, I immediately requested leave for the hunt although covid restrictions left things a bit unlcear I eventually got the ok and the week before opener I packed up the truck and began the 1,300 mile journey home.

 

[sharpshooter97]

After a long day and half of driving I made it back about a week before opener which gave me some time with family and a little pheasant hunting along with scouting, saw more pheasants than I had in a long time and we bagged enough for a good meal the first weekend back. Did some scouting and put out a trail camera but with the warm temps that week I was not seeing many deer at all. But when opening day came around I was ready to be out there, sat and glassed the first afternoon and saw no deer activity until a few minutes after legal shooting light when I saw a very nice buck. I had my hopes up for the first full day

 

[sharpshooter97]

The next morning came and the deer were really moving around, watched 2 nice bucks and a spike hanging out feeding with a half dozen does but there wasn't much rut activity. Waited until they bedded down for the day then had lunch while making a plan for the evening. This buck was bedded in a big slough on the back of my family's farm, early in the afternoon my brother and I set up on a heavily used trail that went into the slough about 300 yards from where he bedded. Nothing moved all evening until about 15 minutes before the end of shooting light a doe popped up out of the crp grass 100 yards in front of us. At this point the wind had me shaking from being cold and things weren't looking like they would work out. As I continued to scan the grass I saw the buck locked onto this doe about 100 yards behind her and moving quickly, I shifted to get into position for a shot and he caught the movement and locked on me, at this point I'm shaking and going to have to shoot off my knee as the grass was in way of being able to use my bi pod. Thinking he was going to bust me I rushed the shot and pulled high right over his shoulder, I quickly racked the bolt on the Model 700 cursing at myself for missing but instead of running away the buck sprinted right at me and stopped around 150 yards away, he was slightly quartering toward me and as soon as he stopped I shot again and hear that wonderful sound of a bullet making impact. He dropped in his tracks and never moved, the 180grain SST destroyed his heart and right lung, I was feeling beyond blessed at the opportunity and to share the experience with my brother. I'll remember this hunt forever.

 

[CPAjeff]

Congrats on the success! Thanks for your service!

 

[Steelsearchin]

Nice work and great buck!!!

 

[mdeerjunkie]

Congratulations!

 

[MITCHMO]

Great story and great buck!

 

[noharleyyet]

He's a brute...congrats.

 

[ntodwild]

First off from one vet to another thank you for your service.
2nd Congratulations on your hunt and the memories created. It's what it's all about.

 

[sharpshooter97]

Thanks guys, this guy had a ton of fat on him so he wasn't rutting to hard yet. The meat has been excellent

 

[Rackmastr]

Congrats!!

 

[tzone]

Hellova buck. Congrats to you.

And thank you so much for your service.

 

[JLS]

Congratulations on your hunt and thank you for your service.

 

[Lige]

Thanks for your service and congrats on a nice ND buck!

 

[MT Bound]

That's a heck of a nice ND buck, wow what a body on him!

Thank you for your service, you earned that buck in spades.

 

[sharpshooter97]

Thanks everyone

 

[Sask hunter]

Congrats!

 

[RobertD]

Very cool and well earned. Congratulations