By Russell Thornberry
On the cold drizzling morning of Oct. 6th, 2009, I was about to give up the hunt and go back to my nice warm cabin. I hadn’t seen a single deer from my treestand in western Saskatchewan that morning and I was ready to believe the deer were as miserable as I was, thereby justifying my early departure from the dripping aspen leaves that were soaking me. Another minute and I would have been climbing down, but I made one last check around my stand site as a matter of routine and there he was – a huge, heavy-antlered buck about to pass right in front of me at 15 yards. The shot was instinctive. I don’t remember much about it – just auto pilot I suppose. But as I stood over that awesome 12-point buck – the best of my bowhunting career – I was reminded that whitetails are not nearly as miserable in the rain as I was. The buck grossed 178 and change. I was elated.
Saskatchewan: Oct 6th, 2009
One year later on the afternoon of Oct. 6th, 2010, I was high in another aspen tree, near my home in central western Alberta, shrouded by a couple of thick spruce trees, hopefully awaiting the arrival of a buck, which I had named “Ol’ Moses.” I had trail cam pictures of him but I had never seen him in the flesh. It was a tricky situation because the only place I could set up on him was a measured two steps from his trail, which was dangerously close – too close for comfort. I normally like to be twenty yards or more from a deer trail to have some breathing room. Tight quarters like these meant that I would have one chance and if I blew it -- game over.
I had waited several days for the perfect wind direction. It had to be from the southeast. As daylight faded I looked at my watch. I had five minutes of legal shooting light left. I heard the soft foot fall of a deer on the dried aspen leaves and turned my head to see Ol’ Moses walk right under me at spitting distance. I knew I had to hold my shot until he passed down the trail hopefully offering me a going away shot. I was at full draw and following him when he stopped. I locked my 20-yard pin behind his last rib and released my arrow. In the low light I couldn’t see the arrow in flight but I heard it thump as it hit him and I knew by his body language that he was hit hard. A couple of bounds and he was out of sight. Only then did I realize how revved up I was. I was still getting my breath as darkness fell. As a matter of personal practice I waited in my stand for a full hour before I climbed down. I found him 40 yards away in the thick timber.
Alberta: Oct.6th, 2010
It was a few days later that I realized that for two consecutive years I had taken 12-point bucks on the 6th of October. I’m not really a gambler but if I arrow another 12-pointer on Oct. 6th of 2011, I’m heading straight for Las Vegas! Wish me luck.
Comments