Hunter: Doug Williams
Points: 10 (5L, 5R)
County: Crawford
Season: 2016-2017
Hunt Story
The annual hunt of two brothers myself (Doug Williams) and brother (David Williams). My brother invited me to come down to hunt with him on private property in Crawford County. He had told me about this property for two years before. I drove down Thursday night and we got up next morning to hunt. When we got to the property, my brother took me to his climbing stand and told where the white oaks were to watch. He left to go hunt on the power line that ran through the property. I got set up around 6:50, and the sun was starting to shine bright daylight. At about 7:05 I saw a 6- or 8-pointer making his way through some thick trees. He appeared ready to bolt up the hill. I decided to shoot. He took off after I shot up the hill and started circling around to go back down the hill. I kept waiting to hear a crash, but I never did, so I thought he just laid down. In the meantime four does come in to feed on the acorns. One went left, two stayed out front, and one worked her way off to my left and then behind me. I was sitting there watching the three does in front of me. At about 7:25 I heard what I thought was the doe coming back around to my left so l look to check how close she was and there stood an 8-point broadside to me at about 10 yards. It appeared to be the same buck as before because his antlers were so polished. I took a shot, and again the buck trotted up the hill behind me. I was really disappointed at the whole thing as I usually drop them in there tracks. I texted my brother and told him I was not going to shoot anymore as I believed my scope was way off target some how. He asked if the does were still there, and I said they did not leave even after shooting two times, was hard for me to believe but they were really after those acorns. He asked me to take photos of the does, and I said I would try to with my phone. I was waiting for the does to get into range. I was watching a small doe in front of me when out of the corner of my eye I saw what I thought was another big doe come in. I started looking at the deer and it was a buck, and it was limping. I thought that I must to have nicked him or something and I decided to shoot again. This time I connected and dropped him in his tracks he never moved or twitched. The doe he was looking at ran down the ridge and up the hill off to my left. She started bleating to the buck. She did this about 3 or 4 times and then she moved off. The other three does kept on feeding to my disbelief after I had shot three time. I texted my brother that the buck was down in front of me at about 50 yards. This was about 7:50. We both had heard bucks grunting that morning. He asked if I was ready to go, and I said let's give it 15 minutes to make sure he was dead. I continued to watch the does until he texted and said he was going to get the truck. When I stood up to come down, the does finally moved off. When I got to the buck, I discovered it was a 10-point. I looked to see why he was limping and discovered that sometime in the recent past he had broken his rear hoof off the ankle bone and it was just dangling and he was walking on his leg bone. He also still had some velvet hanging off his tine. I was glad I shot him because he was suffering. My brother and drug the buck to the truck and loaded him up. We went back to the stand and looked where I shot the second time and did not find any blood or hair to my disbelief. We searched the area but did not find any evidence that I hit him. I am usually a crack shot and drop them in their tracks. We then went to where I shot at the first buck sighted. We look around and again found no blood or hair. This was highly unusual I stated before I am pretty accurate. The only conclusion I can come to is that I shot at the same buck three times. I do believe he was tending the area around the white oaks as it was difficult for him travel with his bad leg. I am glad the good Lord presented him to me three times to take him as with his leg he was suffering. I will be re-sighting my gun before I go out again. This will be my most memorable hunt I will remember with my brother David. I want to thank him for all his help dragging, cutting up the buck. Letting me use his stand and hot deer spot. I want to thank my nephew Jeremy Williams for help me make my European skull mount of this 10-pointer. This is not my biggest buck (estimated to score 115 - 125) that I have taken, but it will be one of my most prized ones. This is a hunt to remember and to tell campfire stories about.
