Hunter: Zach York
Points: 10 (6L, 4R)
County: Hart
Season: 2019-2020
Hunt Story
I first started noticing this buck last summer, he was a smooth 8-point. I felt like he was still young but had good potential to put on some size. He would’ve been a heck of a bow buck for sure, especially for our area, but I had my eye on another buck last summer (ended up taking that buck and it’s now the No. 2 bow buck for Hart County) so he got the pass. Saw him multiple times while hunting and kept up with him on camera throughout the year. Even after he shed his horns I could still tell him apart from the notch in his left ear. This summer he really put on some size and I said that’s the buck I’m going after this year. So I started scouting this summer trying to pattern him. Spent a lot of time glassing the bean fields trying to figure out his tendencies. I felt like I had him pinned, but once he shed his velvet his pattern started to get inconsistent. I hunted all opening weekend with little to no action, but I knew he was still in the area so I stayed after him. I was set up in a hardwood funnel between two bean fields. Sunday afternoon I had a 9-point that he ran with all summer come in to feed on acorns for 20 minutes or so right under me. I knew he had to be close. Sure enough I caught a glimpse of him and another buck at 60 yards, but they were headed the opposite direction. The 9 was still feeding and after a short while he started to look out in the beans behind me. They had taken another trail out into the field and circled in behind me. Not good, didn’t have many shot opportunities in that direction. Luckily after a few nerve wracking minutes he stepped into a hole I could shoot through at 41 yards. I let it fly and the shot looked good. Went home, came back after a few hours and found my arrow broken off and had a good blood trail, after 300 yards or so the blood got really spotty and eventually I lost all blood out in the soybeans. We spent hours searching for the next blood and eventually decided to back out and try to get back on blood in the morning. Long story short, I got back on the blood trail the next morning and tracked him back to his bedding area where he expired. The shot was quartering away and on its mark.
