Tough year hunting and I am done.

[Del the cat]

Brilliant written story as always JW.
I can't hunt over here, but that gets me close enough (without the discomfort too )
Do I get my armchair hunters badge?
Great to hear that inner dialogue...
cheers
Del

[chamookman]

Way to hang in there Jdub - dandy example of a Whitetail Buck ! Bob

[Pappy]

 Congrats,Way to hang in JW, nice buck and loved the story.
  Pappy

[TimBo]

Congrats - like others have said, way to hang in there.  Sorry this year was so frustrating.  I need to learn more about 2016 Spring Turkey camp...

[PEARL DRUMS]

Fine buck J-dub!

[sleek]

So, where did the three rounds go?

[Chief RID]

I am glad you got your buck JW and a good one at that. I am still fighting demons myself but I hope I have your determination and luck. You know "a little bit of luck and anything will do for brains." I am banking on that. Gota get out there.

[JoJoDapyro]

JW, as I have stated before, you deserved this. You are honest to the very end. Most would have woven a tale so big that many would doubt it, yet with nary a witness couldn't doubt it. Good work.

[osage outlaw]

Great looking buck JW.  It has some major tine length.  That would make a fine looking skull mount.

[JW_Halverson]

     OOOOOH Baby that is a nice on there J.W. !  Sorry about your bad luck, and glad for your good luck.  If it weren't for the bad luck, you wouldn't appreciate the good luck.  You would not have anything to compare it to.  But it got you to the place you needed to be, at the right time.   What kind of Binoculars, and scope did you have?  Like a good Friend of mine used to say, put a 500-600 dollar scope on a hundred dollar gun!  I have been a steadfast fan, and customer of Leupold scopes, and binoculars, though I do own a pair of lower priced Steiner binoculars, I had originally bought for my Girlfriend, but she liked the eye relief on my Leupold's, better, so I had to get her a pair like mine for her.  I got her the compact Rogue 10 X 25.  Which is what I have.  The Steiner's are 10 X 25 also.  Both are waterproof.  I cannot say enough about Leupold scopes, and their warranties.  When I was in the Army, and stationed in Italy, I bought a 3-9 X 40 Leupold with duplex recticle. I still have it.  In the late 70's I dropped my rifle from a tree, when my quick detached sling swivel quick detached, and a rock jumped out to catch it.  It hit right on the bell housing, where the lens sits!  I was sick!  I reluctantly looked at the front lens, and lo and behold, it was intact!  I sighted through the scope, and all seemed well!  I test fired it later that day, and it was dead on!  Next season was approaching, and I was checking for rust, and such, and sighted through the scope, and uh oh!  There are little trees growing in my scope!  It had leaked the nitrogen out!  I sent it back to Leupold, and explained what had happened, and asked them to call me with what the cost would be to repair it, and not to bother to fix the back lens which had rubbed on the hammer spur of my pistol, and gouged a small area on the rear lens, but did not interfere with sight pictures.  A week later, I received a letter, saying there was no charge, and a week after that, I received the scope back, and rear lens was replaced also.  I essentially have a new scope.  It was the same scope, but they repaired everything!  I have three or four others, that I have bought since.  You can get the old model 3-9 X 40 pretty cheap, and all Leupold scopes, and binoculars come with a lifetime warranty!  I have a couple of Rifle man scopes, with duplex, and mil dots, on the lower, section of the recticle. You can get them fairly cheap also, under $180.00.  S.G.  Has them for $169.00.  They are water proof, shock proof, fog proof, etc. and the Lifetime warranty, and they stand behind it!  I have dealt with other companies, that did not.  One that is named after a "Fish Hawk, particularly!  But even after all that happened to you, it all came through.  You just had to appease the ancestors, is all.  That is a really nice Buck, and you earned it.  Paid your dues so to speak.
                                    Wayne

Wayne, the scope is Leupold's 2-7x by 40. Not their upper end, but good glass, still.  The binos are Steiner Predator 8x42's.  I will borrow a LeadSled and run a magazine downrange to see if the hairs are loose or if it will hold a zero.  The binos get shipped off to Steiner later this week.  They said they will warranty them even though the only fault was mine for dropping them. 

So, where did the three rounds go?

I know one broke a femur and one went high in the shoulder and barely caught the top of the lungs.  I am unsure of the shot in between.  When the hide comes off, the story will be exposed. 

JW, as I have stated before, you deserved this. You are honest to the very end. Most would have woven a tale so big that many would doubt it, yet with nary a witness couldn't doubt it. Good work.

I care about the consumptive outdoors activities (hunting/fishing/etc) that I am willing to expose my failures in order that folks can learn from my mistakes. Especially if it leads to higher standards of ethics and efforts for myself and those that I can reach. A lesson from working with raptors is that sunlight kills bacteria.  Anything that needs cleaning also needs to be exposed to the light.  Feel free to internalize that as necessary. 

Great looking buck JW.  It has some major tine length.  That would make a fine looking skull mount.

You and I have almost the same process for cleaning skulls, sir!  And with those long tines, this mount is gonna really be beautiful.  It will also serve as a reminder to keep my temper in check, watch the optics more carefully,  and above all...just slow down and enjoy the ride.  Every time I look at this rack on the wall I will feel guilt for the failures that added up to unnecessary pain this animal felt.  To cover up his reproach would be a dishonor to the memory. 

[Buffalogobbler]

Congrats JW!
You earned that buck.
I always tell people, I kill more deer with persistence than any other way.
Sure looks like persistence paid off for you in a big way!

Kevin

[stickbender]

     Glad that Steiner is going to honor their warranty.  I hope the scope is OK.  Might the mount have been knocked a little loose?  If the scope is at fault, Leupold will warranty it.  Great story, and great Buck.   A European mount will make a nice feeding perch for the little Kestrel.  Well at least, in the morning, when you were self flagellating  about going, you at least didn't get the coffee cups mixed up with which was for heating mice, and which was for coffee. ......Again. ......

                                    Wayne

[JW_Halverson]

Well at least, in the morning, when you were self flagellating  about going, you at least didn't get the coffee cups mixed up with which was for heating mice, and which was for coffee. ......Again. ......

                                    Wayne

No.  Not really.  Not for long. 

[stickbender]

     Well glad to hear that you have the coffee cup issue, resolved.  But I guess once is all it would take.  Did you have a chance to test fire the rifle yet?  Oh, why did you choose the 8 X 40 binoculars?  Even as a kid, I always wondered why, anyone would choose a 7 X 35 pair of binoculars.  For my own personal choice, it is at least a 10 power, fixed, or variable.  But everyone has their likes, and dislikes.  Let us know what the outcome is for your rifle.  How is the barrel bedding now?  A lot of things could cause a miss like that. Snow, in between the stock, and barrel, wood expanding, or contracting, etc.  But I think that is all stuff you already are aware of.  I had a doe permit, one year, and saw a nice big doe, about a hundred yd.s away, and sighted in on her heart area, and bang, a complete miss, she did not move, just looked around, and went back to feeding, another, shot, and then another, and different sighting, finally she and the other does, took off.  Later the next day, the coyotes, were celebrating.  After the shots, I checked the scope mount, and it was sloppy loose.  I felt sick, and knew I should have checked before the next shots.  But I did not, and felt, and still feel bad about the doe.  I don't know where I hit her.  She did not act like she was hit at all.  And when she and the other does, left, it was not a fast run, just sort of a slow trot.  No hint of being wounded.  I honestly thought I had missed by a mile.
                                    Wayne

[Swampman]

Congratulations JW.  I enjoyed reading your story.  I showed Keller the pictures and he says, "wow".  Thanks for sharing the story.