I started this thread and now the story about my deer.
It is long but here it goes.
I was working a 2 am to 1030 am shift so I could hunt evenings thru the week and weekends.
My birthday fell on Thanksgiving that year so I had moved my paid day off to Wed so I could hunt. The property I hunted wanted deer reduction because of crop damage. My plan was after work Tuesday to put up a blind because of rain Wed to hunt does from then go home shower and return Tuesday night and hunt. Work put a crinkle in my plans as we were super bisy and ended up with mandatory overtime. By the time I got off and got the blind up I did not have the time to drive 30 min home and back. Side note. I worked on an unheated dock so I had on longjohns and jeans,longjohn shirt heavy flannel shirt and heavy weight cahartwork jacket. I always have my smokepole and orange hat in the truck during deer season so I decided I could sit a stand that had proper wind and scout for the Wed hunt.
I am in the woodline overlooking a picked corn field that has a dry creek T ing in to the woods to my right about 40 yrds. The creek has not been maintained and is grown up about 20 yds wide with trees,bryers and bushes. I had been in the stand a little wile and notice a doe across the creek about 200 yds. in front of the blind I just put up. About 5 min later I see a bigger deer across the creek close to the creek edge and think that must be the old doe because of the size. I can not see horns because of the brush. It is with in range so I pull up the smokepole and look thru the scope and get a glimpse of horn and think "I might get to shoot a buck tonight. Great" the deer is feeding along slow so I tried to look at the horns again and counted 9 points. I thought great as I had never shot any thing with more than 8 points. That made me a little excited. Because of the brush I could not get a good shot so I weighted and the Deer finally stopped broad side with a six inch hole in the brush on the chest. I squeezed the trigger and saw the buck go over on its side but could not see it any more because of the brush and grass I got worried because I shot one before that did the same thing and got up and was never found. I reloaded the gun,eased down out of the stand and snuck thru the woods to try to see it in the field. When I got there there was NO deer in the field. I scanned and saw him standing on the creek bank. Brought the gun up and as soon as I saw brown in the scope I fired and he jumped across the creek and disipered. I figured I had hit him hard with the first shot because I had seen some red around the mouth before the second shot but you never know. I still had no idea horn size as I always figured I can find out when I find them. I reload and go to the spot he was standing and find small drops of blood and start tracking. Thru the creek and in to the picked corn field I had been sitting over and still no deer so I know he made it to the woods. I am only seeing small dots of blood spaced out 3 to 5 yds apart when my phone rings. It was my buddy accross the road wanting to know what I was shooting at. I said a buck call you later and hung up. I am really nervous and shaking at this time but gather my self together and start tracking again while scanning the woods with every step.
I was about 25 yrds from the woods when I see him get up and take off again. I get brown in the scope and fire again. He went about 20 more yards and went down. I was not gona take any chances so I loaded again. I was shaking so bad I had to really concentrate to just hold still enough to pore the powder down the bore with out spilling it all over. I eased in the woods and he was down for the count. I turned around and went back in the field and just collapsed in a heap. I had seen he was bigger than any thing I had taken when I walked up on him. From first shot till recovery was probably 20 to 25 min but it seemed like hours.
Shortly my buddy from the phone call showed up and I had kind of collected my self and we walked back and he starts jumping up and down screaming "it's a monster it's a monster"
I still did not know just how big he was. We dressed it and put in the truck and headed to town to the check station. When we got there the guy came out to put the tag on it and ask if I had a little time as there was a guy inside that would really like to see this deer.
I said I had all night so shortly a fellow came out and he got all excited and ask if he could do some measurements. I said sure. I had herd that it took 140 inches to make it into the indiana record book but I had NO idea what 140 inches looked like or was so I ask him if he thought it would make 140 inched. The look on his face was priceless. He said ya this is gona score 160 inches or better. That is when I started to realize I had taken a really good deer. I had been hunting sence 78 and never seen a deer with more than 8 points and as I know now none with 120 inches either and he was a 10 point and big too.
I had the horns scored and they were 169 7/8 after 2 1/2 inches of deductions which I now know 2 1/2 inches of deductions is almost impossible and it would have been less but he broke about 1 in off the main beam. I took him to a bait and tackle hunting shop 2 days later and weighed him on their scale and he weighed 211lbs. The scale is out side and you can weigh them and put them in your truck and no body comes out but I could not get him back in my truck by my self so I went in side to ask for some help. 2 guys came out and one said he was gona get some more help and went back in side. Next thing I know everybody (like 25 guys) was out side looking at my deer and wanting to help put him in my truck. Again i thought this must be a really good deer as I still did not realise just how big he was.
I had been tinkering in taxidermy about 3 years so I decided I would mount it. I made the base out of walnut I had had sawn from a log dad and I had cut in the woods behind his place and got an old seder corner post off of a buddy at work and came up with the mount in the picture. The other picture is of me in the work cloths in the field that night.
I was luckey. I was in the right place at the right time. I have always hunted hard and a lot.
When I was young I was taught not to brag about what you have dune because if you are good other people will brag for you but with this thread and all the good stories about deer I have read I felt the story about this deer needed told.
Thank you all and hope you enjoyed the story
Onebentarrow
Edit. I recovered all bullets. 1st and 3rd in the chest and second in the neck just above the chest aera. That is the last time I have used Hornady xtp bullets