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Buck #3
Hunter: Keith Nelson
Score: 173 5/8" Net Typical
Points: 12 points
Weight: 231 lbs
Date: September 17, 2006
Location: Winona, MN
Method: Primitive recurve with cedar shaft arrows
Late afternoon of the second day of archery deer season, three of our hunting party of four were up in our trees. We were spread out over a heavily wooded valley buried between the steep bluffs of southeast Minnesota. After only an hour of listening to the woods and reading a book, "Life from a tree stand" by Steve Chapman, I was startled by the sound that hunters all love. From somewhere right behind me came the distinct footsteps of a deer. Acorns had been falling and squirrels were rustling but this was different. It had a pattern. I poked my head slowly around the trunk of my tree to see a buck walking towards me. It was struggling to work its rack through the brush. For now it did not know that I was there. At first my heart started to race but then it slowed as the deer continued straight for my tree. As it passed another tree I brought up my recurve bow but did not yet draw back. I let the buck pass my tree and get about five yards beyond. Its nose went down to sniff the ground and I pulled back and instinctively released my cedar shaft arrow. It struck just to the right of the spine slightly back from the shoulder. The arrow angled down, across and slightly forward in the deer. It must have hit one lung. The deer crashed through the woods and away. After a 10 minute wait, as darkness was coming quickly, I got down and started to trail. Almost no blood but did find distinctive heavy tracks in the soft trail. After a 300 yard, one hour trail we found the 12 point 230 pound buck. 23 inch spread. It is my understanding that it will rank as 26th all time for traditional archery according to Pope and Young records. Being in the woods is great, but it is even better when you can share it with good friends.