Previous Buck            Back to Leader Board            Next Buck

 

Buck #11

Hunter:    Gary Vidlock              

Score:     155 7/8"

Points:     12 points

Weight:    unknown

Date:        November 8, 2003

Location:  southern Minnesota

Method:    Remington 11-87

 

VidlockMount.jpg (49133 bytes)    VidlockTruck.jpg (122052 bytes)

 

I will never need another reminder to stay on my stand until the end of the day.  I had a bad morning sitting in a treestand. I was on the edge of the woods with a 15 mph wind in my face in 15 degrees.  Not fun.  I sat until noon when other hunters moved in on me, so I knew I had to go elsewhere. I decided to move to a sheltered area to sit for the rest of the day (we're on public land).  I wasn't happy about that but since I had a doe tag I decided to move a few hundred yards out to a place where we usually see a lot of does.  I had only been sitting a couple minutes when I noticed antlers in the weeds, it turned out to be an 8 point buck about 100 yards out.  I finally found him in the scope, (the sun was behind him) and took a shot.  He ran off, so I walked to where he was standing and looked for sign of a hit.  Nothing......  

 

Feeling even more dejected after my long day I returned to where I was sitting.  I hadn't even caught my breath when a deer stepped out of the tall grass 100 yards away, he was walking on a line to pass within 30 yards of me.  I knew right away that I saw antlers and there were plenty of them.  I focused on the shot and took it when he was 60 yards out.  The first was a little far back and he bolted, luckily the second and third hit their mark and he went down. The other members of our hunting party had plenty of ribbing to give me the rest of the night.  Right after I shot my buddy called me on the radio to ask what I was shooting at and they all heard my voice jump several octaves at the moment I realized how big he was.  Man, I'll never forget the feeling I had when I finally realized I had the buck of a lifetime. It all happened when I was ready to pack it up and head home an hour early. Now I know I'll never do that again.