Then in June, I put my camera out after my joint vetch was starting to get hammered. I got some nice deer the first week… several 120” deer, but I knew he had to be bigger than that this year. Then I got finally got a pic, and I knew who it was… I coined him “Godzilla”. He had 3 other younger bucks with him, and they made it a daily habit of coming to the vetch field.
I had been thinking about him every day since I got my first pics of him this summer. Opening day came and I had pics of him and his younger compadres for about 10 days in a row, from 1:45 to 2:30. I knew there was a real possibility that I would get to stick him if he didn’t smell me. My field is in a bottom and it is VERY hard to hunt. The ESE wind was going to be very close to being bad for me, but my neighbor was also getting pics, and I was worried he would get him before me… so I had to hunt him if at all possible. I went and bought a Ozonics in hoping that it would allow me to hunt with the Iffy wind, and if it didn’t work, it had a 100% money back guarantee. I got in the tree at 12:45 on Oct 1. I was nervous already…
At 1:55 I hear that dreaded sound… deer blowing, and stampeding off. I sat dejected, considering whether or not I should slam that Ozonics down from 25’ high. I had 6 or 7 deer come to the field that eve, but Godzilla didn’t show. I never saw them, but I knew he was in the group that winded me.
Wednesday he didn’t show, not even on the camera at night.
Thursday I hunted at my camp, to let the other area rest for a day, and when I checked my camera Friday morning before work, he was on there at 2:00 Thursday eve. There was still hope…
Friday, I hunted from 1:00 till 4:00 and saw nothing.
Saturday, I decided to go try again, but got in the stand at 3:45 for a more “typical” afternoon hunt. I had several bucks come and mingle in the vetch, and finally they all left the field at 6:30. I was thinking how this dang deer was gonna drive me crazy when a doe walks out about 20 yards from me, coming from the opposite side of the field Godzilla comes from, according to the camera, and where I had heard the blowing on opening day. Then another… Then another… then a 4 point that I recognized as one of Godzilla’s buddies. Then my heart starts pounding. I snatch my bow off the hanger and hook up. My heart is drumming in my ears, and I haven’t even seen him…
All of a sudden he walks out… I knew he was a stud, obviously, but until you look at one that size at 20 yards, you just don’t know… I drew immediately as he was looking out in the field at the other deer, but he stood so still staring, i was scared he may be winding me. I HAD to get an arrow in him. I leaned out around some limbs as far as my harness would allow and put it on him and released. I saw a limb shake right in front of me and the arrow buried in the dirt underneath him. I instantly had that throw up feeling… he bounded about 3 times and stopped on the edge about 30 yards away. I grabbed another arrow, drew, anchored, and released, all on auto-pilot. He was in the shadows and it was getting late, but I knew I made contact from the sound, even though I couldn’t see the arrow impact. He shot in the woods like a rocket. I was a wreck… I blew it by being impatient on a 20 yard chip shot, and now have no idea where he is hit.
I get down to go look for my arrow… nothing. Can’t find it, nor any blood where he was standing. I then go down a big trail in the woods looking for blood. I usually can find blood, but there was NOTHING. I was getting sicker by the second. I walked about 50 yards, further than I should have, and was getting ready to back out and give him time and get a dog when I looked to my left, and the is laying down on the side of the ridge, 18 yards away, panting, and staring at me with his head up! That’s another feeling you can’t explain. I grabbed an arrow, drew, and was trying to see my pin but it was too dark. I finally put his front half in the center of my globe that surrounds my pin and released. It sounded good…THWACK! He blew out of that bed and ran over the ridge. I left… I was a wreck…
Went home and watched a good 2nd and 3rd quarter of the MSU vs LSU game and then my dad came to help me look. We eased in there to where he went over the ridge and he was dead in the creek bed right on the other side. I had hit last rib/guts on the first arrow that actually hit him. Then 10 ringed him on the other arrow.
He weighed only 175. He has 15 points, a 19” spread, and 25” main beams. My best ever, by far…
Grossed 172 6/8” without a 6” kicker on his right beam that he had broken off.
It involved a good bit of luck, but Godzilla got to ride in my truck.
