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Bruce's
Equipment List:

Bow
 Bowtech VFT

Arrow
 

Broadhead
Slick Trick 100 grain

Sight
 

Rest
 

Ground Blind
Double Bull BS5

 

 

 

 

Whitetail bucks feeding at the Casa Grande Game Ranch near Rockwood, Texas.
 

Slick Tricked Buck

"A record book class
South Texas buck gets the shaft." 

By Bruce Letbetter, Field Editor


Email Bruce here.

  
 

   I spent a week during the 2004 season hunting down South with my good friends Mitch Krivokucha and Malcom Middlebrook. This hunt was due to start on Monday, however with the afternoon temp around 85 degrees and a cold front due to blow in Monday night, I setup my blind for a North wind that was due to blow all week with plans to hunt Tuesday morning through Friday. I spread a little corn around some spots in good shooting lanes and anxiously waited for the hunt to begin.

   Tuesday morning I had couple of does and young bucks visit me but nothing special. Around 11:00 I got out of the blind and headed in for lunch. I got back in the blind at 2:30 and had a very slow afternoon till about 4:30. Then things got very interesting. I heard corn crunching out my left shooting window and leaned forward to see an incredible buck feeding in on the road.

   This buck had it all including a 6.5" drop! Well, he had everything but age. I could only get him to 4.5 years old with huge potential. So I let him walk. This is the only drop tine deer I have ever seen while hunting and that hurt a little! But you can't shoot the big ones if you shoot the young ones. As you can see from the photos, this buck was close. 6 yards close, and he paraded in front of my blind for over an hour. I took some pictures and video footage of this great buck but today was not his day. I never even thought of picking up my bow. I came for something better and was sticking to that plan.

   I caught all kinds of flack back in camp from the guys for letting this deer walk. But, it turned out to be a great decision. Wednesday and Thursday were uneventful except for a hog I shot late Thursday evening. I had a sow come in every night and run off the deer. By Thursday my patience had worn thin and I let her have it. I took the sow with a well placed arrow behind her shoulder. Unfortunately, the pictures of the sow did not come out well.

   Friday morning started off very slow with only a couple spikes and two yearling does. However around 7:30 one of the young does became very alert and looked up the road. My first thought was great another pig. However her body language soon told me a buck was approaching! I leaned forward and looked out my right peep hole and saw a huge buck approaching! HOLY COW!!! What a buck he was. I could make out ten points and a great spread. His body condition and build made me positive this buck was at least 5.5 years old, the kind of buck I had been looking for.

   I quickly tried to position the video camera as the buck sauntered in and started eating corn. My heart has gone crazy and I can now longer control my hands very well. After a couple minutes of my release tinking against the camera I decided this video angle would be good enough and got ready for the shot.

   My Double Bull blind was around 400 yards from a Highway and I some how had enough hearing left above my own heart to hear an 18 Wheeler approaching. So I waited as the big truck approached. When the big tire noise was loud enough to hide any noise I may make. I yanked back the Bowtech VFT and centered my pin low and tight behind the shoulder. At this point everything became a blur and at some point I tripped the trigger sending a 100 grain Slick Trick broadhead straight to big buck's heart. The arrow was true and the buck high kicked and took off.


Click on the image above to view
a video clip of the shot.
(1:04min, 2.4mb)
   I listened intently and I never heard him hit the brush, which I found a little strange. The thought quickly left my mind. As the big buck bolted I jumped up to try and follow the buck and was quickly reminded I'm 6'2" and trying to stand up in a 5' ground blind! I was very excited and sat back down in my chair, watching the shot on video to remove any doubts I had just connected with a great South Texas trophy.
   To be honest, I waited about 5 minutes and got out to look at my arrow. I found the arrow covered with light blood. I found no blood on the ground at the scene. So without thinking I started to follow the trail the big buck took to the road. I caught myself and had enough sense to stop to give him more time. However, when I looked up I saw a main beam sticking up down the middle of the sendero! There he was laying in the middle of the road just over a little knoll not even 60 yards from the blind! (Which now explains why I never heard him hit the brush.)

   I quickly ran back to the blind hurdled the fence and grabbed my bow and another arrow. I then slowly stalked up on the buck to find him down for the count. I have tried for several years to break the 140" mark with my bow. Well, I finally did and then some! This is my biggest bow buck to date and easily surpasses my goal of 140" or bust. The buck was 5.5 years old and gross scores 150 6/8" and nets 144 4/8". Man I love this stuff!

 

  

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