Iowa Bow Giant, 178 6/8 Net!

Thanks to Mike from Iowa for this great guest blog:

On November 2, I drove to the new farm with my wife and spent the weekend hunting the small chunk of ground that our little cabin sits on. The previous hunting season had produced very few deer sightings, and over the course of the summer we hadn't gotten pictures of any bucks that I considered shooters. My confidence in this farm was low, but after doing a lot of TSI work and improving all the food plots over the off season, I had high hopes that things would change for the better.

I am still trying to work things out on this property, and I bumped several deer on the way in to my stand Friday night. Before the evening was over I had passed on a very nice buck--and I was kind of second guessing myself. That night I decided to leave everything in the stand so I could just slip in quietly the next morning.

The wind was right and it worked like a charm. I was settled in the stand plenty early, and I had some serious quiet time with God. I truly enjoy that peaceful time before sunrise. Just after legal shooting light I heard crunching behind me, straight downwind. I turned to look and immediately grabbed my bow and hooked up my release.

This guy was already at 30 yards in the open, but a couple of large limbs from the tree I was in blocked the shot. My first thought was to wait for him to move from behind the limbs; then it crossed my mind that anything could happen and I needed to get my shot off. I leaned way back and tried to clear a large limb, but couldn’t. I squatted, leaned way out, settled my pin and let her fly.

I was shooting for 30, but the deer was actually at 25. He may have jumped the string as well...either way, my shot was high. As he bolted, the arrow appeared to fall out with poor penetration. I immediately nocked another arrow and was ready for a follow-up shot if he stopped. When his tail started to cork screw I thought "dead deer," but mind you I had seen the arrow fall away. I started looking for room to squeeze another one. The buck moved slightly and gave me a tiny opening I would never have considered shooting through otherwise.

Before I knew it, the second arrow was away, a clean pass thru this time. As the deer hustled off I saw what looked like two mortal wounds. I thought I heard a crash, and I started sending text messages. After a few minutes I located horns with my binos and the emotions swept over me. I knew he would be my best deer to date, and as soon as I walked up on him I knew he was a net Boone and Crockett buck.

On my way out to get my camera girl from the cabin, I walked up on 3 bucks in the upper food plot. I have changed my mind about the new property being a low percentage spot! A little TSI and quality plotting turned this place around in a hurry, and I see many years of pleasure ahead for our clan here at our cabin farm.

The buck scored 183 2/8" gross, and 178 6/8" net. Longest beam 27 6/8"; longest tine 12 4/8"; inside spread 20 6/8".—Thanks, Mike from Iowa

Beautiful buck and fully mature, look at that warrior's old face and big body. Way to go Mike! l comment