Photos: 23-Point Non-Typical Buck

[Ben Sobieck]

Illinois hunter Jay Lopez killed a 23-point buck in mid-November 2010. Here's Jay's story in his own words:

"I work for an ambulance service and I was getting off a 24 hour shift the morning of November 17th. I climbed in my truck and started changing into my Realtree AP hunting clothes, I know it isn't safe, but didn't want to waste any time, had to be out of woods by 2 pm to pick up my daughter at school.  I arrived at my hunting spot just after 9 am. I climbed my Summit Tree Climber about 20 foot up and began my hunt.  I seen a spike at 35 yards around 10:30 and a doe around noon at 80 yard.  I was getting frustrated. Granted I have seen 2 deer.

"Myself and my fiance see deer in the morning, but not in the evening. Here we are in the heat of the rut and the only time we are seeing the big bucks is in the middle of the night on our Moultrie and Wildgame cams. We haven't hunted during the mid morning to early after noon and we rarely see the big buck on the cams during daylight hours.  On November 8th, we seen a nice buck on the Wildgame Innovations Cam  at midnight by my fiances stand and again on the 10th around 2 am same buck.  This buck looks like he has 3 main beams.

"Back to the 17th, I hear some commotion in front of me on a hill.  At first i didn't pay to much attention to it thinking it was a squirrel. Then I seen him sliding down a hill.  Looked to be a large 8 point to a 10 point and he is coming my way.  I am using Doe-In-Heat by J & S Scents in and around several scrapes around my stand location. This nice buck gets within 35 yards, but it is too thick and can't get a shot. All of a sudden he stops and heads back to where he came from. I am already unsteady from the adrenalin going through my body.  He gets to a 55 yard shooting lane. I know I am accurate at 55 yards.  I have practiced this shot over and over again, but I am shaking bad enough I can't get my release connected to my D loop.  Finally, I'm ready but he has moved pass the 55 yard shooting lane and is now at 60 yards.  I pull back my Mathews Z7, with my Carbon Express Mayhem arrow and G5 T3 broadhead at full draw, aim a little high and let the arrow fly. As I watch the arrow flying, it starts to go to the right and then a loud smack sound and the buck takes off through the brush, stops and walks away.  My heart sank to the pit of my stomach and I just held my head down.  I knew I missed, I tried grunting, bleating, and even rattling. No sign of him.  I sent a text message to my fiance telling her I just missed a big buck.  I was so disgusted in my shot that I climbed down the tree and went looking for my arrow.

"After I found the direction I was shooting in, I found small drops of blood, but no arrow.  Thinking I wounded the deer, I started following the drop which kept getting better with every step I took.  Then I see the pools of blood and a 6 to 8 inch trail of blood.  I have hunted long enough to know, I need to get out of the woods.  The problem here is the blood trail is leading toward my ATV.  So, I stay on blood trail for 60 yards.  Now, I have a decision to make, walk strait to ATV or go left and follow blood.  My curiosity got the best of me and I followed blood and jumped the buck.  He ran 15 yards and laid down in front of me.  I nocked my number 2 arrow and missed.  I nocked my 3rd arrow, took a deep breath, and shot.  A second hit! He looks at me and  jumps up and heads deeper in the woods.  Being completely out of arrows, I stop and think what do I do now?  The thought did cross my mind of getting my knife out and slicing his throat, but my knives were in the truck. So, I left the woods.  I get home and tell one of my best friends about this deer and the blood trail.  We decide to go back out there. We found him 10 yards past where I shot him the second time. A non typical 23 point buck! The first shot, severed the femoral artery and the second pass through liver."

Congratulations, Jay!

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[Patriot]

Great, great deer!  Would love to see some pics of him outside of the truck.

[Bryan78]

I would think that if he had severed the femoral artery then that buck shouldn't have lasted that long at all.  I shot and killed a doe with a femoral artery shot and she was dead at 30 yards.  In any case, what a magnificent buck. 

[CoG]

I congratulate the guy on an awesome buck.  But flinging arrows at 60 yards, holding "a lil high", and just nicking the deer is not my idea of respecting the quarry.  Dude is pretty lucky and I'm glad the deer died fairly quickly but I'm not a fan of the story! 

[SinglePin]

It is a GREAT deer, however I agree with CoG, 60 yard shots are not good shots to take, I don't care how often you practice long distance shots, as Bowhunters we need to get the animal close right? Thats why we bowhunt, for the close encounters, the thrill of the hunt, I know as a Bowhunter bad shots happen, its part of the sport BUT, taking bad shots is something we CAN control and as ethical hunters we should NEVER attempt taking bad shots. Also, is this guy hoping for some freebies from the manufacturers of the equipment this guy used?? He forgot to mention what make truck he was driving, what brand water is in the back of his truck, what brand toothpaste he uses etc... C'mon man, I think he watches too many hunting tv shows! Just my 2 cents.

[upatree]

its funny the first thing people do when somebody shoots a big buck is pick apart everything the guy says and does! u guys are just wishing you had a buck that big on the back of your truck!lol i think a 60 yard shot is totally ethical if your consistent all summer on the target at 60 yd. c'mon give the guy a brake! 

[BuckLogic]

Congratulations to Jay. This is a good looking deer. I would love to see something like that in my bow range. How would this deer score guys?
I join the rest in concerns over holding a "little high." Hunting is tough and at the risk of sounding like a glutton for punishment...sometimes we're supposed to only come away with the story. He turned and went back up the hill. I grunted, canned, rattled, and even snort /whizzed but I couldn't turn him. Sometimes the trophy is the story of the encounter. It's hunting and it's hard.

[baddoghunter]

First and foremost Nice deer and im glad for his sake and the animals it all worked out. Congratulations. However I also have to agree on the side of the guys that think 60 yards is to far for him to have taken the shot. In and open field on an Elk sized game sure or maybe even a large bodied whitetail maybe but a shot thru the woods with little twigs and branches you cant possibly see at that range and at deer sized game is questionalble at best. Also the fact that he said he held a little high means at that point he is guessing unless this was the furthest pin he has and always practiced holding high to hit 60 and even then its still guessing in the heat of the moment. There is just way to much to go wrong and if a deer has time to move at the sound of the string or the buzz of the vanes coming at him in the air at 20 yards then for sure its just a hail mary shot at 60 yards. Ive never shot a deer over 30 yards and most have been 15 to 20.I dont think anyone is chastizing the guy just voiceing there concerns on the shot. If everyone tried this we would have a lot of wounded deer in the woods. The best buck in my life ever that I figure went in the 160's was in Stueben County NY in an open field. He was a magnificent 12 point with the crab claw on one side almost broken completely off. He was bedded next to a doe coming into heat or locked down with her in the middle of the field and the only time he got up was to chase two smaller bucks away when they snuck to close. The closest he ever came to me was 50 yards and I watched him for four hours and never even thought about it. I practiced that far 3 times a week since June until I was there in early November. I just could not rationalize making a mistake and possibly gut shooting a deer or wounding a deer of his magnitude.

[Stickman]

I guess holding a little high worked for him.

[BBD23]

Ok, I agree, maybe I shouldn't have taken the shot, but I did and now I have a 23 point buck to show for it. I am very confident at 55 yards, just as confident at 25, 35, and 40.  I have a 4 pin site and yes, if need be I will hold a little high or a little low depending on the yardage.  I have shot 4 deer this season all different yardages and all different situations. Had one at 10 yards, 22 yards, 40 yards and this one at 55 yards and all are in my freezer.  I am very confident in my shots and in my equipment. I understand, there are some that are jealous, but I was very confident in shooting that far and for those who are not then don't shoot.

As for the score of this deer, I was so excited in getting this deer i didn't even measure him.  This is my third nice deer, but first with my bow. Measuring him was the least on my mind.  Then, I find out to officially score him I have to wait 60 days.  I do plan next week to get antlers green scored just for those that need to know the "score" of this deer.

Thank you to Upatree and Stickman for not badgering me and my shot.