This week's Archers Alley "Catch of the Week" comes to us from Courtney Dyer, of Sullivan!
From Courtney: "
Been a tough year chasing some personal target bucks, loosing access to some particular private ground and dealing with a lot of hunters on public land hammering the woods with pressure. I’ve been backpedaling all season trying to pattern Giant bucks and kept coming up short with numerous cameras running. Have had some awesome pics but never wanted to put to much pressure into one area without bumping any shooters. Then last Tuesday came up where I was having some issues at home and decided to take the day off and hunt an area that has produced in the past. With gun season around the corner I knew i had to try and make some magic happen. I got settled into my spot with an awesome make shift blind by 9am and very few shooting lanes through some thick bedding to my south. Then it all happened around 10:30 am. I caught movement to my southwest where I noticed 2 does coming with tails up and looking back over their shoulders. Typical sign of a buck trailing. As I waited anxiously I spotted a heavy and wide buck come into the thicket and dogging the does in circles. While I was tucked in heavy cover I got him to stop at roughly 28 yards and with a hard shot I did my best and put one in him. Noticed the hit was high and back as he ran off toward the west. Gave him some time and started tracking. I was discouraged bc all i could find was small drops of blood through some crp and into standing corn. I knew it was not a good sign. But i wasn’t going to give up. I gathered my thoughts, pulled up my topo map and looked for isolated thickets to my west and SW. Contacted landowner off the public ground and Started grid searching high and low. I came up empty handed until I gained access to a thicket i least expected any deer to run to let alone a sanctuary that i do believe now was one of his bedding areas. I gained permission from some local great people in the area and went back to tracking. On my hands and knees I found one drop on a leaf. I was beyond belief. A very true sign from God like a needle in a haystack. Upon scouting out a nearby thicket there was no signs of him except heavy footprints. By 8:30 pm I got more discouraged, tired, worn out and decided to back out and try again Wednesday. I contacted some friends Kyle Drury and Dru Daily. Kyle made his contacts with Mitch Molzen to keep an eye out for a giant deer possibly still alive or laying dead somewhere. And then it all unfolded Wednesday morning . The thicket I had scouted pushed “Lucky #9” just outside of cover and had expired in a back yard. I received pictures of him from Kyle and was just blown away. Here was my dream buck I tracked for almost 8 hours and felt I had little hope but with the help from friends and some very awesome people in the subdivison I got to reconnect with my buck Wednesday evening at 7pm. I can never thank my friends enough for all their help, all the neighbors in area for being honest people and sportsman, and a guided direction from The Lord upstairs I was fortunate enough to recover this Bruiser i had to nickname “Lucky9 The Lunatic”and a Booner buck I’ve always been wanting and chasing year after year.
I’m Beyond blessed to chase one of a Gods great creations!!
Thank you all again who was involved with the help to locate this Giant and his recovery. God bless you all!!!"
Courtney will join us this weekend to tell the story!
Remember to submit your own pic & story for our Archers Alley "Catch of the Week!"
