Heart Attack is Down!

[mesquitecountry]

Heart Attack

Shortness of Breath. Elevated Heart Rate. Uncontrollable Nerves. These are symptoms of heart attack victims. Some times in life there are moments that can duplicate these symptoms. These symptoms are most often duplicated by a hunter seeing a buck of a lifetime. Either a 10 year olds first spike, a weekend hunters first 140” buck, or a seasoned veteran with many Boone and Crockett’s under their belt. Here is the story of mine.

As I sat down to write this story I pondered on when this story should actually begin. I’ve decided that it should be best told from the beginning. From the first moment I laid eyes on a beautiful 3.5 yr 8 point that I estimated to score in the high 140’s. The buck was very determined at an early age that he was going to fight to be a dominant herd buck, taking on every mature buck around the rut. Almost every year breaking off at least one if not several tines and disappearing for months on end around the time of the rut.

In December 2003 a friend of the family was sitting in the stand where he frequented and saw a large 6 point buck. He called to get confirmation for the go ahead to shoot. It was agreed that he was to be shot and the conversation ended. Immediately it was realized what 6 point the hunter was looking at! Immediately a call was placed back to the hunter to stand down from shooting the 3.5 yr old 8 point that I had nicknamed “Heart Attack.” This story was almost over before it even started! All season long we videoed and took many beautiful pictures of this magnificent young buck. We knew that if we let him age he would be the deer that dreams were made of.

The buck survived the season and as a 4.5 year old he absolutely blew up in 2004. He was a main frame 10 point with two mule deer forks scoring 171” gross B&C (which was determined the following season after we found his shed horns). We realized it was him from the half moon scar that he had on his back right leg that he had received from a fight the previous year. Scoring as high as he did made us look long and hard at him, questioning whether or not we should shoot him. We decided that we would be robbing this deer if we shot this deer at such a young age and the decision was collectively made to let him pass. Again this season we took lots of photographs and hours of video of the magnificent buck. This season the bucks maturing age changed his pattern. Around the end of November the monster adolescent buck disappeared until the end of January. Not a single sighting in that two month period. This became to be his pattern over the next few years and was always nerve racking wondering where he was. A high note to end the season my sister connected on a beautiful 17 point 181” 8.5 year old heavy horned brute. The buck was an absolute beauty that won her several jackets and was the new Berger Ranch Record.

Finally we made it to the 2005-2006 season and we knew “Heart Attack” was going to be 5.5 yrs old or better. When he showed up on our first game cameras as only a main frame 9 point with 1 kicker we were starting to get a bit worried that he had already gone backwards and was past his prime. We debated back and forth. Over and over before the season we debated, it was decided that we should roll the dice one more time.
To take our mind off of the big buck my brother and I connected on two beautiful bucks on the same morning on the second weekend of November. My brother killed a monster 196” 19 point 6.5 year old buck. That same morning I connected on my first ever archery buck, a beautiful main frame 8 point with two kickers and double drops scoring 149” and change. The NAP Spitfire found its mark and left a gaping hole in both sides. We definitely did well that morning and that season. It was my most memorable morning hunts ever. After the season I was blessed to find both sets of sheds from my double drop tine and the matching sheds to my brothers 196” after the season from the 04-05 season.

It seemed like the 2006-2007 season was never going to get here. In March I was blessed by marriage to my beautiful wife Callie. She has showed the utmost support while I’ve been off traipsing through the brush. She truly is my best friend and one in a million.

The summer months went by slowly and I was on pins and needles waiting to see what “Heart Attack” was going to do this season. We had ample rain fall and the stage was set. I had geared up all season long preparing to take him this past season. We knew that he was 6.5 years old, which was our age minimum for taking trophy whitetail bucks. He was a beautiful main frame 10 point with one long abnormal point growing off the back of his right G2. He was the right age and we knew he was going to be in the 180’s. I was pumped. I practiced long and hard all off-season honing my shooting skills. I was ready. The only problem was I was not going to get to hunt last October much due to work and other obligations. I setup to make a run at taking him the opening weekend of general season with my bow.

I packed my bags and was out the door early that Friday getting myself psyched up to take a deer of a lifetime. The moment I walked into the house at our ranch my Dad looked at me with an extremely sad look on his face. He told me, “I don’t know how to tell you this and you probably won’t believe me, but, “Heart Attack” has broken off both of his browtines.” He had video to prove it and I was absolutely sick to my stomach. Dad looked at me and said, “It’s your call.” I pondered for a few minutes and realized that he was 6.5 years old and most likely he was never going to get any better. Without a doubt in my mind I told him that I was going to pass on him for this season. I rolled the dice yet again. We went the entire months of December and January without seeing him. I was almost certain he was dead from fighting. Luckily the last weekend of Spike and Doe season I caught a glimpse of him and saw that he was very much alive and healthy. I assumed that a 5.5 year old six point was the culprit of the crime committed against “Heart Attack” so I sought vengeance for him. I ended up taking him with my rifle and also took a management 5.5 year old buck that had a dwarfed set of horns on one side. My NAP Spitfire once again left a gaping hole with an excellent blood trail, dispatching the animal very quickly. He scored in at 128” respectably. My brother also connected on his first ever archery kill. A 4.5 year old 132” management 8 point buck. My sister also connected on a 7.5 year old 152” main frame 8 point with mule deer forks. All in all it was a successful season.