James Scheberl-West Bend, WI

H.S. Scents & True Talker Score Again: The Big Show

On a Wednesday night in early November, I traveled to my aunt and uncle's farm to bow hunt. It had been over 35 years since I hunted on their property. Little did I know that coming back to hunt on their farm would be so rewarding. As I drove to my small hunting trailer parked on their land, I spotted three deer feeding in the field. I eagerly unpacked my things and placed everything out so I would not forget anything for the next morning hunt.

Before first light I was in my stand. As it began getting light I could see dark images walking through the woods. I saw quite a few doe and nearly everyone had a buck somewhere close by. Around 9:30 in the morning I headed back to my trailer for breakfast. I talked to my uncle as I normally do to let him know what I saw and to let him know everything was okay. He told me about a nice buck he saw crossing his front lawn. The buck had crossed the road and headed north. My stands were on the south side of the road, away from the buck.

I was still enjoying my morning coffee when I spotted a doe and two yearlings traveling along the edge of the woods. Normally I would not go back so early to my stand, but I told myself, "I am on vacation, I came to go hunting, and the rut is in full swing." So I gathered all my gear and took the long walk to my afternoon stand on the west end of the woods where there are many oak trees. At 12:30 I was in my stand, nearly an hour and half earlier than usual. I went through my routine mental checklist: bow hanging in front of me, quiver off on the side out of my way, and grunt call in my coveralls within easy reach. All this turned out to be very important. It was 12:45 when I settled in for what I thought would be a long afternoon.

The woods were quiet except for the rattling of oak leaves in the light breeze. While looking into the wind, I must have gone into a trance. All of a sudden there he was! My first thought was, "What a beautiful buck." Then I thought about being thankful for even seeing a buck like this. Finally and most importantly, I thought about how was I going to get him to come over by me. He was about 50-60 yards in front of me walking away towards my left. I grunted several times to get his attention. To my amazement he turned and headed in my direction. He stopped about 30 yards away, cleaned out a scrape, waved his antlers, and left his scent on an overhanging branch above the scrape.

When he started walking away, I thought about taking a shot, but I decided to use my grunt call instead. I managed to get his attention once more. The buck stopped and looked directly at me. As he turned his head away, I gave one more soft grunt. He looked in my direction, turned and walked onto a trail that would bring him only eight yards away from me. While he was behind a double oak, I pulled back and made sure I was looking at my sight correctly. After clearing the oak tree, the buck was perfectly broadside. I let him take two more steps. The crosshairs of my sight were just behind his left front shoulder. I pulled the trigger of my release.

I saw the arrow hit the buck and watched him jump into the air with all his legs together. In an instant he landed on his feet and was gone. The buck turned to the right and went behind some cedar trees. That was when I heard the crash.

It was 2:00 when I looked at my watch. While I hung up my bow, I wondered if this had really happened. All the events of the afternoon flashed through my mind. Seeing the buck. Calling him to me. Releasing the arrow. Seeing the point of entry. Hearing the crash. I was not even sure if the crash Iheard was the buck running through thick cover or the last steps of this amazing animal. I lowered my bow and slowly walked over by the cedar trees where he had disappeared. There, less than 35 yards away, I could see his large rack. The closer I got, the larger it seemed. I counted 16 points.

When I could not reach my aunt and uncle on my cell phone, I rushed up to their house to tell them about the big buck I shot. They were very excited for me and quickly spread the word among the neighbors. Before too long, people were arriving from all over to see the buck. They were amazed at the 16-point buck with a 26-3/8 inside spread. (I would learn later that he had a gross Pope & Young score of 172-2/8 and a final typical score of 161-2/8).

While hunting seasons will come and go, I am sure everyone will remember the buck they called, "THE BIG SHOW."