Freak Pics and Story

[hoosierhunter]

Here he is! He is a main frame 10 with a few base kickers.







It was a great night in the woods as I had a doe come in at 6 PM and go into my scrape that I shot at 18 yards. She ran and fell at 72 yards. I had just taken my release off and was texting my wife when I look up and I see Split LG2(135-140inch 9) and Young Gun(130-135 inch 11) walking up on the downed doe. Apparently she was very hot as G2 flipped her 3 feet in the air. These two bucks stayed around her for 20 minutes before they look to the east and here comes Homer(150-155inch 10) The back off the doe and he goes in and checks her out. I knew he was a buck I wanted to kill so I hit the grunt and snort wheeze. He didn't bite and walked away and I hit him again at about 100 yards and woke him up this time. He came back by at 60 yards to the doe and checked her one last time and then angled towards me. It's just after sun down and getting dark and I see he's going to pass through my 50 yard hole. I come to full draw and stop him in the hole. Squeeze the release and it's tracking perfect and right in front of him I hit a sapling I couldn't see and the arrow deflected away. He had no clue what happened so I hurried and knocked another arrow while he bounded to 70 yards. Unbelievably he starts to come back in. Now I'm going to have him at 55 yards. Again I come to full draw and then I hear leaves and a grunt behind me. I stay at full draw and look over my shoulder to see a good buck coming fast. Split second decision to pass on Homer now and I let down and focus on this other buck. Once I got a clear look at him I instantly knew it was my largest buck on trail cams and the buck I've seen twice already this season within 100 yards. He's coming hard and he is flat out pissed off and looking to put one down on Homer! He gets to 5 yards and stops and looks up at me and I thought the game was over, but he was so intent on Homer his head went back forward and I drew and stopped him at 10 yards with a grunt. I don't think a pin has ever settled in that quick for me and the arrow was off and Thump right behind the shoulder and he lets out a bellow like I've never heard a deer make. He tears off and I see his front legs give way and he snowplows at 80 yards and I know it's all over now!!!! I literally was so overcome with pure emotion I started sobbing uncontrollably in the stand. I called my dad and I couldn't even get words out of my mouth. He actually thought I fell out of the stand for about a minute. Finally I got out that I just shot Freak and watched him go down! Once I got it together I was able to make appropriate phone calls and get my hands on him.

Big thanks to Rhino as he estimated this bucks score based on the trail cam photos of about 166 inches once he got in hard horn. Unfortunately Rhino missed his score by 3/8ths. His gross is 166 3/8ths!!!!!! He field dressed at 208 pounds and his rack carries some serious mass all the way up the points! Also he was killed from a set I hung last weekend after putting all the info together from trail cams, wind directions, sightings, etc. When it comes together for a brute like that I can't even begin to explain how it feels.

Hoosier

[Randy]

What an awesome buck! Congrats bud!

[Tim Andrus]

great buck and story ...congrats

[HUNTINGMAN]

Congrats on a great buck,that thing is aa hog. He has one heck of a body size on him and a truly great looking rack.

[Muleyman]

Congrats! Thats a great buck!!!!!

[Prairiepredator]

Wow, what a great buck!! Congrats, you should be very proud!!!

[AceArcher]

Awsome!! Congrats on a amazing deer. You deserve it.

[Ohiobucks]

Holy smokes, that is a great buck! Congrats!!

[bloodtrails]

[rhine16]

Wow, what a buck! Great job man!

[ChrisSeb53]

that is an awesome deer! I loved the story bud.. thats an evening in the woods all of us archers dream of! once again, congrats!

[ruttinbuc]

That is an incredible buck! Way to go! I can understand your emotions putting that one down. The bucks were wound up here last night, but not one of them would come in my direction. Not one of them was even close in size to that Midwestern brute!

Congrats on a great trophy!

[arrow32]

Congrats on a great buck

[Rhino]

Awesome! Congrats on a beautiful trophy! He is a STUD!!!
Loved the story...that is wild how all that happened & then Freak shows up to take care of business. Glad you took a big quiver. Congrats on the doe too.

Oh...and Pat...nobody's perfect.

[hoosierhunter]

I wish I could be that good at judging velvet bucks. I had him pegged at 170-185 in velvet. Once he came into hard horn I figured closer to that 165 mark. Honestly I could care less what he scores because earlier in the year somebody posted "what is your dream buck" and mine isn't a 220 non-typical, it was a perfect heavy mass 10. I'm still in shock at this point.