Tim's 160 Class Bowbuck

Tim Freund who lives in Brocket, North Dakota was bow hunting Saturday September 10, 2005, in Ramsey County, ND and took this fine buck that they had nicknamed the "Gravel Pit Buck".

Tim and his son Tyler are real experts at finding sheds and patterning bucks in the flat crop and CRP land of ND, and early in 2005 they had been very successful at finding sheds (Tyler a bit better than his Dad I'm told..!). They came up with the sheds from the Gravel Pit Buck and another excellent buck that they had nicknamed the "Lewis John Buck". In fact the sheds found for the Lewis John Buck were the third set so they were confident of the home area for him. Later in the year Tim was able to get a photograph of the Gravel Pit Buck while it was in velvet and it was impressive.

After bowseason opened Tim and Tyler hunted for two days in the area where both bucks had been seen; however sign was poor and Tim was convinced that they had moved to a greened up harvested wheat field. Tim knew that the Lewis John Buck was there but had not yet seen the Gravel Pit Buck in that area. At the new area the plan was for Tyler to hunt where they expected the Lewis John Buck to pass close by and Tim was going to hunt nearby to see what would be moving from the feeding area.

Most of us have plans but rarely do they ever work out the way we expect, however in this case Tim got exceptionally lucky and then was able to make that luck pay off...! He provides the following details of the hunt itself.:

First... I have to thank my wife. Friday night I was beat from work. Got to bed about 1 AM and set the alarm for 4 AM. Apparently ( according to the wife ) I put the alarm clock in a world of hurt when it went off though I don't remember a thing. She woke me up a little later, otherwise this hunt never would have happened. I owe her big time!!

We got out to Tyler's spot first. Tyler's ambush spot was in a good draw that we knew that the Lewis John Buck was using to go back to his bedding area. I continued on about one-half mile more to another draw where I would have a view of the feeding area. With the late start, it was getting fairly light when I got to my draw which is a great little pinch point ( funnel ). I could see the feeding area about one-half mile away and saw movement. Grabbing the binocs I could see a good buck was heading my way. It wasn't long before he was out of sight in the rolling land. The good news was he was heading toward me or Tyler, but the bad news was that there were several small sloughs where he could stop and bed down before he got to either of us.

I noticed a few more deer coming from the feeding area, one doe came within 40 yards also 2 bucks and a doe were leaving the feeding area. One was a decent but young buck and the other was small. They too disappeared. 20 minutes later, I caught movement in the draw and realized that the good buck was sticking to the inside edge of the cover but heading my way. It was the Gravel Pit Buck that Tyler and I scouted this summer..!

He had one more slough that he could possibly bed in, and I lost sight of him as he headed into it. 2 minutes later the two other bucks came into the draw and also disappeared into the same slough. I was thinking it was to be close but no cigar for me at that point, but 10 minutes later the big buck came out headed my way. He still hugged inside the cover and I hoped he would move out into the draw a little more since I was also hugging the inside of the same cover and he was coming right at me!! I had no shot if he continued since I was playing at his level and not in a tree, and things were getting pretty intense fast!! At roughly 35 yards from me he moved out into the draw and I breathed a sigh of relief! He didn't move out much though and there was still a lot of cover to fight to get a clear shot.... and he kept covering the ground getting closer and closer and never giving me the opportunity for the shot. I had to pass on him when he got broadside at 10 yards but I was sitting on a "corner" where the cover turned away from the draw. Fortunately I had been thinking ahead when chosing this spot just in case the planned broadside shot did not work out. He got past me and turned to go by me on the other side which would have been a 4 yard shot however he stopped and decide to turn back on his original path. I found an opening and got a 12 yard quartering away shot. He piled up pretty fast and in sight...

What a hunt!! I doubt I will ever top this one... the hunt or the buck. I was extremely happy. Tyler had 2 smaller bucks go by him, but not the one he was looking for. He seemed pretty happy for me when I told him the news, but I was worried he might be disappointed that he didn't get a crack at him. He wasn't although when I got home from work to take him hunting that afternoon he asked me what happened to the "double dibs" he had claimed on the buck after we scouted him. Then he got a big grin on his face and we both had a good laugh. What a turkey he is and also the best hunting partner a Dad could ask for, and the Lewis John Buck is still out there somewhere waiting for Tyler.

Additional photos and comments.