"Last Day Success"
Written by Jared Bloomgren

It was opening weekend of the 2002 bow season and I found myself in the badlands of southwest North Dakota with my brother and his oldest son. We hunted the first three days and seen some nice bucks, but never got offered any opportunities to get into a good stalking scenario.
My hunting buddies left on that Sunday and I decided to camp out for one more night. It got pretty chilly that night as I tossed and turned in my pickup. However, I wanted to hunt that one last day before I had to leave and go back home.

Up bright and early, I found myself sitting near a well used trail that some nice bucks had been using in the previous mornings. But, nothing showed up this time. I could have sat there longer because I knew the deer were still moving, but something told me to check a different spot.
As I crawled to a rock on top of a ridge about a 1/2 mile away, I began glassing the trees, draws, and cut banks below me. I spotted a nice buck just as he went out of sight and bedded down in a cut bank. I quickly decided he was a good buck and after about a 1/2 hour, I found myself sneaking closer to where the buck was bedded.

Closer, closer, closer, but yet I could not see him. Finally the top of his rack became visible. I was below the bedded buck and all I could see was his upper forks. I whistled to try to get him to stand, but he would just look around when I did that. So, I decided it would have to be a waiting game.
After 2 hours the buck ran out of shade and I knew he would either get up soon to stretch or to find more shade. I bet I drew back on the buck a dozen times thinking he was about to stand. Then it happened and he began to rise.

Before he even got to his feet fully, the Beman ICS Camo Hunter tipped with a 100 gr. Thunderhead took out his lungs. He ran about 80 yards and piled up next to a tree. I was ecstatic, another great buck! My Mathews Legacy did its job!
He is not the biggest buck I have taken, but he was well past his prime. He was missing teeth and they were also worn to almost nothing. The taxidermist estimated the buck to be over 8 years old. Imagine the bullets, arrows, or even cars that this buck has dodged in his life.
Imagine the hunters he has outsmarted!!! That in itself was worth the wait.