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2007 South Dakota East River Deer

By: Mike Pankratz

Dakota Hotspots - Dec. 02, 2007

Today was the last day to get a buck in S.D. using a rifle. At 4PM I spotted this buck and the stalk was on. I climbed a steep hill to get a closer shot. Luckily I used a bipod as I was out of breath by the time I closed the distance. He was standing w/a doe 250 yards away. He didn't see but the doe did. I tried to steady my breathing but I was still tired (I'm out of shape). The buck was bouncing in the scope and he finally gave me a broadside shot. I missed the 1st shot and quickly chambered a second (panic mode!!). He didn't know where the shot came from but he wasn't sticking around to find out. He started to trot away and I found him in the scope again, I took a quick shot and he went down. Then he got back up and started running away over the hill, by this time I'm trying to run toward where I last seen him. The lungs were burning so I tried to calm down a bit and proceeded around the hill where I last seen the deer. When I walked around the corner of the hill there were deer everywhere and running in all directions. I did't see him but did see a much bigger buck bounding away over the next hill. I kept walking slowly and all of a sudden he jumped up right in front of me. He was only 30 yards away and trying to get away. I put another shot in him and he fell into a steep ravine. He's a nice buck (5x5) especially with it being only 45 minutes left in the season. A friend helped me pull him out of the ravine and back to the truck. I was already tired from chasing him so I think that I blew a lung getting him back to the truck. Anyway's I still have some bow tags and some doe rifle tags left. My brother gets to claim the big buck trophy this year. Hope everyone has or had a great hunting season.

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