Pretty simple story. I got invited to do some "party/group" hunting with my buddies family this gun season. Beings as I had just bought a 45/70 and Iowa started allowing straight walled cartridges i night a couple doe tags and was was all in. On the 2nd push of the day I was a walker in a very familiar ditch. 10 minutes in I bumped a nice buck but let him go as it just wasn't what I wanted. A few minutes after I saw him the blockers opened up. When we all met up we heard that "a big buck" was hit but got up after the hit and ran off. Checking for sign was odd, very little blood, what was there made me nervous so we reined in the young bloods from their wandering around. I chatted with my buddy and we agreed that the buck acted like 1 lung hit. We figured he'd bed quickly so we circled out around the draw and sent 2 guys in on one end. Since I had just walked the area, and knew where I was, I directed some of the sitters. I set the other guys in the better looking places a nd kind of chose a less likely looking location. After the alloted 30 minutes I got ready and shortly after that I heard rough coughing sounds from the draw where the buck was thought to be at. I knew the buck was in there but was perplexed at what I was hearing. Seconds later the buck topped the rise and came to me, blood all over his throat area. I put 2 an 2 together and knew he was hit in the trache... I let him clear some brush and dropped the hammer. it was a solid hit, but a bit back, liver all day. He dug in and took off so i levered another round in and fired. Clean miss. The buck dove into a creek ditch and made to escape so I did a quick 10 yard dash and raised up for a finishing shot. I saw him drop and quickly dropped into the bottom to inspect the prize. He was wrapped up in some roots in the creek but was fortunately down. Quick inspection showed a perfect shot through the windpipe from the first guy, would've been lethal eventually and my 2 shots made the task end quicker . If they're moving just keep shooting right??!! Anyway, we were gld to have recovered him, just another day in the life of a group hunt.
Busted g2 on right side, busted g4on left side. It was the buck I had passed earlier, but uncle Jeff was tickled with him so all worth it! I figured that since I put 2 finishing bullets in him I was allowed a hero pic! =) This is my first rifle buck, the 45-70 really did some damage.
