I have been archery deer hunting in San Diego County for almost fifty years now and I have taken allot of deer with my bow along with some nice bucks over the years, but this is a buck that puts him above all of them. I first ran into this buck in 2017 and couldn’t believe the size he was, and this has now turned into a six-year obsession to get him. The first few years of chasing him he would elude me in so many ways I called him “Maverick” because he was just humble me at every turn, never an opportunity. I would see him every year either in my cameras or the few times I seen him hunting he would be going the other way or chasing does out of my site. I have hunted so hard for this deer over the years, and I have heard so many stories from other hunters saying they had pics of him or seen him all over the Laguna Mountains. I was convinced that one day I would get a text saying I just shot Maverick and that would be the end of this quest. Well Sunday was my day to text my hunting friends and say, “I just shot Maverick”.
I actually went up Sunday to put my tree stand in and check cameras and as I was walking out my friend text me that he had jumped a big buck and seen it was Maverick. I kneeled and waited where I was for about ten minutes and then realized I needed to get higher on the ridge to see better. I didn’t take two steps and looked up and here he comes walking above me on a trail. I was able to range him at 56 yards and I went to full draw. I yelled at him to stop, and he kept walking, I yelped at him again and he still kept walking, I finally yelled out STOP and he finally stopped. I put a good pin on his shoulder and right when I pulled my release trigger he started walking again and I seen my arrow hit way back. I walked up to where he was standing and could not see my arrow or any blood. Then one of my Sat cameras went off in my phone and when I looked it was him flying through the picture and I could scroll in and see a dark spot back behind the lungs. I walked his tracks for about 30 yards with no blood so I went back to where I shot him and found my arrow in a bush covered in gut, my heart just sank, I could not believe this just happened on a buck I would never want to wound. I waited an hour and started trying to pick up blood but there were only a few drops here and there. I worked every trail and line of site to no avail and at this point I was starting to lose it that I just killed the buck of a lifetime, and I will never see him again. I stayed on a trail I felt he walked on and sure enough I bust him bedded in some thick brush and he bails out the back door and disappears. I looked in his bed and seen that he was bleeding and was kicking around which told me he is dying and not a flesh wound. I was able to pick up his tracks heading up hill and he started to bleed a little more so I could stay on the track. Once I got to the top of the ridge and I had blood I sat down for another forty minutes hoping he would go bed down and die. When I decided to get up and put my backpack on and grab my bow my phone went off again at one of my other Sat Cameras and when I looked it was a doe just over the hill from me and she was staring right at something. I knew he just had to be over the hill and sure enough when I crept down, I looked right in front of me at 35 yards and there he was laying on the ground with his head down, so I just sat down on a rock and watched him. I noticed that his tail was wagging, and his ears were moving so he was still alive and once he put his head up and tried to get up, I knew being all I had was a gut shot on him that I needed to put another arrow in him. I was able to place a perfect shot just in front of the rear leg and into the chest cavity. He was able to jump up and run down the hill out of site from me, this is when I almost lost it big time realizing that I know I did the right thing but now he is gone, and I just had him laying in front of me. I was able to follow his tracks until I found him bedded up against a tree, so I used the tree to block me, and I walked up to ten feet from him and sat down. I watched him for almost an hour not wanting to put another arrow in him but letting him pass away.
I couldn’t believe how big he was when I walked up to him and the history and the day, we have had together there was definitely some tears, but I feel so blessed to be the one that can cherish him forever. Once I looked him over, I seen that he has no teeth at this point in his life so I am convinced he is close to ten years old and probably would have been his last winter alive.
Thanks so much Maverick for fueling my obsession and I can’t wait to see you on the wall in all your glory.
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I actually went up Sunday to put my tree stand in and check cameras and as I was walking out my friend text me that he had jumped a big buck and seen it was Maverick. I kneeled and waited where I was for about ten minutes and then realized I needed to get higher on the ridge to see better. I didn’t take two steps and looked up and here he comes walking above me on a trail. I was able to range him at 56 yards and I went to full draw. I yelled at him to stop, and he kept walking, I yelped at him again and he still kept walking, I finally yelled out STOP and he finally stopped. I put a good pin on his shoulder and right when I pulled my release trigger he started walking again and I seen my arrow hit way back. I walked up to where he was standing and could not see my arrow or any blood. Then one of my Sat cameras went off in my phone and when I looked it was him flying through the picture and I could scroll in and see a dark spot back behind the lungs. I walked his tracks for about 30 yards with no blood so I went back to where I shot him and found my arrow in a bush covered in gut, my heart just sank, I could not believe this just happened on a buck I would never want to wound. I waited an hour and started trying to pick up blood but there were only a few drops here and there. I worked every trail and line of site to no avail and at this point I was starting to lose it that I just killed the buck of a lifetime, and I will never see him again. I stayed on a trail I felt he walked on and sure enough I bust him bedded in some thick brush and he bails out the back door and disappears. I looked in his bed and seen that he was bleeding and was kicking around which told me he is dying and not a flesh wound. I was able to pick up his tracks heading up hill and he started to bleed a little more so I could stay on the track. Once I got to the top of the ridge and I had blood I sat down for another forty minutes hoping he would go bed down and die. When I decided to get up and put my backpack on and grab my bow my phone went off again at one of my other Sat Cameras and when I looked it was a doe just over the hill from me and she was staring right at something. I knew he just had to be over the hill and sure enough when I crept down, I looked right in front of me at 35 yards and there he was laying on the ground with his head down, so I just sat down on a rock and watched him. I noticed that his tail was wagging, and his ears were moving so he was still alive and once he put his head up and tried to get up, I knew being all I had was a gut shot on him that I needed to put another arrow in him. I was able to place a perfect shot just in front of the rear leg and into the chest cavity. He was able to jump up and run down the hill out of site from me, this is when I almost lost it big time realizing that I know I did the right thing but now he is gone, and I just had him laying in front of me. I was able to follow his tracks until I found him bedded up against a tree, so I used the tree to block me, and I walked up to ten feet from him and sat down. I watched him for almost an hour not wanting to put another arrow in him but letting him pass away.
I couldn’t believe how big he was when I walked up to him and the history and the day, we have had together there was definitely some tears, but I feel so blessed to be the one that can cherish him forever. Once I looked him over, I seen that he has no teeth at this point in his life so I am convinced he is close to ten years old and probably would have been his last winter alive.
Thanks so much Maverick for fueling my obsession and I can’t wait to see you on the wall in all your glory.
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