Chavez Buck, Indiana, Marc S. Chavez

Chavez Buck

Listed by Marc Chavez

Hunter's Name: Marc S. Chavez
Hunters age at time of harvest: 38

Chavez Buck

Here he is caped out and ready to remove the hide for tanning.
State of Harvest: Indiana Closest City: Michigan City County of Harvest: LaPorte Hunting Method: Tree-Stand Were Deer Calls Used?: No Were Lures Used?: No Public Land or Private?: Private	Weapon Used: Shotgun Approx Shot Yardage:: 35 Yards Number of Points: 10 Point Antler Spread (Outside): 24 inches Antler Spread (Inside): 21 1/2 inches Field Dressed weight:: 205 lbs Deer Age: 3 1/2 Years

Year of Harvest: 2008
Month Of Harvest.: November
Time of Harvest: 7:30 AM
Story and Comments.: The Michigan City, Indiana area, despite being classified urban, provides some good hunting land. However, this area is not known for producing many big bucks because of small land plots and hunting pressure. The past three years have been dreadful. I have lost hunting land to properties being sold, leased, and otherwise unreachable. On Tuesday, November 18th I took a personal day from work but questioned going hunting with my friend Nate because of the poor incoming weather. We left very early because 5 inches of snow had already fallen, it was a slow drive, and we had a long walk to access the property. I debated several time about going but made the trip. The hunt start as expected, slow. Heavy snow, the corn was still up, & the does were moving around with no bucks in sight.

A doe walked by me about 7:00am and spotted Nate in his treestand about 75 yards down the corn. The doe walked back and forth trying to figure out what he was. My first thought was, “great a live decoy”. That sense of luck soon changed. I spotted thru five trees and some bush another deer walking from the woods, thru the NIPSCO right-of-way, and toward the corn. It looked like a doe thru the brush until it turned and glanced in my direction. I did not see the tines. Shocking me, I did see the width and girth of the main beams. My heart raced and my breathing was heavy. I said to myself, “He’s a shooter”. I was amazed to see the newly identified buck turn down the corn line toward the doe and me. I kept my sights on the deer through the brush until it stopped behind a fallen tree almost completely out of sight. I looked to my right to see a good thing gone bad. My good luck live decoy was flagging the buck warning him of danger down the corn line. The buck flipped around and paused. I checked for the cleanest spot through the trees and brush to my left. The deer trotted quickly from right to left and away from me. I lead the deer to the front of its shoulder and fired while fallowing through with the shotgun. The deer dropped where he was, flipped his tail twice, and never moved again. All I could see was his tail, his hide legs, and two very small branches moving in the trees. I still had no idea just how big he actually was.

I contacted Nate and informed him that I shot what looked to be a big buck, maybe the biggest I had ever shot. I told him to keep hunting and we would get down when he was ready. It was about 27 degrees outside but the seat on my treestand felt about 210 degrees. Two-and-a-half agonizing hours and two thousand glances at the rear end of the dear later, Nate called. On the side of caution, I walk around the trees gun pointed. What I saw next will be burned in my memory forever. I saw five large tines protruding off of a thick beam sticking about 16 inches out of 8 inches of fresh power. I jumped up and down like a child. My heart raced and I started breathing hard again just as before. I quickly came to my senses and continued my approach. I poked my barrel to its rear and chanted, “please let the other side of the rack be ok, please let the other side of the rack be ok”. I picked up the rack, brushed off the snow, and started jumping up and down yet again. I had in my hands the biggest buck I have ever taken and probable will ever take. Sorry, typical long winded hunter's story!

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Chavez Buck

Listed by Marc Chavez

Hunter's Name: Marc S. ChavezHunters age at time of harvest: 38

Hunter's Name: Marc S. Chavez
Hunters age at time of harvest: 38