# 18 pt Hail Mary Buck



## travissalinas




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## travissalinas

November 15, Bee County Texas

I was lucky enough to sneak away yesterday afternoon to the Tipp


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## devil1824

Really nice.


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## travissalinas

Ranch near Oakville and had quite an exciting trip. I was situated on a popup blind that had been previously set about a week before to allow the deer time to adjust to the strange cube. At approximately 4:15: PM I looked up from Death in the Silent Places by Senor Capstick and caught movement under a large huisache tree. It was not only a deer, but a buck, and an absolute monster! Things were looking great, however I figured I’d wait a bit, I did want my hunt to end too quickly. When I began my video recording sequences, to my dismay I noticed I had a very low battery. So I made the obvious decision to shoot him then and there for the noble reason of capturing the bow shot on film! 

The buck was broadside at 18 yards, in golf terms, a "tap in" putt for a seasoned archer like me. Leave it to me and my ongoing struggled with antlered whitetails, I shanked the shot a touch low into the liver & tripas. I had given myself over a half an hour to calm my nerves before I made that shot and I still botched it. The buck ran off amid the does and fawns in a malay of hoof beats and I watched him staggered and almost go down, then he struggled up, swayed and stood there. I was silently urging him to give in and topple over, perhaps even use my Hairy Potter wand to blast him with the avarda cadarva killing curse, anything to get that buck to succumb to the arrow wound. And still he stood there, for at least the next long 15 tortuous minutes and he only took two steps in that time. My shins are currently ravaged and bruised from kicking myself as this bruiser sits there gut shut at 60 yards behind some trees and there isn't a darned thing I can do about it, unless he stepped clear.


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## travissalinas

At this point, I was all business and did worry about the camera, I had pre-ranged the buck and as soon as he stepped clear of the mesquite trees I heaved up a 60 yard Hail Mary arrow. For the physicist seeking to invent time travel, I suggest he bow hunt at extreme range to begin his research. Time stood absolutely still as the arrow, which moves at 275 feet per second inched along its orbit, the red Nockturnal blazing on the flight path as the arrow skirted under the canopy of the mesquite branches before plummeting down to connect with the stricken buck. Holy smokes, I actually hit him! The problem was that from that range, it looked like I one holed him, yes a great shot but right through the same hole that had already proven to be poorly placed!


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## travissalinas

“At least he will bleed twice as much,” I thought as the buck hunched down and fled once again. I couldn't tell for sure, but as the buck crested the bank of shallow creek and disappeared he seemed twice as worse for the wear. 
I gave the buck about 20 minutes and snuck out of the pop up to climb the tower blind and send a text. i was hopeful that the 2nd arrow had proven lethal but after the disheartening shank on the first shot my mind was full of doubt. What a shank, seriously, who screws up an 18 yard sure thing on the buck of a lifetime!? From atop the ladder stand I surveyed the open creek bottom where the buck had exited. My heart jumped when I saw a black stripe on a buck skin colored tail, the binoculars confirmed horns protruding from the grass, and my Hail Mary Buck was down! 
I have no idea what he scores, I didn't even count the points, I was just pumped to have snatched victory from the jaws of defeat! The body on this buck was massive; my experienced S.W.A.G. puts him at 230 lbs live weight on the conservative side and 6-1/2 years old. I also strongly believe this deer has some northern blood in his veins. 
My 2nd shot from 60 yards impacted the buck about 1-1/2 inches above the hole from the first arrow. Very consistent arrow placement and it shows the close margins between kill zones. 
At the skinning rack, the ranch manager later counted out 18 points, I didn’t care, he was a gnarly buck I was very lucky to bag.


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## hippyfisher

Great Story and pics!


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## RogerB

Congrats. That's a great buck


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## Teamgafftop2

Beautiful buck!


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## Chunky

Great buck, and an excellent write up. Well done. Those shots don't look like guts to me at all, but it is hard to tell form the pics. In any case...congrats.


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## bzrk180

Thats a doozie!!


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## wacker

Nice job on the clean up and that is one heck of a deer!!!!

Congrats. :brew:


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## Kyle 1974

Great looking deer


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## Bucksnort

so far "Story of the Year", congratulations on a fine buck.


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## coup de grace

*wow,he's a stud.*


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## Miles2Fish

Great buck! I wouldn't call that a gut shot but maybe it is a little low...regardless you put horns on the ground....mission accomplished!


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## willeye

awesome deer! congrats!!!


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## Trouthunter

Well done!

TH


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## travissalinas

Miles2Fish said:


> Great buck! I wouldn't call that a gut shot but maybe it is a little low...regardless you put horns on the ground....mission accomplished!


i think i caught a sliver of lung on the first shot and a whole lot of liver, but lethal nonetheless. i am working on editing the video. the buck actually staggers and nearly goes down twice before he stands and seems to shake it off


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## BIG PAPPA

*What a Story*

I could hear your heavy breathing and felt your Heart POUNDING throughout your entire story. And I think you're still Stoaked. Great read and pic's. Congrats.


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## MLK

Nice buck and love the story congrats


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## rebelangler

way to go man....nice deer...

brian


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## raiderfish

Well done Travis. That is a trophy. How are you going to mount him?


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## cpthook

free ranging??? awesome buck


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## playin thru

Great story and great buck. That shot isnt as bad as you lead me to believe. He would not have gone far anyway. Good work..


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## buckbuddy

*Awesome Buck & Cool story!!:dance:....Congrats!*

*''sending you some cabbage!..You deserve it!!..*

*..Mark*


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## reeltimer

I've seen some monsters on parent's place down there.Great shot's and story.


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## Rbamerican

good job bro!!


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## El Cazador

Congrats on a super trophy.


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## ruben f.

Travis, that buck is the bomb! Congrats on a great story as well.


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## travissalinas

raiderfish said:


> Well done Travis. That is a trophy. How are you going to mount him?


i'm going with a semi alert, left turn. i caught a few glimpses of him in a similar pose in real life and it was breath taking. it will be hard to duplicate, but it won't take much to please me with the results.


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## travissalinas

cpthook said:


> free ranging??? awesome buck


no this was an invite deal to a high fence place. very far from free ranging. but, beggars can't be choosers so off i went


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## travissalinas

just posted the video on a different thread


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## c-hawk

Awesome buck and great story!!


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## travissalinas

thanks my man


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## travissalinas

to the wall


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## travissalinas

from the left


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## travissalinas

and from the right


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## BrushyHillGuide

Love those brows!


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## travissalinas

lots of little extras!


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## igo320

Very nice! Congrats on a fine animal.


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## Trouthunter

Looks really nice!

TH


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## TXPalerider

Great Story and better deer!!

Congrats.


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## BrushyHillGuide

That's a pig, there! Belated congrats as I'm new to the board!


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## Brandon1107

Very nice! Story was almost like reading Capstick.


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## txfshrmn

Nice deer & articulation...congrads!


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## travissalinas

glad ya'll liked. was a pretty memorable outting into the brush


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## travissalinas

i now have a new prototype SABO that the guys made me that includes 6 pins. I've been practising long range for my upcoming caribou trip and the last two pins are for 80 and 100 yds. hopefully can get closer but in case a deer ever does this to me again, i feel very confident that i could give him the coup de grace at 80 yds now


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