A Once In a Lifetime Experience...
By Tom Switalski
Editor Note: Tom Switalski has hunted whitetail deer in Waushara County for 30 years with bow and gun. “I’ve seen deer do some strange things in my life,” he said. “But nothing compared to what happened in my own Brookfield back yard. I truly believe this was a once in a lifetime experience.”
We agree...
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| On Sunday Nov. 20th at 9am, something caught my eye in the back yard. I took this picture from in the house | I grabbed my camera and went outside hoping to get a couple more pictures. I walked slowly in the back yard towards the deer and I saw him in this position. I have never seen a buck lay like this (alive). |
I was about 25yrds from the deer when I took this picture with the zoom on. Camera still focused on the deer I whistled real loud five times so the buck would pick his head up for another picture. Nothing happened. An ear didn't even twitch when I whistled.
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| My heart started pounding because I thought I had a trophy whitetail die in my backyard from old age or stress from the rut. Camera still on the buck with zoom off, I started walking very slow toward the buck. I was less than 10ft from him when I took this picture | I took one more step in the leaves with my heart just pounding & all of a sudden the buck picks its head up |
He seemed really tired, so he turned his head a little & I took another picture. Now his ears were focused in my direction & he was alert now.
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| Now his ears were focused in my direction & he was alert now. He slowly walked away and laid back down about 60 yards from me. |
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I split & stacked wood the rest of the day & we were watching each other. He finally got up about 3pm & walked off.
The only thing I could figure was that the buck was completely exhausted from the rut. And he was sound asleep when I walked up on him. I truly believe this was a once in a lifetime experience.