A bowhunter in central Oregon tagged a mule deer buck on opening weekend that he’d been chasing for occurring 4 years. The buck that Arnold Fox nicknamed “One Eye Willy” was blind in a single eye, walked with a limp, and had clean, worn-out enamel that have been floor down nearly to his gums.
“He was a real outdated warrior previous his prime,” Fox tells Out of doors Life.
The 29-year-old hunter lives in Prineville, and says he first caught the buck on a path digital camera again in 2019. Fox had arrange round 15 mobile path cams on public land all through the realm that 12 months, and the 4-point stood out from the remainder of the massive bucks he’d been watching. He may inform the deer had damaged his again proper leg in some unspecified time in the future as a result of it walked with a noticeable limp.
He didn’t catch the buck on digital camera once more till simply earlier than the archery season opened in 2021. The muley nonetheless had each eyes intact at that time, however as quickly because the buck confirmed himself, he disappeared as soon as once more.
“So this 12 months I moved some cameras round on completely different water and I caught him once more,” Fox says, “He began coming round fairly common, and I knew this was lastly the 12 months.”
Fox says that when he took a better have a look at the path cam pictures, he seen that solely the deer’s left eye would shine within the mild. That’s when the buck—which should have had his proper eye broken throughout final 12 months’s rut—acquired his nickname.
As Fox explains, he spent an excellent chunk of this summer season “burning diesel and spending some huge cash simply to determine this deer out.” He slowly pieced collectively One Eye Willy’s habits, noting the instances the buck would come to water every day. It was a scorching and dry summer season, so when archery season opened on Aug. 27, Fox figured his greatest wager was to arrange a floor blind close to the tank and wait him out.
“He had been coming into water at bizarre instances, like in the midst of the day, so I hunted him all day on Saturday and sat within the blind for about eight hours.”
Willy by no means confirmed, although, and after spending 4 to 5 hours within the blind on Sunday morning, Fox stepped out somewhat after 8 a.m. About two hours later, Fox was again in camp when he obtained a path cam photograph of Willy on his mobile phone. The sensible, outdated buck had proven up on the tank somewhat later than anticipated, so Fox went to plan B. He says he knew a spot additional up the canyon the place bucks preferred to mattress, and he and a good friend took the blind there and arrange.
As they sat within the cramped blind by the afternoon, they watched an enormous 3-point that was roughly 200 yards out. His good friend wished to go forward and stalk the buck, however Fox made the decision to remain.
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“My intestine was telling me to simply wait, so I made him keep within the blind,” Fox says. “He was somewhat salty with me for it, however that was okay with me, as a result of round 7 o’clock, I regarded over and noticed Willy coming in. He got here in so quick, and my adrenaline was pumping so onerous, that I couldn’t hardly get my bow pulled again. My buddy’s attempting to inform me to calm down however I used to be shaking so unhealthy and couldn’t simmer down.”
By the point One Eye Willy acquired inside 30 yards or so, the buck turned broadside along with his proper eye going through the blind. Fox knew he had an edge. He drew and let one fly, hitting the deer somewhat excessive and behind, after which settled down to attend him out. He used his satellite tv for pc cellphone to textual content one other certainly one of his mates, and after a half-hour or so, Fox stepped out of the bottom blind.
“I took ten steps out of the blind, regarded round this juniper tree, and all I see is his ass finish hanging out of the tree,” Fox says. “I noticed that large, white mule deer butt and I simply acquired so pumped.”
After his different good friend confirmed as much as snap some pictures, they rough-scored the buck round 185 and ¼ inches, with an out of doors unfold of 33 and ¾ inches. Fox says he’ll have the deer aged, however he thinks Willy may have been round 10 years outdated.
