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A Worthy End For a Nearly 10-Year-Old, 190-Inch Iowa Buck
A Worthy End For a Nearly 10-Year-Old, 190-Inch Iowa Buck
“I’d seen Hurley several times starting in 2006, but my first close encounter occurred on October 28, 2009. I was on stand and the winds were really swirly. So I decided to relocate. Just as I was about to get down I looked up and saw this huge buck coming up out of a dry creek bed loaded with acorns.
"He was in bow range, but with a big branch between me and him, horizontal across his chest. If I shot under the branch I knew I’d be too low. So I shot over it, and I missed him.”
Additional Info
On Nov. 1, Iowa bowhunter Barry Wensel shot a giant whitetail. The 6X7 buck was 9-1/2 years old, gross-scored 190-1/8” and field dressed 248 pounds. But this was no lightning strike; Wensel knew the buck well and had enjoyed numerous encounters over the last three seasons. Here is Barry’s story of a buck he called “Hurley.”
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Comments (23)
Awesome story and buck. Congrats. Thats a buck of a lifetime. Alot of charater on that rack.
Great story. always nice to here of a long term relationship with a great buck. Happy endings are good too. Hurley probably would not of made through another winter at his age.
All I can say is congratulations on another awesome whitetail! It is awesome to see guys like you and your brother shooting deer of that caliber with traditional bows. Anyone that bowhunts could take a great lesson from you both. My brother Luke and I follow your progress and read up on your books religiously. Great deer! Congratulations from the Kontras Family!
that is a very nice buck and a pretty cool bow
Barry, congrats on a great buck and well done. "Bowhunting October Whitetails" remains a favorite.
Barry is the man !!! Great story with a great ending !! "Bowhunting October Whitetails" is what got me into hunting ..... THANKS GUYS !!!!
Did you ever find his sheds in spring? Congrats hes a awesome buck!!
Congrats Barry. I enjoy their stories. I still remember the story on a buck called Woody that was really fun to read. And to take these nice bucks with traditional archery gear no less. Great accomplishments.
Great story, great pics, and amazing deer. And you did it the hard way (recurve) to boot.
Nice story - love the connection to the deer over time. Hopefully Harley got to spread his genetics around the herd and you will get to see/hunt his progeny in the future!
wow! an amazing buck and a great story. congrats Barry
that buck lived for 10 years it new all the tricks in the book it must have been hard to bring that buck in
Thats a 1nc in a life time chance with a recurve, beutiful buck.
It's nice to see a deserving man get a deserving buck.
I want to know how many of these pictures Gene actually posed for instead of Barry... we may never know. :)
Great buck!
That's the best damn hunting story I've read in a long long time, I guess its way to much like some of my own misadventures except with a happy ending.
He got it with a bow and Arrow!!!!!that is awesome!!
Wow. Now this is a great hunting story. Best I've read in a long time. Congratulations on an absolutely outstanding buck. Barry and Gene sound like the kind of guys who it's a privilege to meet and who really know how to hunt. Awesome, just awesome!
That was a very fine deer indeed. now that is what hunting is really about.Barry it would be so much better if we all had the attitude you did toward hunting.Again that was a fine deer.GOD BLESS AMERICA AND THE TRUE HUNTER
Great story great Buck,Hunt to live live to Hunt!!!
That, ladies and gentleman, is a real whitetail hunt. He really earned that deer. Hunting with a recurve is no joke.
Barry well done! I grew up in Iowa and I love to see when beautiful B&C bucks come out of there like this!
what a great hunting story....Hurley was one of those bucks most of us dream about. I love bowhunting theirs nothing like it! Way to go Barry!!
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It's nice to see a deserving man get a deserving buck.
Awesome story and buck. Congrats. Thats a buck of a lifetime. Alot of charater on that rack.
Great story. always nice to here of a long term relationship with a great buck. Happy endings are good too. Hurley probably would not of made through another winter at his age.
All I can say is congratulations on another awesome whitetail! It is awesome to see guys like you and your brother shooting deer of that caliber with traditional bows. Anyone that bowhunts could take a great lesson from you both. My brother Luke and I follow your progress and read up on your books religiously. Great deer! Congratulations from the Kontras Family!
Great story, great pics, and amazing deer. And you did it the hard way (recurve) to boot.
Nice story - love the connection to the deer over time. Hopefully Harley got to spread his genetics around the herd and you will get to see/hunt his progeny in the future!
that buck lived for 10 years it new all the tricks in the book it must have been hard to bring that buck in
Thats a 1nc in a life time chance with a recurve, beutiful buck.
He got it with a bow and Arrow!!!!!that is awesome!!
That was a very fine deer indeed. now that is what hunting is really about.Barry it would be so much better if we all had the attitude you did toward hunting.Again that was a fine deer.GOD BLESS AMERICA AND THE TRUE HUNTER
that is a very nice buck and a pretty cool bow
Barry, congrats on a great buck and well done. "Bowhunting October Whitetails" remains a favorite.
Barry is the man !!! Great story with a great ending !! "Bowhunting October Whitetails" is what got me into hunting ..... THANKS GUYS !!!!
Did you ever find his sheds in spring? Congrats hes a awesome buck!!
Congrats Barry. I enjoy their stories. I still remember the story on a buck called Woody that was really fun to read. And to take these nice bucks with traditional archery gear no less. Great accomplishments.
wow! an amazing buck and a great story. congrats Barry
I want to know how many of these pictures Gene actually posed for instead of Barry... we may never know. :)
Great buck!
That's the best damn hunting story I've read in a long long time, I guess its way to much like some of my own misadventures except with a happy ending.
Wow. Now this is a great hunting story. Best I've read in a long time. Congratulations on an absolutely outstanding buck. Barry and Gene sound like the kind of guys who it's a privilege to meet and who really know how to hunt. Awesome, just awesome!
Great story great Buck,Hunt to live live to Hunt!!!
That, ladies and gentleman, is a real whitetail hunt. He really earned that deer. Hunting with a recurve is no joke.
Barry well done! I grew up in Iowa and I love to see when beautiful B&C bucks come out of there like this!
what a great hunting story....Hurley was one of those bucks most of us dream about. I love bowhunting theirs nothing like it! Way to go Barry!!
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