[{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/blog\/keys-to-the-hunt-swampland-success\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/blog\/keys-to-the-hunt-swampland-success\/","headline":"Keys to the Hunt: Swampland Success","name":"Keys to the Hunt: Swampland Success","description":"It\u2019s every whitetail hunter\u2019s dream to wrap their tag around an antler of a Pope & Young class buck during...","datePublished":"2015-09-23","dateModified":"2018-12-04","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/author\/hagosto\/#Person","name":"Hector Agosto","url":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/author\/hagosto\/","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d7bfedbdc5ef3ed8f8df91eb37e1ffbe?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d7bfedbdc5ef3ed8f8df91eb37e1ffbe?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Legendary Whitetails","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"http:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/logo-legendary-whitetails.png","url":"http:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/logo-legendary-whitetails.png","width":522,"height":226}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/IMG_2299-e1443014912938.jpg","url":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/IMG_2299-e1443014912938.jpg","height":840,"width":1600},"url":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/blog\/keys-to-the-hunt-swampland-success\/","about":["Hunting"],"wordCount":1532,"keywords":["Deer","Hunting"],"articleBody":"It\u2019s every whitetail hunter\u2019s dream to wrap their tag around an antler of a Pope & Young class buck during opening weekend of archery season.\u00a0 But then again, what would you do for the rest of the season? Since I can\u2019t answer that question personally, let\u2019s just ask Nick Latzl of southeastern Wisconsin who tagged this 165 inch whopper during the second day of the season.Nick’s buck scored 165 inches (unofficially) and his brow tines measured 8.5 and 9.75 inches.Nick headed out Sunday morning for an early season sit in the swamp. Little did he know this would be his last sit of the season \u2026 at least with a bow in his hand.\u00a0 As an avid hunter, I always want to learn something new with every big buck story I hear. I want to know the details.\u00a0 I feel as if every story of a mature buck hitting the ground has some piece of info that helps explain the \u201chows\u201d and \u201cwhys\u201d of what made the hunt successful.\u00a0As I talked with Nick over the phone, the first thing we discussed was the location and habitat type he was hunting.\u00a0 Nick was sitting along an edge of a thick swamp which transitioned into a small hardwood lot full of acorns.\u00a0 The edge was littered with fresh rubs and the swamp was the go-to bedding area for the deer that frequented this small acreage parcel.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Nick is no dummy when it comes to whitetails. He\u2019s as serious a hunter as they come.\u00a0 He doesn\u2019t just shower scent-free the day of the hunt. Instead, he\u2019s been showering scent-free for a full month before the season \u2013 that\u2019s dedication.\u00a0 In addition to daily scent-free showers, he goes through the all-important scent control procedure before every hunt: shower, wash clothes and keep in a scent-free container, get dressed outside, spray down, don\u2019t eat stinky foods, and most importantly only hunts when the wind is right.It\u2019s not every September opener in Wisconsin that you get cool temperatures paired with a northerly wind to help aid deer movement, but this year had\u00a0just that.\u00a0 Perfect whitetail weather was in-store as Nick waited for deer to start making their way back towards the swamp to bed for the day.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t long after daybreak when Nick caught the movement of a buck walking through the swamp.\u00a0 Despite catching movement, the tall grass and thick brush prevented a decent look at the animal.\u00a0 Right after the first buck disappeared into the swamp, another one came out behind Nick\u2019s stand in the opposite direction.\u00a0 It was a good looking eight pointer, but not exactly what he was after.\u00a0 Nick stood there watching the buck behind him, when all of a sudden he was caught off-guard by mucky footsteps coming towards him through the swamp.\u00a0 \u00a0Nick turned his head to see if he could pair the sight with the sound of hooves suctioning through the swamp. Lo and behold, the first buck reappeared and this time Nick got a jaw-dropping look at him.\u00a0Nick with his giant brow-tined buck on the edge of the swamp.As intense as the moment was, Nick was stuck in an awkward position.\u00a0 His body was turned towards the smaller buck, and in order to get a shot at the bruiser behind him, he would need to spin 180 degrees.\u00a0 The swamp buck continued to close the distance while Nick slowly grabbed his bow, brought it over his body, and turned to assume his shooting position \u2013 a risky maneuver that he\u2019s still unsure how he was able to pull off in the midst of a silent forest.\u00a0 Nonetheless, the buck came to a shooting lane and paused to the sound of a mouth grunt Nick had let out. \u00a0While the buck paused, it was only a brief pause. \u00a0 Just\u00a0as Nick squeezed the trigger on his release, the buck took a step forward resulting in a hit slightly further back than intended.\u00a0 Anyone who has hunted long enough knows that gut wrenching feeling that follows a less-than-perfect shot.\u00a0The worst part is the wait.\u00a0 A time in which the shot is replayed over and over in your head as you pray for a hopeful recovery.\u00a0 After several hours, Nick, along with his dad, Tom, and buddies, John and Brad went out to track the giant buck.\u00a0\u00a0 They also brought the help of a strong sniffing lab named Cassie, a decision that would become well worth its weight in gold.\u00a0 Although Cassie had never blood-trailed before, she was good shed antler dog and the guys knew her nose could be of value.\u00a0 A nice long blood trail in the beginning had put Cassie on the right scent.\u00a0 A few treats along the way had her looking like an experienced blood hound.\u00a0 It was a good thing she was a fast learner because this buck had tried every trick in the book including doubling back on his own trail.\u00a0 There was a moment of doubt when they circled back onto the same blood trail they were just at 30 minutes ago, but upon further observation they noticed the blood was splattered in a different direction, indicating the buck had doubled back.\u00a0 Once again, trust was restored in the dog.\u00a0\u00a0 Soon the blood disappeared all-together and the hearts of the trackers began to sink.\u00a0 Nick hung back with John and his dad trying to find any speck of blood that would reignite a flickering flame of hope.\u00a0 Meanwhile, Brad marched forward with Cassie unsure of what was to lie ahead.A happy\u00a0crew after a successful recovery –\u00a0John, Brad, Cassie the dog, Nick, and his father, Tom.Minutes turned to hours, and hope turned to disappointment.\u00a0 As much as Nick and the gang didn\u2019t want to give up, they were running out of options.\u00a0 It was time for one last pass before they called it quits on this buck of a lifetime.\u00a0 What started out as a chapter from a thrilling novel had now become\u00a0anything but a storybook ending.\u00a0 Or so they thought\u2026The guys made one final push through the swamp while Brad took Cassie to circle a protruding hardwood\u00a0point.\u00a0 It was now or never, one last ditch effort.\u00a0 Ten minutes into the final pass, Brad found himself staring down at the giant buck as Cassie growled! \u00a0Finally, the words Nick had been waiting to hear all day rang through the thick swampland, \u201cHere he is!\u00a0 I\u2019m staring down at him right now!\u201dThere it was, a storybook ending after all.Keys to the HuntSet up on the edge of a bedding area near an oak flat (acorns) \u2013 an ideal morning set-upHad the right windScent FreeRub line present along swamp edgeUsed dog to help trackDeterminationA word from Nick –\u201cNot sure what to say….but I wanna thank God first and foremost for this deer. I want to thank my dad for instilling the love of the outdoors with a fiery passion. I want to thank my wife for letting me chase my passions. I also want to thank John, Brad and Cassie the dog for all the help blood trailing. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for such a great experience.\u201d "},{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/#breadcrumbitem","name":"Legendary Whitetail's Blog"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/blog\/keys-to-the-hunt-swampland-success\/#breadcrumbitem","name":"Keys to the Hunt: Swampland Success"}}]}]