Cataracts Cost Me my Buck Tag

[MikeT49]

Before my hunting trip to Wisconsin, I found out I have cataracts in both eyes. Everything is so backed up my corrective surgery couldn't be scheduled untill Nov 18. So, I'm sitting up in a treestand looking for a nice buck or a yearling doe without fawns. With about half an hour of shooting light left, here comes a yearling doe w/o a fawn. The deer stopped behind a big oak and I could only see the rear end. Deer finally gives me a shot at both lungs. So I let my Ravin eat. I hear a whack, the deer runs off and I see my lumenok glowing where the deer was standing. I thought I heard the deer crash. So I wait a bit and it's getting dark real fast. I get down out of my tree to check the arrow. Arrow is covered in blood and smelled ok. Get out my headlamp and the batteries are puked. I run back to my buds house grab some good lights. We go back to start the tracking job and can't find blood. So we spread apart and start walking in the direction the deer went. The wind was coming from the direction the deer went. About a hundred yards in, I smelled a deer and went that way. There's my deer laying dead. I walk up to the deer and am somewhat surprised to see it was a small Forky. Oops! I guarantee I will I will be getting razzed forever. Like:. "Don't walk in front of Mikey, he might think you're a deer and shoot ya". Etc, etc etc. The good part is I made a perfect shot and I have some good eating. The bad part is I had to use my buck tag. I have trail cam pics at my stands of three real nice bucks. Two nice 10s and a real nice 8 pt in the 150 class. The rut is going real good and I don't have a buck tag. I can almost guarantee I will have one of those bucks standing broadside at 25 yards and all I have are doe tags. Aaaarrggh! I guess I will have to shoot them with my camera. Getting old sucks, but I can still climb into a treestand so all is good. Nike

 

[Chiquita]

Good luck with the surgery.

 

[chutem]

Big bummer. But, it sounds like you are taking it all in stride. Good on you.

 

[mike mccormick]

I had similar problems last year. Had cataracts done in both eyes, and it is the most amazing thing ever! Get them done, follow the eye drop routine( important!!), and enjoy your new eyes!

 

[Baka]

Shoots some does and enjoy the show of the rut.

 

[Cemetery21]

Had my cataracts done in August.
You will be able to count hairs on the ears. And see colors again! Amazing.

 

[rjtfroggy]

Shoot with the camera and post them up here I promise I won't razz you.
I had to give up hunting because of bad knees and I have other medical issues that are more important right now, a cataract being one.

 

[epc308]

I had cataract surgery and slipped in right before Covid locked things down. All the above comments are accurate. My best impression was driving at night. I could, and can, drive with low beams for the most part where driving with high beams was questionable before. Yes, make a schedule for the drops So you won’t forget. My eyes were done 2 weeks apart, so i had a chart for each, as the regimen changes on a sliding scale with time.

 

[Bill K]

Meat is meat in the freezer, regardless of the antler size, unless you are thinking mainly of big antlers, which don't even make good soup.

 

[CaptainMal]

Done the same thing but with a variation.

Low powered scope on a short range rifle. Studied the deer out and should have had red flags as it was alone. When deer are alone they are most often bucks. I forgot. Sign of age.

Scope did not show me the horns but when I went up, there they were. Spikes flat out behind each ear. Damn.

Wife does not like to eat meat from bucks. Called her and she told me to throw it out. I did not and took it to a processor. Bummer. Down to one buck tag now. Wish i was perfect.

 

[timeout]

Before my hunting trip to Wisconsin, I found out I have cataracts in both eyes. Everything is so backed up my corrective surgery couldn't be scheduled untill Nov 18. So, I'm sitting up in a treestand looking for a nice buck or a yearling doe without fawns. With about half an hour of shooting light left, here comes a yearling doe w/o a fawn. The deer stopped behind a big oak and I could only see the rear end. Deer finally gives me a shot at both lungs. So I let my Ravin eat. I hear a whack, the deer runs off and I see my lumenok glowing where the deer was standing. I thought I heard the deer crash. So I wait a bit and it's getting dark real fast. I get down out of my tree to check the arrow. Arrow is covered in blood and smelled ok. Get out my headlamp and the batteries are puked. I run back to my buds house grab some good lights. We go back to start the tracking job and can't find blood. So we spread apart and start walking in the direction the deer went. The wind was coming from the direction the deer went. About a hundred yards in, I smelled a deer and went that way. There's my deer laying dead. I walk up to the deer and am somewhat surprised to see it was a small Forky. Oops! I guarantee I will I will be getting razzed forever. Like:. "Don't walk in front of Mikey, he might think you're a deer and shoot ya". Etc, etc etc. The good part is I made a perfect shot and I have some good eating. The bad part is I had to use my buck tag. I have trail cam pics at my stands of three real nice bucks. Two nice 10s and a real nice 8 pt in the 150 class. The rut is going real good and I don't have a buck tag. I can almost guarantee I will have one of those bucks standing broadside at 25 yards and all I have are doe tags. Aaaarrggh! I guess I will have to shoot them with my camera. Getting old sucks, but I can still climb into a treestand so all is good. Nike

Look on the bright side, you had a buck tag. Might have been a hit to your fun money without that buck tag in your pocket. BTW, doc is keeping watch on nucleus cataracts in my eyes, so I feel your pain. I can't complain, having had outstanding vision my entire life. I now try to look the bucks over with binocs when time permits. I've passed on 3 so far that I'm beginning to question myself on. You know how it is when you have seen a couple giants and set your goals exceedingly high. As they say, I may be eating tag soup.

 

[Treerat-sniper]

I've got one in my right eye, the doctor wants me to wait until my left starts to go (if I can stand it that long). They found mine back in March after having multiple problems with a new prescription. My eyes have never been good but they've gotten progressively worse after I turned 40 & had to do the bi-focal thing. At least it's correctable.

 

[MikeT49]

Thanks for the replies. Good info to have before I get the cataracts removed. My optometrist thinks I won't need glasses afterwards. I am looking forward to seeing better and especially driving at night. Now it takes me three stops each way because I can't see worth a chit at night. I'm not much of a "Trophy" hunter. I would have shot this buck on the last day of the hunt. Now that the chagrin of not seeing the antlers has faded, I'm pleased with filling my buck tag. The pressure is off. Now I'm targeting a yearling doe that I saw the first evening I hunted. My bud confirmed she doesn't have a fawn. She's light colored and has dark spots on both hips. Hopefully she shows up at my stand and I can run a sharp stick through both lungs. She will become pepperoni for my diy pizza. If you really think about it, it is very difficult to get a whitetail deer within range of archery gear and actually getting a shot. Bottom line is I still have tags to fill. I will enjoy the rest of the hunt. What's not to like about sitting 25 feet up in a tree in a spot you scouted out on public land and watching the "show". I'll post pics when we hang my giant antlers on the "Wall of Shame". (Our deer camp tradition). When I shoot the doe with the spotted hips, I'll post a pic. Mike

 

[rjtfroggy]

Any Whitetail is a God given trophy. More so in states that do not have an over abundance of them.

 

[MikeT49]

Pics of the little guy's antlers going up on the wall:

 

[hoz53]

Before my hunting trip to Wisconsin, I found out I have cataracts in both eyes. Everything is so backed up my corrective surgery couldn't be scheduled untill Nov 18. So, I'm sitting up in a treestand looking for a nice buck or a yearling doe without fawns. With about half an hour of shooting light left, here comes a yearling doe w/o a fawn. The deer stopped behind a big oak and I could only see the rear end. Deer finally gives me a shot at both lungs. So I let my Ravin eat. I hear a whack, the deer runs off and I see my lumenok glowing where the deer was standing. I thought I heard the deer crash. So I wait a bit and it's getting dark real fast. I get down out of my tree to check the arrow. Arrow is covered in blood and smelled ok. Get out my headlamp and the batteries are puked. I run back to my buds house grab some good lights. We go back to start the tracking job and can't find blood. So we spread apart and start walking in the direction the deer went. The wind was coming from the direction the deer went. About a hundred yards in, I smelled a deer and went that way. There's my deer laying dead. I walk up to the deer and am somewhat surprised to see it was a small Forky. Oops! I guarantee I will I will be getting razzed forever. Like:. "Don't walk in front of Mikey, he might think you're a deer and shoot ya". Etc, etc etc. The good part is I made a perfect shot and I have some good eating. The bad part is I had to use my buck tag. I have trail cam pics at my stands of three real nice bucks. Two nice 10s and a real nice 8 pt in the 150 class. The rut is going real good and I don't have a buck tag. I can almost guarantee I will have one of those bucks standing broadside at 25 yards and all I have are doe tags. Aaaarrggh! I guess I will have to shoot them with my camera. Getting old sucks, but I can still climb into a treestand so all is good. Nike

cataracts almost cost me several wrecks so you did fine.

 

[ckaberna]

cataracts almost cost me several wrecks so you did fine.

Guys, please be careful driving, cataracts or not.... I witnessed a wreck where a F450 t-boned a 4-runner last week. The Ford hit the Toyota on the passenger side running about 70 mph and young gentleman in 4-runner was not so lucky. I can’t say why it happened. It appears neither were paying attention and Toyota turned to left in front of Ford with a horrible ending...

 

[MikeT49]

This yearling showed up and started leaking badly after a sharp stick got run through both lungs. Got dark before the recovery so no field pics. I cut her up just after I took pics. IMHO the best meat does to kill are yearlings. Fawns may taste better but don't provide a lot of meat. Older does with fawn(s) are too lean from nursing and don't taste as sweet. Yearling bucks are also tasty. Still have a couple of antlerless tags but I'm getting a little tired of cutting up deer. We'll see.

 

[SEM]

What a rough us old guys lead

 

[johnfred1965]

I thought my scope was going bad. Losing my duplex in the scope. Doc told me I have cataracts coming on. Don't think I am ready for surgery quite yet but it is good to hear all the info you all have dropped here. I had trouble adjusting tobifocals, are near and far vision lenses a headache at first?