THE HUNT FOR THE SPLIT BROW 8 is over.

[Big_Holla]

The one thing I learned over the many years of trail camming is to never put your focus, heart and soul into one buck or couple bucks. Know in your mind that these deer could wander at any time and died elsewhere without knowing. Every year I go into the woods just hoping to see one of the good one's but I am willing to allow myself to choose any buck that brings me to that moment. There was a time when I did not do that and hunting seemed like work.

Now I enjoy the ride and get excited to see them every time I get a pic but when it is all over no matter how they go you lose a little when they are gone for good. The up side to that is there always will be a replacement because what you have in the area to attract and hold an old buck will be sought out by another. The buck I killed this year was about 8 1/2 years old. Another buck we had on camera was 10 1/2 before he was found dead locked to another giant by a friend. Another buck that was killed this year that frequented our place was just 5 1/2 but gave up great pictures. The first camera pull after each had passed was the toughest, to know that as you are looking you will never see that buck again.

 

[Chancegriffis]

The one thing I learned over the many years of trail camming is to never put your focus, heart and soul into one buck or couple bucks. Know in your mind that these deer could wander at any time and died elsewhere without knowing. Every year I go into the woods just hoping to see one of the good one's but I am willing to allow myself to choose any buck that brings me to that moment. There was a time when I did not do that and hunting seemed like work.

Now I enjoy the ride and get excited to see them every time I get a pic but when it is all over no matter how they go you lose a little when they are gone for good. The up side to that is there always will be a replacement because what you have in the area to attract and hold an old buck will be sought out by another. The buck I killed this year was about 8 1/2 years old. Another buck we had on camera was 10 1/2 before he was found dead locked to another giant by a friend. Another buck that was killed this year that frequented our place was just 5 1/2 but gave up great pictures. The first camera pull after each had passed was the toughest, to know that as you are looking you will never see that buck again.

Yeah I completely understand. I wasn’t really wrapped up to bad on this buck until he started showing up in daylight and we played cat and mouse for two weeks. He got my attention. Even as a buck that barely squeaked 140 at his age of probably 3.5- 4 I really wanted to take him. Had four encounters with him this season post rut and every time he wasn’t in bow range. I could have killed this deer every time with a gun during the first week... but I have prided myself since 2016 and harvested every deer with a bow to challenge myself mentally and physically. I thought the deer deserved more than a 100 yard chip shot with my .450. That may just be me being stubborn or selfish. But I digress.... While he roamed this block basically from the first day of November to the day before he got hit, he fought off other quality bucks and gave up dozens of quality pictures while dominating this block of woods. My first real taste of Ohio hunting and I enjoyed every second trying to take him. Like I stated before though, onto the next

 

[giles]

Trail cams suck!

 

[Big_Holla]

Trail cams suck!

They can and they used to for me. You have to get in the frame of mind that it's peeking into a world of critters when you aren't there. Had I not ran trail cameras I would not have known Pete existed all those years with the exception of a couple shed antlers. Gotta make it fun or it can consume you.

 

[bowhunter1023]

My "shoulda, coulda, woulda" wall will always be better than my real trophy wall. Trail cams are largely to blame for that.

 

[Fletch]

...Trail Cameras... They do have their pros and cons... Look what happened to me and Casper... I haven't hunted deer in Jersey in years as I felt nothing around here would even begin to tickle my fancy... I do love to chase bears and therefore had cams out for boo boo and get a pic of Casper... He's not a Illinois or Ohio buck, but for the area that is void of deer, he sure put lead in my pencil quick.... So the chase started... I hunted a certain buck harder than I ever did... Hung hang ons only to move them... Ran numerous cameras... He vanished the whole month of Nov. Then come Dec. he's showing up on cameras every night.. Got so many fantastic pics of him, I told the wife he's now my buddy and maybe he'll get a pass... LOL...
Then the A/H shows up hunting right where Casper travels... Did he get him??? Don't know I guess time will tell... Had I not had trail cams out I wouldn't have busted my ass the way I did only to be disappointed... The pic that started it all...