in the Long Bottom/Chester areaHelluva buck! Where you at in Meigs? I used to have a spot outside of Pomeroy that had studs that had eerily similar looking genetics! Congrats!
Actually, we did not have too much history with this deer. It showed up on our cameras late summer…..was not a buck we had pics of last year. It quickly became one of our target bucks. He was definitely been a homebody throughout the fall and into the rut….lots of pics on multiple cameras. My brother in law and I took a couple teenagers out last weekend for youth season and he actually saw this buck for awhile on Saturday afternoon. This buck was “nose to ass” for a good while with a hot doe in an open field ….. came very close to breeding her. The 16yo I was with did not want to hunt Sunday afternoon (Aden killed a 2 yo eight on Saturday am) so I jumped into a stand not far from where the buck had been seen Saturday pm. While I did not see the buck on this sit, I did briefly see a doe 150 yds off in a CRP field looking like it was being chased. I was expecting a west wind on Monday am but Sunday evening the forecast changed to a South wind. This wind was ideal for a stand that I had hunted once earlier in the season....that bordered a thick bedding area and was 200 yards from where I had seen the doe earlier that day. The stand is situated in a small wooded area just north of the bedding, with a steep dropoff into a hollow behind it. I was able to sneak in quietly on Monday and just before 8 I heard a commotion coming from my right . He was chasing a doe and headed in my direction. I saw mass, knew it was a shooter, (did not know it was HIM) and focused on getting in position for a shot. The doe he was chasing must have caught my movement, and she locked up on me at about 50 yards. Over the next few minutes she would move, he would move ......getting closer, moving away, etc...never giving me a clear shot. Finally she brought him within 22 yards and a quick MEH stopped him in his tracks. I had a small opening and shot. Immediately both deer moved off and stopped about 50 yards out. I have a hard time explaining it but 16 acted like he was hit (seemed a bit unsteady) and I fully expected him to drop right there. After about 30 seconds that seemed like longer.....both buck and doe ran off......he following her out of sight (125 yds) running like he was perfectly fine. I got down and found the arrow soaked in darkish blood....no bubbles ....so felt that it was either a muscle or liver hit. The blood trail was continuous to the point of where the deer went out of sight and into an open field. After about an hour I was joined by my BIL and Aden and we tracked the deer for another 100 to 150 yards until we reached where it had bedded down. We backed Out...and 6 hours later went back in with a tracking dog and less than 30 minutes later we found the buck dead. It was a liver hit.Congrats. Don't be a stranger! Do tell more of the history.
stud, that simpleReally enjoy reading much of the material on this site and the posts from many of you. Thank you for that. Have not posted in quite awhile..... got lucky Monday morning in Meigs County. We called this buck "Sweet Sixteen" since he was a 16 point in velvet. He busted off View attachment 166932View attachment 166933a couple points including his drop tine since then but still was a bruiser. Thanks to the doe for bringing him to my doorstep...... View attachment 166931
My farm is right outside chester, probably know some of the same people. Congratulations on a sweet deerin the Long Bottom/Chester area