Big Holla’s 2023/24 Season Journal
- Thread starter Big_Holla
- Start date
triple_duece
Ragin Cajun.
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Thanks Nick!! We all enjoy following your family’s adventures down there and you guys sure get into a variety of game, some dandies as well!!
Jenna and I made it down for the weekend. Somewhat uneventful day yesterday, I spooked 2 had had a small buck walk underneath me. Was great to get in a treestand again!
I had a pretty good hunt Saturday evening. Made my way to Allen’s pines ladder stand. It had been hit by a falling tree late last year and bent the seat armrest over on top of the seat. Took it apart and brought the armrest back home to straighten it out but had yet to reinstall it on the stand. The way it was put together it was un-huntable until it was fixed. So there I sat for the evening.
Around 5:45 I heard a doe blow to the SW and watched 3 deer run off with her blowing more. The wind had been swirling and I realized my quick decision of not smoking everything up this trip was a bad one.
Was a pretty uneventful evening for both Jenna and I after that. At dark I started pulling my arrow from the bow when I spotted the silhouette of a deer behind me at 20 yards, starting to munch on acorns. Ends up being a small buck and as I’m watching him I hear a deer start raking the shit out of a tree. I slowly turn back around and see a giant body walking over behind a big tree and it tears the fuck out of another tree there. It was just too dark to see antlers but within a couple minutes he starts fighting with another buck. I would say just heavy sparring but you could definitely hear the antlers clacking. Then when I think they headed to the south and I be- lined it out of there.
Jenna still owes me a few pictures to share.
Around 5:45 I heard a doe blow to the SW and watched 3 deer run off with her blowing more. The wind had been swirling and I realized my quick decision of not smoking everything up this trip was a bad one.
Was a pretty uneventful evening for both Jenna and I after that. At dark I started pulling my arrow from the bow when I spotted the silhouette of a deer behind me at 20 yards, starting to munch on acorns. Ends up being a small buck and as I’m watching him I hear a deer start raking the shit out of a tree. I slowly turn back around and see a giant body walking over behind a big tree and it tears the fuck out of another tree there. It was just too dark to see antlers but within a couple minutes he starts fighting with another buck. I would say just heavy sparring but you could definitely hear the antlers clacking. Then when I think they headed to the south and I be- lined it out of there.
Jenna still owes me a few pictures to share.
Only a few rubs and a couple scrapes on the farm so far. Sunday we were not hunting because Jenna started a new job this morning and didn’t want to have anything delay us getting home. So we took a ride and checked a few things.
Jenna’s elevated blind and plot
Sanctuary plot
Allen’s old saw plot
Treestand on the edge of the cornfield
Jenna’s elevated blind and plot
Sanctuary plot
Allen’s old saw plot
Treestand on the edge of the cornfield
This picture sure makes me feel good to see. Not only because of the deer in the food plot but the number of deer when we had been hit by EHD last year. Only downfall is Jenna sat there Saturday evening and didn't see a deer, only heard one blow at her from downwind. Smoke up stupid dad!! 
Stressless
Active Member
This past weekend was one for the memory books. Over the years I have had many proud dad moments. Times when I have been proud of my kids for their grades, their success in sports, college progress and even work goals and success. I'm a simple man though and deer hunting is my life so to see my kids be successful in the deer woods is right up there at the tippity top of my proudest moments in life.
Jenna and I headed to Ohio Friday afternoon for a long weekend of bowhunting and spending quality time together. With her nursing schedule her weekend started after getting home Friday morning and she would be off for several days, so I took Monday and Tuesday off. Saturday morning for her was pretty awesome as the only thing she saw was a bobcat that spent a good amount of time checking out her boot tracks. She was so excited that made my day. We both saw deer that day and it was a success in my book.
Sunday morning I decided to hunt with her in our old cabin, just thought it would be fun and I was right. One of our rituals when hunting this end of the property is to stop where my dad's ashes are buried and have a talk with him. We asked for him to give us a good day of hunting and we noticed that all of the solar lights were bright that morning. While we were sitting in the cabin waiting for daylight I happened to notice we could see those solar lights from that far away. Said to her he was showing us the way, little did we know. That morning we saw 7 deer (2 small bucks) and I said to her that means it was going to be a lucky day, for someone.
Sunday evening Jenna decided to hunt the cabin since it was a productive morning and I decided to hunt an old ladder stand I hadn't been to yet that year, gave me a reason to inspect it and all. Around an hour before dark I got a text from her that a huge buck just came out following a doe on the other side of the cornfield she was on. Sure enough that buck started pestering does and soon followed two back behind her to the other end of the field where she could not see. Jenna then asked about grunting to see if he would come in. Mind you she normally has someone with her so all this hunting by herself was still somewhat new to her. I told her how to do it and just not over call. Nothing. Then she heard some chasing as it was getting darker and she gave it another try. Sure enough she heard big footsteps coming, around the backside of the cabin where there are no windows. There he steps out at 10 yards all bristled up and walking stiff legged. As he continued he was quartering away heading towards one of the scrapes when she let out a nice girly "meeep" as she called it, stopping him in his tracks. She took the shot and he let out a loud grunt as he took off across the cornfield. She waited for me to walk over to her after dark and we quickly found her bolt and blood. Since she was unsure of exactly where she hit we elected to go back to the house to wait a while.
While waiting you could see every single emotion from her, she wears her heart on her sleeve. The excitement, the worry, the story and all was incredible, I knew I had a big job to get done for her. We headed back out after 2 hours and got started tracking. The good blood we had right at the start quickly got thin and was a very tough track through the cut corn, weeds and bare dirt. Several times we stopped and talked about getting Mad Maxx on the phone for help. Then I would spot another speck, we started using toilet paper to mark as it was that touch and go. As we got towards the top of the field where she lost sight of him we suddenly found he was opening up. Soon we were looking up ahead and there he was laying dead. So much emotion, excitement and thanking Dad for helping us because as we stood there we quickly realized this buck died on a direct line heading to my dad's solar lights we could again see that were much closer than that morning when we were sitting in the cabin.
Thanks Dad/Grandpa, it was great to hunt with you one more time.
Jenna and I headed to Ohio Friday afternoon for a long weekend of bowhunting and spending quality time together. With her nursing schedule her weekend started after getting home Friday morning and she would be off for several days, so I took Monday and Tuesday off. Saturday morning for her was pretty awesome as the only thing she saw was a bobcat that spent a good amount of time checking out her boot tracks. She was so excited that made my day. We both saw deer that day and it was a success in my book.
Sunday morning I decided to hunt with her in our old cabin, just thought it would be fun and I was right. One of our rituals when hunting this end of the property is to stop where my dad's ashes are buried and have a talk with him. We asked for him to give us a good day of hunting and we noticed that all of the solar lights were bright that morning. While we were sitting in the cabin waiting for daylight I happened to notice we could see those solar lights from that far away. Said to her he was showing us the way, little did we know. That morning we saw 7 deer (2 small bucks) and I said to her that means it was going to be a lucky day, for someone.
Sunday evening Jenna decided to hunt the cabin since it was a productive morning and I decided to hunt an old ladder stand I hadn't been to yet that year, gave me a reason to inspect it and all. Around an hour before dark I got a text from her that a huge buck just came out following a doe on the other side of the cornfield she was on. Sure enough that buck started pestering does and soon followed two back behind her to the other end of the field where she could not see. Jenna then asked about grunting to see if he would come in. Mind you she normally has someone with her so all this hunting by herself was still somewhat new to her. I told her how to do it and just not over call. Nothing. Then she heard some chasing as it was getting darker and she gave it another try. Sure enough she heard big footsteps coming, around the backside of the cabin where there are no windows. There he steps out at 10 yards all bristled up and walking stiff legged. As he continued he was quartering away heading towards one of the scrapes when she let out a nice girly "meeep" as she called it, stopping him in his tracks. She took the shot and he let out a loud grunt as he took off across the cornfield. She waited for me to walk over to her after dark and we quickly found her bolt and blood. Since she was unsure of exactly where she hit we elected to go back to the house to wait a while.
While waiting you could see every single emotion from her, she wears her heart on her sleeve. The excitement, the worry, the story and all was incredible, I knew I had a big job to get done for her. We headed back out after 2 hours and got started tracking. The good blood we had right at the start quickly got thin and was a very tough track through the cut corn, weeds and bare dirt. Several times we stopped and talked about getting Mad Maxx on the phone for help. Then I would spot another speck, we started using toilet paper to mark as it was that touch and go. As we got towards the top of the field where she lost sight of him we suddenly found he was opening up. Soon we were looking up ahead and there he was laying dead. So much emotion, excitement and thanking Dad for helping us because as we stood there we quickly realized this buck died on a direct line heading to my dad's solar lights we could again see that were much closer than that morning when we were sitting in the cabin.
Thanks Dad/Grandpa, it was great to hunt with you one more time.
Knelly
Junior Member
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- 94
Congratulations! What a great and memorable hunt for you both.
triple_duece
Ragin Cajun.
- 9,455
- 159
Great buck and better moment in life. You couldn’t ask for a better story or outcome. You sir, doing it right! Congrats to both of you and thank pops for looking down watching his passion carry on. Excellent write up.
I have to add, she gutted him 100% on her own. Did a GREAT job too!!
