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I did a little something last night, meet Fred!

JOHNROHIO

Participation Trophy Winner
2,851
149
After several days of multiple close encounters, some for several hours at a time, And many of them with bow in hand unable to move. I was fortunate enough to kill Fred!
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Now the fine print of this deer may read something like, may include little sleep, lack of showering, clothes that you didn’t know could smell so bad no matter how much smoke you put on them. 5 encounters in 11 days, missing an inch low 3 days prior to success, Oh and you will have to fight off Yellow Jackets in your pants stinging you and there’s not shit you can do about it.

I had only deer hunted 4 times leading up October 30th, being the start of time away from work. During one of those hunts Fred appeared a mere 40 yards from me, out of small woodlot. I quickly stood with bow in hand. Watching as he worked a scrape between the woodlot and a small cornfield. He then proceeded to turn and come towards me then stepping back into the corn to disappear. At that time he was just a large frame 8 until the 30th the start of my vacation. I was hunting that evening bored to tears glassing from the same stand, as I looked across a pond there he was getting a drink. I thought to myself “ well Fred’s up” laughing at the fact I arbitrarily just named a deer Fred. Once again he had made his way around, appearing in the same spot same routine, no shot once again.

Fast forward I scrambled hunting day and night for several days trying to locate Fred as he disappeared from that area. This particular farm is 200 acres of about a total 500 acres of land mass road to road on all 4 sides of typical flat lander ag land big fields of standing corn and cut beans with small wood lots connected by overgrown fence rows.

11-7, I had moved to the NE corner of this same pond with an old cattle lane separating me and a heavy overgrown fence row from a 20 acre woods that had been logged years back and ungodly undergrowth growing. As the evening went on the deer were doing what deer do this time of year. Working scrapes checking hoes and feeding. When all of a sudden I catch Fred moving through the shit to the north away from me. Nothing I could do I just watched as he disappeared. Roughly an hour later I’m glassing deer to the south to turn and find Fred standing 30 yds to my left. Unprepared, I swiftly pull my bow from being shoved in the base of my stand. Quickly Evaluating a shot, as he slowly walks in front of me at less than 15 yds, I put tension on the string. Finding my anchor and picking my spot that arrow was in flight. Forgetting the key words in my head for my sequence, “ Don’t Fuck This Up” dropping my arm that arrow flew an inch under his chest. He stopped to look for the branch that nearly hit him, looking around then walking off before I could grasp another arrow.

11-8, same wind and knowing the area he was last known to be in, that morning I burned it to the same tree that I left my stand hanging in from the night prior. 0 dark 30 I was settled. As daylight broke I started to have a parade of of young bucks around me. Soon spotting Fred , he was 60 yrds in front of me in the overgrown fences with a doe. It’s heavy 20 yrds wide of briars. I had apparently slipped right by in the dark with the wind and noise of the four lane that borders the backside of the farm.
This is the painstaking 4 hour close encounter part. It was just that, I could do nothing but watch as he kept all the little bastards away from his new girlfriend. Several times she would break away, creating a chaos. taking off into the thick woods to the north with a trail of 5-7 bucks. I would just keep scanning for Fred’s big white antlers bounding back and forth as he would show in between the trees. Standing with bow in hand waiting for my chance the whole time.
Eventually he was able to separate her and bring her right back to the row 60 yds in front of me. Shortly after making it back, all that running makes you thirsty. He pushes her to the pond i so happen to be next to. Standing bow in hand trying to figure shit out. Fred puts her in the cattails 20 yards to my right. Fantastic you’d think, just feeding,drinking having a good Ol time 18 yds next to me🙄. The canopy in my tree would require me to get on my knees to shoot. All good but, for the fact I couldn’t move. Remember the 5 trailing bucks?, yeah they are standing under me. All I could do is stand and watch, slipping my phone out and holding it at my waist to take a video.
20 minutes later he pops up to run off a few bucks , with a quick chance I once again tension that string finding my anchor, he was just to fast through the softball size opening I had in the canopy, I let down without getting a shot. Looking for my next opportunity that wouldn’t happen that morning. She once again decided to split in the commotion. I was not able to lay eyes on him the rest of the day.

11-9, same tree same easterly wind. Being confident he would still be in the area, hunting sign, sign doesn’t get much better than 2 days of eyes on deer.
In the last hour of the day,
once again see those white antlers coming through the green briars “ Fred’s up” now I had another buck with a doe in the same row 60 yds out as Fred the day before. He was a dandy of a 9
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however I was to invested in this stupid deer I called Fred. It’s all about the story and I wanted to finish this story.
The way Fred was coming in I was sure he was coming to challenge for a fresh girl.

Watching painfully through binoculars I realize he once again already had one wrapped around his arms. And it was apparent she either was wanting the pond or the cut corn field to feed. Long story short as they approached the 40-50 mark I was up once again bow in hand playing out my moves. Each day that wind became a little more less in my favor. Remember that lack of showering and clothes that could stand up on their own… yeah that wind swirled a little in her favor giving her just enough to get uncomfortable. Getting her to slowly turn and take him back from where they came.
 
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JOHNROHIO

Participation Trophy Winner
2,851
149
11-10, the day I was supposed to be back to work😉. I gave it up the night before foolishly thinking I was gonna trick myself into going to work, I even took my stand down the night before in full commitment.


as I was sitting in my recliner drinking coffee the time had passed that I would normally have left to go hunting. My mind was racing 3 days 1 missed shot and 3 encounters. I just need one more shot! At that point I was 30 minutes behind when my glaucoma kicked in and I was off.

Knowing I wasn’t gonna make it to where I wanted I just grabbed a preset I had up to observe for the morning. At 11 I got down to grab a snack and evaluate what I wanted to do. The wind was all south but at the last part of the day going to get some eastern back in it.
It’s the last chance I need to push, whats the worst that happens I don’t kill Fred!


i decided I needed to come in from the 4 lane on the backside, catching a ride and being dropped off and so I went. I’ll find a tree in the west side of that north woods. Once I got in there I couldn’t find an option nothing! Looking across that woods at that lone pin oak I had spent so much time in, she was glorious just calling me to come back home. I would drop back over to the 4 lane catch the pond edge and make my way.


Yellow Jackets, as I start my climb, I carry 3 sticks and I do all in one fail swoop, sticks hang from belt and stand on my back, I do all in one trip up. I’d just hung my second stick, I can feel something in my pant leg and at that time I’m hanging halfway up this tree all my gear on me one stick and stand to go. I had obviously stepped in a nest on my way in and the proceed to start stinging the shit out of my leg and knee. Not a fucking thing I could do, let go…. I don’t thinks so I’m not falling out of this tree. I couldn’t do shit till I got that last stick and stand hung. At which point I quickly got in s squashing them in my pants till I could get them out😂.


Dont worry I’m gonna kill him soon!

After getting settled doing what we do, check phone , relax look around. I look up to see those antlers that have become so familiar to me over the last 3 days prior. Doing what he does protecting his prized possession, 100 yrds away on a field edge. I look at my phone 1640, Ive got about an hour and a half to make this last go. As I watched I made the decision if nothing happens in 45 minutes, I’m going after him. Once again what’s the worst that happens, I have a good story.


same shit different day, he’s got a posse watching for their chance. And once again she breaks, up and down back and forth. Once again I’m just trying to keep up with Fred. I know it sound crazy but guys that hunt this stuff understand. Big field little wood lots. You can watch them running everywhere. She comes screaming into the northern woods, zig zagging with little guys running all over trying to keep up.


After what seemed like forever she lost all of them running right past me heading south down an old four wheeler trail along the pond. One by one the bucks start filtering out dumbfounded running different ways trying to pick up her scent. Every single one of them came out but Fred. I madly scanning looking for him bow in hand. When 40 yrds in front of me he popped out of that woods. Just walking as if he doesn’t have anything left in him.


Stopped looking left and right not known where to go, I’m screaming in my head Right you want to come right! And….. he did. Again, I’m putting tension on that string as he’s stubble stepping towards me. I’m scanning for an opening, I got a basketball size hole in the direction he’s heading at 18 yrds I quickly look back at him picking my spot burning a hole in him, with my fingers buried into my teeth at full draw, with that arrow in flight as soon as he stumbles into that opening. Going fletchings deep into the spot I burned into his rib cage, On a death run crashing in that cut corn field.


looking down at my phone it was 1710! All of that, that seemed like eternity was over in 30 minutes.


40 minutes later I was sitting by his side , soaking it all in. Thinking about the last 11 days and how it all had become a blur…All over one single deer, and what a ride it had been.
 
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"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
59,044
288
North Carolina
Another epic hunt, John! You are definitely on a whole different level when it comes too hunting mature bucks! Kudos too another beautiful buck… Very proud of your achievements and you should as well! Congrats buddy!
 
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