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Mason's buck 2018

brock ratcliff

brock ratcliff

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Mason killed his 2018 buck last night, and it's a pretty good one. I am elated for him, but a little sad that I wasn't there to see it. It's only the second time he has killed a deer when I wasn't in the woods with him. A couple of years ago I dropped him off at a stand he had selected and went on to the pizza shop after knowing he was settled safely. He texted within the hour that time after having shot a doe. I felt much the same then, knowing I had missed out on something yet proud that my kid had stepped out on his own to pursue his passion. We want our kids to grow up and flourish on their own, but when they actually start doing it, we feel a little left behind. Like anything, actually reaching a goal in life is not necessarily as fun as pursuing it.

I've been working a lot the last several months and haven't had the time I'd like to spend fishing or hunting. It's just one of those times in life. Anyway, Mason is not old enough to drive, but his best buddy, Josh is. They have been hunting together a lot the last couple of years. Mason tried his best last season to help Josh kill a good one but it just didn't work out. So this year is much the same, Mason would honestly rather see Josh kill a nice buck than to shoot one himself. With that in mind, earlier in the season Mason took Josh out to the "gar hole" farm. Mason put Josh in the stand from which he shot his first buck several years ago. Mason opted to stay on the ground a little farther out the ridge from Josh. This particular ridge always holds a good buck early in the season, it's just one of those places. Mason's vantage point provided some great information. He had three does come by at close range, but did not shoot. Soon after, he saw a good buck working a scrape below him at about 30 yards. He eventually had a shot opportunity, but he didn't like it due to the deer's angle and let him go on his way.

Continued shortly....
 
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brock ratcliff

brock ratcliff

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Josh had also seen the buck as he passed by well out of range of his stand. They were both pretty excited to have seen him and relayed the story to me. I happened to know from the story exactly where the deer had gone through and asked Mason if there was a rub line. There was, there always is, and this guy had traveled the trail it was on. That made me pretty excited knowing this early in the year the deer was likely to do the same thing repeatedly. A couple of days later, Mason and I went back in there in hopes of catching him doing the same thing. Mason planned to set up with a better shooting lane but after looking around he settled on the same location. I was higher on the ridge, trying to stay out of his way but still be fairly close. At dark, Mason said it was essentially the same scenario he had previously. A good buck had gotten by again because Mason was not happy with the shot he was presented.
Of course I was anxious to move in there again as he had stumbled onto an obvious pattern. A day or so later we tried to slip in but bumped a shooter as we crossed a fence 50 yards or so from where Mason had the earlier encounters. We sat until dark anyway, seeing only a doe at last light. It wasn't a wasted trip. I looked around from my position and did a little thinking. We would change our approach.

Continued shortly...
 
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brock ratcliff

brock ratcliff

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We have not spent a great deal of time hunting this piece for the last several years. Back in the day the rub line these bucks have been following seemed to just disappear over the ridge somewhere. I never followed it as it crossed over onto property I did not have permission on.... the same property I now lease. I told Mason we needed to sneak in there as I thought I knew where those bucks were heading and I wanted to hang a camera. Unfortunately, the only time I had to get up there and explain to Mason where I wanted him to sit was late one evening. We only had about 30 minutes until dark by the time we snuck in the back door and up the skinny ridge where those bucks were heading. I didn't even get the camera set up! But what we did find was a great location, precisely where both of those bucks were heading! Mason picked out a good log to sit on that evening and he had a far better idea of where he needed to be.

Yesterday, Josh and Mason wanted to hunt. We have not been out to the gar hole for several days but we hoped one of the bucks would come through yet again. I gave Mason a camera and told him to hang it on trail the bucks are using to come off the ridge. I suggested they be in position no later than 5 and I went on to work. At 535 I got a text from Mason saying he had hung the cam and was settled in on the log. He called me at 547 saying he had shot one of the bucks! Lol

So Mason's story was this; As soon as he and Josh set up, (10 yards apart on the ground), a doe walked right up to them. She walked off. Within a few minutes, Josh spotted the buck coming up the rub. He was within ten yards of Mason at one point, 30 or so from Josh, but Josh could not shoot due to brush. The deer hung around for a time but eventually spooked, snorted and bounded off. Mason stood up on the fallen log, gave the buck a "MEEEEE", and he stopped, just beyond a fencepost that Mason had just ranged at 50 yards. Josh recounted that he thought it was over when the deer took off but then saw Mason stand like an Indian, talked the deer into stopping, drew his bow, and launched a perfect arrow into the deer's heart. The deer ran 60-70 yards before expiring. Those boys have a heck of a lot fun together!

Continued shortly....
 
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brock ratcliff

brock ratcliff

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I guess I will finish this off with a few pics. Didn’t have any trail cam pics because Mason killed him before he made it to the camera. These pics are Josh and Mason obviously, and Mason and Josh’s little sister, Regan. Incidentally, I refer to her as my daughter in law. :). She is a part of the story. She and Mason are in constant contact and we’re text when the buck came in. Lol. If he were already married to her, he wouldn’t let his hunt get distracted.
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F

Floki

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Awesome write up. That’s a heck of a Deer. Seeing them young boys smile like that is priceless! In the sense if they were both in the middle of the deer in the picture, you really wouldn’t know who got that deer. They were taught right.. Congrats👍
 
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