Welcome to TheOhioOutdoors
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Login or sign up today!
Login / Join

My hostility hunt

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
Well here he is! I took this buck with an arrow tonight on a hostility
hunt. I started the season spending a lot of time in one particular woods.
There were a couple of deer in this woods which I had patterned pretty well.
It looked like an early season tag would be filled. Unfortunately, there
suddenly became a lot of people in and out of the woods and as the rut
approached and the bucks got more cautious, they were either pushed onto
other properties with less human traffic or simply became nocturnal. Trail
camera pictures of the bucks all but dried up with just a few here and
there. Last week I started nailing down the routine of another nice buck on
my buddy's new property. I had seen the deer last Wednesday and hung a
stand to kill him out of on Thursday. I saw him again Thursday evening and
Friday morning. I couldn't hunt until Saturday. Saturday came and I was
sure that would be the day. There were several smaller bucks chasing does
on the land I considered "his turf" but he was nowhere to be found. I can
only guess he was bedded up with a doe. I had intended on hunting him hard
in the morning this week prior to Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, I got a
phone call this afternoon. The truck I saw parked at my buddy's place this morning
(without permission) had a hunter on the property. The guy had the nerve to
ask my buddy for permission to track it. Needless to say, the description
of the buck and the area it supposedly went after he shot it (obviously the
area he shot it while trespassing) all told me it would be pointless to hunt
that buck now.

So I called this a hostility hunt tonight. I haven't hunted my neighbor's
property across the street from me all season. The place is littered with
human traffic. Neighbor kids, and other hunters (also without permission)
have always made it tough to hunt. There are a lot of does there though,
and I needed to fill a doe tag prior to November 28 when it expires. I am a
little disappointed because it is not one of the bucks I had been patterning
and hoping for this season. I have no history of it other than a partial
picture of him on trail camera from last year (I think). As you can see,
this is a pretty nice buck, and I didn't think I should pass. I would have
loved one of the older bucks I had seen throughout the fall which were
bigger bodied and some of them had bigger racks, but I didn't think I should
pass on this guy. He is a pretty good deer. Now I just need to decide if
the argument with Erin over hanging him in the living room is worth it or
not. She swears she will not stand for two dead deer heads in the living
room. She also swore we would never have one dead deer head in the living
room! ahaha Phil


I should point out this is not Hank in the picture. We were unsure about shot placement based on what the arrow showed me. He was quartering slightly towards me and was close. The arrow went in high and came out low in the belly hair. Arrow showed no blood, just white hair and poop. My buddy came over with his dog along with a couple other friends that wanted to see the dogs work and help us search. I found my buddy's deer with Hank, but it was actually Tucker that found my deer tonight. Guess he returned the favor for me.:smiley_blink:
 

Attachments

  • DSCN1845 arrow thru antler pic.jpg
    DSCN1845 arrow thru antler pic.jpg
    51.8 KB · Views: 1,276
  • DSCN1841 Nov 21 buck.jpg
    DSCN1841 Nov 21 buck.jpg
    74.7 KB · Views: 167
  • DSCN1843 buck,Me, Daven and Tucker.jpg
    DSCN1843 buck,Me, Daven and Tucker.jpg
    67.8 KB · Views: 171

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,739
274
North Carolina
That is a fine deer there my friend.... although it may not of went your way you busted your butt and you have a fine animal to show for it.... most people would be ecstatic too have the chance for a Buck like that on the wall... lets not lose sight of that.... and good luck with the debate with the wife it was probably easier getting that deer lol... again nice work and Congrats on the season so far....
 

Gern186

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
10,171
201
NW Ohio Tundra
Way to go man! Thats a great bowkill. As far as the wife and putting the deer on the wall goes, well let me tell you my story.......I started out with 2 on the wall and now there are 6 on the wall downstairs and 2 more at the taxidermist right now! Start out slow and she will just accept it, or she will have to move out, right? Hahahaha
 

Tree Monkey

Member
1,825
0
NW ohio
I would of pulled the trigger on that dude any day!!!....Congrats on that buck...now get some coyote permission lined up...I was back home this weekend and couple guys said the yotes are out of control over there...I thought I might of heard one right before sunrise...but I wasn't sure, if it was he was off in the distance.
 

CJD3

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
14,630
201
NE Ohio
Thats a great looking deer Phil!

Congratulations and a good write-up ta boot. :smiley_blink:
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
Hell hicks.. Nothing to beat yourself up over on that deer... I would have shot him.. Twice... Dandy of a deer. Congratulations bud.
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
most people would be ecstatic too have the chance for a Buck like that on the wall... lets not lose sight of that.... and good luck with the debate with the wife it was probably easier getting that deer lol.

J- Please don't take it wrong. I am very blessed, thankful, and fortunate to have taken this deer. He wasn't my first choice, but I am not complaining. He is my first bow kill buck unless you count my bbuck from last year which made TF proud!! The Mrs? Well, I am waiting for her to say "Over my dead body!" At which point I can say, "Well, there are four walls in this room." However, maybe talk like this should be left for the shop, or the "deer porn websites" as she calls them. I love my wife, but this sucker is going to cost me the new kitchen table/chairs she has been looking at for a $1200 compromise I am afraid.

That is certainly a Rightous hunt of payback and a buck to match!

Thanks 57! I was ready to kill anything that walked by. Told my buddy via text I was killing the first deer to walk by even if it was a button buck. . . I lied. Had to use my binoculars to verify, but at 32yds I verified there was a button buck. So in all honesty, I did not kill the first one in range. I did pass on a button buck 15 minutes prior. Sorry Thunderflight, didn't mean to disappoint. Karma finally rolled back my direction I guess. haha
 

Dannmann801

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
10,640
191
Springboro
No question at all - that is an outstanding deer! Congratulations and suffice it to say I'm very happy for you.
Good pictures too!

A little channeled hostility can sometimes be a good thing:smiley_blink:
 

Kaiser878

Senior Member
2,633
97
ohio
No question at all - that is an outstanding deer! Congratulations and suffice it to say I'm very happy for you.
Good pictures too!

A little channeled hostility can sometimes be a good thing:smiley_blink:

WAY TO GO PHIL!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is a dandy! HE should be around 140 inches ehh?? Whats his spread??? Was he following does or not? That is no deer to be ashamed of, especially for a first bow kill! That is awesome! I have been pulling for you, I knew you were having the smae "people" problems I was this year! So glad to see you put a big buck down!
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
That's a heck of a deer dude. Especially for your first bow buck. Congrats dude!

First Bow Buck! Those were the words that went through my head Jesse. Nothing to complain about for a first bow buck. If I hold out for the biggest deer I have seen on camera or on the hoof every season, I will eat a tag 9/10 years if not more. I believe we had this conversation earlier this year Jesse! The fact he was on the group of properties I hunted last year with so much frustration was the other reason I was able to convince myself. To be honest, this one actually had "ground swellage" too vs. the normal "ground shrinkage".

Guys, please don't get me wrong here. This IS a nice deer. Maybe I was just going through the "letdown" of the season being pretty much over by the time I posted this last night. My euphoria had worn off. I am blessed and very thankful to have had the opportunity. I think I will go thank the good Lord again. Every time I get to hunt it is a blessing whether I see anything or not. Awesome just to be out there enjoying the outdoors! Dude like the one I killed last night walks in, and it is just a bonus! They don't walk in shooting range every day, that is for sure.