Seek One's Lee Ellis

[bowhunter1023]

Does it again and this time, it resulted in a 2 hour and 22 minute film. It has 500K views in 48 hours and once again, Ohio is home to his story. He also killed a giant on public land in Kansas this year. Lots of debate about him being the "best" free range whitetail hunter in America right now. I think that's lofty praise, but there's no denying Lee's work ethic and passion. He 1, 000% earned this deer and went to a level of effort in the pursuit that many guys won't, even for a 212" buck.

I've been watching this in chunks and it's worth it my opinion. His insight on this deer is pretty cool and I think even the common man hunting common deer can learn from listening to his thoughts.

 

[bigten05]

I got told I was a nut hugger last year when people were bashing him. I told them they couldn't do what he does because they don't have the discipline and drive he does. I do think he is a generally good person and it's not just a show for TV. He gets it done everywhere not just when he's in the suburbs.

 

[Jackalope]

I got told I was a nut hugger last year when people were bashing him. I told them they couldn't do what he does because they don't have the discipline and drive he does. I do think he is a generally good person and it's not just a show for TV. He gets it done everywhere not just when he's in the suburbs.

It's an easy formula that doesn't take much more dedication than most have when it comes to the actual hunting part. Where guys differ is mainly the ability to make it a career and not be bothered by a pesky job that isn't hunting. The rest is a formula as old as TV hunting shows, pay for leads on big deer, pay for access, and the rest is ass in a stand. His model differs from most of the old heads in that they had a network of outfitters who once they had a big one they celebrity shop for the highest bidder. The guy who writes the biggest check films the episode. He seems to target more leads from individuals who knows where a big deer is but can't hunt it, then its a matter of looking over the neighboring properties and knocking on the right doors with a checkbook. The Eskers were very consistent in using a similar model except instead of paying for leads they drove around and scoured neighborhood FB groups. The rest was the same though, the ole checkbook. It's a shift in the traditional business model that's served him well. Not saying he hasn't learned, or doesn't know, a thing or two about deer, just the greatest factor that separates him from your average hunter is a checkbook. On a side note, The area between Xenia and Marrysville is the biggest secret in whitetail hunting IMO.

 

[Wiley E Coyote]

I enjoyed that! Was a fun watch! Far better than anything on any of the outdoor channels we pay to watch. Even if it wasn't a world class deer I enjoyed it. I get it! and I love his passion that's why he is so successful. Great job and very deserving!

 

[Wiley E Coyote]

Money and cell cameras and probably a drone played a big part and tagging that buck but he did nothing illegal it seems and put in a lot of effort that payed off. Congratulations! Id like to have a hunting partner with his drive and passion to hunt with.

 

[giles]

I have time, tuned in. He just found the sheds! I won't get anything else done until this is over. Lol

 

[at1010]

I watched a good bit of it. Dude gets a lot of hate.

However, let’s face it. That son of a gun puts in the miles, knocking on doors, etc.

I don’t have many hobbies other than farming for deer, gardening and hunting deer. But between those hobbies - there is nothing and I mean nothing that is more toxic than the jealousy that comes from a deer hunter who had had success. The saddest part is it always comes from his/her own kind - other hunters.

Many who complain won’t knock on 2 doors for permission in their own town, let alone drive 9 hours multiple times a year - to kill a specific deer.

my 2 cents.

 

[giles]

Outstanding footage and 2.5 hours of my life. Outstanding deer. I loved the edit of him tucking the tongue, the prayer, the showing of the delivery of donuts and beer. I loved it all. I liked this so much better than the city hunts. He 100% has changed my mind on how I feel about him. That was class act all the way. Even the measuring comments I could relate to. I never thought I could share a table with any of these guys, that has changed with this video.

Oh, and the story about the pants. Loved it!

 

[jagermeister]

The more videos I watch from Lee Ellis, the bigger fan of him I become. I don’t know whether money is involved in obtaining his permissions or not, or how much, but honestly it really doesn’t matter to me. He hunts smart, he hunts hard, and puts in a stupid amount of time and effort to kill these deer. If that’s not respectable I don’t know what is.

My son and I just happened to have this video fall in our laps within minutes of it going live the other day. We watched it from start to finish. I can honestly say it’s one of the best, if not the best, deer hunting related video I’ve ever watched. Everything from the discovery, the build-up, the planning, to the hunt and the shot itself… I was glued to it to the very end. For most of my life, “hunting shows” have always followed the same basic script… 20 minutes of advertisements and 10 minutes of hunting, for a 30 minute complete episode. This 2 hour 20+ minute video from Seek One was an awesome way to stray from the norm, in my opinion. When you can keep a 40 year old AND a 7 year old glued to a deer hunt on the TV for over two hours, you are absolutely 100% doing something right. It really says a lot.

For anyone who hasn’t watched it yet, I strongly recommend you carve out some time in your schedule and do it. It’s well worth it.

 

[giles]

On top of that, JB, it was informational. After reading my reply again and yours, that chunk is missing. He gave up a ton of information on how he does it. So for, it became very motivating.

 

[jagermeister]

On top of that, JB, it was informational. After reading my reply again and yours, that chunk is missing. He gave up a ton of information on how he does it. So for, it became very motivating.

Oh yea, 100%.

My favorite part about it was that deer was literally killable by anyone. He survived in a tiny island of habitat that was completely overalooked. I’ve seen this scenario play out time and time again… giant deer living right under people’s noses.

 

[WoodCoDep]

Very good watch..i really like the seek one guys. Part of me is jealous not to have the lifestyle to hunt basically 24/7, on the other hand something he said stuck out to me. He's never been married, never had kids, so that kill was the greatest thing that's happened for him. Thats kind of sad to me in a way. Family is the trade I wouldn't make for what he does or what he has. In other words I'll have to settle for my working class bucks and getting the kids on dinks or whatever makes them happy. Which in turn makes me happy. I think most of us do the best we can with the options we have.

 

[GoetsTalon]

Yeah I don't know. I never heard of the guy before this thread. I'm kind of gun shy on these big deer guys. You get caught up in the story and all of a sudden shit comes out on how it was poached. Not saying this is the case with this guy but it seems to be the norm.

 

[Jackalope]

Oh yea, 100%.

My favorite part about it was that deer was literally killable by anyone. He survived in a tiny island of habitat that was completely overlooked. I’ve seen this scenario play out time and time again… giant deer living right under people’s noses.

Years ago I parked at a popular parking spot at Deer Creek in Pickaway County. Right by the creek on the north end. There is a foot traffic-only path that exits the parking lot on the east side and goes north along the field. I decided to cut across the field to the fencerow maybe 500 years west. My path took me by a small 20×20 circle of brush and saplings in the middle of the field. Within 200 yards of the parking lot. After I passed it a deer blew up and ran out the backside. Probably a 150 buck was lying in that circle Watching the parking lot.

 

[hickslawns]

I believe that happens more often than we would imagine, Joe. Heavily hunted 25-50-75-100 acre woods. Park next to a 1-2 acre thicket/patch of woods where the king of the neighborhood resides. Probably watches the hunters walk by regularly. Lol

 

[giles]

He also knew to stay the hell out of it. That is a major part that most have a huge problem with.

 

[CritterGitterToo]

I finally watched it. It's a LOT. The videography is on point, not perfect, but damn good!! A part of me feels like he could have chopped it down and made it a bit less of a production, but then I realize that there are so many parts of the story that leaving some out would have diminished the end result. My favorite part is when he obtains permission from the place he kills it, he called it a bread crumb yet he showed genuine excitement about it. I don't think that was a re-shoot or edit in. I feel it was in the moment and genuine! How many guys completely disregard 2.5 acres plots? Plus, there's 980 other little tidbits about hunting, about deer behavior, about what you can get away with in June, but ya can't in October! Heck, even just recognizing to NOT put out a corn pile! Add up all the small details about the discovery, the diligence to pursue the sheds with reckless abandon, the surveying throughout the summer, and then the go find him after he left that soybean summer range. Plus, he lives 9.5 hours away! Just wow!!

The biggest advantage he has over most folks is time. For example, I have 9-5 job, kids, family, and life in general. I can't drop and go at a moment notice and 99% of folks can't. However, even if you handed most dudes the free time, the money for gas and trail cams etc, they wouldn't have his drive and discipline to do it within 60 minutes of their driveway! Most folks get 1 or 2 no's and go home.

 

[Big_Holla]

I’ve been on a SeekOne binge this weekend ever since watching that video. I hadn’t even watched the entire drug city Ohio buck in its entirety and I recall that was the fist time I subscribed to their page. As CGT just said many wouldn’t put that kind of effort in even if they were 60 minutes away. Sure, bait is involved in their hunts in some way but to see them put the efforts into finding these deer and narrowing things down to their core areas at different times of year sure is something! It’s something that many of us simply don’t do even on the properties we hunt every year.

 

[Floki]

I don’t watch any of these shows anymore. Kids played a couple videos in man cave of these so called pros,it was just disgusting imho.

It’s about as fake as WWE wrestling.

Theys guys say they are pros no they just write checks. None of it is even close to what an average hunter experiences .

As I told the kids these guys are fishing in ponds that are full of 10lb -12bass lower end of scale in there pond is a 5 lb bass.

It all boils down to how munch money you spend.

Come fish my pond /woods it holds 5lb bass 5 lb being huge but doesn’t hold 10lb per se.

Come pull that 10 lb bass out of the pond show me your a pro when there is not one in the pond etc.

Nothing pro in writing checks . Dunno to me it’s all fake .

There are many great hunters out there way better than most these goons that have never killed a 150 deer because their property doesn’t have them.

I believe the last video kids played was a guy shooting a 200 inch deer with a recurve out of a tower stand in the middle of a corn field .

Pros not in my book . Wealthy and having fun I guess so. All good but Pro doesn’t fit in with me.

Like I said it’s about as fake as WWE wrestling.
They travel around week to week hunt know what they are going to shoot and make a show out of it.

To be honest killing 5 160s a year. A couple 150s and a 200 inch. Wouldn’t give me much motivation to hunt the following year .

To each their own tho. Just don’t label a fella a pro for writing checks. A 5 year old that is blind in one eye. And legless could go out and do the same damn thing they are doing. Write the check give the location.

I will say I did appreciate Tred Bartas show. I believe his show was one of the best feel for what he went through.

 

[LonewolfNopack]

I don’t watch any of these shows anymore. Kids played a couple videos in man cave of these so called pros,it was just disgusting imho.

It’s about as fake as WWE wrestling.

Theys guys say they are pros no they just write checks. None of it is even close to what an average hunter experiences .

As I told the kids these guys are fishing in ponds that are full of 10lb -12bass lower end of scale in there pond is a 5 lb bass.

It all boils down to how munch money you spend.

Come fish my pond /woods it holds 5lb bass 5 lb being huge but doesn’t hold 10lb per se.

Come pull that 10 lb bass out of the pond show me your a pro when there is not one in the pond etc.

Nothing pro in writing checks . Dunno to me it’s all fake .

There are many great hunters out there way better than most these goons that have never killed a 150 deer because their property doesn’t have them.

I believe the last video kids played was a guy shooting a 200 inch deer with a recurve out of a tower stand in the middle of a corn field .

Pros not in my book . Wealthy and having fun I guess so. All good but Pro doesn’t fit in with me.

Like I said it’s about as fake as WWE wrestling.
They travel around week to week hunt know what they are going to shoot and make a show out of it.

To be honest killing 5 160s a year. A couple 150s and a 200 inch. Wouldn’t give me much motivation to hunt the following year .

To each their own tho. Just don’t label a fella a pro for writing checks. A 5 year old that is blind in one eye. And legless could go out and do the same damn thing they are doing. Write the check give the location.

I will say I did appreciate Tred Bartas show. I believe his show was one of the best feel for what he went through.

Agree with all that.