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

Sunday night IKS

Chass

Active Member
2,172
52
The Hills
So here's the write up, decided to go hunt this stand the day before as I had gotten some daylight pics of him the week before for the first time. Prior to that just a few night pictures in that area. So I wasnt expecting much of anything. Well I hunted a different stand cause that's where my millineum was and i needed it to hunt this tree. So I went and hunted, pulled the stand and the card. Got home and looked at the card and seen the big 13 was there 4 hours before I got there, so I was really wondering if I made the right call. Not only was he there but every day at least 2 shooters were showing in daylight. Here he is in all his glory.
20191102_195058.jpg
20191102_195051.jpg
20191102_195042.jpg


Alright so I had a plan for the 3rd. Go hunt in the morning by the pond and then go out to the clear cut for the evening with my millineum and hope he shows. Well I couldnt sleep for crap, woke up way before my alarm felt like crap so scrapped the morning hunt. Woman and I hung drywall instead. Nearly didnt go in the evening since it was her day off and drywall!
But I made it out, got there checked out another members 9 point he killed and chatted with them for awhile. Then started my hike out, it was about 3/4 of a mile up and down 3 ridges. They kept telling me to take their atv but everytime I'd use an ATV in years past to hunt this stand I'd not see anything so I said nope I'll tough it out and regret it all the way there but I'm doing it. Man did I get hot and sweaty, got there and didnt think it was gonna work. Wind was in my favor blowing into the clear cut to my north. Took awhile to get set up cause I was already wore out.
Maybe 2 hours after I got in the tree I see something over my right shoulder on the main trail I just walked out here on. Look over my shoulder and booner. Holy shit. Hes at 30 yards cruising away on a mission. He had been bedded down out in the neighbors clear cut. I've not seen this deer or had it on camera this year yet but man is he huge. Swords for g2s so bladed out. He walks down the trail as a 9 comes down in front of me. As soon as he heard that 9 he flipped back around, grunted and ran for the noise. I thought for sure they were gonna go at it but he must not have located the noise since he just walked up and over the ridge and eventually the 9 snuck in. He was nice, would have shot him if I hadn't just seen that giant. He eventually winded me and took off.
Was slow till about 5:20pm when I heard movement, it was obviously a buck. So I got my bow up and ready. It was a 2 year old 8. He came in and as soon as he got to 10 yards he heard another deer moving down below. Immediately he pinned his ears straight back, his back legs went stiff as boards and he started walking/dragging his back legs down towards the sound like he was gonna whoop some ass. I seen him veer off soon after, probably when he seen what was coming he wanted nothing to do with it. Not a minute later I see the exact buck I was after walking straight up at me. As soon as he had his head behind a tree I drew even though he was still facing head on. He quickly came up around that tree, turned broadside and I was waiting for the perfect shot and leaned just a little forward and the damn water bottle in my pocket cracked. Man did he turn and look right up at me quicker than shit. And as soon as we made eye contact I let er fly knowing in a split second it was gonna be over. 20 yard shot i busted him in the shoulder. He turned and i watched him run off with an arrow sticking out. Heart sunk immediately and I was worried. Heard some crashing which made it a little better.
Walked back to the pond, told the rest of the crew hunting that day. We gave it an hour figuring if I punched thru the shoulder which was likely at 20 yards hes already done. Blood was easy to follow but we started to get worried after we found he had ran thru some logs and stuff which was most likely the crashing and we found a few places where it looked like he went down and came right back up. After about 100 yards he started going back uphill and I was super worried. There were multiple "is that him?!?!" Which didnt help at all when it wasnt. The last is that him I even said no that just a stick. Then I looked around the tree and you could easily see tines and rack all over. We all ran over to it like abuncha fools hootin and hollering trying and failing at high fives and fist bumps in the dark. Amazing moment, with an amazing group of guys. 4 guys and an ATV still took us about an hour to get it back to the trucks.
20191103_191730.jpg
20191103_191720.jpg

Thanks everyone for all the congrats and everything else! Something I've been dreaming of since before I even started chasing these awesome animals.
 

Chass

Active Member
2,172
52
The Hills
It is wild how fast they can really get them on a form. Final detailing has to still go into it and drying. But those 2 deer were making scrapes 2 weeks ago.