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Mass Daddy-The Story

Buckslayer

*Supporting Member*
3,166
76
Jackson County
Mass Daddy

This year has been one of the most difficult and trying seasons in the deer woods. Frustration and exhaustion both physically and mentally begin to set in after countless hours of scouting, sitting in stands and blinds, and fighting the cold and the heat. Doubt, confusion, and the feeling of being completely overwhelmed with thoughts of the big bucks eluding you begin to take over. I have learned these are just common symptoms of deer hunting addiction. After 200+ hours in the stand spread over 48 hunts, this is the story of my largest mature whitetail.



The story actually begins in 2011 during which I attained a new piece of property to lease for hunting along with four other guys. Trail cameras were hung, mineral sites established, and I personally did not hunt this particular tract of land the entire season. Most trail cam photos showed small bucks with plenty of deer on the property. Fast forward to 2012, the same approach was taken. Minimal hunting pressure, I hunted two days the entire season on this property. I took a doe in shotgun season and I believe it was the only deer taken from the property during those two seasons. Late season trail camera survey revealed several 2.5 year old bucks which made the outlook for the 2013 season to be promising. There had been no photos or sightings of my buck at this time. While I was on a trip out of state, my dad decided to do a little shed hunting and came up with this set about 40 yards apart in a pine thicket. Not having any trail cam photos had me wondering where this deer had been hiding all year.





Spring of 2013 came with great turkey and mushroom hunting. I located this shed on the property during a mushroom hunt and I was starting to think some good bucks were making this area their home. I mixed my own minerals up and started two sites in locations I felt would hold some good deer.




As the beginning of the 2013 Ohio archery season drew near I had photos of one buck that I believed to be 3.5 that I would shoot. He was a tall 8 and at this point was my primary target as none of the other properties I hunt were producing photos. I placed two blinds in thickets on opposite sides of the farm and brushed them in.






Season had arrived, excited to be in the stand I hunted 24 times in the first month of the season without seeing a deer on 14 trips. Was my scouting really this terrible? Were the deer numbers declining so much that I was seeing this much of a change? I wasn’t sure but I was having some doubts in my techniques and tactics. I had the two blinds and two ladder stands set on the property and had hunted them 7 times in that first month without a single deer being seen. Thankfully the rut was just around the corner and I knew there would be opportunities regardless of where I hunted at seeing some mature deer.
 

Buckslayer

*Supporting Member*
3,166
76
Jackson County
Oct 28th and Nov 3rd were the magical days in my neck of the woods for mature buck movement as my trail cams on multiple properties recorded photos of mature bucks in daylight.










As soon as I saw this buck with all the mass I knew it was the deer we had picked the sheds up from earlier in the spring. My first photos of him in three years on the property. I was ecstatic to have a good number of bucks to go after. I began my vacation on Oct 29th with high hopes. 17 hunts later and the date is Nov 8th with many sightings of decent deer including the ten point with the long kicker. Heading back to work I was exhausted and gloomy for the outlook of the weeks to come. I knew I had to get my shotgun sighted and ready to go. I had already set in my mind tag soup was on the agenda for this year.

Tuesday evening 11/12 I headed to the stand with a bit of snow on the ground. That evening I saw the largest buck I had seen in person while hunting. It was the monster 10 that would be pushing 170. Thursday morning I headed out to the blind for a short hunt and to check my trail cam. After being winded by a couple doe, I decided to leave the blind at 10 AM and head home for lunch in order to make it to the stand early in hopes of seeing the big 10 on a different property. I slid the camera card in the computer upon arrival home and this is what I saw. I decided to sleep in the next morning Fri 11/15 and head out for an all-day sit in the blind based on the photos from the previous day. My friend Ryan had texted me Thursday afternoon inviting me to golf on Friday. I responded “Nope gotta hunt”. “Figures” he said. Little did we know at that time.



Waking up at 8:30 AM I could not wait to get into the blind. I was hopeful this was the day. I knew working the next three days and with the rut beginning to wind down my chances were dwindling. I arrived to the blind around 10 AM to have a deer standing in front of the blind. “Great, here we go again” I thought to myself as I settled in for the 8 hour hunt. Thankfully, the deer were not spooked and within the first hour I had seen two doe and a nice 2.5 year old 8 point. By noon, I had seen a button buck and another 1.5 year old 8 point. My view from the blind of the small 8 point.



Around 12:15 PM I decided to stand and stretch my legs and use the plastic bottle restroom. I also decided to shoot off the remaining half of my buck bomb dominant buck scent and close the top window of my blind as I felt too much light was coming in. I settled back in and was texting a few friends when from the corner of my eye out of the blind window I caught antlers moving. I immediately recognized the mass and went into autopilot. With my bow already resting with the stabilizer on one side of my leg and the limb on the other I quickly snapped my release onto my string loop. The buck had come in from my left with his head down and was standing broadside at 15 yards. As I came to full draw and with this deer at close range he surely must have heard something as his head came up in the direction of the blind. Thoughts shot through my head. “Look through the peep”, “Wow his body is huge”, “Anchor points”, “He heard something”, “Shoot now” in a matter of a second. The arrow was on its way. Thwack! I saw the arrow enter behind the shoulder a few inches and above midline of the body. He wheeled and ran directly away from me over the hill. All was silent, I replayed the shot in my head. I felt I had shot him too far back and high in my rush.

I tried to gather my thoughts and emotions. What had just happened? I can’t believe it. I just shot one of the biggest deer I have on camera and definitely one of the oldest. I sat there and took some deep breaths collecting myself. I looked at my phone- 12:48 PM. He had been there less than 20 seconds before I shot. I stepped from the blind at 1:04 to see a spike standing not 20 yards away. I walked over to the impact location looking for any sign of blood or my arrow. I did not see the arrow at first and assumed it had flown into the brush. I found blood immediately. I only followed blood the first 10 yards of the trail.



I walked out to my truck to charge my phone and give this buck plenty of time. I texted my buddy Joe. “Wake up bro. I gotta look for a deer.” He responded “Im up now just walked outside. Did you shoot one?” I quickly said “I shot mass daddy”. That’s when he called and agreed to drive down to meet me. At 2 PM he arrived and we found my arrow just 5 yards from where I had shot him. It was end to end in bright red blood and I knew we had a dead deer. After walking 20 yards from the location I left blood we came upon a massive blood trail through the pine needles coming from both sides. Another 20-30 yards through the nasty pines and briars I saw him piled up and the celebration began. This is when I first laid hands on him.

 

Buckslayer

*Supporting Member*
3,166
76
Jackson County
This buck is for sure the buck of a lifetime for me and I have never been more thrilled and thankful for the opportunity to hunt and spend time in the outdoors. I feel as if it was a long fought battle this season to find a good buck and in the end I was able to prevail. I realize that hunting is not about the kill, but more so about the adventure and that harvesting a buck is not everything. I think I forgot that at times when I was in the middle of 4 days hunting and not seeing a single deer. The truth is to enjoy every minute your able to hunt because it is truly a blessing and I thank God every day for the gift He has given me.




This buck will either score approx. 153 or 158 gross depending on how it is scored with the questionable common base tine. His dressed weight was 200 lbs. I will certainly have him officially scored after the 60 day drying period and will post the official score and mount photos when I get them. He is a 12 point with 7 on the right and 5 on the left. He has split brows which have interesting cupping on the main beam adjacent to them. This buck will forever hold a special place in my heart just as every buck does. Having multiple photos and the sheds from the previous year definitely add a special touch. How many days until next deer season?









This photo was certainly taken within a couple seconds of the shot for when I drew was the first time his head came up.



A fellow hunter also had a photo of him from earlier that week on the morning snow had fallen.

 

Milo

Tatonka guide.
8,184
157
Hell if a deer and I will say this much. I sure as he'll would not want to be a sapling in your woods with that much bone walking around!
 

Huckleberry Finn

Senior Member
15,973
135
That is awesome, I can't imagine being able to put that much time into hunting. It certainly paid off with an awesome buck.

Question for you, I remember that you shot your buck last year (or two years ago, in the beans?) out of a blind as well. Why do you prefer that over tree stands? It seems like it's working!
 

Buckslayer

*Supporting Member*
3,166
76
Jackson County
That is awesome, I can't imagine being able to put that much time into hunting. It certainly paid off with an awesome buck.

Question for you, I remember that you shot your buck last year (or two years ago, in the beans?) out of a blind as well. Why do you prefer that over tree stands? It seems like it's working!

Mostly correct, I shot a 130 10 point in a turnip plot from a blind on the 7th day of season. I like being in a stand just because I can hear and see much more, but this blind thing seems to be working out, also cuts down on scent dispersion. May need to invest in some more blinds.
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,855
260
SW Ohio
Awesome write up Seth!!! Outstanding from beginning to end! I have to say though, you have a lot of great deer running on that property!!! Don't ever lose it! Unbelievable mature bucks!!!!

You definitely killed a hoss! Way to stick with it and kudos on your attitude about the hunt! Congratulations again and thanks for sharing your season!
 

Fullbore

Senior Member
6,439
126
South Eastern Ohio
Great story, Seth. I enjoyed it from start to finish.
I was pressed with your mature buck portfolio! You have some really nice bucks to hunt. Congrats again on your successful harvest, of a true giant. Awesome and well done!
 

Kaiser878

Senior Member
2,633
97
ohio
Awesome story And awesome deer Seth.......and I can't believe how many big deer you have had on camera. Holy schnikies....
 

themedic

Junior Member
755
0
OHIO
Great write up Seth. How close to where you killed him were the sheds found?
What are your plans for getting him mounted?
 

aholdren

Senior Member
Supporting Member
5,178
151
South East Ohio
Wow what a Buck, and a great run down on how your season progressed. Thanks for sharing, congrats on being able to harvest such an awesome animal.