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Cotty, Old Scout, Kody, and Klay

cotty16

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
Been super busy at work, but caught a slow moment and figured I'd start my journal up a little late.

So far I've been out with Klay once, Kody once, and myself 7 times.

My seat time, and the boys, was severely hampered by junior high football season, but things should pick up for us in regard to getting out now. Football is over. Bad news is, Klay plays basketball for the 7th grade and that's gonna really hinder him getting out. But, I'm thrilled he's involved in so much.

Planning on hitting it this evening. I'll be in a tree while my dad and Kody will be in a blind.

In regard to hunting, nothing much to report as of yet, but I've been seeing deer. That's always good.

AM Sits: 1
PM Sits: 9
Hours on Stand: 21
Doe Sightings: 12
Buck Sightings: 3
Shooters: 0
Coyotes: 1
 

brock ratcliff

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
24,834
247
Looking forward to seeing how this season works out for you fellas. It'll be hard to top last year!
 

cotty16

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
I had some action yesterday. 1 mama doe was feeding and two yearlings came running in and started feeding off of her.

Kody and my dad had 4 doe in sight, but nothing in range.

AM Sits: 1
PM Sits: 10
Hours on Stand: 24
Doe Sightings: 19
Buck Sightings: 3
Shooters: 0
Coyotes: 1
 

RedCloud

Super Moderator
Super Mod
17,381
193
North Central Ohio
At least you guys are starting to see some deer. I hope you all get a crack at something soon buddy. If I was you I would have old scout show you where to sit and take him along with ya lol.
 

cotty16

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
Been awhile since I updated! I can't remember everything, so I'll go back just a few days:

Friday November, 7: Took the day off work and toughed it out in the wind, rain, sleet, snow, sleet, rain, sleet, more wind... Hunted from daybreak to noon on one property. Had a young 8 come by at 20 yards around 8:30. Too bad it wasn't big poppa. Also had a spike, a doe, and (last count) 24 hens. The afternoon I relocated and was back in the saddle by 1:00. Saw two doe. Dang...

Saturday, November, 8: Another all day hunt. Produced a small buck and a few doe. Frustration setting in. Lockdown???

Sunday November, 9: Got up late and hit the woods at 8:00. Used climber for first time in about 3 years. Outta practice. Shimmied up tree. sat down. 15 minutes later... gotta shit. Try to hold it. Not happening. Shimmy back down. Shit. Fugg it, hunt from ground in thicket for two hours. See one doe. Miracle. Head home. Regroup.
Around noon head back out and relocate a stand. I decided to hunt that stand that same day. I see a small buck.
In the meantime, across the field Klay is sitting with my dad. I get a text from my dad that a nice buck entered the field a couple hundred yards away from them is possibly heading my way. I wait til 5:15 and never see him. I figure he is between us in the big pasture so I text my dad that I'm going to get down and see if I can run him their way before shooting light is gone.
As I sneak out into the pasture I see a doe feeding. She is about 40 yards and pays me no mind with the wind in my favor. I take a couple more steps and see the back of a dark deer between her and I. I hit a knee, raise the binos and wait for it to lift its head. When he finally does... nice buck! He's at 30 yards and directly facing me. He doesn't know what to make of me and starts walking my way... 20 yards. I ready myself as he is a nice 8... however, I'm unsure if he's what I want. I remind myself that he's not a "WOW" buck and lower my bow. He takes a few more steps... stops... snorts and runs. Never offered a broadside anyway.
I text my dad that I almost got a shot and I begin walking back to the truck. I then get a text from him that Klay almost got a shot. What?!?!? It wasn't that buck I just saw. he ran the wrong way.
When we meet at the truck my dad said another 8 came out into the field (they're set up exactly where Klay got his 10 last year) and stands 40 yards broadside. Klay is at full draw, but in the fading light he said he never felt comfortable with locating his pin on him. DANG! I must say though, I'm pretty proud of a 12 year old boy not taking a risky shot.
So, Sunday went by but not without some serious excitement to end the day.

Monday, November 10: Back in the new spot. Kody is across the field today in the spot Klay sat in. Klay is at basketball. I'm sick because a really nice 8 came in and stopped at 20 yards. I was going to have Kody with me, but figured he should go with my dad since Klay had so much action the night before. So, I watch the 8 walk off. Kody saw three doe and a spike.

Tuesday, November 11: New spot again. Kody elects to go home after school. Dumbass...
As I'm walking in, the 8 from the day before jumps up out a bed with a doe. they were bedded at 40 yards from my stand. 10 minutes later, he comes back and walks by at 25 yards. I take a pic and text Kody, "Your fault, not mine!"
About 30 minutes later, I look down past the ridge the 8 walked along into the creek bottom and see a nice buck standing in the creek looking around. I pull the binos up and he looks my way... nice 9! All I saw was a crab claw on his right main beam and all I said was, "WOW!" You know the feeling when you see a no doubter. He was a no doubter. Was he a 9? Yes. Was he a 10? maybe. I think I may have seen a spilt brow too, but wasn't sure. I fumble for the range finder. 63 yards. He puts his head down starts walking the direction the younger buck took, but on the side of the ridge. All I see is antlers in the thicket and his body is blocked by the top of the ridge. He is now closing at 40 yards but in the the thick stuff below the main trail. Figures... I hit the grunt... head picks up... head goes down... continues walking. Grunt... head up... head down... walk. He is making a beeline for exactly where the younger buck roamed off to, but not close enough. He slowly vanished over the ridge, through the creek, and up the other side. DAMN!

Originally I was supposed to be off Monday. With the slow weekend and rising temps I decided to save the day for a better one. I have selected tomorrow. I hope this 9 or 10 or whatever he is, shows back up but follows a different script putting him within range.

Finally... some real excitement! I just birdied the 18th hole after amiserable round and I'm heading back for more.


AM Sits: 3
PM Sits: 18
All Day Sits: 3
Hours on Stand: 90
Doe Sightings: 36
Buck Sightings: 12
Shooters: 1
Coyotes: 1
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,855
260
SW Ohio
Great to hear this evenings exciting hunt Mike! Go get that brute tomorrow buddy! Good luck, I hope tomorrow's the day!
 

5Cent

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
12,291
212
North Central Ohio
Told ya it was going to be a good weekend! Didn't do shit up here, but was still a nice weekend to be in the woods. Go get em Mike!
 

cotty16

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
Slllloooowwww morning! Froze my ass off. Sat daybreak until noon in the stand that yielded the sighting of the shooter last night. Saw one small scrappy 8 point around 8:00 and that was it. Decided to go for a walk across the pasture to my hang on to warm up and have a change of scenery for a bit. Walked up on 3 doe feeding right in front of the stand. I closed to 20 yards as I snuck through the high weeds. Mama finally spotted me as I peered through the thorns.
I climb in, sit from noon until 3:00... nothing.
At 3:00 I climb down because my dad is on his way with Kody and he wants to sit with me in the buddy stand I was in this morning since I've had a few close encounters there.
We get settled by 3:45 and before Kody can get an arrow nocked he says he sees a buck and doe to our right climbing the opposite bank. At this point they're about 80 yards away, but were clearly in the creek bottom and possibly near our stand before we sat down! If only I stayed there all day like I had planned.

The buck was the big boy from last night and he had his nose right up this doe's rear. A couple minutes later he mounted her. I tried every call... nothing was separating these two. He would look our way, but wouldn't leave her side.

We had one other small buck come in, but our attention was the big boy. Maybe tomorrow...

AM Sits: 3
PM Sits: 18
All Day Sits: 4
Hours on Stand: 101
Doe Sightings: 41
Buck Sightings: 15
Shooters: 2
Coyotes: 1
 

cotty16

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
Decided to hunt smart yesterday. The wind direction was not ideal for the stand I have been seeing the shooter from the last two evenings. I elected to hunt the opposite side of the farm to play the wind right. It ended up not really mattering. I had 8 doe file out of the woodline that is across from me at 60 yards and walk to my right, which is the downwind side, at 50 yards. They fed past and got into my wind and never batted an eye. Now I'm wondering if I should've said "screw the wind" and hunted the stand where the buck has been. Oh well, I had a good action. But why 8 doe and no bucks?!?!?!

I'll be back out this evening and Kody is joining me. I'll be in one stand (location TBD based on my buddy coming out of retirement today) and Kody will be with my dad in the blind where I was yesterday.


AM Sits: 3
PM Sits: 19
All Day Sits: 4
Hours on Stand: 103
Doe Sightings: 49
Buck Sightings: 15
Shooters: 2
Coyotes: 1