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

My 2014 buck story...

Buckslayer

*Supporting Member*
3,166
76
Jackson County
Death of a Warrior

This summer I decided to venture back to college for a fellowship program at The Ohio State University, knowing full well that I would forfeit my one true passion in life for the upcoming fall. The decision was difficult but I had came to the conclusion in my mind that I would forgo this archery season. I had plans to take a few days off for muzzleloader season to quench some of the desire to be out enjoying the deer woods here in the hills of southern Ohio.

My father talked me into hunting a couple evenings before work from his ground blind during the month of October which was a much needed break from the daily routine I was bogged down into. I hunted four times for just a little over two hours each evening before heading into work. I had a great time as I seen a handful of smaller bucks, doe and yearlings.


Sunday, November 2nd rolls around; The pictures and stories of big bucks are beginning to hit social media. This is the time of year everyone waits for. I decide to head out for an evening hunt before driving back to Columbus.


As Dad and I drive out to our farm I mention to him, "I would really like to shoot that big ten tonight". The big ten was no stranger to us. He had been on our minds the past few years as a hit list buck. Lets flash back to the start of relationship as best I can describe.


Summer 2011- I gained permission to hunt a beautiful piece of ground around 60 acres. It had around 20 acres of field and 40 acres of mixed hardwoods and thickets. I threw a camera out and had some pictures of some nice bucks including this young buck.

aug 5683.jpgaug 5685.jpgaug 5750.jpg


Summer 2012- The mineral site established the year before begins getting hit by a number of deer and this old boy was back and getting bigger. He was going to be difficult to pass up if given the opportunity.

july83.jpgseptember32.jpg

A great looking deer and would surely be on my hitlist for us that fall. I hunted the area as well as Dad to no avail. The following spring in a nearby field I stumbled across this particular set of sheds and recognized them immediately.

ATL SPRING 2013
IMG_9754.jpg



Summer/Fall 2013 offered no sightings of the buck. After having a trail camera stolen, I wasnt feeling good about hunting that particular tract of land. I didnt have any photos of him on the neighboring cameras and I had all but decided he had moved on or was already dead.


Late winter I placed a camera over a food source to see what had survived the season. I noticed a few decent bucks and a large shed buck. The following week I picked these up in the same field I had found the 2012 sheds.


ATL SPRING 2014
I couldnt have been more excited to stumble onto these sheds and was pumped for the year to come.
IMG_9748.jpgIMG_9751.jpg
 

Buckslayer

*Supporting Member*
3,166
76
Jackson County
Back to this summer, school was in full swing and I was barely able to check trail cams once a month. I had many pictures of the buck in velvet and he was looking good. I planned on hearing from dad about how he was able to harvest him this fall and I was looking forward to it.
10-3-14 (27).jpg10-3-14 (56).jpg

The evening of November 2nd I rolled out of bed around 3 PM ( I work night shift). Dad and I loaded up our gear and headed out. He dropped me off and I took the long walk in back to the stand at the mineral site where the first photo was taken. A perfect but slight north wind blew in my face as I sat perched 17 feet up in my ladder stand. As the evening crept on the wind began to die down and all became eerily silent. I sat listening to single leaves fall from a tree. Not expecting to see the big ten, I had not had a photo of him in over a month, I was hopeful some deer would be starting to cruise the ridge looking for some action.

Fifteen until 5, I heard something approaching from around a hundred yards to my left. I quickly stood grabbing my bow only to see a large flock of tom turkeys working towards me. I relaxed back into my seat satisfied to watch them as the minutes ticked away.
5:00 rolls around and I am watching the turkeys which are around 50 yards out now. The woods are silent aside from the constant scratching and clucking from the birds. Suddenly from directly in front I hear a leaf crunch and I see a rack moving through the timber from my right to left and angling up the hill towards me. The second I saw I knew it was him. Astonished by my luck of even seeing this deer, I was on my feet and ready to draw in the blink of an eye.

He skirted around my position. He was pretty crafty knowing the trail camera was there. He seemed to be checking the mineral site for any activity of doe, when he ran smack into the flock of turkey. Flapping their wings and making a ruckus, they turned the buck towards me heading through my narrow shooting lane at 28 yards. Still on a mission, I had to come to full draw and grunt stop him. As I released the arrow he snorted just before impact. He ran hard over the hill and all is quiet for the next ten minutes. I replayed the shot over and over in my head. As I recalled seeing the arrow still in him as he ran off, thinking I may have had an opposite shoulder hit, I heard coughing from the direction he ran.

Feeling it best to back out, I left and waited an hour and twenty minutes for my dad to show up back at the road.
The shot impacted the shoulder and with the lack of penetration, only punctured one lung.

IMG_9759.jpg


We followed the blood trail for over 750 yards, down and up and back down before finally coming upon his final resting place.

IMG_9762.jpg

I have scored his sheds at 133, 144 and his rack this year at 140 7/8".
IMG_9714.jpgIMG_9729.jpg

Upon checking my camera a few days after my hunt, I was shocked but relieved to see he had returned to the area just a day before my hunt and was able to get quite a few images. The few photos from the morning around 6 hours before I shot him are among my favorites.
11-2-14 (15).jpg

This is the longest history I have had with one single deer and he is a true trophy to me. This old warrior buck we never could quite seal the deal on is down. Many of my favorite memories afield do not involve harvesting of an animal, but instead the quality time spent with loved ones and the enjoyment of being in the Lord's great creation. I will never forget the memories of this hunt with my father by my side. I encourage everyone to cherish time with their families and introduce someone to hunting. It truly offers a lifetime of treasures.
11-2-14(20).jpg
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,856
260
SW Ohio
What a fantastic read!!!! Congratulations on closing the last chapter in this epic story you had with this deer! Awesome stuff Seth! Thanks for sharing!!!

What spread did you give him on his sheds and what was his inside spread when you harvested him? Just curious how much he grew in that category.
 

Fullbore

Senior Member
6,439
126
South Eastern Ohio
Very nice write up and history recap Seth! Well done buddy.
What you said about spending time with family and cherishing those memories of chasing a particular deer is what it's all about . Well done and thanks for sharing.