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2017 Frank's hunting Journal

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
10-26
Went out this morning on my 1st hunt of the season.
Been fighting severe muscle spasms in my legs from my MS problem. Prevents me from laying down to sleep at night.
Getting a little better but still there. Hoping for the best as it's not going away. Do what I can when I can.

Anyway sat from day light to 10:30 AM in my new tower I put next to my woods about 25 yds from the main trail that comes out of my neighbor's woods into my food plot. And only seen 9 turkeys fly down and feed up to 20 yds. of me. Perfect calm day and just lucky to be out in nature.
 

NWOHhunter

Junior Member
879
58
NW Ohio
Good luck Frank! Hope things get easier for you and your MS. Shit sucks man! your absolutely right its just a blessing to be in the outdoors, its the little things. Keep us posted.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
10-27
Up all night with leg cramps so at 4:30 AM I gave up and got up. Going to take a nap now at 11:00 AM.
6:45 I got in my tower.
7:20 3 does came into the food plot from the South at 40 yds. They fed around and at legal light at 30 yds I gave all 3 the pass.
7:30 4 hen turkeys flew out of my woods and fed through the plots at 75 yds.
8:15 a small 6 pt buck came across the creek at my old cattle crossing at 150 yds. He fed through the plots and at 90 yds getting ready to leave the plot to the neighbors I gave couple soft grunts. He stopped and looked. Then he fed towards me and at 25 yds I gave him a pass also.
10:00 I packed up and headed home.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
10-29
6:50 AM got in my tower.
7:30 seen a doe at 75 yds. she fed off with no shot.
8:15 5 turkeys flew down and landed 15 yds in front of me. At same time 4 hens walked into the other side of plot.
3:30 13 turkeys came out of my woods and fed past me at 5 yds.
Seen nothing until 4:30 when I left before evening deer deer comes into food plot as I have no way to leave without spooking the.

Tomorrow I'm going to set in my old tower in my woods to see if more deer movement. Haven't hunted the woods for 3 yrs.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
Haven't hunted the last 2 days.
When I left on 10-29 I noticed someone built a 6 ft barrier across the main trail that enters my food plot from the neighbor's woods. Been trying to contact the owner to discuss it. It just changes the deer pattern. I noticed I had deer blowing out in my woods which was down wind of my tower. Now I think I know why the deer have went back to my woods for travel.
I cut some brush shooting lanes in my woods today as I haven't hunted it for 3 yrs.
Be back in my old tower in my woods come Wednesday afternoon.
I don't deserve this bull shit as I've never bothered them over there.
 
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NWOHhunter

Junior Member
879
58
NW Ohio
It's crazy what goes through some peoples minds! I feel for ya! I got people who know that I am the only one with permission in my woods but they wait until I am not around and will either walk through it real quick or set up on the ground some where bc for 20 yrs they hunted that woods...well for 20 years you illegally hunted that woods! I don't bother those guys and the other properties they hunt even thought I could, I try to stay to myself when it comes to hunting.
 

giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
I’d say you pissed someone off or karma has made a circle. Either way, it’s their property and they can do what they want. I wouldn’t expect a call back.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
11-11
It's been a rough year for me. Only hunted 10-26 3 hrs morning, 10-27 3 hrs morning , and 10-29 sunup till 4:30. Walking out I seen where the on the property line on the main trail there was a 6 ft barrier built across the main trail coming out of the adjoining woods into my food plot.
Haven't been able to hunt the last 11 days due to MS leg cramps.

11-11 went out this morning and got into my tower at 6:15. Sat down and turned my head light on to put a arrow into my Horton crossbow and a deer blows a warning 60-70 yds west of me and probably on the other side of the food plot.

At 7:45 I see white antler tips in the neighbors woods brush almost to the property line. It takes him about 5 minutes to come out of the brush after standing there just looking around. He crosses the property line and starts walking north on the edge of my clover and oats plots. He is just walking and not bothering to eat anything.
With the problems I've been having I decided to take him at 40 yds. At the shot he lunges forward and I hit him on the front edge of the right rear leg at the proper height. He runs about 25 yds away from me and stops and looks around. The walks slowly 50 yds to the west side field fence and just stands there couple minutes and staggers. I thought he was going down or at least lay down. He slowly walks north along the fence stopping couple times and staggers. He walked about 100 yds and went through the gate going to the creek about 25 yds away.
I wait till 9:00 and that's a long 70 minutes. But I knew it was a fatal shot as he keep staggering. I walk over to the gate opening and only see a decent blood trail of blood drops every so many feet. I did notice when he was walking there was a good blood stream down his leg.
I get to the creek and cross it and no blood drops on the other side. I start to go back and then seen him laying about 15 ft off the tractor lane on this side of the creek. In back tracking him he got to the creek and walked 50 ft on my side until he got to the 18" waterfalls, crossed the creek and made about 5 ft on the other side and dropped over. He did stop after leaving the creek and left a good size blood spot. He totally bled out inside.
I drug him to the lane and went to the house and got my UTV and pulled him to the other pasture. Got my gear out of my tower and went to get my tractor with a frontend loader to field dress. But the tractor had a dead battery so it was a field dress job laying on the ground.

It turns out I hit the main artery in the rear leg and he bleed out in a hurry. He did go about 200 yds at a slow walk and I seen him walk all the way except the last 30 yds.

I used my new Horton Storm RDX crossbow with Ridge 3 blade broadhead. https://www.ebay.com/itm/12-Ridge-M...362657?hash=item3aea8f4b61:g:v4UAAOSwYIxX4jpa
 
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MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
11-27
Planned on a morning hunt but fell asleep watching a movie last night and my wife woke me up at 2:00 AM. Went to bed and couldn't fall asleep.
Went down to my tower at 4:00 PM. There was over 50 turkeys in the food plot when I went down around my corn gravity feeder.
4:15 2 fawns entered the food plot at 200 yds but I gave them a pass for another year.
4:20 1 fawn came into the neighbors hay field and fed for 15-20 minutes and left on their ATV trail at 80 yds. I gave a pass also.
Seen nothing until quiting time.
Hear 3 shots 1/2 mile to the west.
Hear 1 shot 1/2 mile to the west.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
11-28
Got to my tower at 6:30 AM.
8:00 a nice doe and fawn come out of the brush 120 yds away into my neighbors hay field. I have permission to hunt the field. They feed up to 75 yds and I'm getting ready to open the window to shoot the doe broadside.
Then I remember I forgot to buy a hunting licence and deer tag. Been bow hunting on my own farm using a landowner permit.
Felt good just watching them feed for 30 minutes and walk away.
Plan on going out tonight with the hunting licences.

Heard only 1 shot about 1 mile south of me in 4 hrs.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
1-1-18 update
11-29 I had issues with my health and went into the hospital for 2 days. Issues cleared up and all test gave me clean bill of health. The new increased muscle meds didn't agree with me so back to regular dose.
12-16
Got to my tower before light,
8:30 had a small 6 pt buck at 35 yds.
Seen nothing all day.
5:25 a young doe walks past the tower in the neighbor's hay field headed towards my food plot. I figured why drag it when she's walking that way anyway. Well she didn't and walked into the neighbor's woods.
5:30 a big doe walks out of the neighbor's woods at 75 yds and I shot it with my TC Encore 460 S&W rifle.

2017 has been a very lack luster deer hunting year but after taking a buck and a doe it turned out OK.

2018 I have plans on a new west side of the farm food plot. I may put up a construction scafle with a pop up blind to hunt out since there are no tree nearby.
Then I need to replant one of my older clover plots with a alfalfa-clover mix. Plus get after the weeds and grass in my other clover plots.