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My 2010 buck

deerslayer1985

Junior Member
Here is a buck my Dad and I had a long couple years with. We have pictures of this deer every year he had a rack. It all started in 2007. We were running our cameras as usual. We checked them every 2 to 3 days. We got a picture of a 1.5 old 12 point. He was a stud 1.5 old. He had a main frame 10 rack with a couple stickers. He wasn't a monster by no means, but I mean a 12" wide 10 point with way above average mass at a 1.5 old seems like he has potential to me. We didn't see him at all that year, just pics of him. We had no intentions of shooting him anyways. We try not to shoot anything under 140" unless its a mature buck. I don't have the 1.5 old pics of him on this computer. I'll have to get them on here.

The following year we ran the cameras , and got pics of him again. He had gained alot this year. He looked to be a solid 130" 10 at 2.5 years old. We knew we had to pass this deer up, and keep everyone else from shooting him, because this deer was going to be a hog at 4.5-5.5 years old. the first pics are him at 2.5

In 2009 We didn't get a picture of him until Nov 1st. That is the only time we got a picture of him. Although a few guys that hunt on our place had seen him. One guys muzzleloader actually had a hangfire on the deer, and it saved the deers life. lol Another guy forgot to put a cap on his, and didn't even get to fire at him. We heard from our neighbors that they had missed a big heavy 10 point that wasn't very wide also. So this deer seemed to be pretty lucky. We were at our cabin in muzleloader season, and my uncle had told us that our neighbor on the other side of our property had shot this buck, and couldn't find it. We were really bummed out. We thought he would die somewhere, and we'd never see him again.
The day after muzzleloader season my dad went for a fourwheeler ride, and happen to stumble upon one of his sheds. He looked around some more, and actually found the other one about a half mile away from where he found the 1st one. It seemed like it was awefully early for him to shed though. We seen deer clear up til late march carrying their antlers. Here he is at 3.5 years old. These are his sheds. He would have scored 155" with a 14" spread.

2010 rolls around, and we are pretty pumped about bow season. We had been watching a big 10 point all summer that wasn't him, and we knew he would be around also. We started running the cameras around august. He didn't show himself until October. We were kinda confused at first. The first picture on our trail cam he was facing straight at us, and he looked the exact same as the previous year. A few more pictures through the cam, and we could tell he was only a 9 point this year, and hadn't gained as much as we expected. He was still carrying a little bit of velvet also. He was still a shooter. We just expected him to take another 15-20" jump in score. Anyways the hunt began for us. My Dad, and I had decided we were shooting that deer in bow season before the guns started cracking.
On October 29th My Dad went down a big ridge we call scared doe ridge. We had a few pics of him there. I was up the ridge, and down over a bank in another area we had been watching him. Right at dark I hear something coming down the hill, and grab my bow. I can tell its a buck, but I couldn't tell what he was. So at 35 yards I let him walk on down angling towards my right. He gets to about 25 yards, and I can tell its the big boy. I quickly come to full draw. He must of seen me, because he kinda does a little jump to the side, and goes on down the hill from me where I have no shot.
I get out of the treestand, and here my Dad coming up the trail on the fourwheeler. He shuts it off, and looks at me. I shake my head, and said I could have killed the big 10, but didn't know it was him until it was too late. He looks back at me, and shakes his head. Then he says I missed him about a half hour ago. He said the deer was 30 yards. He drew back and shot. The arrow hit a branch and went right over his back. He said I knew he was headed right for you when I missed.
Fast forward to November 23rd. We had started getting pictures of him on a regular basis clear on the opposite side of our farm. So We started putting in our time in a stand we call the honey hole. It was pouring the rain down, and windy on the day I went. It just felt right though. At about 10 minutes before it was too dark to shoot I look down, and he was standing 25 yards staring straight at me. I was in shock. I didn't have my bow or anything yet. I eased up really slowly, and grabbed my bow. He had seen me, because his course changed from straight at me to angling away. I had a pretty good opening at about 50 yards. I have a pin sighted in for that so I waited for him to stop, and shot. Right over top of his back. He just stood there. He couldn't tell what had happened. I reloaded, but by the time I got to full draw he was out of the open. I don't like to shoot 50 yards on a deer, but I have a pin just incase.
The following morning My Dad went to the same stand where I had missed him the night before. He rolled in about noon. I asked him if he'd seen anything. Turns out the big buck came back by the same stand, but 50 yards on the other side of the stand. My dad shot at him with his 40 thinking it was closer than it was, and shot under his belly.
Our chances at getting him with a bow before gun season were pretty much shot. So the next few days before gun season started we hunted hard, but no sightings. We hunted hard the first two days of gun season with no sightings either. It was the 3rd day at about noon. My Dad called me on the cellphone, and said come out to the very last powerline that runs across our property, and I'll slip through this thicket between the honey hole stand, and the powerline. He was going to slip through real slow, and kinda watch for deer so he would have a chance at getting a shot too. I had got setup about halfway up the hill on a powerline rightaway. I seen a big doe come out onto the powerline about 250 yards away. she messed around for a few minutes then crossed. I was watching her on the other side, and I heard a loud crash off to my left. I looked over and seen 3 deer running down the hill about 200 yards away. They trotted down into the valley, and I could no longer see them. I knew one of them was a buck, but didn't know what it was. I figured they'd slipped right up the valley below me, and I'd never be able to see them. Thats the way they were headed. I kinda set there for a few seconds wondering if I should try to slip down there, and see if I could see them. All of the sudden about 100 yards out in front of me towards my left I see rack coming through the brush. I can tell just from the first glimpse it was him. I pull up My encore, and wait for him to kinda turn broadside. He did finally just as he was entering the woods on my side of the powerline. I squeeze the trigger, and when the smoke clears I see nothing. I can hear deer running, because he had 2 does with him. I wait and listen for a crash, but nothing. I think to myself there is no way I missed that deer. So I start sneaking down the edge of the powerline. I get up to where I think he was, and there he laid. There was a little bank there, and he dropped right over it. I let out a yell, and I could hear my Dad yell back. I yelled I got him. He yelled back the big 10. Even though he was a 9 this year we were use to calling him the big 10. lol Upon closer inspection it turned out the guy who said he shot it the year earlier did in fact. Right above his ear, and came out infront of his right antler. That is evidently why He shed so early, and turned into a 9 without gaining much. Needless to say My Dad and I were pretty happy with the end result. We rough scored him, and he grosse right at 153".
 

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deerslayer1985

Junior Member
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xbowguy

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
29,629
234
Licking Co. Ohio
AWESOME BUCK and a good write-up TOO! Thanks for sharing the whole ride with us............That's just how we ROLL! Congrats To You Young Man!:smiley_clap:
 

Dannmann801

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
10,640
191
Springboro
Great story and awesome pictures. Love the way you and your dad work together, that's what it's all about!
Well done.
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,855
260
SW Ohio
Great story and awesome pictures. Love the way you and your dad work together, that's what it's all about!
Well done.

I couldn't have said it better!

Congrats to you both on bringing down "The Big Ten"!

Great timeline and I felt I was reliving the last 3 years with you guys! What a ride!!!lol
 
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bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
Nice work Jared! Good to see another local feller on here!!! Your old man is definitely a great mentor and it looks like the apple didn't fall far from the tree!!! Did this buck come from the ridge behind the house? That area is unreal from what I've heard from my uncle...
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
Yea Jesse it came from behind the house. I think every deer I've killed, but one came from back there. lol

Its one hell of a spot that's for sure! We just about bought a piece of land to build on at the end of the ridge. I was stoked because I knew what would have a chance on wondering on my 5 acres!!! LOL! The deal fell through, but I was all for making it happen since I knew what the area held!!!
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
Was the property you were looking at on county rd. 2? Right across from that old farm house with a pond? They wanted like 20,000 for it?

On the other side of the house my aunt and uncle built right there. Where the gas well is at. We were planning on buying 5 acres from them and putting a double-wide in on a basement...