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

Sporky the Pig.

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
This season has been a hell of a journey. Started early way back in August putting out the bait and cams, checking stands, and just getting ready for season in general. Through late summer I never really got a pic of a deer I wanted to kill. Some young deer that would go 130ish that I really wanted to keep around. But nothing like Tank that I hunted in years past. I have a sickness for finding the biggest deer around and setting my sights on him and only him. I really wanted to find a good deer in the 160+ range and set my sights on him. Which isn't far fetched as I usually have a couple in their 150s running around the previous season. The past couple years I hunted a deer named Tank that JD ended up killing last year and scored in the 180s. Over those three years I let a many 130 - 150s walk to include a 156 on opening day last year. Like I said, a sickness.

As luck would have it opening day came without a target deer on cam. I figured I would wait through October and see if something moved in. Opening day I ran into a guy hanging stands. A new guy that the landowner just gave permission to. The property isn't small but it's 90% tillable and it's really just a long hillside about 30 yards wide that's easy to booger up; so I knew it would be a challenge with him out there. The cams turned up even more empties as October passed.

I still had hopes in the neighboring property as it's usually good for a buck and I put a feeder in there last June. The feeder hadn't produced a good buck but I was hopeful that with the does around one would swing by come late October. As luck would have it the farmer decided he didn't like the overhanging branches and hired an excavating company to rip them out. They started ripping out the creek line and the trees overhanging the field around the woodblock two weeks ago. So there's strike two for the area.

I had one tiny chunk about 2/3 of a mile away that's a total pain to hunt. It's situated on a 90 degree bend in a creek and surrounded on three sides by fields. Its only 4.4 acres and the next closest woodblock is half a mile away. I had gotten some pictures of a good 8 with a double throat patch in there but really didn't want to shoot him. He's pretty young and full of potential. With the rut being here and knowing that anything can walk by this time of year I picked up my bow for the 2nd time this season and headed for that woodblock. I took Friday off but knew better than to hunt it in the morning as it's 4.4 acres and I've had bait in there since June. The odds of bumping a deer and subsequently every deer in there was almost a guarantee on a morning hunt.


The 8.




3:30 found me perched in a ladder stand that I hung in July on a small hillside where the property funneled between a hill and the creek. It took about 30 minutes to cover the 300 yards to my stand walking the downwind side of an adjoining overgrown cattle pasture. I stayed low in the grass and made sure to look at everything ahead that might be a deer. To my amazement I made it in without bumping a single deer.


I'd also been getting pictures of a deer in there that one of my buddies said looked like a spork. A big bodied mature deer with a goofed up rack. I hoped to see him but was really hoping ole mossy horns that I hadn't seen yet pushed a doe down the creek into these woods.

Spork.





Now spork always hung out with that busted up 8 in the background. I'm thinking it was a love hate relationship as they were both missing a point.

Here they are back on 8/10/14 about 2/3 of a mile away. BFFs i tell ya. Where one was the other wasn't far behind.




Here they are on 9/11/14



And again on 9/7/14
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
I'd been settled in for about an hour and was texting with one hand, bow in the other. I looked to my right and saw the bent browed BFF deer to sporky slowly making his way through the weeds into the small clearing. He stopped about 20 yards to my front and began looking over the bait pile a good 35 yards away from him and to my left. He stood there looking it over for what seemed like forever. I presume he was looking for does as his nose was working the air feverishly. It wasn't me as I was down wind of him the whole time and came in from behind the stand. He started walking again and decided to take a route around the bait. He skirted a good 15 yards around the bait trying as much as possible to stay out of the clearing and in the weeds.

The


I just wanted him to clear out as I knew ole spork wasn't far behind. As soon as he got behind the bush by the bait I stood up and started looking to my right. within a minute I could see a rack bobbing in the weeds. I recognized the palmation and knew it was spork on a string. I angled my body towards where his BFF emerged from the weeds and readied my release on the loop. Still unsure if I really wanted to shoot this deer. Spork stepped out of the weeds and proceeded to do the same as his buddy. I instantly noticed the body size and realized he was a mature deer. I hesitated but then in a flash thought of everything against me this season. The nephew that still needs his first bow deer, and the other fun that could be had not worrying about deer. This was the number two deer on the property and a mature animal. He stood there looking over the corn and started to put his nose in the air... THUD! I hit him with a slick trick right above the pocket. He did a big mule kick and tore out of there. I watched him for 75 yards as he bounded towards the fence to my left. Just as he reached the fence he stopped to look back. I knew he was hit good as when he was running i could see blood pouring from both sides like a faucet. He got wobbly and fell over backwards with the textbook stumble crash.


He had a hanging weight dressed at 262 pounds placing his live weight about 325.


 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
A few more pictures for enjoyment.


He loved sleeping in front of the cam that was 2/3 mile away.









Old boy was just an all around beefcake.

 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
Very nice! Congrats again Joe. Crazy how even during the rut we sometimes see bucks together. I have theorized some bucks do this to watch each other's back. I have seen pairs more than once. Weird.
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
Great write up. 262 dressed, he wasn't missing any meals lol

The fat bastard loved sleeping at the corn pile. I bet I have 300 pics of him in August and September sleeping by the corn. He quit that after peeling though.
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,743
274
North Carolina
Good write up Joe.... He's a frigging stud that's for sure..... Dragging that fat bastard out woulda been a chore that's for sure lol....