Little expectations…
I have been rather busy for the past 2 weeks but I have often thought and reflected on a recap/write up of my buck I harvested on Sunday evening, the 4th day of October. There have been many moments over the past 2 weeks where I have caught myself smiling as I visualize the sites and remember the sounds from my first hunt this season.
Reality is, there was really no big build up or pursuit. I was merely struck with good luck and blessed by the grace of God to be able to harvest a wonderful animal. I was extremely behind in preparation for this season. Further behind in fact than any previous season. If not for a few pictures that Alphamax had captured running cameras in my absence, I had no knowledge of any specific bucks to hunt this season.
My head wasn’t even really in the game. I had an out of town wedding in Baltimore, MD on opening weekend. While in Baltimore celebrating with family, my last living grandparent, my Dad’s mom, passed away after a short 2 month battle with brain cancer. As a result, I returned to Cleveland following the Wedding on Sunday, September 27t and drove back to Baltimore on Thursday, October 1st for a Friday funeral. Following the funeral that Friday, I drove back to Cleveland.
I spent Saturday with my wife and kids as it was a bit of a washout here in NEOH. Sunday began with Church and Sunday school. That was followed by swim lessons. I decided to purchase a deer permit early Sunday afternoon on the way home from swim lessons. I took the kids outback and smoked my cloths and gear in the garage while they practiced fire escapes crawling on the floor…
At 3:30 I got my good luck hugs and kisses that only a kid can give and headed out the door for my hour drive to the woods. I picked a stand on wind and wind only. I parked in a friend’s driveway, got dressed and headed to the stand with the NE wind in my face. I climbed in the tree and settled in right around 5pm.
It didn’t take long for the squirrels and chipmunks to reacquaint me with the false positive emotions of a potential deer sneaking behind me…the wood’s was heavily timbered 6 years ago and as a result, is extremely thick. View in any direction is 40 yards tops. At about 7PM, I caught a doe at 35 yards working from the SE to the NW. She had popped out of a U shaped bowl in front of me. The moment I saw the doe, I heard thrashing coming from beyond her directionally. I knew it was a buck tearing up trees. I was straining trying to find him through the thick foliage. Suddenly I caught a glimpse. A big body with what appeared to be a descent rack. I wasn’t able to get a clean complete view of his rack but based on what I saw and his behavior, I was shooting if presented an opportunity.
Next thing I know, turkey start flying up to the roost around me. This is quickly followed by a second doe following the path of the first one. As the first doe worked to my left (North), the second veered left, coming to the base of my tree. The buck was working from my NE to my South which kept the second does attention off of me as she was looking his way. I was praying that she would draw him westerly towards me presenting a shot. As light began to fade, so too did my hope that this could come together.
As I watch him drop into the bowl, I begin praying harder. Out of view, he must have turned towards me. The 2nd doe departed to my left following the 1st to the north. The buck starts destroying a tree less than 20 yards away. Like a ghost, next thing I know he is right in front of me and I draw. He stops at 18 yards on his own but I had too many leaves and twigs in the canopy obscuring my view in the standing position. I decide to ease down to get a lane under the leaves. I had to completely sit back down to get a window of opportunity. I followed my pin back up his far leg as he was slightly quartered away and settled it in his vitals. A relaxing exhale and I touched off my Stan release.
The arrow smacked into the buck and he took off. He was quickly out of view and I just listened. The crashing quickly stopped and all was silent for a split second. Another quick burst of crashing erupted and ceased just as quickly as it had started. I couldn’t help but think he had stopped, felt he was about to tip over and tried to run another bound or two before meeting his final resting place.
I called Alphamax and told him I just shot a buck. He said he was getting in his truck and heading out. I called home to tell Alyssa I would be late. I sat down for a few minutes to soak it in. By the time I got out of the tree, it was dark. With no expectations, and early season warmer weather, I hadn’t brought anything into the woods with me but my bow. As a result, I was left using a cell phone flashlight to look for hair, blood, an arrow, anything to reassure me that I had a good hit. Coming to terms that a cell phone flashlight is worthless for such endeavors, I headed back to my truck to change and get some better flashlights.
My friend and I went back out and quickly found hair and good blood. Alphamax joined up and we picked up the trail together. No more than 60 yards from impact, there lay my 2015 OH buck. My best buck to date. The high-fives and celebration begin.
So with little expectation, and therefore a clearer mind with no pressures to try and succeed, I fell into a little bit of hunting luck. It is bitter sweet to actually have found success this early in the season but I cannot wait to get this buck back from the taxidermist to honor him and remember him forever.
I have been rather busy for the past 2 weeks but I have often thought and reflected on a recap/write up of my buck I harvested on Sunday evening, the 4th day of October. There have been many moments over the past 2 weeks where I have caught myself smiling as I visualize the sites and remember the sounds from my first hunt this season.
Reality is, there was really no big build up or pursuit. I was merely struck with good luck and blessed by the grace of God to be able to harvest a wonderful animal. I was extremely behind in preparation for this season. Further behind in fact than any previous season. If not for a few pictures that Alphamax had captured running cameras in my absence, I had no knowledge of any specific bucks to hunt this season.
My head wasn’t even really in the game. I had an out of town wedding in Baltimore, MD on opening weekend. While in Baltimore celebrating with family, my last living grandparent, my Dad’s mom, passed away after a short 2 month battle with brain cancer. As a result, I returned to Cleveland following the Wedding on Sunday, September 27t and drove back to Baltimore on Thursday, October 1st for a Friday funeral. Following the funeral that Friday, I drove back to Cleveland.
I spent Saturday with my wife and kids as it was a bit of a washout here in NEOH. Sunday began with Church and Sunday school. That was followed by swim lessons. I decided to purchase a deer permit early Sunday afternoon on the way home from swim lessons. I took the kids outback and smoked my cloths and gear in the garage while they practiced fire escapes crawling on the floor…
At 3:30 I got my good luck hugs and kisses that only a kid can give and headed out the door for my hour drive to the woods. I picked a stand on wind and wind only. I parked in a friend’s driveway, got dressed and headed to the stand with the NE wind in my face. I climbed in the tree and settled in right around 5pm.
It didn’t take long for the squirrels and chipmunks to reacquaint me with the false positive emotions of a potential deer sneaking behind me…the wood’s was heavily timbered 6 years ago and as a result, is extremely thick. View in any direction is 40 yards tops. At about 7PM, I caught a doe at 35 yards working from the SE to the NW. She had popped out of a U shaped bowl in front of me. The moment I saw the doe, I heard thrashing coming from beyond her directionally. I knew it was a buck tearing up trees. I was straining trying to find him through the thick foliage. Suddenly I caught a glimpse. A big body with what appeared to be a descent rack. I wasn’t able to get a clean complete view of his rack but based on what I saw and his behavior, I was shooting if presented an opportunity.
Next thing I know, turkey start flying up to the roost around me. This is quickly followed by a second doe following the path of the first one. As the first doe worked to my left (North), the second veered left, coming to the base of my tree. The buck was working from my NE to my South which kept the second does attention off of me as she was looking his way. I was praying that she would draw him westerly towards me presenting a shot. As light began to fade, so too did my hope that this could come together.
As I watch him drop into the bowl, I begin praying harder. Out of view, he must have turned towards me. The 2nd doe departed to my left following the 1st to the north. The buck starts destroying a tree less than 20 yards away. Like a ghost, next thing I know he is right in front of me and I draw. He stops at 18 yards on his own but I had too many leaves and twigs in the canopy obscuring my view in the standing position. I decide to ease down to get a lane under the leaves. I had to completely sit back down to get a window of opportunity. I followed my pin back up his far leg as he was slightly quartered away and settled it in his vitals. A relaxing exhale and I touched off my Stan release.
The arrow smacked into the buck and he took off. He was quickly out of view and I just listened. The crashing quickly stopped and all was silent for a split second. Another quick burst of crashing erupted and ceased just as quickly as it had started. I couldn’t help but think he had stopped, felt he was about to tip over and tried to run another bound or two before meeting his final resting place.
I called Alphamax and told him I just shot a buck. He said he was getting in his truck and heading out. I called home to tell Alyssa I would be late. I sat down for a few minutes to soak it in. By the time I got out of the tree, it was dark. With no expectations, and early season warmer weather, I hadn’t brought anything into the woods with me but my bow. As a result, I was left using a cell phone flashlight to look for hair, blood, an arrow, anything to reassure me that I had a good hit. Coming to terms that a cell phone flashlight is worthless for such endeavors, I headed back to my truck to change and get some better flashlights.
My friend and I went back out and quickly found hair and good blood. Alphamax joined up and we picked up the trail together. No more than 60 yards from impact, there lay my 2015 OH buck. My best buck to date. The high-fives and celebration begin.
So with little expectation, and therefore a clearer mind with no pressures to try and succeed, I fell into a little bit of hunting luck. It is bitter sweet to actually have found success this early in the season but I cannot wait to get this buck back from the taxidermist to honor him and remember him forever.
