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

Adventures in Gordo Land

Gordo

Senior Member
5,515
121
Athens County
Can't sleep for nothing tonight. I'm looking forward to what the morning brings.

Hunted close to home tonight and netted a solo doe sighting. Hard to believe she was alone. Hardly any visibility from the stand I was in. If you see deer they are in range.

Back to my best property tomorrow. The deer have been walking the script. We'll see what happens. It's been buck heaven with a great batch of up and comers. I'm shooting lights out. Just need one to slip up. Hopeing to bloody the hands!


 

Gordo

Senior Member
5,515
121
Athens County
Great morning hunt. Just about half way through November, and hand a new mature buck show up.

Pretty much texted my dad the summary:

"Had to get outta there to deal with life. I hiked in slow once it was light enough to see. As soon as I got on stand, I was pretty damn positive I saw a buck bedded down a good 100 yards away. An hour later, 2 does come from that direction, really slow walking field edge. About 20 minutes after that, I look behind me and here he comes. This stand is in a tree line/fence line. Pretty much wide open for shots. Some how this deer was under 10 yards away, and never hit an opening. I could have shot immediately through a tight window of thick shit, but waited because I thought he was going to walk the walk. He never did. Fun hunt. A little frustrating, but if it was easy it wouldn't be fun.He had no clue I was there. Great hunt. We'll meet again"



This evening I hunted last hour and a half close to home. 6 does. Saw a great buck about a week ago. Still want to think he is around this place. Talked to a buddy a couple days back who said there's confirmed shooters around this property. Dude knows the dude who runs cams on neighboring property. I'm haveing trouble not hunting the same spot when I have the time. Place is awesome
 
Last edited:

Gordo

Senior Member
5,515
121
Athens County
Getting close buddy, looking forward to your hero shot!!!!

All this tree time has me extra giddy.

It's cracking me up that deer was that close today. I was in full check down mode ready for the shot. "Stand straight, bend at the waist, get home, follow through". Then he turns..... "say what?????? You kidding me". Ha. 'nifty' animals to say the least. I kept it cool. May have been grinning.... I gotta quit doing that.


 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,743
274
North Carolina
All this tree time has me extra giddy.

It's cracking me up that deer was that close today. I was in full check down mode ready for the shot. "Stand straight, bend at the waist, get home, follow through". Then he turns..... "say what?????? You kidding me". Ha. 'nifty' animals to say the least. I kept it cool. May have been grinning.... I gotta quit doing that.

Keep the grinning thing going it'll keep you humble buddy...


 

Gordo

Senior Member
5,515
121
Athens County
Had another great encounter last night, but failed to get it done.

I hunted the evening prior to last at the same property and saw 6 does. It seemed obvious one was worn down. I figured there had to be a buck around servicing her.

So I head out yesterday afternoon about 3:30. On my way in I nudged a solo doe. She didn't make a sound but trotted the other direction upon me settling in.

Around 45 minutes later, 2 solo does come by. After they left, I heard a deer crunching my way from the direction the first doe trotted off too. Sure enough, it's her. She was barely moving and checking out the entire seen. I see her head snap back to look at something, and here comes her boyfriend.

This area is thick as it can get and doesn't offer much visibility. By the time I saw him, he was about 35 yards away and facing me directly. Both him and the doe would look my way every couple steps.

Next thing I know, he's about 15 yards away(closed the distance walking straight towards me) but a couple steps either way of a shooting lane. The doe was still standing where I first saw the buck arrive.

The doe is still acting nervous and is looking my way. He's looking at her and then looking my way.

I'm thinking to myself that he's about to turn around and walk back where he came from and isn't going to hit one of the clear lanes.

I'm scoping hard for a spot to thread an arrow through and found one. It was small, about size of a softball I'd guess and was about halfway in between me and him.

At this point he's slightly quartered away and under 15 yards, and I'm saying it's time to make it happen.

I draw back, hit my anchor, give it a two count and release. Shot felt great.

I hit about two inches low from the center of the small window and hit a limb. The deflection caused the arrow to sail directly over his back. Doh!

He didn't know what happened. Bounded back to where he appeared, stopped, and was looking my way broad side at about 35 yards.

In the mean time, I hear the damn leg stomp from that doe two times and can barely see her. It got his attention also. Once he see's her, he starts ripping that direction. I could here him chasing her for a couple minutes in the hardwoods, but I never saw another deer.

Argh!

I gotta say, after Monday mornings hunt, my psyche was all about 'makeing it happen'. I did not want another 15 yards or less encounter end with no shot. It was fresh on my mind to say the least. Would he had hit a wide open window if I would have waited? Probably..... ha. Who knows. I went for it....

Couple things on my mind now:

Clear better shooting lanes in the under 20 yard range, dumbass! Considering under 20 is my kill zone with the recurve, if a buck is that close, I better get a wide open look. The stand last night is a great example. There's some great windows at further range that do me no good. 20 minutes of pre-season trimming, and I'd of been shooting through a hoola hoop size opening. Argh.

I know at strouds I mentioned to a couple of you that my preparations for this year were very minimal. Last night, I paid for it. The small details....

Or I could have just sent one clean through that small window and he'd be dead.......

He was the most rutted up mature buck I've seen this year. His neck was as big as they get and body size was ridiculous. Not a scorer but was an old warrior 8 with great mass. It was a great encounter. I'm glad my decision didn't result in wounding him.

About to head out and go for 3 close encounters in three days. Hooefully third time is the charm.
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,856
260
SW Ohio
Good LUCK Gordo! Sounds like you're have a very eventful season and having fun man!!! Keep on keepin bro! GOOD LUCK!
 

Gordo

Senior Member
5,515
121
Athens County
Saw another shooter at a diff property then I hunted last night. He didn't get close enough.

I'm getting way spoiled this year in nice buck sightings. Hopeing to catch a break in the morning. Can only have so many encounters in a year. Feel like im already into the bonus