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

Amazing Hunt, No Kill

Redhunter1012

Senior Member
Supporting Member
As many of you know, when the rut hits here in the flatlands of NW Ohio, we are presented chances at bucks that are similar the Western style Mulie spot/stalk hunts. Yesterday I had a good opportunity. I was reluctant to do it because I wasnt sure if I could handle it. There was a buck that for me was one I wouldnt normally get to excited about, maybe 125" 3 year old 9 point. He was bedded about 150 yards of I-75 and 200 from the state highway in a cut corn with a doe. I decided to do it mainly due to what it would take to get him.I began at 12:30 pm. So for the first 50 yards off the road I had an old semi trailer and some weeds to allow me to hide my car and enter the field unseen from the state highway. From there on it was belly crawling across the corn rows. I had a SE wind and was crawling due west straight at them. at 1:15pm, Maybe halfway to them they stood and fed. I decided every time they fed I would nock an arrow because I knew he would nudge her around. Sure enough, after 5 minutes of feeding he starts harassing her. They came directly at me to within 50 yards. I came to a knee and was about to draw, but they never slowed and turned directly away and actually ran further back before slowing down to feed again. After a minute they bedded down again, about 200 yards away and a little further to North. So now I had to close that distance again and crawl North some to keep wind to my advantage. At that point the rain starts coming down pretty good. So for the next hour I would crawl when I could, as the would stand up every 10 minutes or so to shake water off and feed for a few minutes, then bed again. All the while they would move north a bit, forcing me to do the same. At about 3:30 the doe bedded again and he wouldnt. He just kept feeding and checking her and shaking the water off, which was really awesome to watch. At this point I decided to just go for it and crawl my chubby ass off everytime he wasnt looking my way. Within 30 minutes I had gotten to 50 yards of him standing and her bedded. At that point she stood again and started feeding to my NW,, which was straight downwind. So with her getting closer, I basically pushed my bow ahead of me and would push with my feet ,down the row, trying to keep wind to my advantage. The mud actually made this easier for me, allowing me to slide. Then, she beds about 20 yards away. He was lollygagging about 40 yards back and finally came and nudged her again. This time they moved straight away for 25 yards or so and turned and looked at me, at this time I was kneeling at full Draw, I guessed 50 yards and shot about 4 inches high. He never ducked, just a misestimate of yardage. So they run broadside to me about 30 yards and stop again looking the other way. I knocked another arrow, guessed for 50 yards again, and when I shot, he dropped down and my arrow again went about 4" over his back. FUGG! So now they wheel around to my other side to a closer distance, I think, and stop broadside again, both staring right at me. I figured, last arrow, its gonna happen. Wrong. My first pin is an inch low at 35 yards, so I put it center body and right behind the shoulder. I released and shot about an inch under his belly, Had he ducked this time, I would have lucked into a kill. After 3 narrow misses, they finally had enough and hauled ass across the field and across the highway to another section. I did manage to find my last arrow I shot and confirmed it was a clean miss. I looked for 10 minutes for the other 2 but no luck finding them. Then I looked at my muddy phone and realized it was 4:20. If only 15 years ago, I would have broke out the 1 hitter and mellowed out and forgot the whole thing:smiley_bril: When I made the walk back to the car, my buddy Cole was there waiting, having watched the last hour unfold. He knew I missed and remarked how I deserved that deer. I then turned into my Dad and told him we arent owed anything when it comes to hunting, except the memories. It's up to us to to do the right things and execute to take our prey. I did everything right on 2 great hunts now this year except the shooting part. The first time wounding a buck on a chip shot. At the very least, I did not wound this buck at all. I probably just made him impossible to kill now, haha. I take great pride in my shooting abilities with whatever weapon I choose. I regularly shoot squirrels with my bow from the stand, or cats, or other rodents, always keeping a sharp eye. This year has been very humbling so far. But come this Saturday, Ill be out freezing my ass off doing it again. Almost forgot to add: My ass is too big and old to do that Army crawling bullshit in the mud for 4 hours. My fugging elbows and shoulders are killing me today!
 
Last edited:

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,855
260
SW Ohio
What a awesome read and stalk!!! I was in the edge of my seat Ryan! Great perspective your dad gave you in response to your buddy's comment! Awesome stuff! Good luck Saturday as we'll be out there with ya!
 

CritterGitterToo

Junior Member
375
58
Central Ohio
Now THAT was a great hunt. I've been in your shoes. I've put myself in position to kill some nice bucks and didn't get the kill. Though, I've never belly crawled in the mud. WOW! You've got a great attitude about it for sure. We should never take it for granted. Getting in bow range and putting one through the kill zone is never an automatic. It's a tough thing to do and any harvest should be celebrated and appreciated for sure.

Great hunt buddy. Advil is your friend.
 

teej89

Senior Member
2,288
48
NE PA
haha that's great! I love hunts like that because there's nothing to lose in that situation, it's just an ah hell I'll give it a try.

Wasn't there someone on here that stalked a dead head last year? lol