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Shot a buck at 7:30 this morning, he came in, worked a scrape then headed past me at 20. I knew the shot was a touch back. Arrow looked and smelled like liver so i gave him seven hours. He went 63 yards, turns out I heard him die. He made some light grunts which Id never heard before as he died Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Story to follow up.

I got my first buck with me bow, have been bow hunting for about 8 years and have only been able to get shots at doe's. He was about 15 yards when I took the shot, I hit a little higher than I would have liked but he still went down. He ran about 50-60 yards before going down. Thankfully I heard him go down as there was not blood trail, a nice big exit hole but no blood until the spot he went down. I have to go out and look for the arrow a little more I wasn't able to find it at the time. The picture isn't the greatest, it was getting dark and I wanted to get him dressed and hung as soon as possible. He's a 9 point, it didn't look like anything was broken off, just didn't grow the same on both sides. Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk

Success! From my angle, the shot went in low and out high.

... Sent from my moto g fast using Tapatalk

Well , I screwed up . A few minutes after 7 , I shot what I thought was a doe . It was limited light in the laneway and the deer was 25 yards away . Luckily I had practiced at that distance . Anyway , the deer took off into the bean field and I lost sight of it . I called my son to let him know I had hit a deer because I had seen the illuminated nok hit . I waited a half hour , got down from the ladder stand and went into the field . It was overcast , so I didn't see any blood until I came across a bloody spot where the deer had laid down . I saw the deer stand , take a few steps and lay back down . I tore a piece of hankerchief and marked the spot on a tall weed where the deer had last laid . I went back to my stand and sat for well over an hour . My son who had been sitting in a stand at the back of the woods said we had waited long enough and came up on his ATV . He was several hundred yards away from me . I showed Matt where the deer was when I shot . We looked around and started finding specks of blood and then some big spots of blood . Finally found the deer thanks to it's white belly . Not a doe , it was a Spike buck . I have knee surgery this coming Thursday and today was the only day I could hunt . And , thanks to my son , I was able to hunt and retrieve the deer .

Well the shit was better than I thought he didn’t even go 70 yards target buck down Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ok. Twist my arm

My wife's buck...

Was chasing a doe

Very Happy right now. Not a giant, but it is for my property Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

Just arrow this small six pointer, about 30 minutes ago. 25 yd shot got him to pause with a grunt. He ran 35 yd and collapsed dead.

Oh yeah andddd

113 yard measured

Well I may have to retire, little Zeek is fillin our freezer all on his own. We went out after half time of the Bills game, got settled in he was in a hang on and i was in a tree next to him in my climber. Nothing was stirring not even a mouse or squirrel. Eventually a fox moved thru and then a single grey squirel. Maybe 45mins later a doe comes strolling down a path that will take her within 15 yards of his stand. He came to full draw and waited for a clear shot. Honestly one of the coolest moments ive ever experienced in the woods. To see the emotion in him...im one proud dad. Doe went maybe 75 yards, shot was high but got both lungs, easy trailto follow.

Got him. Hit one lung, and stomach

This morning, not the bigger of the two that were together but he will definitely do.

Big gal, I love starting a season like this Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Put to bed last night, then put to rest this am at 6:07. Soaked to the bone ! 21#, 10.5" beard, 1" spurs. Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

A little luck this morning in the turkey woods. No goobling heard from roost or early morning. At about 8:45, I fired one up with some excited clucking&cutting. He sounded off so distant, I wasn't actually sure he responded to me or just a coincidental gobble way off. I then did some yelps and got no response. So to test if he had responded to me, I tried clucking and cutting again. He gobbled and sounded like he was a little closer, but still a ways off, so I gave a few reassurance clucks and purrs, then put down the pot call and waited for him to hopefully show up. After about 10 minutes and not hearing or seeing anything, I got nervous when some crows sounded off in the area and he didn't shock gobble at them. So, I decided to cut again to see if he was still in the area. I gave a series of clucks and cutting and he hammered right back with 2 gobbles and was now really close. After a few minutes I could hear him walking in the leaves and he let out a massive gobble right behind me...Love that sound, close up! I could hear him thumping going in and out of strut behind me and then he finally came into view, but walking on the wrong side of me. He walked by my right side at about 7 yds and I knew there was no way I could turn on him for a shot. I figured to let him go by me and turn for a shot if I got a chance when his head went behind a tree. But then, he caught sight of my decoys (jake with 2 hens) to my left and he crossed in front of me at about 10 yards, heading to the decoys. He strutted around the decoys for about 30 seconds and I was able to get the gun in position when his head was blocked by his fan. When I shot him he was standing right next to my jake decoy at about 15 yards. What an exciting hunt! About 1" spurs and about a 9.25" beard.

My son wacked a great buck tonight with the xbow. Haven't seen a thing all year but a spike so far. Couldn't get in any of our good stands with the strong south winds. Until tonight, the wind switched just enough west to get into a good stand. Last half hour, this guy comes out of nowhere, 25 yards quartering towards us. He made an awesome shot, got the top of both lungs and never hit the guts. No exit hole so it was a tiny bits of blood as he ran with the bolt in him, but we heard him crash hard from the stand. But it started pouring and so little blood I started getting nervous that maybe I was hearing things when he crashed. He went about 100 yards total and piled up.

Beautiful morning. Love fall colors Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Mentioned was hunting lately but not going to burn myself out like years past. Awaiting the good , the rut. Well I picked one heck of a day it wasn’t raining nor turned off alarm and bailed. Had a four point walk almost directly under me. Later I hear foot steps in the leaves . 2 fawns with 2 good doe behind them. I know old logging trail is 25 yards from stand. First doe gets by my 2 clearings of branches to shoot through so I draw and hold awaiting second doe to hit the second window. Anticipating her step forward I let the arrow go. Luminock shows money . She bolts off. I’m gonna wait awhile to check arrow. But dang arrow who should be strobing slips under the leaves upon finally looking. Then I have a spike coming down trail followed by a different 4 point. 3 small doe coming down a knoll and the 4 point now has a good 6 join him. The 4 takes off running dogging the doe. He ran them off and they headed back under me with him still chasing. I had full draw contemplating sending it on the 6 but let off. Already have one blood trail so no bueno on sending it. After losing a doe last week I believe was a superficial hit and no idea what happened I’m glad to have redeemed myself on only my 3rd archery deer with a clean and quick kill. She went about 20 yards and crashed in a rose of Sharon. What a morning. Double lunged

So of course yesterday was the start of the youth weekend so it's about my youngest son and his last youth hunt. Last year he filled his first tag ever on a young doe so this year he had a couple rules. #1 no yearling deer, #2 no yearling deer. So yesterday morning we drive to my property about 1/2 hour away and it starts raining 5 minutes before we get there. I say out loud it's raining and I hear I'm not worried about a little rain. He might not care but I don't feel like getting rained on so I drive back towards home to another spot. We got set just as first light was poking through and 5 minutes later there's a doe and fawn 15 yards in front of us and of course directly down wind. They never bolt but we weren't moving an inch the both nervously walked off. A couple hours later we headed home for grandma's 97th bday so no afternoon hunt and he wasn't moving this am so I flew to a bow stand solo at about 9am I get a text asking if I'm taking him this afternoon. We drive to my property and get set around 3:30ish and here come two adult doe with fawns and they blew and blew so I said I had a spot to maybe sneak in with the wind how it was so we go. I no sooner creep through the hedrow and here's a good buck about 120 yds in the middle of this green field so I get the stick out he drops to a knee and takes aim. I just keep saying squeeze, squeeze when the gun goes off I'm looking at the deer through binoculars and he starts to bolt as I turn to tell him to shoot again I see a buck flop in the field to the left of the big one and then I hear "do you want me to shoot him too?" As I turn back again and he's now pointing towards the first buck I saw. No don't do it and thank God he didn't but no comes the what are you doing ? Shooting the deer. Why did you shoot that one? I didn't see the big one until I shot. Anyways I'm proud of my boy and he took a 165yd shot with the 30-06 and dropped his first buck.

Went to help track straight from work just got home. He went 100 yards no blood but we found him in thick mountain laurel. That's an elk and bear in back to back years for my little bro.

Buck down buck down!! My first buck ever, first buck with a bow.

I'm happy with him. I was limited on wall space, old home low ceiling.

My 10/5 buck...

5 yards kill at 7:15 am . Praising God for this deer harvest. God knows how to put a smile in heart my even when life it’s hard

Success within the first hour of the season. She’s hanging out in the deer fridge now.

Finally! Cynthia and,I make a good team. Heard a good 4 Gobblers. This Gobbler came in silent to my Left - then Gobbled. Gave him some soft-- Whits- Whits. On he came- head Dipped and,I fired. 93/4" beard 1 1/8" Spurs Weight -, a good 22

Found these birds yesterday afternoon while scouting a recent land swap of public. He gobbled a bunch from the tree down in a swamp and I got in to about 100yds and setup. Once it got light I could hear hens so I moved and got in between them and him. Once I heard him fly down I made a few soft yelps on the diaphragm and that’s all it took. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

3m. Shot 815am hanging with a doe. Wasn't my best shot definitely mixed emotions tracking 300yds Very happy to recover.

It's late.... would've posted earlier but I had to hurry up and get her in the deer fridge. Yearling doe. I thought it was a fawn but nope. Just a runt. Rage heads still work fine. Big cut when they go in at an angle. That was the exit. Had to really make sure it wasn't a button buck. Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

She’ll do

I am in fact. Live from the woods. And killed a doe 12 minutes in lol. I was barely seated and lucky I had stopped moving around Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Finally was able to finish my taxidermy room in CT house today. Always hard to take good pics of taxidermy- in person always looks way better. Only stuff left to add are my critter skulls that were beetle cleaned and in clear display cases. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Quick check in. Ohio hunting has been very slow with the high temps. We walked into the stand two days ago at 80 degrees for example. It’s been quite boring short of seeing a fisher and a beaver from the stand. Not a surprise, day movements have been slow in PM. Short burst of activity all does and 1.5s in AMs. Yesterday we got a very mild cold front. One buck we did have some confidence in ended up breaking off his G2 and G4 the evening before. He got a pass as we sat all day yesterday to push luck on this minor cold front (high of 60). Cams have shown good action at night lol short of the busted up buck. We decided yesterday to leave for Missouri Wednesday and try to hunt a huge monster cold front coming in Friday AM. Going from 71 to 37 for the HIGH. New job starts 21st and I have no PTO. Tough decision but I relegated to taking the first good buck I see here in Ohio. NY has been a disaster with our properties too. I haven’t seen a 2.5 yo in nearly three weeks. All day sir was slow. Saw one deer tail 60 yards out in brush in AM and nothing at all til 3 when a spike came in and left 20 min later. 4:30, this guy came in and I made a shot at 30. Just barely saw him go down but it was the “I think” he went down that I saw so we waited. He died where I last saw him. High slight quarter to but got both lungs and exited through liver. 9 point with a split brow. Had backstraps for a very late dinner after him dying in 6-7ft multiflora. I’m happy with him due to the slowness of the season. We definitely need to work on property access next year in NY and get more work done here in Ohio. Onto Missouri after tonight’s sit.

I guess I forgot to tell the does they are fair game tonight. Heart shot!

So after having some time to reflect I wanted to share a almost 3 year journey that came to a end this weekend. During the summer of 2020 I got my first picture of him, the big 7. At that point he was just a after thought, there were numerous other bucks on my cameras and he was just one of many. As time went on I got more and more pictures of him. I had my first encounter with him on 11/15/2020 he blew past me chasing a doe offering me no shot opportunity. My trail camera 150 yards away captured this picture of him 15 minutes later. It was around this time that I started to become obsessed. I spent the rest of the 2020 season never seeing him again during daylight, but getting almost nightly pictures of him on camera. This continued until the bucks shed their antlers for the winter and I lost track of him. Fast forward to the summer of 2021 I moved some stands and cameras around having better patterns on him and just waited. The work paid off when I got my first picture of him that year Season rolled around and got off to a good start, had some great encounters with some smaller bucks and lots of pictures of him on camera but no daylight sightings, and then it happened. He walked into my world. 42 yards and behind a downed tree. I could see his vitals were exposed but I was nervous of hitting too high, I drew my bow back and decided I would aim a tad on the low side. Either hit the downed tree or him right in the heart…. Well Tree one, chef zero. This experience gave me some good insight into where he was traveling and A few weeks later I decided to move a camera and then a stand to better set up on him. I moved the camera and planned on going back the next day with my hunting partner to hang the stand I guess I should have just moved the stand the same day because he didn’t waste any time. I actually watched him walk right past that stand from 100 yards away. My next encounter with him came a few days later. I got a hit on one of my cell cams showing he and 2 other bucks were headed my way. I could now see him coming through the brush… just 3 more steps is all I needed. He froze dead in his tracks looking off into the distance. I grunted, he pawed at the ground with his hoof thrashed his antlers in the brush but wouldn’t budge. All of a sudden I hear a twig snap to my opposite side and that’s all it took him and the 2 other bucks he had in tow bounded off in the other direction. I look to my right and see another hunter with his climber on his back walking right towards me…. I wave him off and he moves back the way he came. Fast forward to 12/8/21 I’m in a stand deep in the Swamp and my hunting partner is in one of our early season stands that is on the route from food to bed. My phone buzzes and it’s a text from him. It’s a video of the 7 walking out of his bow range and sort of parallel to my position. He then tells me how cool the encounter was and that he’s still shaking. He says the buck is kind of headed my way but not really. About 15 min later while scanning I see antlers about 100 yards out but moving parallel to my position. All of a sudden he makes a 90 degree turn and is headed straight for me. He’s coming, just cross the creek all you gotta do is cross. He stops at the creeks edge and leaps across. I raise the cross bow, put the site on his heart and pull the trigger. I could have sworn I watched the lighted nock sink into his chest cavity. He leaps back across the creek, looks back at me and slowly walks away hunched up. I know this reaction…. Gut shot… dead deer but it needs time. I look around for the lighted nock and see nothing. It’s getting dark now. I back out and say I’ll come back in the morning. I come back in the morning and look for my arrow, blood, anything. I can find nothing except for white hair at the hit site I grid search for hours… nothing. A trail cam pic a few days later confirms it.. he’s fine I missed somehow and just gave him a haircut. It’s now summer of 2022 and the pictures start again Many pictures but no encounters. Season starts off great, get my hunting partner his first bow buck. I’m not seriously working him at this point, just sitting a oak tree that’s producing and seeing what’s out there. And then it happens antlers in the brush, I can swear it’s him. It’s getting dark but I can still see. If he clears that tree I’m shooting… he does and wham the arrow zips through him. Shot looks good a little high but good… I follow good blood for 250 yards before loosing it. Called deer search and they came out the next day… no dice I’m devastated I killed him and won’t find him. Search for days looking for birds, coyotes anything.. no dice. Fast forward to Friday October 14th I finish work early and head out to my stand. I’m in for about 15 min when I see my first deer. A small 5pt he comes and goes quickly. A little later I have a altercation with 2 hunters trying to hunt with crossbows out of season… they walked right under my stand. I also have pictures of these idiots stealing cell cams of mine. I yell at them and they head back to their car and leave. I figured I blew up the spot and I should leave but in the end decided to stay. It turns into a great sit… two smaller bucks come by and are sparing out of range. Some does join in the mix and decide to watch while they eat.. finally the commotion scares them off. The small bucks leave and the does come back and start eating. It’s getting close to sunset. About 30 Min to go when I see him. He’s 80 yards out and headed straight towards me he makes it to 20 yards and turns broadside slight quarter to or so I think. I draw my bow settle the pin on him and let one fly… he takes two big jumps stops stands there for a second and then takes off running. I hear what I think is a crash but I’m not sure. I climb down and check my arrow… it’s covered in dark blood and smells kind of sweet sour. I go look to where he stood before bolting and found 2 pin pricks of dark blood. I decided to back out go home and look in the morning. It was a long sleepless night I woke up on the hour every hours… finally at 5:30 I can’t take it any more and get dressed and head out to start my search. I go back to the pin pricks and see what I can find… nothing. The pin pricks were 5 yards from the power line cut. Let me look there. I step into the cut and shine my flashlight into the opening on the other side… OMG there he is. He didn’t even go 70 yards. I walk up to him and finally lay hands on my prize. He was quartered much harder than I thought, the arrow entered the chest cavity, hit both lungs, cut the diaphragm nicked the stomach hit intestines and exited out the back leg. I know I’m supposed to be ecstatic that I got him and don’t get me wrong I’m over the moon… but I’m also kind of sad he’s gone, sad this chase has ended and this chapter of my hunting career is over. I guess it’s time to move on and do some fishing, shoot a doe or two and get ready for the regular season      Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My opening day: Gman graciously invited me down to hunt his property. Drove down Friday night after working all day. That drive gives me anxiety. He’s racked up 27 deer and a bear driving up to WNY for work and back over the years. I’ve had some close calls going to and from. Ordered my Subaru Outback xt onyx and waited 13 months for it , 2 weeks after getting it I smoked a deer doing 55 last spring so I’m gun shy now. $5k damage. Bunked out on the couch and 3 other guys spent the night too. He generously put me in the best spot cams proving it. Active scrapes 5-6 bucks working daily. 1 of which a dandy. He’d rather see others kill a good one than him. I have to cross a small creek on a wobbly suspension bridge with cables to hold onto. Upon hitting beginning of bridge my red lens on headlamp picks up to sets of eyes . Thinking sob 2 deer bedded there but I have to cross. Get half away across and one stands up , coyotes and one at now 18/19 yards is a big one. Nock an arrow. Full draw , can’t see pins , heck it’s been 80-90 seconds and both still staring at me. They finally scoot. Decide to put arrow into quiver and finish across. Upon hitting the end I step down and slip crashing hard into rocks and rebar supporting bridge. Took rebar right to the kneecap. Thought 911 was gonna be needed. Sucked it up and continued short journey to shooting shack where the scrapes. Thank goodness as climbing a ladder no bueno with knee on fire. Plunked my ass on a bar stool in there. Standing up not easy. Passed a spiker who might not even measure 3” and stubby tail to boot. Pain and swelling was nagging. Pulled the plug at 10:15. Drove the 90 minutes home thinking if I had a stick shift I couldn’t drive. Iced the heck out of it. My dads brothers son who’s a spitting image of my dad has been glassing a field for weeks and nice bucks hitting red clover at dusk each night. I’ve sat this place before and never see squat. Was corn prior years and this year it just was clover that popped. Helped other day get his climber set up with trimming and such. Yesterday wind was perfect blowing our scent into creek. I opted a stand a little farther away than we knew they’d enter. There’s a stand right where they should cross the creek , hit wood line then clover. I didn’t want to have my scent blow at cousin so I opted at one 60 yards away from the perfect stand. Well guess what , watched nice buck walk right under open stand . Watched 4 coon climb down from den tree and lone black squirrel. Then I get text at 5:30. I stuck him. Now Tony has baddd hearing and eyesight. The worst turkey hunter I’ve known and been trying for years to get a bird under his gun. He’s loud , noisy and always in a hurry. I climb down ladder stand with knee on fire. He can’t find blood and I immediately pick it up. Bright red and no bubbles. I mark it for 50 yards or so until losing it in swamp. I grid search lightly and knee goes out tumbling into a rose of Sharon face first. This is fun. After losing blood I tell him we should back out. He shot at 30 yards slight quartering towards. Upon him calling deer search I look 175 yards away and the other nice buck that was with shooter is walking down logging trail . I had just placed a cam on a stake over 3 big scrapes. Watching him hit licking branch and scrape. Tony’s like where lol. I went home and iced my knee some more. Supposed to bowl 6 games pre bowling for 3rd saturday of October and November. October is dads day at Samantha’s college and November is opening day of gun. Not sure bowling is gonna happen tonight lol. Well low and behold pic just got text. Tony is the first to wrap his hands around said bucks horns. He kills a lot of nice deer each year. Happy for him. I’m gonna try for shooters buddy when hunting local next.

Started our morning across from our house with no luck. Neighbor txtd me around 6 to ask if i was out with my son behind our house, told him nope but we were making our way back there shortly. Well he was out with his daughter and had 3 jakes going like crazy, wished him and her luck and kept trying where we were. Little back story on his daughter. Her and my son are friends, same grade and started competing with each other during their first deer season last year. She got 2 doe and he got a doe and a buck. So now she is after him for turkey season, she missed 1 tom this year so far. Back to hunting...we wait 15 more minutes and started heading back to our house, we just get to our yard and hear a shot! She missed again! He called in 3 jakes and she missed. They went back to their house and my son dropped a layer and we headed back for our turn. Withinin 5 mins i had them gobbling their heads off, we set up and i instantly saw movement...its a skunk! I was hoping he would move on and not get between us and the birds, didnt want to scate the stink out of him if we got a shot. He moved on and the jakes showed up, we both called and they were gobbling at everything. They were between 20 and 25 yards when i told him to shoot. Boom! Flop, his first bird on the ground. He instantly started shaking and happy tears came. Couldnt be prouder of him, he is beyond dedicated to hunting and all that the outdoors has to offer. Cant wait for the turkey dinner tonight.

8 yds went 30. Freezer queen party of 1

It was my turn last night. No tracking necessary :-). 3 tracks scheduled for today already. The first is for a bear.