I spent the entire day in the woods Monday and never saw a thing except a bunch of squirrels. The "local" shooting within ear range all day was slightly less than normal, although folks on the farm to the north of me (with lots of standing corn still) shot a few times. Folks who've read my posts might remember that I'm a meat hunter these days, taken my share of big bucks over the years, everything between a button and 12 points (except a 5). Since taking that 12 about 5-6 years ago, I've just been enjoying and watching the big ones go by and just taking "smaller" stuff for the freezer. I have no problems with letting my buddies come over and go after them though! I was at it again Tuesday well before sunrise. About 8:30 two does came through the woods to the west and headed across the corner of my place towards the neighbors corn field. I took the bigger of the two, a nice "medium sized" Ohio doe (large by other states standards) for the freezer. I tagged it, dressed it out, packed up my gear from my ground blind, and started walking back to the house to get my chained JD Sabre/wagon and come back out to bring it in. I was half way back to the house to a point where a small ash deadfall had come down across the road in just the last day or two. I had come upon it in the dark about an hour before sunrise on my way to my spot and made a mental note that if I got a deer, I would need to bring a chainsaw with me on the way back out to clear it for the JD/wagon. As I approached that spot in my road, I was just walking past some deadfalls and tops down an embankment to my left by one of my creeks. I was going to step over the downed ash, but I noticed in the light of day that the top had broken off when it hit the ground. I could just move the top out of the way and would be able to drive around the rest of it for now when I drove back out. I wouldn't need a chainsaw. With the gun still on my right shoulder, I reached down with my left hand, grabbed the busted top and started dragging it backwards about 8', then threw it to the left side of the road. Immediately, a big massive Ohio buck jumped up from the downed top 20' away and "casually" bounded off across my bottomland (directly towards my blind where I shot the doe). He had a "very typical" high rounded rack, guessing 10-12 points. I didn't make any attempt to shoot him ............... with my scoped 1100 I could have easily slung lead his way, just enjoyed the experience instead. I don't like that "bounding away" shot anyhow, to much chance for a wound instead of a kill. The big old cagey buck was just going to sit tight there in that cover and let me walk right on past him. He only decided to jump after I stopped and dragged the branches to the side of the road. It shows how you really have to closely examine any bit of cover. Those smart old ones didn't get that way for nothing! I don't know if this was the same buck I posted about earlier here ( http://firewoodhoardersclub.com/forums/index.php?threads/this-buck-is-asking-for-trouble.644/ ), but if any of you guys are still looking for one and need a place to hunt this weekend let me know. I'll be back out there looking for another small doe, button or spike ......... maybe a "small" 4 pointer if I get desperate . My freezer doe: Here are a couple photos walking up to the downed ash in the road .... notice the "tops" down the embankment to the left. The broken branches I dragged to the side with the tops just past them, part of my "bottom land" in the background. Another dead young ash hits the ground. I have lots of them still to clean up.
Congrats on the freezer meat! You are exactly right, the old bucks don't get that way by being stupid!
Nice job on puttin one in the freezer! And good decision letting that big boy bound away. I hear of too many guys taking pot shots and never knowing whether they even hit the deer.
good on ya for making the sportsman decision, Boog......guys like you keep the "class" in the sport. Way too many people would have slung a couple shots at that buck, most likely mortally wounding it and never being able to find it. Nothing wrong with some doe meat in the freezer.....actually, I think the doe tastes better than a rutted up buck anyway.......
