Ground shrinkage phenomenon!

[Jimmyfunk60]

I’m pretty lucky to have access to 3 really good private farms in Ohio. I take 2-3 weeks off every fall to bow hunt. Like most of us I strive to better myself and the size of the animals I harvest. I made it a goal to shoot a 135 inch or bigger deer this year. My last two harvest went 133 and 131

The deer before these two didn’t put a tape on but I’d call it a 120. I made a split second decision on him and had some ground shrinkage. However it was still a nice deer.

This season I saw a hand full of really good bucks. Over my 14 days off hunting I passed quite a few bucks. I had some close encounters with a couple solid shooters that fit my goal but never presented a clean opportunity at harvesting them. Fast forward to my second to last night of vacation. I have a 135-140” 8 point that I’ve seen multiple times on a doe. She runs by at 18 yards but no shot in the thick stuff. Buck is in his core area. They run around a bit. At one point this guy stops out at 115 yards. I grunt and snort wheeze and he is just staring. He ends up walking off and the night closes out without him coming by again.
The following morning I set up on his primary bedding area. I get to the farm early park at a further away location than normal. Loop way out around and drop down into the bottom and get set up in my tree as quiet as possible. In the darkness I can hear a buck grunting and walking down the edge of the bedding. As day light breaks it continues to get closer. To my left in a small opening in the pines I see the buck it’s the big 8 working my way. How he’s walking he’s going to come by at 32 yards broadside traveling left to right. I get ready and nothing. Can hear him working a rub. Then I hear him get in the creek. As I look out in the beading cover I can see his rack sticking up here and there. I throw a grunt and a snort wheeze and he continues to work out away from me left to right. He then starts to hook around and come back into me.. I get excited I know he’s now trying to find the grunting buck and get down wind or do the J hook before he beds down. He continues to walk in now coming into my opening working right to left. This process took about 45 seconds and multiple times I had a good look at this buck and knew I was shooting him. He continues to walk into my lane. I am being patient I’m not rattled and let him continue to close. At 25 yards I hit him with a “meh” he stops I hit him good.. He bounds off for ten yards… Slows down and continues to walk away. At 40 yards away from shot he gets death wobble and goes down. At this point I’m pumped. Nothing like sealing the deal on your last morning. I call my daughter and wife send my buddies texts. I’m hanging in the tree shaking like a leaf and super pumped I’m 100% certain I just smoked a mature 135-140” perfect 8 point. I let him lay for 30 min. Rappel down. Pack up my gear and go to get my hands on my buck. As I approach him in the tall grass my heart sinks. My 3.5/4.5 year old 135” 8 point is a 2.5 year old 110” 8 point. I am still bewildered on how I misjudged the size of the deer so bad. I took a video of him going down after the shot and still feel like on the hoof this deer looks much bigger. About the only thing I can figure is I had such a strong notion the big 8 was bedding here that in my minds eye that was the buck in front of me.

I want to say that I know to some this deer is big and you would say I should be grateful. To that I say I am am grateful for the opportunity to hunt. I’m happy I was able to make a clean quick ethical kill. I’m upset however I did not achieve my personal goal for the 2022 season. I am just can’t quite get over the regret I have for shooting this deer. I put a lot of hours in a tree and really wish I could take this one back.

For anyone else that has gone through a situation of ground shrinkage like this, what are some things you can do to prepare yourself to not make a mistake like this in the future?


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[Maverick1]

I understand your situation and have been there. (And am still there on occasion!) One thing that I do on a pretty regular basis is before I go out hunting is to look at my wall and get a really good perspective on what a 110”, 120”, 130”, 140”, 150”, 160”, and 170” deer looks like. I also spend quite a bit of time field judging deer. That really helps me out in the field when I have to make a split second decision on whether to shoot or not. Having a quick memory and comparison tool is helpful.

A second thing that I’ve been doing is to take inventory of the bucks on the properties that I hunt. This is mostly down using vine scrapes and trail cameras. While these setups can’t capture every deer in an area, I find it much easier to make a “shoot” or “pass” decision in the field. That decision has already been made. If it’s buck “A”, he’s getting shot. If it’s anything else, he’s not.

A third thing I’ve been doing is hunting multiple states per year. That way, if I happen to shoot something above or below my personal standards for any given season, I move on to the next state and can do my best to get something that makes me happy. (I’ve been successful in filling multiple buck tags in different states in the same season.). Moving on to a different state can really take the sting out of what you are feeling right now, and you don’t have to go a whole offseason knowing you’re disappointed. (Plus, more hunting!).

 

[CooterBrown]

The buck i killed this year had that same disease. It's what got him killed.

 

[thedutchtouch]

dang, those all look like mighty fine deer to me!

 

[phatkaw]

I've probably shot 5 or 6 of the 'wrong' deer.
Don't let it worry you too bad . It will most likely happen again...


Congratulations!

 

[Ben C]

I saw a bachelor group of 3 walk in the the field I was hunting. Well the last one to walk in was easily the biggest and I saw 4 points on one side. It was the world record for smallest 7 point lol I can fit one of those tiny claw machine basketballs in his rack. If I saw him by himself I might have realized how small he was, but comparing him to two others side by side made him look giant.

 

[Robert loper]

all awesome bucks brother and congrats.

Now.
I mean no offense to anyone nor do i take any know how or ability of anyone with what i sm saying.
so theres no hate, bashing, or envy of any kind. Please no-one be butthurt lol.
The First problem with todays deer hunters are, I think alot of them think they are setting a personal goal but do not realize that social media has put the pressure on them to set these goals. its a goal of only harvesting a certain score-and its usually an unrealistic goal unless your on some kind of cushy low pressured property.
The interest of killing a buck of 130 inches and larger is everyone’s goals.
Even nowadays and no offense to anyone the 130 inch buck not 10 years was a great buck. A real trophy especially on public grounds.
now it seems anything under 150 is average. Lmao.
It cracks me up some of these guys.
With that said I totally blame several social media groups, or so called pro celeb hunters that have glorified thier own ways of hunting and pushing and associating the whole mature buck being inches not age.
Alot of them pretty much send the message do this snd you can kill this.
almost like how some companies market products.
well if you really look into most of these groups and guys being able to hunt and scout 7 days a week I think most have good intentions at first but then see a financial gain and dive into the collecting of followings or subscriptions which brings money.
none of these groups or people are doing anyone any favors.
They are all seeking financial gain which is fine but people need to realize this and stop setting goals that these guys set for themselves for content.
The big Hunting you tube channels are really just becoming entertainment rather than educational content.

Most of us have lives with responsibilities that come first.
plus-not all areas in the country have bucks that reach 140-150 inches of antler.
I myself have been guilty of this several seasons and this year i have taken the mindset that if that buck interests me im shooting it.
i dont care if its 100 inches or if it is a booner which is listed as 165 inches or bigger.
if i want to shoot something its my tag ill shoot it and another thing i will use what i want to shoot it as long as its legal and that specific season.
with all that said. My friend do not feel bad at shooting any deer. It’s difficult to do and you need to feel very accomplished when you do. Especially a buck.
me i just want to deer hunt again and stop counting years and inches.
all that will come with bettering woodsman-ship
Thnks just my 20 cents lol

 

[Jimmyfunk60]

all awesome bucks brother and congrats.

Now.
I mean no offense to anyone nor do i take any know how or ability of anyone with what i sm saying.
so theres no hate, bashing, or envy of any kind. Please no-one be butthurt lol.
The First problem with todays deer hunters are, I think alot of them think they are setting a personal goal but do not realize that social media has put the pressure on them to set these goals. its a goal of only harvesting a certain score-and its usually an unrealistic goal unless your on some kind of cushy low pressured property.
The interest of killing a buck of 130 inches and larger is everyone’s goals.
Even nowadays and no offense to anyone the 130 inch buck not 10 years was a great buck. A real trophy especially on public grounds.
now it seems anything under 150 is average. Lmao.
It cracks me up some of these guys.
With that said I totally blame several social media groups, or so called pro celeb hunters that have glorified thier own ways of hunting and pushing and associating the whole mature buck being inches not age.
Alot of them pretty much send the message do this snd you can kill this.
almost like how some companies market products.
well if you really look into most of these groups and guys being able to hunt and scout 7 days a week I think most have good intentions at first but then see a financial gain and dive into the collecting of followings or subscriptions which brings money.
none of these groups or people are doing anyone any favors.
They are all seeking financial gain which is fine but people need to realize this and stop setting goals that these guys set for themselves for content.
The big Hunting you tube channels are really just becoming entertainment rather than educational content.

Most of us have lives with responsibilities that come first.
plus-not all areas in the country have bucks that reach 140-150 inches of antler.
I myself have been guilty of this several seasons and this year i have taken the mindset that if that buck interests me im shooting it.
i dont care if its 100 inches or if it is a booner which is listed as 165 inches or bigger.
if i want to shoot something its my tag ill shoot it and another thing i will use what i want to shoot it as long as its legal and that specific season.
with all that said. My friend do not feel bad at shooting any deer. It’s difficult to do and you need to feel very accomplished when you do. Especially a buck.
me i just want to deer hunt again and stop counting years and inches.
all that will come with bettering woodsman-ship
Thnks just my 20 cents lol

I can definitely appreciate this and I get 100% of what your saying… with that being said I have one of those cushy bomb properties lol. This particular farm is touch over 500 acres.. has most of the bedding for surrounding farms. Most of the ground around is leased or family farms with minimal hunters and most are all only shooting mature bucks.. on the regular there will be multiple 150-180” deer shot in the area each season. But I definitely get your view point and what u said is spot on with what my dad said.


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[Robert loper]

I can definitely appreciate this and I get 100% of what your saying… with that being said I have one of those cushy bomb properties lol. This particular farm is touch over 500 acres.. has most of the bedding for surrounding farms. Most of the ground around is leased or family farms with minimal hunters and most are all only shooting mature bucks.. on the regular there will be multiple 150-180” deer shot in the area each season. But I definitely get your view point and what u said is spot on with what my dad said.


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Can i come hunt with you lmao