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My saddle Journey

I don't kill what I won't eat in a year. So I basically have a self imposed two deer limit. Well for the first time in a long time I'm very torn about this season. Usually by now with gun season opening this Saturday I'm hoping for a quick end the season shot in the am. I've been enjoying going fully mobile so much that part of me doesn't want to get anything for a few more weeks. I've really enjoyed the time spent tweaking and figuring the whole saddle hunting thing out. Now that I feel pretty well set I'm more ready to go than ever. Don't get me wrong with my limited time to hunt if given the chance I'll take the shot, but I'm still torn in the thought of season being over.
 
Just read through this thread and it seems you've had a roller coaster of a season. Congrats on your saddle buck you earned it!


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Well opening day was a series of few deer in the am. Followed by a 1.5 mile walk to get to the tree for the afternoon/pm. Just took my backpack off to start setting sticks and I get a text from the wife saying I need to come in the basement is leaking.
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Well there goes a bunch of ceiling tiles, plus the TV. The fridge upstairs died and dethawed also wrecking the pergo floor in my kitchen. Nothing like walking 3 miles never hunting to come home and see the joys of home ownership.
 
Well the season for me is over unless I feel the urge to take a doe for someone else. It's been one great, odd and expensive year. Financially speaking it needed to end early so I can get pulling some hours in my shop to make up for the now empty piggy bank.
 
Here's the latest buck story. After yesterday's fiasco I decided to go all in on playing one of my last cards before hitting the new property. I sat down last night and outlined everything I could hunter wise in the surrounding properties. The pattern that kept becoming more evident was no one is hitting bedding like I do. So pressure wise it was hunt another excape route / funnel or go for it and sneak inside the bedding. I waited to see what the weather would bring for the morning and decide then.
I went outside at 4 am this morning and saw the snow along with 18+mph west winds. Perfect for trying to sneak into bedding, except the snow was loud and crunchy. So because of the noise from the snow I decided to wait until it was light enough to see so I wouldn't add more noise from stepping on a branch or have a light bouncing along. I started the trip about twenty minutes before first light and took my time picking my way through the brown brush and golden rod. Once light I glassed at the trees looking for what would be the easiest and quietest to climb. Tree picked so more crawling and hiding my way in. I got set up and seated. I saw a doe ten minutes later stand up out of the brush eighty yards out. She walked around and bedded back down. A hour later she stood back up and walked with the wind twenty yards, but she looked very jumpy so I ready the gun. She made it a few more yards and this buck stood up from ten yards behind her. When he stood he was directly facing me so no good shot options. Waiting on the trigger he ducked into some more brush. The doe spooked another twenty yards and now I'm thinking they will disappear into the valley before I'll get a chance. He peeks his head out and takes three steps looking like he's going to give chase. Trigger on the 308 gets squeezed he shows no sign of getting hit and they take off into some thick pines. So I wait a few minutes and get down to inspect the area he was in. I see some bright red blood and go back pull my sticks and steps and make for home to drop the gear and saddle. Get my buddy heading my way for tracking and wait. For twenty yards there is no blood just prints in the snow. Now I'm starting to wonder about the shot because I didn't compensate for my gun being sighted in 1.5" high at 100 which he was less than that right around 60 yards. We find one small drop of blood leading into the trails by the pine tree plantation. Once into the pines there is no snow, no blood and tons of different tracks. I've been down this road before tracking other deer and I'm figuring I hit him a touch high which means no blood until the cavity fills up. The two of us split up going 100 yards down every track trail heading into the pines. No blood anywhere. An hour and a half later 100 yards into the pines still nothing to go off of and I find one track that looks like a slight stumble so I follow it. He doubles back and tracks change directions four or five times. Then seem to just run out so I kneel down and look across the base of the pine trees and there he is 40 yards away. Just as expected I hit him a touch high and entry and exit were clotted over. He covered roughly 250 yards from the shot. It just goes to show you no matter what it appears to be always always do all you can to track it. My buddy and most people I know would've given up with no sign. 20 1/8 inside spread. Scored 124 2/8 for NY. Wish his one brow tine wasn't broken.

Thanks for the help and education on saddles this year. _20171119_123612.JPG _20171119_123415.JPG
 
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As I'm sitting here tagged out I keep thinking the next time this happens what an I going to do. I haven't looked into it yet, but I'm thinking an out of state weekend hunt to Ohio sounds fun. Anyone familiar with public land somewhere on the north eastern part of Ohio? Any advice to get the ball rolling for future years would be great.
 
Does anyone hunt Ohio that could give me a pointer or two in the right direction?
 
I just ordered all the books and dvd's the other day. Can't wait for them to come in. I am done with the old tired way of hunting I was taught by friends and tv. I never really agreed with more hunting and less scouting, pileing corn and attractants right next to where you hunt, and never wanted to go on paid hunts. I am eagerly awaiting my saddle and some more scentlok that I ordered as well. I have a couple of harnesses that came with millennium stands that I am considering turning into a tree sling. If anyone can make suggestions on sewing the straps together so it doesn't come apart that would be great. I have never been so excited about hunting ever. I feel the veil has been lifted and there is no going back. Hoping to attend one of Johns workshops ASAP. Thanks guys y'all have changed my life forever!
,D

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