• The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
  • We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules

2018 Ohio Buck

matt6506

Active Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2017
Messages
125
Location
Southeastern Ohio
After what's been a trying season I finally got my opportunity to punch my Ohio Buck tag on the afternoon of Nov 14th. I have been hitting the public hard this year and then ocassionaly hunting the 2 private pieces I still have access to. On the evening on the 14th I had a north-eaet wind which is perfect for hunting a transition between clear-cut and open hardwoods at the 1/3rd from the top elevation on one of my private properties.

I was plesently surprised on my way in to find the area tore up with waist high rubs and scraps. I was able to sneak in undetected to the transition around 3pm and set sticjs and got settled in my saddle. It was a beautiful afternoon and I was perched just 28yds on the downwind edge of the transition with the ability to also see the flat below me.

At 3:45 I heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps approaching along the transition and I was pleasantly surprised to see a cage. The buck was slightly quartering to me when I released my arrow which unfortunately hit farther back than I liked. As the buck trotted off I could see intestines hanging out of his far side. I quitely
remained in the tree beating myself up over the shot, replaying the scenario in my head.

I waited over an hour after I last seen the buck to sneak down and take a peek at my arrow. I instantly knew what I was dealing with when I saw the dark red blood and stomach matter on the arrow. I knew from past experience to back out with any type of gut or liver shot. So I quietly made my way out of the woods in the opposite direction the buck went.

The threat of freezeing rain and sleet the following morning was heavy of my mind throughout the evening. I was determined to give the buck at least 10 hrs to hopefully expire. At 2am as I left home to go track the book the sleet and rain began.

Unfortunately I was able to find any blood at impact so I made my way to the last location I had seen the buck. Thankfully I was able to find blood and I was on the trail. I ended up finding 5 different beds before finding the bucks final resting place. The buck only traveled 200yds from the point of impact but it was my most difficult track yet. I started on the trail at 2:30am and did not recover him until 6:30am.

This buck is my 2nd out of my kestrel. I can not imagine hunting a different way.







 
Congratulations on a beautiful buck. Enjoy . Very good decision on backing out and to go back at 2:00 am and start tracking is something else. I guess I'm old I would have waited for daylight. My hats off to you. You have a memory that will last a lifetime.
 
Congratulations on a beautiful buck. Enjoy . Very good decision on backing out and to go back at 2:00 am and start tracking is something else. I guess I'm old I would have waited for daylight. My hats off to you. You have a memory that will last a lifetime.
I was planning on going in at daylight but I was worried about the rain washing away the little blood i had. In hindsight I would of found him regardless.
 
Congrats well done! Good decision made in a situation a lot of hunters would have pushed on and probably made coyote food.
X2. I also think it was a great idea to go in before the rain came. Most people would have stayed in bed until daylight but the truth is I wouldn’t have slept well anyway.
 
Congratulations on a Great buck. You made the right decision to go track at 2am verses daylight. There have been at least one if not two different threads on Saddlehunter this season about loosing blood after rain at night.
 
Thinking that I at least got liver was the deciding factor for going in at 2am. I wasn't sleeping anyway. My dad was adimate about pushing him right away but I knew it was best to wait.
 
I hunt in a suburban deer management program. We hunt parks in the county. The parks close from 12:00am till 6:00 am so it would be impossible for me to do that. It's all part of a suburban deer program. We also must shoot a doe before a buck and we donate that first doe to a local food back. It's a great program.
 
I hunt in a suburban deer management program. We hunt parks in the county. The parks close from 12:00am till 6:00 am so it would be impossible for me to do that. It's all part of a suburban deer program. We also must shoot a doe before a buck and we donate that first doe to a local food back. It's a great program.
Every situation is different that's what makes hunting so great.
 
Hey man congrats. I am hunting for the first time, on 2 private properties in SE Ohio too. Good to see some one having some success down there!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Back
Top