Thread: Ohio Archery Buck 24 Nov 2020

This morning I woke up at 0337 and almost didn’t hunt but after checking cameras from overnight and seeing some small bucks sparring at night and a decent 8 my mind was made up. Made a cup of coffee, filled the wood stove and laid out my clothes.


I watched some local weather and was out the door at 0515. It is about a 10 minute walk to the stand from my front door as I take the “long” route. Climbed the tree and checked in with wife on walkie talkie to let her know i was up the tree safely.


Such a peaceful morning in God’s woods. Said my morning prayer checking in with God for a safe and blessed hunt. I could hear our rooster start to crow and the chicken coop come to life. Eventually every chicken within miles was cackling, dogs were barking and SE Ohio was coming to life.


0645 a doe and fawn make their way through. The fawn didn’t have a care in the world but momma made me out in the tree and stared me down for 10 minutes or so. She decided there was no threat and made her way off to the south of me and I watched them both make their way up a hill to a bedding area.


At about 0745 I am sitting enjoying the morning listening and looking and I hear a very long low pitched tending grunt in a place I call the swamp. It is followed by another much shorter grunt. I am just sitting quietly and I catch movement 200 yards away to my left. All I can see is one big body and what I think is a rack. I keep looking that direction and he disappears. A truck I see coming down our road each morning @ 0800 comes through a bit early today (I can see the road from my 22ft perch up an oak tree).


It isn’t a minute later a big buck chasing a doe runs down our front yard hill and I figure he has made his way to the back of our place or beyond as we only have 42 acres. 5 minutes later I hear the same tending grunt in the swamp and 4 does get the heck out of there and pass me 20 yards away in a westerly direction. Another doe comes in but she makes her way to the south of me and step for step 20 yards to her east I see this buck walking parallel to her in the thick brush. The doe stops to browse and he stops and stares at her grunting and looking all around. He turned and walked directly. Away from me to about 30 yards from her and worked over a tree all the while checking on her.


I knew that if she didn’t turn and head west where the other does went I knew it was game over. I already had my bow on my lap and the hook of my Scott release in the string loop. I suddenly got the shakes but closed my eyes and told myself to calm down. I kept watching the doe and just like I had hoped she headed west. It didn’t take long for the buck to stop amusing himself with the poor tree. He started to follow and at 35 yards I let an Easton Carbon Injexion 400 fly. The rage hypodermic did its job as he didn’t make it 30 yards. Came home, made my wife tea, made myself another cup of coffee, climbed in bed and watched some TV.


Got to him and drug him through the swamp to an old path I used to have cleared. Walked to the house got the tractor and went to field dress and drive him to the house.


Got cleaned up and took him to Wood Road Smokehouse and had to do some other stuff away from home (hence the late late update).


God is good and I am blessed in so many ways.