Oct 27 th bow kill
The morning of october 27th 2012 was to say the least miserable in eastern Ohio. It was raining, windy, and actually bone chilling for that time of year. Deer activity had been picking up, with my trail camera pics doubling between my weekly checks. I had pics of some really nice deer and one that was far and above the largest. He had split G2's and some extra trash that couldn't be made out in the pic. Nearly a month had gone by since he had shown up on any of my cameras and i was beginning to lose hope that he would show himself again.
With the morning hunt finished and no deer sighted I climbed out of the 30 m.p.h. gusts and made the trek treestand and all back to my truck. With my face numb and my mind even more so from the lack of action I headed to town to pick up my federal duck stamp for the following day. When i came out of the post office i noticed that the wind was beginning to lay. As i made the 25 min. drive back to my farm i called my friend Mike and told him how terrible the morning had been, but that i was going back out this afternoon and would meet him at the marsh in the morning.
I arrived at the farm around 2 p.m. Re-dressed and sprayed down, grabbed my treestand and bow and headed out. The wind was now blowing out of the North-East gusting to 15 m.p.h. Perfect for a stand I handn't hunted since the first week of season as this is the only wind it will work in. It sits between a bedding area and a food plot that i had planted in early sept.
I reached the tree at 2:25 .pm. After getting my climber set-up and making my ascent, I settled in. 15 min. later a 2 1/2 year old 8 point worked the hardwood crick bottom below me. I was already happier than i had been all morning. As he worked out of sight into the next drainage i sat down and hung my bow up. An hour and 20 min. past with no more sightings, my butt was getting a little numb so i decided to stand for a spell. I glassed the area and the coast appeared clear. I stood and pulled my cell out to check the time. As I glanced up from checking the time I caught movement to my left. Not 50 yds. away two bucks were working my direction and hadn't spotted my movement as I stood! I slowly reached for my bow and hooked my release up. Now the Decision!! Which one!? They were walking single file, the first buck was a nice 145" 9 point. "ok, shooter!" I was thinking to myself. Then i got a look at the second.
The second deer, o the second. I spotted his split G2's and i was sold. I knew in that instant which deer it was and he was walking my direction.
The shot, well that was the trick. I had to let the first mature deer pass me and then get drawn without him seeing me, all my experiences and failures of the past were screaming that this was a bad idea, but it was the only way that sealing the deal was going to happen. The first buck approached and went behind a hickory tree just infront of the tree i was perched 27 feet up in. As he came out from behind it he stopped and look straight up at me. My heart sank. he began to bob his head up and down as deer do. I paid no attention, or as little as possible out of the corner of my eye, and focused on the second approaching deer. As luck would have it the first buck decided to proceed and continued past. The second buck passed behind the same tree and I drew. All the muscles used to draw are now tight and quivering with anticipation, through my peep the deer come into view a mear 6 yards from the base of my tree, looking at the first buck. He offered a broadside shot and i took the almost straight down shot. Smashing through his shoulder blade, slicing the heart and lodging in his brisket. The buck wheeled and stumbled, tumbling down the hill to a stop 50 yds. away. The shock set in as i watched him stop breathing through my binoculars. After 45 min. of composing myself I got down to lay my hands on this magnificant deer.