Nanny Whacker, (pics) (appreciation p5)
 

Yup, that's the stand Rick James (Matt) had in mind for me Saturday morning. I arrrived in Matt's (RJ) camp http://www.huntingnet.com/fieldjournal/fieldjournal_detail.aspx?nID=710 late Friday night. We sat and talked for a couple hours and before we knew it, it was 1:00 am and he was setting the alarm for 4:30. This hunt was planned prior to my injury but with my injury I wasn't sure how much hunting I was going to get in. Surprisingly I'm getting up on my feet and Matt said, go ahead and get that doe tag which includes both our hunting areas in the same doe management areas so I applied. I received my doe tag after our season already started and this is/was my first doe tag in many years. I have not shot a doe since prior to year 2000. Matt said he needed some doe thinning and he could get me into spots regardless of my injury.

Late Friday night we talked, he said in the morning he wanted to put me in the Nanny Whacker stand. A stand named for a very successful doe tagging stand. Early morning came quickly and I was in stand well before light. I listened to Matt's instructions for possible doe locations and I kept watching them spots. I noticed movement and without seeing antlers I knew it was a buck. I turned grabbing my bow and noticed a good set of antlers. Matt said he'd been mad if I didn't shoot a buck if given the opportunity but with what they are trying to do, please make it a 3.5 year old or better. I quickly ID'd him as a 2.5 year old and set my bow up and grabbed the camera.



At 23 yards, he got a free pass. Typical Rob luck, hunt the Nanny Whaker stand and have a nice buck in range for a free pass. ;)

The morning didn't produce any more sightings. I heard some jakes yelping down below and Matt almost got a shot on a doe. I'll let him tell that story.

I made a suggestion to find a spot where I could buy Matt breakfast so we headed out. Made a loop around the property in the Titan and saw several gobblers, saw gobbler most of the day.

Back at camp we got around to head out for the afternoon hunt.


Matt decided to put me in a ground blind on one of his food plots. We talked about this blind earlier and he said he had this old girl bust him a couple times the past 2 weeks and he wanted her out of the herd. Good herd management and she constantly ran off other deer.

We headed out and set up in the ground blind. The food plot looked incredible, Matt did great work on it and you can read it by checking out his journal.



Deer should show up any time but they did not. I could tell the plot was getting hit and from the camp we watched gobblers in this plot all afternoon. There hasn't been a day yet all season there wasn't a deer in it.

Evening came and we still waited for the first deer to show up. At around 6:15 I spotted movement and we concentrated on the deer. A button buck was the first to show up, followed by it's sibling doe. The maternal doe wasn't far behind and Matt explained, that's her....we got ready.

Matt was filming and suddenly the camera turned off and the fawns looked up. The doe got nervous and Matt said something like she's going to bust again. I said ut oh and Matt said if you can take her....take her. She started stomping as I set up on her, ranged her at 41 yards, drew and took aim with Matt looking over my shoulder.

The arrow was loosed and we both watch it pass through her vitals. She tore out of there only to be heard going down. Matt knew he heard her go down but we still snuck out, found immediate blood, marked the spot and erroring on the side caution, backed out, headed to camp to discuss it. We waited 2 hours, sent a couple text's and went out to find her a mere 150 yards from POI. A real nice 2.5 year old doe. The Snyper put about a 3" entrance hole and a 2" exit hole and an easy blood trail to follow.





Matt's such a great guy that he even dragged out my doe....he even got his hands bloody immediately by gutting my doe. I filled out the tag and we were back at camp.

Thank you so much Matt for a great Saturday hunt and allowing me to take a nice management doe on your and your fathers lands.

You've done fantastic work on the food plots and I look forward to the already invited return visit.

RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
 

Congrats on the doe. Glad to see the injury didn't keep ya down long

RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
 

VERY VERY VERY NICE STORY AND VERY NICE DOE!!

You deserve it Rob!

Way to go man!!!!!

RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
 

AWESOME STORY!!!! CONGRATS!!!!

RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
 

Yep Rob, you deserve it!!!! Way to go Buddy!!!!!

RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
 

Great story, guys. Congrats on the doe.....BOTH of you;).

You're welcome to take a couple while you're here, too, Rob.

p.s. That doe is HUGE.

RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
 

Congrats Rob

RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
 

very cool story Rob'o, Matt sounds like a hell of a guy. Congrats on the nanny ;)Thats got to be the first pic i have ever seen with the hunter and a set of crutches over a succesful kill. The leg thing has gave me plenty of entertainment, thanks bro :D

RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
 

Great job... Sounds like a great hunt Rob..Congrats

RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
 

Nice crutches!!













Oh, nice doe too!!!

RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
 

Congrats, sounds like a dandy of a shot

RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
 

Very nice...congrats!!

RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
 

Congrats Rob , must feel good after your injury as well ( you were'nt to optomistic when it first happened ) . Nice to see it did'nt stop you getting out their and getting the kill ;).

RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
 

Nice nanny partner I knew you would get it done. Matt beautiful food plots. Congrats guys on a great weekend.

RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
 

Sweet!

"The package is secured" :D

RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
 

Congrats on a good doe and a GREAT shot Rob! It sounds like you had one heck of a hunt and that your host really had everything set up nicely for you. Good story and excellent pics. as well.

RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
 

Congrats Rob on a really nice doe. She is a real dandy.

RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
 

I keep going back and looking at the size of that doe. Is that the norm in PA? I know, now, why you are amazed at the size (small) of our deer, here, Rob. I'm truly in awe at the sheer size of that doe. How much do you think she weighed?

Matt....I'm a fan of what you've done with the food plot. Congratulations. I will be bugging you a lot over the next few months. I'm going to look at my disc, today;).

RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
 

Rob, Great doe. Proof that positive thinking can overcome adversity. I think alot of guys would have been down in the dumps over the leg thing, but you have mountain biked and innovated your way into success already this season.

RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
 

Looks like a fun day to me! You really mobo'd that one.......Congrats buddy......and on crutches and all....amazing.

RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
 

Nice big doe..Good shot a, nervous nanny, at 41 yards! Way to go Rob and Matt. Don't ya love it when a plan comes together!

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That's the spirit Rob! Great story...sounds like you had an awesome time. If that isn't the best medicine any doctor could prescribe.....

Congrat on a fine hunt and doe. You definitely deserve it!

Matt, Thank you for being asharing caring guy. You have gone above and beyond. I think Rob needs to bring you elk hunting!

RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
 

Great story and pictures. Thanks for shareing.

RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
 

Congratulations Rob and Matt,

Taking out one of the wiley veteran deer is not small task.

Wayne

RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
 

See, even if you are banged up you can still get it done. A couple of years ago I had a minor break in my ankle right before turkey season. They had me in a moon boot. It was a wet spring and there was now way I could get in the woods with that boot on and keep it dry. So I made me a brace kinda U shaped out of aluminum and put on my rubber boots and duct taped that brace to the boot. And I killed a nice tom that year,,made it a little more special

RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
 

Congrations Rob! That is a hefty looking doe.Real nice of Matt to be so gracious! Sounds like it was a lot of fun for the two of you! Awesome!

RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
 

Great story and nicedoe i really enjoyed reading that. oh and nice crutches. haha

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Congrats on the nanny Rob. She's a big un!

RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
 

i like the 'outfitter handshake' picture. congrats on the doe.it's funny that you don't get doe tags there. i thought pa was overrun w/ does.

RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
 

Way to go guys. Hey Matt whos the big old ugly guy with you? LOL Oh thats Rob LOL. Way to go Gramps thats a nice doe. One of these days we will finally be able to get together to lay the smack down on some animals. Again great job Rob

RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
 

Talk about a fully guided hunt:D

Nice work Rob and Matt you too, I would have made the gimp at least gut it;)

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Way to go Rob getting out there and helping with doe management! Nice doe.

RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
 

Hey Rob. Glad to see you are getting out a fair amount this year so far. How is the rehab going. Congrats on a nice doe!


Shane

RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
 

Congrats on the HUGE doe!

RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
 

Congrats on the doe Rob, and nice shot. Matt good job on helping a buddy out.

Rob, I'm surprised you haven't camoed those cruthces up.;)

RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
 

Good to see you out and about!! Congrats on the doe!

RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
 

beautiful looking momma, great job Rob!:D

RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
 

Great shot and doe!

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Congrats Rob, good size doe. It's always even sweeter when we take one with friends with us.

RE: Nanny Whacker, (pics)
 

Rob, it was a great weekend andI'm glad we had the chance to finally share a hunt together. Thanks for the help with this doe as well, I really wanted her out of there. As you realized, she was a smart girl and has cleared a plot of many deer on me already 2x this year. I look forward to getting together again whenever you have the time, theres always a spot for you at my camp.

Thanks guys for the comments on the property and plots. It's been a lot of work and all we really need to do now is make sure we take enough does to balance things out, and keep passing bucks like this 2.5 year old. When you take the time to create the bedding cover, and food sources, can start passing bucks like this guy, and shoot enough does to get things in balance it will make a difference in your local herd. We have been at it 3 years now here and it's just starting to pay off, and I'm anxious to see what things are like here in 5 years from now.

Jeff,dressed out I bet she went 115-120lbs (with guts intact probably 145ish)which is about average around here. I meant to weigh her before Rob left but we both forgot. Dan shot one last year (out of the Nanny Whacker stand) that had an honest 30-40lbs on Rob's doe. Below is a quick picture of her. I have about 3-4 more her size on the property still today, and probably 8-10 more roughly the same size as Rob's deer.



[8D]

Hopefully you will hike your skirt up and head up to my place with Rob this springto break that turkey curse of yours on camera. I think Rob can vouch for the fact that they are plentiful, big, and dumb at my place........[8D]. I guess we saw roughly 15 different 2+ year old long beards throughout the day in 3x seperate groups. That's pretty normal too.....

Thanks again guys, it was a great hunt!