Sorry all. My season is over. I can try during rifle season, but my bow woods are heavily hunted by rifle guys. My rifle spot isn't feasible to use a bow. If nothing works, I'll have late season.
As of last night I'm tagged out on bucks in IL! decided to hunt over beans where we also have strips of clover. Wind was whiping, snow on the ground and the temps were dropping so had the right conditions to be over food. As soon as I climbed in the stand had a 4.5 year old buck we call paddle head walk behind me in the woods. Would have been tough shot but he's a buck we've decided to pass on this year because he's stuck around the last two years and is showing good potential. After he went through I didn't see a thing for two hours. Around 4:15 I had two yearlings come trotting into the beans and then could see some mature does working their way up as well. One of the does kept looking back so as I was filming them I kept checking where they came from. 5 minutes later a small buck popped out so I was about to turn the camera on him when this guy popped out as well. He walked 20 yards to my right and I couldn't get setup on him quick enough so I had to wait. He then came in front of me but was angling away which made the shot at 30. He munched on a few beans and when he got in my small window I bleated to stop him. The shot was high and back and I was really worried whether it was fatal. He didn't mule kick but he was on a death sprint until I lost him over the hill. I waited a bit and then got out to check the arrow and for blood. I found good blood and had a complete pass through with my arrow sticking in the ground. I went back and got my dad and we started tracking to find him piled up 150 yeards from where I shot him. I definately sliced one lung wide open which opened my eyes to how far back the lungs reach. Anyways, we named the buck the elk since when we first bought the property he broke is main beams so he just had his split g2s and part of his g3s. He somewhat looked like a mini elk so that's where he got his name. It's not our best name but was one of the first....we've become much more creative since then. This buck was the one I wanted though I knew he was going to score in the mid 120's. A great trophy with the history we have with him watching him grow (in body size only!) over the last two and a half years.
Don't sweat it Kristen. If you and your hubby had 2B tags I could try to help you guys with a chance at some does. That special regs season runs 11-17 to 11-29. It is in 5C and 5D also.
Kristen don't worry about it, we are a 12 person team and there are still others that can help us with does or bucks. I still have 2 tags left but in KS you only get 1 Buck total, so I still have some doe tags left, I think I'm just gonna use them during rifle season with my kiddos. Troy nice job, I know how it feels to be surprised by a Buck, I was on my a$$ when I heard my Buck and looked over my shoulder and there he was 15 yards away. As soon as his vision was covered by a holly tree I stood up, turned on the camera, hit record, fixed my gloves, and flipped my finger tab around, just in time as he came back into view of me. Very fortunate that I got everything on video. Not to mention with a recurve(original "no cam") the wind and shivering body, I still managed a clean kill shot at 10 yards.
I still have two Pa doe tags and my buck tag in Ohio. I can't contribute any more points but I am going try for another buck. We have a few decent ones on camera I would gladly tag.
Congrats, Troy! I'm headed out to move stands and cams tomorrow in the cold. Hoping to get a quick sit in too. Now that the rut is (almost) over, I'll gladly take does on both properties.
The property I hunt in Ohio had way too many does this year and we tried to take a couple early before they were bred and maybe help with competition. We did have an issue last year with Amish pushing it off but still a ton of does all year on camera and in the back field. Good luck tomorrow! Try to stay warm.
I'll be headed out hard this weekend. The orange army had its last day yesterday and from what I hear just a couple does were taken on the property where my stand is. Hopefully I can tag out this weekend and help out!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Way to go Troy on another awesome buck, love the character on his rack! Headed out this weekend during rifle hoping to tag a doe with my bow otherwise I'll have to hope for a decent weekend for some late season action on one of our food plots.
The property where I killed my buck last year only holds 3 does. It's mostly just a travel corridor between bedding and food. The other property has 2 doe groups of about 5 each, so they could stand to lose a couple. I'll do my best to help out!
Congrats Troy! Great buck indeed! Thanks Scooter and Mike, I just had higher hopes this year. Did all my homework and tried to cross my t's and dot my i's. Did more this year then just going out and sitting. I think I am just given the bad luck because my husband passed up multiple shooters and does (He got his nice buck but holding out on a doe so he can rifle hunt) - saw at least one legal buck a sit in the stand I moved to the last half of season. In his stand I never had a deer in range. I wonder if long hair holds scent despite "scent free" wash and hats/masks? I'll be looking into all of it for next time. Good luck everyone going out. It is brutal cold here today!
That's awesome, Scooter! I only got 65-70 out of last year's buck...he wasn't very big though. I sat for 3 hours yesterday afternoon and didn't see a single animal. Nobody wanted to be out in single digit windchill.
Scooter, that's enough for a few months. Great! Josh, you have more "go" then I do. It was in the negatives here with the windchill yesterday. I could have never ventured into it. But, that huge storm that is pounding NY - was supposed to hit us. But the wind shifted and kept it all on the lake...lucky for us, unfortunate for them.
I can find enough clothing to stay warm when new guys like this keep showing up! I named him Ron J...http://forums.bowhunting.com/trail-cameras/68219-ohio-giants-making.html
