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Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: Nathan Killen on November 21, 2016, 02:44:00 PM
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I'm not a story teller...but this is the story of my 2016 buck ! Enjoy !
It's pretty evident that the decisions we make every time we enter the woods determine the success or failure of each hunt. Simple decisions...big decisions, they all play a part in each and every outing even before oportunity presents itself !
Frustration and the graveyard buck....
This story starts in southern ohio, labor day weekend. A buddy and I were scouting an area of public ground I hadn't hunted since 2012. I had gained private access on bordering property that allowed access into more remote areas of the public ground. Our plan was to hang a couple of trail cameras each as well as locate some potential stand sites. Late Saturday evening we glassed the neighbors soybean field and discovered a few really nice bucks coming from the wooded public ground into the crop field, one of which really grabbed my attention. Looking thru field glasses it told my buddy I thought he was a solid 160 class 10 point. I love hunting individual bucks and I knew this one was going to be my target for the 2016 season in ohio. I'm from Virginia, so my hunt for this buck was going to be limited to a week and a half in November when my vacation was scheduled. I knew the area pretty well from past hunts and spring scouting and shed hunting trips, so that night I started pouring over topo maps trying to decipher potential stand locations and spots to hang a trail cam. 2 hardwood and cedar ridges run nearly a mile back from the bean field to a very thick cedar and sapling choked riverbottom. I figured the thicker sections of the ridges as well as the river bottom were his bedding areas. I knew of a spot on one of the ridges where 2 cedar thickets merged together where spring scouting had revealed some large truck hood sized scrapes, so I figured that would be an excellent place for a trail cam to be placed in hopes of getting pictures of the buck. Problem was, it would be November before I'd return to check it !
Now fast forward to Nov. 9th, dad and I headed north with a camper in tow behind my trusty Duramax loaded to the gills with a week and a half's worth of gear ! Antisipation was in the air....but little did I know frustration was about to set in !
Once camp was set up I grabbed my climbing stand and headed of to the spot to where my camera was located. The wind was good and the scrapes were hot....but my trail cam was gone ! This was public ground...but my camera was not public property ! I guess someone decided they needed it worse than I did. Frustrated I climbed a good tree and hunted the rest of the evening passing a small 8 point and a doe. My plan was to stay mobile over the corse of the hunt until I found a spot worthy of spending time in. My idea of being mobile is hunting a spot for a evening and the next morning as long as the wind allowed and if I wasn't satisfied with the action I would relocate to a new spot and repeat. I hunted the next few days without a sighting of "The big 10". Each move I made was inching further down the ridges closer to the thick river bottom. I figured does were bedding in the bottom and bucks were cruzing down the thick sections of the ridges and down into the bottom in search of hot does.
Saturday Nov.12th, I hunted until midday and planned to move that evening to hunt a spot between 2 cedar thickets along one of the ridges. On my way into the spot I jumped what looked to be the big 10 which was tending a doe. This really didn't concern me much because he was much more interested in the doe than me, plus I was just glad to see that he was in fact still around. I hunted that evening and the next morning in the new spot. About mid morning I see a good 10 aprox 100 yds away traming thru some brush headed to the thick bottom. At first I thought it was the big 10 and he had broke free from the doe. I decided I was going to stay aloft my stand until 1:00 PM , then relocate to the edge of the river bottom. Sometimes I can be impatient with excitement...so I looked at my watch and the time was 12:06....I was excited to head to the bottom and get situated for the evening hunt !
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Mistake #1....always stick to your plan unless something changes and makes you decide otherwise !
I lowered my gear and was gathering my gear at the bottom of my tree when all of a sudden busting out of the cedar thicket came a doe with the big 10 hot on her tail ! I was scrambling around trying to get an arrow nocked as they were closing fast ! I came to full draw just as they stopped 20 yds from me kneeling on the ground. The buck was wide open and I was looking at him at full draw down my feather shaft.....but he was quartering too and I wasn't about to take that shot. Within seconds the doe noticed me and took off with the buck in tow ! Lesson learned ! If I'd stayed put up the tree until 1:00 like my original plan, most likely a shot would have materialized at that moment ! Needless to say frustration was building ! Good thing was they were headed to the river bottom and so was I !
Slipping into the river bottom, I had a predetermined spot I was wanting to setup. It was where the drainage between the two long ridges emptied out into the bottom. Perfect spot, but the perfect tree was on the upwind side of the trails, so I was forced to hunt on the side I didn't prefer. Once situated the wait began. I knew if they were still in this bottom, chances were good they would make there way by me and back up the ridges. Just as the sun set over the ridge I could feel the wind change 180 degrees....and I knew this wasn't going to be good ! I'd been better off in the "perfect tree" now. Just as the wind changed directions I could hear the buck in the bottom start chasing the doe again. He was really putting on a show from what I could hear ! Within minutes they were making there way in my direction....and I was in discust with what I knew was about to happen ! Sure enough the buck pushes the doe in my direction. Closing fast I was preparing for the shot.....the doe runs right under me and stops ! At this point the buck is standing 10 yds from the perfect tree and broadside.....30 yds from where I'm up a tree with no shot oportunity ! Praying they doe would move on thru with him in tow ! Prayer didn't work...at least not this time ! The doe sprinted back the direction they came with the buck hot on her tail ! It was something to see....him cutting her like a rodeo horse cutting cattle and that big rack busting thru brush ! I was sick.....oportunity #2 in the same day.....mistake #2, should have hunted the perfect tree regardless of the wind direction ! Lol....but that was the best decision at the moment !
I hunted the bottom for a couple more days without a sighting of the buck, so I decided to move back up on the ridges. The spot I chose was in a late 1700's early 1800's graveyard. It was situated between 2 cedar thickets and was grown up with briars, rose bushes and small locust trees. I had found this spot while shed hunting a few years ago and knew it would be a great spot ! As I was slipping into the spot I noticed several leg sized rubs as well as a very large single bed on a small point over looking the river....I knew I had hit pay dirt...if time allowed ! The tree I chose was a very large cedar that was actually feet from a 8' tall grave marker. As I was setting in the tree I looked at the grave sites and thought of the people that were buried there and the ones who stood around there Graves mourning !
The first evening and morning hunts didn't produce a sighting of the buck, but each passing hunt the bucks that passed buy seemed to get bigger !
Morning #3 broke like all the rest before with a light frost and cool calm air. Time was running out, but my hopes were still high that God was going to deliver the big 10 to me. Just after daybreak I could hear aproaching foot steps, it was a mature doe. She was on a trail that wound thru the thick stuff which passed withing 15 yds of my tree. She was taking her time feeding and browsing. Within moments of her arrival I could hear another deer aproaching from the same direction, but I could tell this was no female deer !
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(http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j471/BBSK184/20161116_125320.jpg) (http://s1087.photobucket.com/user/BBSK184/media/20161116_125320.jpg.html)
My stand over looking the Grave markers
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(http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j471/BBSK184/20161115_135122.jpg) (http://s1087.photobucket.com/user/BBSK184/media/20161115_135122.jpg.html)
The very large and well used single bed on the point over looking the river.
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(http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j471/BBSK184/IMG_20161120_194603.jpg) (http://s1087.photobucket.com/user/BBSK184/media/IMG_20161120_194603.jpg.html)
One of the many large rubs in the area.
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His heavy footsteps and grunting gave his sex away ! Before he was within sight he stopped and I could hear him thrashing a tree ! I was ready with bow in hand. As he appeared I could tell it was the source of the past few days frustration...the big 10 ! He was closing fast trailing the doe. I decided the very first oportunity I got to loose an arrow I was going to take ! At approximately 20 yds as he was passing behind a cedar I came to full draw....and it happened....the doe blows ! Not sure if she seen me or got wind of me but she was about to wreck another oportunity ! Needless to say the buck locks up dead in his tracks...and behind the cedar tree and I'm at full draw ! I'm afraid to let off in fear of the doe busting out of there taking the buck with her ! Luckily the cedar he was behind was thin branched and I knew I could put and arrow thru there ! Burning a hole thru the bucks side I released and instantly the buck lost his legs and hit the ground....spine shot ! I wasted no time as I pumped 2 more shafts into him tight behind his shoulder ! It was finally over....I praised God and thanked him for delivering the great buck to me ! I had faith.....and was relieved after a week of frustrating lows, and now an incredible high !
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(http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j471/BBSK184/IMG_20161118_104626.jpg) (http://s1087.photobucket.com/user/BBSK184/media/IMG_20161118_104626.jpg.html)
(http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j471/BBSK184/IMG_20161119_192952.jpg) (http://s1087.photobucket.com/user/BBSK184/media/IMG_20161119_192952.jpg.html)
(http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j471/BBSK184/IMG_20161118_105017.jpg) (http://s1087.photobucket.com/user/BBSK184/media/IMG_20161118_105017.jpg.html)
And the product of my weeks frustration....the big 10 !
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Atta'boy
Never give up.....that is a beast
Tim
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Wow what a buck congrats
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congrats
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Congratulations once again Nathan on a stud of a buck and a job well done...way to stick with him and close the deal!!
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Great story and fantastic buck!
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Wow,What a stud!
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Amazing story and deer Brother. He looks better every time I look at him. Glad you finally crossed paths.
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Wow, what a deer!! great story, congrats!
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That is a fantastic Buck.....Congrats!
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Congrats on a great deer....! Thanks for sharing your story.
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Nathan,I think he needed one more year to truly reach his potential! Guys,Nathan and I met through this site 4 years ago and I am forever greatful for that. Wasn't long before we started hunting together. I consider myself a hard hunter but Nathan takes it to another level.they don't call him mountain goat for nothing. Well done bud, you truly deserved an opportunity at this buck. Your flatlanded and funny talking blood brother.
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Beautiful deer! Congrats!
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Great buck! Congrats to you! He is a stud!
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Great story and a great buck! Congratulations!
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Great story and great buck!
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Wow! That's a super buck....Congrats! :thumbsup:
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Dandy buck! And a great story!
Congrats!!!
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congrats, I see the cross on your bow to ward or any oman of hunting in a graveyard.
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What a deer!!! Great story and congrats!!!
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Great work!
That's a heck of a deer on any land!
Congrats and thanks for sharing!
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Wow beautiful deer! And that a pretty good story from a "Not a story teller".
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Way to stick with it! Congrats on a great buck.
God Bless,
Rodd
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That is an awesome buck!
Congrats,
Bisch
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What a beautiful buck!
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Congrats Bro! That's a great buck and a terrific story!!!
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Congrats Bro! That's a great buck and a terrific story!!!
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Great story and heckuva deer!
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That's a beauty! Not very often you get that many chances at the same buck.
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What a story and what a deer! Great stuff brother!!
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HE'S A WHOOPER FOR SURE!congrats
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Terrific!
That is a brute! You get it done buddy! Big Buck Serial Killer for sure!!
Congrats!
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Congrats on an awesome deer!
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Nathan beautiful story! Great whitetail too. Mobile, public ground, outside the box setups...that hunt had everything. Congrats!!!!
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Congrats on the great buck and story! :thumbsup:
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That's a great deer! Congratulations!
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Holy cow!!!
What a buck .......
Congratulations !!!!!!!!
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What a great story and a remarkable deer. Anyone who can kill a buck like that on our public land here at home has my respect. It's not easy.. Hats of to you. That's a dandy.
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This was a great read and a very great ending. Congratulations on making a plan and sticking to it.
Now here's a thought maybe you can make a little grave marker for his final resting place by making a wood mold ,fill it with cement and as the cement dry's etch something special in it and place where his bed was or where he took his final breath.
Just ironic you were able to harvest him near the grave yard.
Congratulations "Brother" God is always Faithful isn't He? ;) :thumbsup:
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A superb buck...
Congrats!
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Congrats again Nathan, and thanks for taking the time to tell us the story. What an incredible animal!
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Thanks guys, it was an awesome experience !
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Not a story teller huh? fooled me!
Amazing story, buck, and adventure all in all. Loved it!
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:thumbsup: :thumbsup: Wow!
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Awesome buck! Congrats to ya.
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Great story, great deer. Congrats.
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Great story! What an amazing deer as well! Congrats on this brute!
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Great story. Awesome buck
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Wow, what a giant! Really great story! Congrats on a great deer!
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That is a big buck! Congratulations!
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Hard work, a little luck and the Lords blessing. Great buck. Thanks for sharing your story. Jeff
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WOW!!!! :thumbsup:
Congrats on a beast of a buck!
Love the Zipper too btw
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Yep that's a Stud for sure :thumbsup:
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Thanks for taking us along on the hunt. Very nice buck. Sometimes the best deer make you work the hardest.
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Excellent buck & great story. Congrats !
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Now that's an impressive buck! Any idea what he weighed? Congratulations on a deer anyone would be proud of. Thanks for taking the time to share the story. Well done.
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Awesome job! Congrats on a really great buck!
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Congratulations! What a awesome buck. Loved the story. Thanks for sharing it with us.
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Congrats on a beautiful buck !
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That was the most enjoyable hunting story I've read in years! Congrats on a great buck and story.
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Great story.
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Awesome animal! :thumbsup:
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Wow ! Beautiful buck brother. Very well done.
Congratulations ! :thumbsup: :archer2:
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So you're not a storyteller !
That is one heavy buck !
What about the story of you two carrying that thing out of there !
Did you take another week of vacation just to get them out ?
Good Job
Carl
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Magnificent animal!
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That is a beautiful buck!!
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You need to submit that story to some magazines
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I keep coming back and reading this over and over again. Fantastic story and an absolute stud of a buck!
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Woof!
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Great adventure and great buck