O
ohiohntr
Guest
I am really proud of my 12 year old son. The temperatures lately here with wind chill have been in the single digits. We have been seeing this big whitey on trail camera the last few weeks after he had dissapeared for months. We named him split left due to his left browtine. He decided he was going to get him. I have a stand close to the camera about 200 yards behind the house up in the woods. It would be his first experience solo hunting.
He went out last Saturday and sat until about 4:45 until he had about an inch of snow on him and he elected to head back home because he couldn't feel his fingers or toes. I checked the camera the next day and noticed the buck came by at 5:00. I kind of gave him a hard time, but he said, I was so cold, I didn't care.
Monday evening he went out again with his grandpa's crossbow. He sat until dark and saw 15 different deer including 4 bucks, but not the big guy.
Seeing all the deer encouraged him to head out again last night. He said he was in the stand for about a half hour when he noticed a buck coming in. It was a buck that had broken off his right antler at the base. I had seen him with the big guy several times, so I told my son if he saw him, to keep his eyes open. He looked up in the woods and noticed another deer. It stepped out from behind the tree and he noticed it was him. He was still about 80 yards out. He said it took about 30 minutes to travel the 50 yards to get in range. It would take a step and then stop and look. My boy said it was hard to hold still because he was getting so cold. He was sure the deer would see him shivering. It finally came into him 30 yards quartering away.
He put the dot behind the shoulder and shot. It hit him perfect through both lungs. He got out of the stand and found his arrow covered in blood. He ran home and told my wife and called me. (I was still at work, and had to be there until 8:00. My dad came over and together they went up looking for him. He only went about 50 yards before tipping over.
I got home and we were able to get him out with the 4 wheeler. I was then up until 12:30 gutting and skinning him. He had lost a lot of body mass post rut. His neck skin was very baggy. He had zero fat on him. He field dressed out at only 150 lbs. I estimate he lost 60+ lbs from before the rut. I have pictures of him and the buck I shot side by side back in September, and they are almost identical body wise. I shot mine in October and he field dressed at 210. He is a mainframe 10 with a split left browtine and a downturned left mainbeam. This is the last of 3 big bucks we started watching during spring and summer. I got one of the biggest ones in October, The next week, I found the smallest of the 3 dead behind my house. I had the warden come out and check it out, but he could find no signs of trauma, so he gave me a tag for it. This one makes up the last one we were hoping to get. The perfect trifecta of bucks.
He is pretty excited and hopefully hooked for life. I am proud he stuck it out. He says the best part is that now he doesn't have to get up early Saturday for the muzzleloader hunt which is supposed to be the coldest day of the year. He can stay home warm in bed.
Him in velvet. This is the only buck I personally wanted to get. I have pictures of him last year too and spent many a cold day after him. I found his sheds and set in my mind that I would get him or no deer this year.
Him on trail camera from Christmas.
My son with my buck in October. We named him double split.
Mine in velvet
Buck I found dead. We named him split right due to his right browtine.
Him in velvet.
It's been the best season we have had since moving to Ohio from Idaho. Although they are not mulies, it is still fun to watch them grow and then having the challenge of locating the 3 bucks you are after. I am just a little disappointed we found the one dead instead of my other son shooting him. Hopefully there will still be some bucks around for next year.
He went out last Saturday and sat until about 4:45 until he had about an inch of snow on him and he elected to head back home because he couldn't feel his fingers or toes. I checked the camera the next day and noticed the buck came by at 5:00. I kind of gave him a hard time, but he said, I was so cold, I didn't care.
Monday evening he went out again with his grandpa's crossbow. He sat until dark and saw 15 different deer including 4 bucks, but not the big guy.
Seeing all the deer encouraged him to head out again last night. He said he was in the stand for about a half hour when he noticed a buck coming in. It was a buck that had broken off his right antler at the base. I had seen him with the big guy several times, so I told my son if he saw him, to keep his eyes open. He looked up in the woods and noticed another deer. It stepped out from behind the tree and he noticed it was him. He was still about 80 yards out. He said it took about 30 minutes to travel the 50 yards to get in range. It would take a step and then stop and look. My boy said it was hard to hold still because he was getting so cold. He was sure the deer would see him shivering. It finally came into him 30 yards quartering away.
He put the dot behind the shoulder and shot. It hit him perfect through both lungs. He got out of the stand and found his arrow covered in blood. He ran home and told my wife and called me. (I was still at work, and had to be there until 8:00. My dad came over and together they went up looking for him. He only went about 50 yards before tipping over.
I got home and we were able to get him out with the 4 wheeler. I was then up until 12:30 gutting and skinning him. He had lost a lot of body mass post rut. His neck skin was very baggy. He had zero fat on him. He field dressed out at only 150 lbs. I estimate he lost 60+ lbs from before the rut. I have pictures of him and the buck I shot side by side back in September, and they are almost identical body wise. I shot mine in October and he field dressed at 210. He is a mainframe 10 with a split left browtine and a downturned left mainbeam. This is the last of 3 big bucks we started watching during spring and summer. I got one of the biggest ones in October, The next week, I found the smallest of the 3 dead behind my house. I had the warden come out and check it out, but he could find no signs of trauma, so he gave me a tag for it. This one makes up the last one we were hoping to get. The perfect trifecta of bucks.
He is pretty excited and hopefully hooked for life. I am proud he stuck it out. He says the best part is that now he doesn't have to get up early Saturday for the muzzleloader hunt which is supposed to be the coldest day of the year. He can stay home warm in bed.
Him in velvet. This is the only buck I personally wanted to get. I have pictures of him last year too and spent many a cold day after him. I found his sheds and set in my mind that I would get him or no deer this year.
Him on trail camera from Christmas.
My son with my buck in October. We named him double split.
Mine in velvet
Buck I found dead. We named him split right due to his right browtine.
Him in velvet.
It's been the best season we have had since moving to Ohio from Idaho. Although they are not mulies, it is still fun to watch them grow and then having the challenge of locating the 3 bucks you are after. I am just a little disappointed we found the one dead instead of my other son shooting him. Hopefully there will still be some bucks around for next year.
