Well, I'm a few days late on posting this, but DJ is back at home so it's time to post a little trip report.
I met up with DJ (snoopy here) for the second time for some bowhunting in his home state of Ohio (currently he lives in ND). I can't tell you how awesome DJ and his parents are, they've welcomed me with open arms each time I've been out there and I couldn't wait to get out there again this season. Seriously, they have to be some of, if not thee nicest people I've ever met. Coming from NJ, that's probably not hard to believe though!
Anyway, here's a little skinny from a trip report I did on a local NJ hunting site:
I was able to score on a decent 10 pointer this morning in the rain. It's been raining since I got here, left rain in NJ and came to more rain in OH.
We've had some clearings, but rain was always on the menu every day we've hunted.
I got here on Tuesday night, and my buddy and I set up stands on Wednesday morning in the rain. Figured perfect, would let us slip in and out, set stands, and let the rain kill our scent.
So the first day and a half we hunted from a blind trying to get a doe kill on video since it was pouring.
Big old doe came in with 3 little ones the first evening, we wanted the doe, but she didn't like the look of the blind and bounded off.
Next morning, still pouring rain, we were in the blind early and heard deer come in. By light they either heard noise in the blind or again didn't like the look of it and bounded off.
That evening, still pouring rain, we hunted the blind again and had a decent 8 pointer come in at 18 yards but I passed on the shot. A smaller 6 came in shortly afterwards, but wasn't a shooter either.
Then the weather cleared enough for us to get in our stands the following day, Friday. I had picked a stand location many months ago on the topos and aerials, based on our prior hunting experience there last year, and this spot had the PERFECT entrance and exit. Figured it would put me perfectly on the downwind side of a major doe bedding area. The only downside was I'd have to climb a steep ridge to get up there to the top. The benefit was, deer rarely used it and I could slip in and out undetected. I figured I'd get up there, my scent would blow off the top of the ridge and the bucks would cruise between me and the bedding area. To boot, the buffer between me and the bedding area was all oaks, so it served as a perfect midday feeding area.
Ultimately that is exactly how it worked out. I hunted the stand all day Friday, had a spike come in early in the morning then he went right into the bedding. Later some does came out and started feeding but no bucks. Midday around 1:45PM I heard all kinds of crashing in the hollow beneath me and could see a rack chasing a doe. Doe circled up the ridge and ran a nice 8 pointer right past my stand, 20 yards out in front of me. I had a perfect shot on the 8 but decided to pass. My buddy thought I was nuts and should have shot! Later in the afternoon I saw some more does and a high 6 pointer chasing them around a bit. That was it for Friday.
I returned and hunted all day Saturday and saw some does early. Around 10:30AM I had a heavy beamed 9 pointer come in, but he was well inside the ears and had pretty short tines so I passed him as well. Then it was dead for the rest of the day, some coyotes started yipping and howling, and 3 does fast walked by in the ravine below about 150 yards away.
Climbed back in the stand this morning, only for the rain to start yet again shortly after arriving on stand. I had just put my raingear on about 30 min earlier, but hadn't seen anything all morning. At 9:00AM I heard a little rustle to my left, hood over my head, I turned to see just a rack with it's head down 30 yards to the left of my stand. He turned the other way, I quickly got up, grabbed my bow off the hanger, and clipped on the release. He took a few steps forward at 25 yards, perfectly broadside with his head down I could see he was a 5x5. With the slow action we've had and no big buck sightings on stand or on our cams, I decided he was the one I wanted. I drew back, set the pin on, touched off the release and my SlickTrick tipped A/C/C went right on the edge of the shoulder for a perfect double lunger. Buck ran about 30 yards, stopped, ran another 10 yards, got wobbly and fell down. Just an awesome kill, love to see them go down nice and fast, feels great to put a good shot on them.
Anyway, enough reading, here's a picture of me with the buck. Not bad for a do-it-yourself Ohio hunt here with my buddy. We know there are bigger bucks around, but he'll do just fine for me! He's my biggest buck to date, and I can't thank DJ and his parents enough for having me out there. I can't even explain how awesome it is to hunt out there, so so much different than hunting these sugar sand, pine covered, non-elevation changing flatland thickets of NJ. I just love being out there and can't wait to do it again!
