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Post by onebentarrow on Nov 18, 2023 20:38:50 GMT -5
Got on the stand about 245. Had not seen any deer until I saw a deer walking down overgrown fence row in picked corn field 200 + yards out about 400. My stand is 100 yrds from W and S side of woods where the woods makes an L and continues on south. I watched that deer and soon saw another one. I but binocks on them but could not see horns so figured they were does. They took thier time feeding toward the L. About 15 min later I see a bigger deer join them from the same direction. They have now moved to about 125 yrds. I finally got a good look at the bigger deer and saw he had good head gear and was going to shoot if I got a good shot. My smoke pole is good to 200 but there was just to much stuff to shoot so I pulled out the grunt and pushed the button for young buck and grunted. He paid no attention. I kept scanning all three deer and realised all 3 were bucks. A 4pt a 6 pt and the 8 pt As I watched them for about another 15 min the 8 started walking south out of range so I figured I had nothing to loose so I grabbed the grunt tube used adult buck and gave 3 loud grunts. Next thing I know that 8 point is heading for my wood line. Did not even figure it would work. Never had befor.He comes in all puffed up like he is looking for a fight. He did not run in he just moseyed it took him 15 nine to cover the 80 yrds. He would walk stop and look then same. Every time he stopped he was behind a tree,too thick,poor shot angle something. I was becoming a nurvice reck pumped up on adrenalin. My legs were wobbly and I was trying to control the shakes. He finally walked in to a good opening brosd side at 50 yds and I bleat to stop him. At the shot he just piled. up. I was afraid he would get up and run so I started trying to reload the smoke pole just in case boy what a fiasco that was! Got it dune and had to sit down to collect my self befor I fell out. The shot was at 509 so I watched those deer over an hour. After about 30 min I got down and went to see and boy was I surprised. I got ground GROTH! he was a lot bigger than I thought. I think he is going to go north of 180 lbs. Second biggest deer I killed. I was so excited I did not notice he has no brow tine on one side but he has a 1 inch sticker on the base so still an 8 pt
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Post by span870 on Nov 18, 2023 20:39:40 GMT -5
First one since I was 13 I missed Hard to see a grown man cry. Got 1 tied up for span! All he had to do was belly crawl through cow patties and sticker bushes I'm too old for that silliness. Need to shoot em on the top of the hill or get the farmers 4 wheeler
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Post by span870 on Nov 18, 2023 21:12:38 GMT -5
Hard to see a grown man cry. Got 1 tied up for span! All he had to do was belly crawl through cow patties and sticker bushes Very good! 🤣 Whatever it takes to punch that tag! Congratulations! He gar holed me but I showed him. This one tickled me. I've killed bigger and passed much bigger but what played out made it worth punching my tag
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Post by Ahawkeye on Nov 18, 2023 21:12:48 GMT -5
Took my 13-year-old hunting today, I will add a few pics and a short story.
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Post by Ahawkeye on Nov 18, 2023 21:21:57 GMT -5
I woke up at 2:00 a.m. this morning, I got my boy up at 2:15 a.m. he got right out of bed and got dressed he wasn't all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed but he was ready to go. We live in Posey County which is quite a ways away from Hoosier National Forest. After a very intense hike we got to our spot right at gray light. As shooting light Came we saw one doe. As some of you know public land is very finicky, we waited out for a long while and finally saw another deer at about 9:30 a.m. My boy was wearing down at about 8:30 and his eyes got heavy. I stood guard but nothing was moving. Finally at about 9:00 we decided to take a small break and let him warm up in the sunlight and I am telling him that I usually see more deer out of this particular spot he looks up and says Dad there is a doe.
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Post by Ahawkeye on Nov 18, 2023 21:27:15 GMT -5
At this point our guns are about 6 ft away, I turn my head towards him and say can I get one of the guns or will she see me? Well, this is his first ever opening day gun hunt and as it turns out my ninja like skills we're good enough to retrieve the muzzleloader that he was using and the shotgun I was using. At this point I am about 5 ft away from him, I am Whispering instructions and he finally Whispers back Dad I can't understand anything you are saying. So the first doe goes through followed by another doe. I told him to shoot the second Doe, then I told him to wait there is a buck! As it turns out he didn't hear anything I said and he made the decision on his own to not shoot the does and he could tell I was excited about something, I was locked in on the buck and after he looked at me he looked up and saw the buck.
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Post by Ahawkeye on Nov 18, 2023 21:28:05 GMT -5
He must have heard what I was thinking when I was screaming inside my head shoot that buck!
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Post by Ahawkeye on Nov 18, 2023 21:29:48 GMT -5
A tired young man after an arduous hike in and an uneventful morning.
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Post by Ahawkeye on Nov 18, 2023 21:31:01 GMT -5
Caleb connected with a nice eight pointer, I was one proud papa!
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Post by Ahawkeye on Nov 18, 2023 21:35:00 GMT -5
We spent the rest of the day getting that buck out. Caleb was with me every step of the way helping as much as he could I was so proud of him! He sacrificed not going to a middle school dance last night so that he could be ready for this morning, he got up got ready and got out the door on time without me having to instruct or push him along. Then he went on a real hike, not just 100 or 200 yards to a stand a real hike to a hunting spot that was more than a mile and a half away from the truck and the last quarter mile was absolutely brutal. Yes, he fell asleep but when he woke up he was not ready to go in fact he was ready to stay and stick it out until he got a deer. After that, it was all about getting that deer out of there and he helped every step of the way! Again, I really couldn't be prouder of my son I can't wait to see all the deer that he ends up getting through his life and it looks like I have a hunting partner for the rest of mine!
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Post by sculver7 on Nov 18, 2023 21:58:33 GMT -5
We spent the rest of the day getting that buck out. Caleb was with me every step of the way helping as much as he could I was so proud of him! He sacrificed not going to a middle school dance last night so that he could be ready for this morning, he got up got ready and got out the door on time without me having to instruct or push him along. Then he went on a real hike, not just 100 or 200 yards to a stand a real hike to a hunting spot that was more than a mile and a half away from the truck and the last quarter mile was absolutely brutal. Yes, he fell asleep but when he woke up he was not ready to go in fact he was ready to stay and stick it out until he got a deer. After that, it was all about getting that deer out of there and he helped every step of the way! Again, I really couldn't be prouder of my son I can't wait to see all the deer that he ends up getting through his life and it looks like I have a hunting partner for the rest of mine! Awesome. 👏🏼
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Post by ninepntr on Nov 18, 2023 22:39:26 GMT -5
Got it done this morning. Saw 5 bucks and a very Hot Doe !
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Post by ninepntr on Nov 18, 2023 22:40:23 GMT -5
Congratulations to everyone that put meat in the freezer!
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Post by wsky70 on Nov 18, 2023 23:24:09 GMT -5
Congrats to all you hunters that got it done today. As for me, stayed out until 1500 but didn't see a thing all day. Only heard a few shots and only one was really close by. This place had roughly 8 bow hunters the last month, thinking they may have done pretty good. Hopefully better luck tomorrow for all of us still trying to get it done. Good luck and straight shots...SF Woody
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Post by esshup on Nov 18, 2023 23:30:16 GMT -5
A crisp 25deg and frosty at the homestead. Got a 45min ride ahead to start the season. Planning on an all day sit, unless deer on the ground. Got a thermos of coffee, bottle of water, smoked bacon, and mozzarella going to the stand today. Thermos of chili in the truck on standby. Luke will be up to bat Sunday afternoon. We got 3 farms to hunt, so gonna bounce around and keep shootin until we got a pile of meat. And how many of those snacks did you eat today?
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Post by genesis273 on Nov 18, 2023 23:33:09 GMT -5
Congratulations everyone! Cheers to a great day for hunters all over 🍻.
I know some didn't connect today or had little activity. Hopefully it'll pick up for you all soon!
As for the big buck contest I'm in with some buddies, 6 of us tagged out during archery and 4 filled tags this morning. We have one more guy to go.
Out of this same group of guys, only 4 got bucks last year and 129" buck won. So far, I don't think we have any scored under 130". I haven't had mine scored yet but, I think it'll go 130".
I scored one this morning for one of the other guys and it was a whopping 164 1/4".
I'm definitely anxious to see what tomorrow brings on this forum!
Good luck everyone! Hunt safe and God bless!!!
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Post by deadeer on Nov 19, 2023 5:07:30 GMT -5
A crisp 25deg and frosty at the homestead. Got a 45min ride ahead to start the season. Planning on an all day sit, unless deer on the ground. Got a thermos of coffee, bottle of water, smoked bacon, and mozzarella going to the stand today. Thermos of chili in the truck on standby. Luke will be up to bat Sunday afternoon. We got 3 farms to hunt, so gonna bounce around and keep shootin until we got a pile of meat. And how many of those snacks did you eat today? All gone. Lol.
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Post by kokomorel on Nov 19, 2023 6:18:57 GMT -5
Been in the blind sense 6 ready to get my buck. Be safe out there and good luck 👍
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Post by deadeer on Nov 19, 2023 7:15:16 GMT -5
I'm back in the timber this morning. Deer all around before light, and wind is perfect. Ear muffs at the ready! 😎
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Post by M4Madness on Nov 19, 2023 7:22:19 GMT -5
Live from the bed. Lol! Second day of firearms season doesn't excite like it did 25 years ago. Lol! Good luck, guys!
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