Ohio Update

[Twanger]

The rut fired up on Saturday, and I drove back sunday.
Ain't it always the way.

Bowman and Rick are still chasing them.

I nailed a trophy squirrel. Bowman and Rick have the pictures.

I videod a nice 130-class 8-pointer saturday, but did not get a shot on him.

[jirvin]

I hear ya. I have been hunting Ohio all week and saw chasing all week.I saw my first mature deer Wednesday morning and I waited until the last day(Sunday)and the last hour to see the biggest Buck of my life. I think he will go in the 180's. I hope to get back on him one day this week.

Are Alan and ick on a specific Monster? I tried to call Alan's cell and just got his voicemail.

Glad you made it back in one piece.Jeff

[Twanger]

They've seen some nice deer, but I don't know that they are onto one specific buck.
Bowman still believes that the big boy on the south west side is still alive, and we saw a very nice rub that might substantiate that thought. He had not seen that deer before I left.

[Buckfever]

I pretty much saw it as you did too here in IL. This week for sure would have been the week. Three more days would have been nice I'll bet.

[Buckfever]

Any word on how the boys are doing?

[eshoremd]

when are they suppose to come back?

[Buckfever]

I don't know but I'd figured they'd be home for Thanksgiving.

[eshoremd]

i hope they're ok. rick gets lost alot!

[freedomrules3]

eshoremd said:

i hope they're ok. rick gets lost alot!

No big buck sightings this year for me or Nc so far. He has another 5 days before the guns get blasting. the rut was winding down but all of the big boys were just starting to raom about. I saw 1 twice that was a booner but it was on private land and at 6:30 pm both times. it was a monstersauraus
I saw lots of decent bucks but just not the real deal.
saw lots of huge rubs and he just wouldn't show. Nc has some of the biggest baddest rubs I have ever seen in my life. they were 6 feet tall on some trees , you simply won't believe them when he posts them up. I hope he gets to see the buck that made them this week. lots of chasing going on at night but none during the daylight. we both figured the early ML season made them nocturnal. plus they killed 40 some does off 3000 acres so does were very scarce, another reason why the big boys from some of the surrounding areas didnt walk much, they kept drawing a blank on does in the wma so they must be staying home. I did see close to 20 bucks though, a great 2 weeks all in all.

[indianadan]

Welcome back Rick. I'm glad both of you are safe. Looking forward to the pics and stories from both of you. I hope Boman can get on one yet.

[Twanger]

Glad you're back safe Rick. Too bad you came back with tag soup too.
In retrospect, I'm thinking that the time-period I was there (4-12 Nov) was actually not too bad a time to go. I saw a few bucks, and they seemed to be trolling for does. I should mention that when I put my video tape from the first day on the big-screen I found that I got video of that P&Y deer in the open that I then saw 7 days later with the hot doe. I'm certain it was the same deer - same gleaming white 8-point rack, same big body.

[ncboman]

The big one on the sw side got killed when he ran out in front of a local farmer's truck on the 12th. He was a 12pt this year.

I saw better deer movement after the 20th by far than earlier in the month. I saw bucks nearly every day during the last week including 2 shooters, one, on my last day there (29th) that I should have killed. I was looking at sign and saw him come into view at 60yds. I crouched behind a tree and knocked an arrow. When I peered back out, he was looking right at me. I couldn't figure out how he knew until I saw the nearby unseen doe break and run. Of course had had to go with her, nose right up her tail.

I have to go thru my log and count up but I think I had five 8pters in range during the trip, one came by 3 different hunts. ;D

[Buckfever]

Sounds like an exciting excursion!!!

[ncboman]

to be honest, the weather was warm at first and we spent a good number of valuable days seeing little to nothing and becoming very frustrated.

I enjoyed camp during that period more than Walt or Rick, who were in more limited time parameters. Walt hunted very hard during his stay, in the woods at daylight every morning while I slept in some and rode the roads other days looking for fresh sign by blotting out all tracks at numerous crossings and checking them later for usage. I also had trail timers out on my better prospective spots.

I knew eventually the lull would end and I felt I could put it together when the time came, which I did numerous times, just not on the caliber bucks I'm lookin.

I wish I were still there because the last two days were the best, even though gun season was in full swing. The last deer I saw there was a mature buck following her wherever she went. Monday I had a herd of ten does walk under my stand, three of them whoppers. I was in hog heaven watching their backtrail. ;D

That country is the prettiest I've ever seen for deer and I've been around.

[Twanger]

Dang - I'm sorry to hear about the big one on the south-west side. Glad you saw some nice bucks, and thanks for the report. If I'd had any sense I'd have hunted that big deer I'd video'd on the gas line the first day, every single day. After I hunted it the naxt day and the spike walked by, I jumped too quickly to the conclusion that the spike was really what I saw earlier. 20/20 hindsight I guess. Maybe he'll be there next year... even bigger... and now I know where he lives.