Tagged out in WV

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WV Bowhunter
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Tagged out in WV

Unread postby WV Bowhunter » Tue Nov 14, 2017 1:50 am

Had probably my best week bow hunting in WV this past week. I had the last 10 days off work and things started off pretty slow. I have been trying to kill a certain 10 pt for the last 3 years but he has been smarter than me. I found his sheds in January and since I had found the beast I went full scouting mode on the property and found every buck bed that I could and made note of which beds I thought he would be using on certain winds.

I tried hunting him early season but found that killing a buck coming off a bed in hill country with no major food source is pretty tough. I’m not sure that I have ever second guessed myself so much as I have this season. The bucks bed in these spots for a reason and the thermals and my stand access routes killed me early on.

I started getting a tall 8 pt on one of my cams next to doe bedding about two weeks ago and I figured I could kill him. I saw him pushing does and wind checking the bedding. I had him in range one night but couldn’t shoot due to closing time. A couple nights later he showed up with just a few minutes to spare and I got him. I think he was bedded in where the does normally bed but he had no doe with him that night.

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I headed over to Ohio the next evening and hunted the following day. Things were not looking good and I wasn’t seeing much buck sign at all. The big 10 I’ve been after was weighing on my mind and I decided to come back home and go after him. The county I hunt in requires me to shoot an anterless deer before shooting a second buck. I headed out the next day and shot a button buck to satisfy the regs. I normally don’t shoot buttons but I really wanted to get after the big 10. After I shot him, I had three does walk right under me, but I didn’t know that was going to happen and I had a “bird in the hand”.

The button buck I shot, I put a fantastic double lung shot on and that stupid thing ran 150 yards and crashed in the best buck bedding in the area. I cringed as I knew I’d screwed up that area. I got him out of there and started developing a plan for the next day to go after the 10.

I had a stand site in mind to go hang and hunt but as I approached it I found that the leaves were way too loud and the woods were way to quiet to access that spot. I scratched my plan and headed to a ladder stand that I normally only gun hunt. It was set up perfect for the south wind that was blowing and I had a great access to it from a cow pasture and was positioned between two good doe bedding areas. I got set up and had deer under me in no time feeding on acorns.

I heard a buck chasing a doe across the hollow from me for about an hour. Things got quiet then and about a 1/2 hour after the chase I caught movement in the bottom of the hollow of a deer coming to my side. I threw up my Binos and couldn’t believe it was the big 10!!

About 10 mins later I saw him heading my way. I’m not sure if he was cruising the thermal tunnel or searching parallel trails but he was on the right spot for either one. It didn’t matter to me as he was heading my way and was going to be passing me at 35 yards in short order. I had to draw my bow early and hold it for fear he would pick me out in that tree. He had no idea I was there as he paused to smell a scrape that I hadn’t even seen yet. I let my arrow go and saw the arrow hit him a little back. I backed out and came back the next morning to track him. He only went 120 yards or so and I found him. 3 years and countless hours and I finally could put my tag on him!!!

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He is not the biggest buck I’ve killed but is probably my finest trophy due to the time and mental anxiety that he has caused me. I know I’ve scouted 20-30 hours in this past off season for this buck and I feel that really helped me. I also never hunted a stand more than once on this property this year and I had several presets that have been there that I never hunted this year. I think that had to have helped too. I feel that the info I’ve picked up on the beast is a big part of why I got him, so THANK YOU to everyone on here.


Luck is when preparation meets opportunity!!
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thwack16
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Re: Tagged out in WV

Unread postby thwack16 » Tue Nov 14, 2017 2:19 am

Great bucks man! Congrats!
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headgear
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Re: Tagged out in WV

Unread postby headgear » Tue Nov 14, 2017 2:23 am

Congrats on the double! :clap:
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Re: Tagged out in WV

Unread postby xpauliber » Tue Nov 14, 2017 3:07 am

Multi-buck years are awesome! Congrats!
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WV Bowhunter
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Re: Tagged out in WV

Unread postby WV Bowhunter » Tue Nov 14, 2017 3:44 am

xpauliber wrote:Multi-buck years are awesome! Congrats!


Thanks, I still could shoot one more with a rifle or mz in WV and still have an Ohio tag so if my luck holds out maybe I can get one or two more.
Luck is when preparation meets opportunity!!
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Re: Tagged out in WV

Unread postby hunter10 » Tue Nov 14, 2017 5:14 am

Beauty! Great deer
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Re: Tagged out in WV

Unread postby Edcyclopedia » Tue Nov 14, 2017 5:31 am

:clap: spectacular!
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flinginairos
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Re: Tagged out in WV

Unread postby flinginairos » Tue Nov 14, 2017 6:01 am

Congrats dude!! That's how it's done! 8-)
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john1984
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Re: Tagged out in WV

Unread postby john1984 » Tue Nov 14, 2017 6:23 am

Congratulations
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Dewey
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Re: Tagged out in WV

Unread postby Dewey » Tue Nov 14, 2017 6:25 am

Congrats :clap:
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Re: Tagged out in WV

Unread postby Tempy » Tue Nov 14, 2017 6:32 am

Sweet bucks! That 10 is a stud!
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jwilkstn
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Re: Tagged out in WV

Unread postby jwilkstn » Tue Nov 14, 2017 6:35 am

Wow! Quite a week of hunting! Congrats!
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Re: Tagged out in WV

Unread postby RidgeGhost » Tue Nov 14, 2017 11:35 am

Congrats on a great season so far, go get another one!
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WV Bowhunter
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Re: Tagged out in WV

Unread postby WV Bowhunter » Tue Nov 14, 2017 1:38 pm

Thanks guys, still can’t believe the big 10 is done. I’ve always sorta laughed when people said they were sad that they got a deer that they had chased for a few years. Now I can understand what they are going through. I’m not sure what I’m going to look for when I pull a camera card now. I used to scan through them and about the only pics I saved were of him.
Luck is when preparation meets opportunity!!
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Re: Tagged out in WV

Unread postby Uncle Lou » Tue Nov 14, 2017 1:41 pm

Wow WV, a multi kill Kill Zone post. Love it. Congrats on your accomplishment.
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