Think we're off to a good start!

[Toke2]

Studs..... quite a fraternity you got there.....

[Dan]

WOW, very nice.

[Weasel]

Nice zach. Hope you get to see them from your stand. It's no surprise that there is better hunting 10 minutes down the road. The deer will be where there is the best cover and food and that can change from property to property let alone miles down the road. Good luck!

[zachc]

Thanks I hope to see them from the stand too! But the way things have been since Friday night...not looking good. I have had my cameras all spring and summer and still do, literally every day/night I have had pics and for some reason starting Friday night and through today I have not had 1 pic of a deer on any of my 3 cameras. Still trying to figure out what's going on. Could be a couple things, the neighbors let their cows graze in the property that butts up against mine (keep in mind we have 5 acres so its more of a "pass through" property) and I've always heard that feet don't really like cows that much, could be that Friday the neighbors were cutting wood and a whole bunch of stuff and might have messed up their travel patterns, could be there's no water ony property and its been so hot and dry they have to be going to water at night, and then tonight we heard 2-3 dogs yelping across the road and they slowly worked their way down the road in front of the house and up the side of the property and then back barking the entire time so maybe they're chasing the deer off! But hopefully they will get back to their normal travel patterns real soon!

[zachc]

So I checked my cameras earlier today and found a couple of studs that look familiar. The big 8 and the 10 pointer we were watching all summer and disappeared opening day! I have only had a couple of pics here and there of the 10 and I have had absolutely 0 pics of the big 8 since the end of September! Thought he was long gone by now, either relocated or someone filled a tag with him. So needless to say when we saw him on camera today, we were estatic! But both of these bucks have had a ROUGH couple of weeks/months. The 10, as you can see in the pics, someone made a horrible shot on him and he still has an arrow sticking up out of his back. Judging from the arrow placement in the pics, looks like that it was a fairly long shot and he was walking almost directly away from them when they decided to pull a terrible shot. Good news is a have a few pics and a handful of videos of him throughout the last week and he seems to he walking around ok. The big 8, I'll have to post another better pic later, looks like he has lost his left eye. Have a couple pics and videos of him and he never has his left eye open, left side of his face is all roughed up, and left ear is always drooping down. Plus side is he seems to be getting around ok too, and HE'S BACK! Can't tell you how stressed out the big 8 has had me. Went out earlier and dumped some corn and some Antler King Final Feast (compliments of Bowhunting Ohio, lol) and about to hit the stand here very soon to see if I can't put him down, pray for me please...lol

[mrbb]

well best of luck getting that 10, as he looks like he's not doing that great, seems to have a lost a lot of weight, and teh har isn't as it should be
as for being LONG shot, maybe, maybe not, many folks don't hunt that high off the ground, or pending where and how it was with the terrian, too many things could make a shot like that happen, to just say they took a far shot
BUt I do know, a BIG buck will some times make a person take a shot they might not other wise, stretching there range or, taking a questionable angle shot??
it happens a lot more than I think a lot of bow hunters want to admit!

I hate seeing any deer with a wound, I think I used my only buck tag now about 15+ times taggging/killing a buck someone else already wounded. many times less than size I hold out for, but has always just bene the right thing to do in my eye's
I have even targeted doe that had wounds, to end there suffering and give em a quick death, over slow and I have to think painful at times!!

Good luck

[zachc]

Like I said I have a few pics and a couple videos of the 10, and he seems to be walking around like nothing is bothering him to much. Yeah the hair is a lil messed up around the arrow but it doesn't seem to be affecting him a lot, he's still moving through here eating on the corn and my block. As far as him losing body weight, I agree but a couple things there, he has never been a big bodied deer and also we just recently came out of the peak of the rut and during that time, as you prolly already know the bucks only have one thing on their mind...chasing does. So that would prolly explain the biggest reason for him dropping weight. Now that the rut is pretty much wrapped up, time to hit the food sources and put the weight back on.

[zachc]

Well checked the trail cameras this morning here's the results. The pics of the one with the droopy left ear and messed up eye is the Big 8 that we watched all spring/summer. If you've followed this thread you know the one I'm talking about. As I posted a while back he's obviously been in some fights earlier in the year. So he's a lil tore up but at least he's still out and moving around. The other pics are just a couple bucks with racks still on, just for fun. When the weather breaks definitely gonna do some shed huntin!

[mrbb]

well its always nice to see a few good bucks make it , and get them on cam, raises the hope for next season and that droopy ear one, must be a fighter LOL
looks like he's seen some better days!
I seen a few bucks today while plowing snow, still holding onto antlers here too
I really would have thouyght all the darn coeather we have would have dropped them early this winter, hasn't been above freezing here since like mid Dec. so a cold winbter here this yr
the 2+ feet of snow isn';t helping any either!

[zachc]

I agree nice to see some good bucks made it so far! I actually took the pic of the droopy eared one from a trail cam video I have of him. He looks pretty rough as far as his face and what not but seemed to be walking around ok. Actually in the video he walks in towards the corn pile, 2 more deer come into frame heading towards the corn pile and he walks away, went from dominating the area to seems to be very submissive, for obvious reasons lol. Anyhow hopes he makes it until next season, should be a giant. Which brings a question, I've heard that if bucks get injured it can mess up how their racks grow the next year (non typical in some cases) think this will effect it at all considering its to his face?