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Ohio Farm Tours

The Story of Crooked Brows 8

This season started off in the hole. EHD tore through southeast Ohio. The drought hit the plots. The wonderful lady who watches our kids was getting married and gone for three weeks. Mom and Dad took a long trip. My wife, who never travels, had to travel. Oh, and my daughter Mila turns one. So there goes my October.

This deer showed up back in August and I immediately thought, he is mature as the day is long. He looked crazy awesome in velvet, although he slimmed down a bit once the season hit.

I ran cameras hard and threw all I had at this deer and another one. I planted a Carbon Load plot, monitored the cameras constantly, and kept every odd in my favor. There’s a lot of pressure around this spot, so I knew I had to stay disciplined and smart with access.

As the season neared, just about everything that could go wrong did. The landowner had some work done on the property that was pretty intrusive and put a lot of pressure on the deer. It pushed this buck and another one off the plot for a bit.

After that, they stopped showing up for about a week. I knew they had to be close, but they just weren’t on camera.

I kept checking the cameras constantly, and I mean constantly. Obsession is probably the right word. I knew time was ticking for one of them to show back up.

Opening day came and it was hot. I got into the stand at 4:45 PM. I knew it was early, but I wasn’t going to risk blowing a mature 4+ year old off the area.

The wind was out of the northwest, which was technically at my back but perfect for where I expected the mature bucks to come from.

Just before 7, this deer showed up. He came into the plot acting sketchy, not sure why, but he did. He slipped back into the thicket, then slowly came back out. I had a quick decision to make. So I did what I always do: ignore the rack and focus on the body. As he came closer, his frame and body both looked super mature.

He came slightly behind the stand and started working a scrape. I had one window of opportunity. I drew my bow, settled in, and shot him at about 6 to 8 yards.

I watched the Mega Meat fly true and blood pump immediately. He ran about 60 yards into a thicket and tumbled over.

The shakes hit. The texts started. I sat there thanking God.

I don’t have any special sauce.

I like to hunt.

I like to shoot deer in the ribs.

I like to share it with friends.

I like to play the wind.

I like to obsess over trail cameras, and when there’s a high statistical opportunity, I try to guess right.

I like and try to stay humble.

I target deer that are 4.5 years old or older. Score doesn’t matter and I don’t score deer. What I love is letting an arrow fly and watching it punch through a whitetail. No special arrow weight or bow, just a light arrow, an expandable broadhead, and a 12-year-old Mathews.

Gosh, I just love this bowhunting stuff. And I’m thankful for my wife, family, and friends who support my insane obsession.

Hunt your hunt. Enjoy the process. And when you get the chance, slow down and let it happen.
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I love it Man! Fun read!
 
I love it Man! Fun read!
Thank you for taking the time to read it! It was such a fun hunt! Still playing in my mind, the draw, hold, and picture-perfect arrow - gosh dang, that never gets old!!
 
Garden cover crop is coming on!

Just broadcast and mowed.

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Congratulations on a great harvest. Thank your for sharing the journey in words and pictures.
 
Congratulations on a great harvest. Thank your for sharing the journey in words and pictures.
Thanks so much for taking the time to read and comment - it means so much. I just can’t believe the luck I’ve been blessed with the past several years with my bow. Making a heart/lung shot at 8 yards - just was the absolute cherry on top.

Bryce and I just made a huge batch of jerky! Can’t wait to get a few does!
 
Thanks so much for taking the time to read and comment - it means so much. I just can’t believe the luck I’ve been blessed with the past several years with my bow. Making a heart/lung shot at 8 yards - just was the absolute cherry on top.

Bryce and I just made a huge batch of jerky! Can’t wait to get a few does!
Amen dude, amen!!
 
Happy belated birthday to me!

CVA
400 legend
Bog death grip tripod
Vortex 3x9 straight wall - BDC

Doe mgt will be a lot of fun. Also look forward to Bryce learning on this single shot platform in the near future.

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My cousin has become a continuous killer. He shot this on a permission farm of ours. Only deer he saw that night and he made it happen!

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The Drag Out

Every year, hunting season comes and goes so fast. Each passing year, there seems to be a little more animosity than the last.

But as I get older, I feel far less pressure to hunt to impress anyone. I love hunting for myself and my own goals. I enjoy setting goals that can be reached with a small group of close friends who share the same passion.

There’s nothing like tracking a deer, celebrating when you find it, and just about killing yourself dragging it out. Then cracking a cold beer on the tailgate, rehashing the story of how two of you fell dragging the deer out, and the other one keeps retelling how the shot went down. Not to mention the endless jokes and laughs that happen as we all ride the emotional roller coaster of deer hunting and tracking together.

I heard a well-known deer hunter say on a podcast, “All these heads are a burden to someone when we’re gone.”

I couldn’t have agreed more. I’m not saying don’t score a deer or chase a big one. But I do think we should all focus on appreciating what we have: the time, the deer, the friendships, and the memories made along the way. At the end of the day, we’re all out here for the same reason, the love of bowhunting whitetails and the simple joy of sharing great venison with family and friends.

We wait all year for that one moment, to finally lay our hands on a whitetail. Slow down and soak it in. The drag out, the effort, the laughs, and the memories are what make it all worth it.

The drag out and the cold beer on a Friday night tailgate with good friends beats all the negativity on the Internet any day.

Get outside. Enjoy the smells of fall. And enjoy it the way you want to.

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