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My buddy, his dad, and myself decided we were at the point to start taking an annual hunting trip. As we all love whitetail hunting it was no question that would be our first. We decided to go the "do it yourself route." We got lodging all set up and picked the public land in Ohio. Originally from Michigan, now transplanted in Virginia, it had been a while since I'd seen big bodied deer. Last year I shot 5 out of Virginia, two 8 points, two does, and a button buck (accident)! But none with any body size to them at all. This year before the trip I'd been in the stand over thirty times, with only one doe down and that was only because I got down early out of frustation of no movement and saw a group in the pasture. She went down at 62 yards. My buddy and I had really turned on the shooting this summer to get our pins out to 60.
Back to Ohio. We arrived on November 1st and would leave November 5th morning. We hunted hard only getting down for a couple hours for a field lunch and back in it. My buddy had shot a doe first day we were there. We then moved locations and found some sign. Saturday morning I saw a nice 8 point milling around in front of me. My buddy's dad had set up a blind that morning about 125 yds out in front of me in the thick stuff. This 8 didn't like it at all!! He blew and off he went, I ended up calling him in and MISSED!!! I was so frusterated, all this practice, everything and I miss a 20 yd chipshot?!?! I waited, got down, frusterated, nocked another arrow in case I saw something come by why I waited for the others to finish their hunt. Sitting there I realized that I had somehow knocked my whisker biscuit forward which pushed my arrow low! Thought that was it! Then came the final day, Sunday evening. We set up in a different location, burned out from the days before we talked about not even going out that night! I had been in the Summit for a while and heard motion. "Here we go," I told myself. Nope, just hunters entering the woods way late! Back to thinking about how we will leave Ohio empty handed. Then an 8 point came walking straight behind me. He was on to me though, I put my stand up in the worst location on a hill, eye level with anything behind me! He finally settled a bit and gave me a 40 yd broadside shot. I let it go, only to see my Lumenock go spinning out of control after hitting a sapling I didn't see between us. Ok, that's definitely it! I've lost two chances, I'm done. He goes running off, blowing to the next county. Two minutes later, a doe, blowing off to the next county. Ten minutes later, as I'm facing the trail these two just came from, I hear more leaves rumbling behind me. I peak around the tree and see antlers. Decide to let it pass me before I turn as to not spook. Well, he decides to keep going straight by me. I finally realize I can turn and he's walking straight to the thick stuff heading for the creek. He's on a scent so there's no stopping him. I realize I have one window to shoot, where there is clearance and I'd have a clean shot coming down on him into vitals. He stopped, and I realeased. Now, I'm not proud, at all, of the kill on this deer. As I stated, I shot all summer long, easily at 60 yds and in. I guessed at 40yds, no time to grab my range finder. Hit him right in the butt cheeck on the right side. He froze! I said ok, calm down and get the arrow you wanted this time in him. I do it all over again. Second, gut shot, through his butt hole. I just want to clarify, I HATE the fact that this deer suffered as he did, but the confidence in my shooting allowed me to take these shots. I would never "fling" arrows at anything. After the second arrow hit I watched him jump up, then walk away tail down. I knew it was a fatal shot, however I also watched him walk for 100 yds as I saw my Lumenock acting as a tail through the woods. So we backed out and back to the cabin. Needless to say I got no sleep, waking up every hour questioning everything from the size to the gear I'm using!! I told my buddy "Man I don't know how many points or anything, I just saw wide and thick." We made it at first light. Got on a MINIMAL blood trail and began. Three hours later, specks of blood every 40 yds, and a mile later there he was. Two arrows still in his rear. He had blood all internally for the most part killing the trail. But we never gave up, doing half circles and z patterns all the time! He's in my freezer and will be on my wall! I'll get him scored in January and update. I'm being told he may make the BOTTOM of the ohio record books, but really I don't care. He made my record book and to me that's all that matters!