October 6, 2009 was a moderately cool evening for the first week of archery season in Southern Indiana. My dad who was responsible for planting and cultivating my passion for hunting whitetails had driven two hours from our hometown to meet me for a three day hunt in the Ohio River Valley. We settled into our stands with five hours of daylight left and a gusting southerly wind blowing.
An hour before dark my senses went on alert as I heard a stick snap in the direction of the thicket that I was expecting deer to travel from in the evenings. Just a moment later a wide, 130-class buck stepped out from underneath a maple tree at about 20 yards.
I grabbed my bow at the first moment of opportunity as both my dad (in his stand just 130 yards across a field) and the buck fixed their eyes on me. The buck turned away for a moment offering me an opportunity to draw, place my top pin on his vitals and release. A loud “thwack” was the unmistakable sound of my arrow meeting the hard bone in his shoulder. I watched helplessly with an awful knot in my stomach as he limped out of sight.
We did get a chance to see that buck again just two days later and were relieved to know that he would be okay.
“The Sanctuary”
The property that had afforded me this opportunity sits in the valleys of the Great Miami and Ohio Rivers. The first time I stepped on this property in the fall of 2008 I was able to see three mature bucks in one evening. Though my permission only granted me 48 acres to work with, I knew this property could be special.
Being completely locked in by the combination of a park and the Great Miami River and having such a thick wall of foliage between the property and the road, I came to call this place “The Sanctuary.”
Sowing the Seeds
I finished the 2008 season by arrowing a ten point buck on Thanksgiving morning on my brother’s stomping ground, but through the entire off season I couldn’t get “The Sanctuary” out of my mind.
The spring and summer months meant it was time to get to work. When June rolled around Biologic’s Throw’n’Grow was the main priority. With Dad’s help we cleared two small plots with hoes to sow the mix of brassica, clover, and rye. Considering the grass and weeds in the area were often six feet high, this was a tall task without any machinery.
The following three months leading up to opening day consisted of just a small number of trips to “The Sanctuary”. Taking two trips to scout and hang stands and two to cut brush with a hand saw and build a funnel was the extent of my activity in that area over three months. I knew that the deer had 1,500 acres of safe haven to move to, so I was very careful not pollute the area with my scent and presence any more than necessary.
An Interesting Stand
During the first week of September Dad met me to hang two climbing stands and two lock-on stands. Our spots were, for the most part, predetermined, but as we looked for spot to hang a stand on the more successful of the two food plots we noticed a tall culvert sticking out of the ground. The culvert stood about 16 feet tall and sat next to a tree that wound up to the top of it.
The idea struck us both nearly simultaneously. Being fairly sure that the culvert was filled with something (concrete or dirt), we screwed steps in the tree until we could reach the top of the culvert. It was a perfect stand! The platform was a circle about four feet in diameter. There were good shooting lanes, and it was perfectly placed on the food plot. The only downside was the lack of cover.
We came to find out that our unique stand used to be a barge tie for the barges on the Ohio River when it flooded.
Our first several hunts on the barge tie provided a decent amount of action. Dad hunted it one evening during our three day hunt and saw a nice 8 pointer. I hunted it two weeks later and saw that same 8 pointer along with a monster 11 pointer that I had a picture of. From then on that 11 pointer was the object of my quest for a “Sanctuary” buck.
An All Day Harvest
The last week of October is like the Superbowl of deer hunting. Bucks are constantly on their feet beginning to look for does. Considering this, it was devastating to realize that my school schedule would not allow a single hunting day during that week. Knowing that I was missing out on great hunting I decided that Saturday, Halloween, I would hunt all day.
The night before was a rainy one. It started raining at about 6 P.M. and stopped at about 6 A.M. The woods was wet and seemed primed for all day deer movement.
I decided to walk in to my stand right at daylight. This gave me a chance to get into my stand quietly and still hunt on my way there. Walking in I saw deer all over. There were deer chasing, deer bedding, deer eating; it was deer mania! It took me an hour to get to my stand!
Getting into my stand at about 9 o’clock, I did several grunt series over the next hour and a half hoping to catch a big buck cruising the funnel that I was sitting on. At about 10:45 A.M. I decided I would get down and still hunt my way around the edge of a large bedding area to the barge tie on the opposite end of the of the funnel. My walk produced sightings of a decent 8 point and a doe.
I climbed to the top of the barge tie at about noon and had a quick lunch there. Doritos and granola bars provided a little energy. I stood up and started to do all the things that we do when we are passing time.
At about 1:40 I did a short grunt series and put the tube away. After several minutes of no action I assumed the grunt series was unsuccessful. But about twelve minutes after that series I caught a movement to the northeast. When I turned to look I was astonished at the sight of the object of my quest.
The 11 point stud stood only 25 yards away and was walking straight at me. The river bottom trophy would not offer me any cover to grab my bow and draw until after he passed by at seven yards.
When he passed by a tree at seven yards, I lifted my bow off its hook and attempted to draw. Feeling as though the buck could hear my every thought and shaking like a leaf, I could not conjure up the strength to draw.
Luckily, he turned away from me at 15 yards and started licking a branch. Knowing my opportunity was slipping by, I allowed myself to move freely and draw my bow. He began to walk quickly quartering away. I stopped him with a quick mouth grunt and delivered the arrow through both lungs. I knew the shot was good as he started the death run. He stopped just 25 yards from where I shot him and fell.
Knowing that my 2009 quest had led me to my best buck ever, I called Dad and all I could mutter was “He’s down!”
Yes indeed, all 152 4/8 inches, he's down, the prize of my 2009
