Today was our last day in Ohio. It was 35 degrees this morning and calm with a crystal clear blue sky. I saw a giant 10-pointer chasing a doe at 8:30 this morning. Unfortunately I had low blood sugar and my monitor was in my lap when the doe raced by my stand. I jammed it into my pocket when I heard the buck in pursuit. As he went behind my stand at 10 yards I attempted to draw my bow but the string hit the stand which caused the bow to misfire and launch the arrow into a tree about 40 yards away. It was disheartening, but you can’t do anything about health issues like that. After the episode I checked my blood and it was 31. I know that sounds pretty low to everyone and it is, but I can run really low numbers without even knowing it. I guess in some ways that’s good and in others it’s not so good.
Two hours later I shot over the back of a 13-140 10-pointer as he was feeding up the hill toward me. I thought I shot over the back of him, but I later found out that I hit him in the back. Ten minutes later Doug killed him after I wounded him. I guess you could say we had a great team effort to get him in the ground. By the time I got out of stand to get my arrow Doug finished the buck off. He was sitting on the other side of a ridge from me.
It was an ok year in Ohio. It was depressing to deal with all of the guys from my hometown in the beginning of the week. It all boils down to respect. Some people don’t have respect for others and that’s all it amounts to. Although I would never do the same thing I have to realize that others aren’t like me. Some people are solely in it for themselves and don’t see any wrong in their actions. Although they weren’t hunting the same property we were that’s not even the issue at hand. It’s deflating to think that your friends think so little of you, especially after you brought them someplace special to you and welcomed them into your world. Sad, very sad.
I’m not sure what we will do in the future. The number of non-residents keeps on climbing. I’m not sure if there’s an end in sight. It’s discouraging.
Here’s the picture of our tag team buck.
10-pointer: Me and Doug
Doug: The Final Shot
Me: The First Shot