It's been a long season in Ohio.  I haven't seen many big bucks on camera this season, but there was one I was hoping to get a chance at.  The first time I saw him was on trail camera last October.  He came in one evening for a brief moment.  After that, I had a couple months of nighttime photos.   I had never seen him with my eyes.  

I hunted several different stands over the course of 3 months hoping to get a crack at him, or even just see him.   Finally on Christmas day and New years,  he came in during daylight again.  I have a foodplot in the woods behind the house with some clover and turnips planted in it.  He had been in at 5:00 both of those evenings.  Of course, I wasn't out either one.   I hunted about 7 evening between Christmas and Jan. 7th, and didn't see a single deer.  

The muzzleloader season is currently on right now, and I arranged to get off work a little early last night.  I made it into the box blind behind the house around 4:30 and waited.   I didn't see a thing until around 5:30.  I looked out the side window of my blind, and noticed a deer walking through the woods broadside about 100 yards out, heading away.  I quickly opened the window and pulled up my gun.  As it moved through the trees, I couldn't tell if it was him, but I could tell the rack stuck out past his nose quite a ways, so as he stepped into the only possible shooting lane before he was gone, I shot.  I watched him run off about 100 yards and stop.  It looked like he stumbled a little, and then kept walking out of sight. From the time I first saw him until I shot was only about 3 seconds.  I guess that is how hunting goes.  Days and days of seeing nothing and 3 seconds of action.  

I got down,  went back to the house, and got my son and a flashlight.  I walked up to where he was running, and at first saw no blood.  About 40 yards later, I saw a couple drops.  I then found where he stumbled, and saw lots of blood.   Luckily with the snow on the ground, it was easy to follow his tracks.  I went about 10 more yards, and shined the light ahead and saw him laying there.  He is a mainframe 11.  It felt good to finally hold the rack.  My son was pretty excited.  I liked this picture of him and the deer.  With as small as he is,  he makes the deer look bigger.

Great story and a great deer! Congrats!
Here in Michigan we had bad luck seeing any bucks this past season. Harvested a couple of does though so that's a plus!

That is a nice Ohio Buck.  Well Done sir.

Nice, your son will always remember that.

That is so awesome. I honestly think that's way more rewarding than getting the first one you see.

Congrats!  I hunted a big buck this year I struggled to let walk last year.  If he is still around next year and I get a shot-I will be lucky.  Glad you got yours!