I tend to be a story teller. Had a lot of unusual and/or lucky events in my hunts. Here's one. Besides being a groundhog freak, I'm also a deer freak (2452 handgun kills).
It all started the year after our 500 year flood(1985) in my area that left 8' of water in town, destroyed all business, and killed over 30 people. I ask all the farmers that came in the office if they had a groundhog problem.
I asked a lot in 1986. One farmer said he had a lot of 'hogs and no one in his family hunted! I got a tour of this beautiful 3-400 acre farm completely surrounded by national forest. What a place! Very steep with 2 sets of fields about 300 yds. apart on 2 different levels. I took about 10-15 a day and saw a lot of deer. I finally got the nerve to ask if I could deer hunt. He said sure. No one in the family hunts it.
What struck me the most on this farm was this bowl shaped, dead end hollow
The deer tended to come out down the far ridge to the left or the far dead end hollow (420 yds.). My first morning there at daylight was an 8 point, 4 point, and 3 does on the left ridge. I did the 8 point at 265 yds. with my 6.5 JDJ Contender and a 120 NBT.
A big problem was getting and leaving there. Access was by a steep, narrow cow path that started about 5-600 yds. below the lowest level field.
Over the years I killed a lot of bucks on that left hand ridge and the far deep hollow. I liked this place so much that I didn't gripe about the really hard work of getting there and getting deer out. The biggest deer I saw was a dusk late one evening. Probably 140"+, really huge for this area. It was in my pre BPLex days and I had my .309 JDJ. Couldn't tell if I hit it. The next morning showed no signs of a hit at 410 yds.
I was killing a lot of decent bucks there, but not mountable, so I decided to make an "antler tree"
Yep, every deer there is from "my farm" aka paradise. The one to the left of the tree was one of my better ones- 265 yds. on the ridge, .325 WSM, 200 gr. AB.
A few years ago I was at a huge tree where I watch from at 1 PM. I go early and read magazines. After a few minutes I glanced the deep hollow and saw 3 deer. My binos showed 2 does and a buck facing away with antlers outside his body. Eventually he turned and a put a 130 AB from my 6.5/.284 XP in his lungs. He turned away, but stood with legs shaking. I didn't want to loose him so I put a 120 GMX in the O-ring and he fell down to the bottom
A huge deer for WV. Easily over 200#. See the strained look on my face. He fell in a large mud hole. I couldn't budge him. Took about 10 photos to get this one. I kept getting stuck in the mud. Had to clean him there. I was filthy. Had to hose off all my clothes and boots when I got home. Killed him at 1:15. Got back to the Bronco at 5 PM. The carry out was brutal on that cow path.
Forward to this year. I was at my tree on the early October doe season. Saw a big one on the ridge. Dropped her. A few seconds later this really big buck came out behind her. High, wide, heavy. Easily the 2nd biggest deer I'd seen here.
I spent many days of buck season hunting here. Never saw him. I kept hoping no one on national forest got him. Access is really hard, so pressure is minimal.
A few week later I go in our local drug store. The female pharmacist says let me show you what my dad got this year. Oh, no! He lives 1-2 miles from "my farm" almost on top of the mountain. The photo proved it was "my buck". I asked if she'd have him bring me the antlers so I could score them. I got them a few days ago
What a deer for eastern WV. Closely rivals the ones in our 4 southern bow hunting only counties.
132 2/8". It's got it all-mass, length (11" G-2s), width (18"). Was I ever bummed. I'm currently in a deep state of depression. Need lots of Xanax, maybe a double dose. As big as he was, had to be 4-5 yrs. old. He's had to spread his genes on that mountain. Guess where I'll be next year. Just hope I can do that cow path with all that Xanax in my system.
