KY Deer Season(Pics added)

[Matthewsdad]

Well what can I say this had to be one of the best deer seasons I have ever seen in my home state. There where bucks chasing doe's everyday I got to hunt. We left on November8 and did a bow hunt scouting trip on tne 9th and it started with seeing two good bucks. I had a buck come crusing in just at day light that looked to be a real good deer but he stayed in the bruch at 80 yards never offering a shot. Then at 8:00 am a 18" wide 8 pointer came into 50 yards just out of my range with a bow. Then we went to scouting for opening day of rifle season. Decided to hunt in my old stomping ground on the Clarks River refuge, From this area I have take 4 big bucks all 135" or better.

Well when daylight came I had a small 6 pinter that was limping walk right under my tree. About 30 minutes latter a group of 3 bucks started chasing a hot doe the largest was heavy horned 6 pointer that would have been a great bow kill but he was safe with a rifle in my hands. They chased the doe around back and forth for about 5 minutes then they where gone but the sound of them had not had time to die when a wide 4X 3 with a messed up rack statered chasing another doe along with a 3 pointer and a spike they worked around my stand for about 10 minutes back and forth. Then about 30 minutes later a lone doe worked her way by my stand at 30 yard and I had 3 doe tags so I took her for the freezor. The weather was really warm so I had to get down and cut her up and put her in a cooler.

Day 2 dawned with 30 mph winds and 50 degree temps. I went back to where I hunted opening day and never say a deer. The wind at times was gusting to 40 mph and it got hot temps around 75 degrees, so I passed on hunting that afternoon. That evning a cold front came through, with rain and falling temps.

Day 3 dawned with rain and sleet and temps in the in the low 30's. I went to my shot house over looking a food plot, It was raing and sleeting very hard right a daylight but the bucks where on ther feet. Across the foodplot I got a climps of a good buck but could never get a clear shot. So when the rain stopped and the sky cleared I moved to a stand in the river bottoms about 30 minutes of climbing into the stand I caught movement in the cane on the river I only had about 5 seconds to decide if he was a shooter but he looked to have one side of his rack broken off. Later in the week one of the other hunter passed this buck up he has 6 good point's on the right side and a deformed left with 2 long points going straight tup.

Day 4 dawned clear and cold so back to the same stand from day one. There where a group of 4 bucks in a thick patch to my left one of the bucks must have been a good one he ran off a 8 pointer that most hunters would have shot.He had a doe he was protecting, A hour later the same group of small bucks came by chinging does so I let them walk aging thinking that MR. Big had to be close. After they went through About a hour later a lne doe came by so i took her for the freezor that was numbe two for the year. I took my wife back into that area that afternoon and she shot a doe that took me hour and hlf to get out in the dark so we went to my parents for the night I was wipedad out.

Day 5 I slept in and at 10:30 wnt and got in a stand it was cold and overcast sat that stand for 2 hours then moved to a bluff on the river with a oak flat. Had been there about a hour when a 6 pointer walked right up to me and bolted at 15 yards. then at 2:30 I caught movement in the oak flat and it was a doe then another doe and a buck began to chase them around he ran her right into my lap se truned at 5 yard in front of me with him right on her he was apike so he was safe had to leave for a dinner at 3:30 so out of the wood I went.

Day Six My wife was supposed to hunt and I watch our son, when I woke her up to get ready she said go I dont feel like going today. So I decide to hunt at my parents farm. When I left the truck I spooked some deer so I turned my light off and walked tothe farthest stand down on the river. My brother and both his boys missed a true giant ther monday evening. Well it was light enought to shoot I took out my can agrunt tube and did some calling. About 45 minutes after light I catch movement about 100 yards down river its a big buck chasing a hot doe. The doe leads him through the thick under growth onto the logging road straight to the stand at 35 yard he turns broadside and I put one through his shoulder. He stagers and truns toward the river but only makes it 15 yards before he falls. I give him a few minutes then climb down to take a closer look. This is one of the biggest bucks I have ever taken he has 10 point and a wide spread. I walk out to getthe fourwheeler to get him out. When I get under another stand I hear something going up the ridge beside me. There Is the Giant that my brother misses on Monday with a doe. I catch movement infront of me and there stands a buck just as big a the one I shot at 30 yard he turns and crosses the creek and up the ridge behind my brothers house. Then to my left ter stands a 8 pointer, a spike and another doe that just walk back into the bottoms. I go get the fourwheeler and get my buck out. He has a 19.5" spread and 5.5" bases.

Well not a bad week at all 35 buck sited and countless does everyone in camp saw deer and had the chance to feel the freezor with meat.

 

[Matthewsdad]

RE: KY Deer Season

Picture of my buck.

 

[Jmax]

RE: KY Deer Season

Here is your buck's pictures, very nice deer. emoThumbsup Jmax

 

[churly]

I was hunting in Crittenden Co. Ky. The same weekend. If TN only allowed 1buck, we would have bucks everywhere like they do. CONGRATS! Great report! Beautiful deer!

 

[blackbetty]

Is that public hunting land

 

[Matthewsdad]

Some of the land I hunt is public land. I grew up there and have a farm there. This buck came off my parents farm. Most of the 35 bucks I saw on my hunt where on public land. On that public land I have taken 4 bucks that have scored 138" to 155" and most where all over 200 lb feild dressed with the largest weighing right at 240 lb dressed. I have seen a couple of 180-200" bucks there over the past 35 years. In the past 10 years or so the guys I hunt with and myself have taken 12 bucks that have scored 125-155" all on public land. The biggest thing is knowing where to hunt and letting other hunters push deer past your stand. I know from this past hunt that there where at least 5 trucks of hunters that hunted the area and I do not think any of them killed a deer they did not do there homework and find the pinch points and draws the deer use to stay away from hunters. My farm is surounded by public land and we plant food plots that just the kids get to hunt over the rest of us have to go out on the public land and hunt. Like I said I grew up there and spent most of my teen years learning the woods like the back of my hand. I spent countless hours on stands watching the deer and learning where they would travel when hunting season began and learned to change stand locations when the deer moved to improve my chances at a big buck. I killed my first big buck when I was 18 years old then sent the next 18 years chasing only mature bucks and missed out on a lot of good hunting and passed on some really big deer waiting on a true monster buck. I now spend my time teaching the kids what I have learned so they can enjoy the hunting sports. And still find time every season to chase a big buck in KY with family and friends. If you are intrested in hunting in KY on public land look up the Clarks River Refuge it is where I hunt and is open to the public free of charge.