# Gun Season & NASA



## Buck-Eye (Jul 9, 2008)

My longtime bow hunting buddy had to have foot surgery on 10/6/16 this year which eliminated our annual trip to southern Ohio. I mainly hunted around the house, but took a few trips back home to Stark Co in order to keep tabs on the deer. While we have some nice deer up here, we aren't blessed with numbers. With gun season approaching I decided to take that week off and hunt my cousin's farm in Stark Co. His farm borders a metro park and quantity isn't a problem. After holding out for a buck the first five days I settled for a very large doe that I saw each of the previous days that week. All in all I saw over 80 antlerless deer the first five days of gun season this year, but not a single antlered deer. 
I decided to be a little picky knowing I had the opportunity to hunt NASA on 12/10. Another friend and myself have put in for this hunt over 30 years and finally this year he was chosen. Kind of nice to be able to get in at least once especially when you live so close and drive by it every day. 
After reading the accounts lately on how to hunt NASA I went in with a game plan. Sit the first hour, then make small drives to keep them moving. My partner missed a doe within 5 minutes of sitting down (tree was in the way) and then it went dead. I made a big loop around section 41, but didn't bounce or push any deer. My partner didn't observe any either. You are dropped on the north side of the zone, but I kind of liked the south east end since it had a small triangle off limits to us with a bow only area nearby. I decided to sit in front of a large pin oak around 11:00 am and eventually started eating my lunch. About half way through my lunch I heard a branch snap and caught movement straight ahead. The deer must have seen me as he changed direction and was walking parallel to the road. My 870 was laying on my lap so it only took a second to find the deer in my crosshairs. The brush was pretty thick but there was no mistaking the shimmer off his rack with the sun beating down on that section of woods. At the shot he crumbled and I had my buck. A dandy 10 pt weighing well over 200#'s.. My drag was a short one to the road and a security officer just happened down the road I was on. He informed me he couldn't help load it, but was willing to take it back to my truck for me. It was all I could do getting the deer in the bed of his 4x4, but I did it. Strange thing happened though, the left side of his rack came off. Pedestal was bloody and only held on by 10% of bone, until I tugged on it, at which time it broke. 
Finished the day wandering around but neither of us saw another deer. All in all another great season of Ohio Deer Hunting. Just finished butchering the buck this afternoon.


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## garhtr (Jan 12, 2009)

Nice story, I enjoyed reading it and that sure is a pair of beautiful looking deer, both look fat and healthy.
A few years ago I shot a buck ( head shot at about 10 ft) with my M/L and both antlers flew off, one traveled about 30 ft and it took me several minutes to locate it. 
Congratulations and Good luck and Good Hunting !


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

Thanks for sharing you experience and the pictures. Both deer look to be in prime condition.


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## ML1187 (Mar 13, 2012)

Pretty buck! A Hoss for sure !


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## skiff (Feb 18, 2015)

Great buck and nice big doe ! Had to be tough loading that thing by yourself. Wonder why he couldn't help you load it?


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## Shad Rap (Nov 10, 2010)

I always had the fear of pulling an antler off...I've had visions of shooting a big buck and both sides falling off as the deer falls to the ground...nice buck!


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## Scum_Frog (Apr 3, 2009)

Awesome story Kev!!! Now onto some nice ice fishing!!!!!!


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## EyeCatchEm (Jan 6, 2014)

If both antlers fall off, is it then antlerless?


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## Buck-Eye (Jul 9, 2008)

EyeCatchEm said:


> If both antlers fall off, is it then antlerless?


Prior to shooting it, yes. They were both intact when I pulled the trigger and I only pulled one side off loading him into the bed of the truck.


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Very nice buck...and doe for sure. 

Great story! Thanks for posting.


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

Wow great season! Good job!


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## ldrjay (Apr 2, 2009)

skiff said:


> Great buck and nice big doe ! Had to be tough loading that thing by yourself. Wonder why he couldn't help you load it?


they told us they couldn't at the beginning of they day no one asked why. 

nice deer man. I saw another dandy at the end of the day with a monster doe at 330 at the check staion. I got a nice yearling doe and a skull with the rack intact 10 point they let me keep.


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

ldrjay said:


> they told us they couldn't at the beginning of they day no one asked why.
> 
> nice deer man. I saw another dandy at the end of the day with a monster doe at 330 at the check staion. I got a nice yearling doe and a skull with the rack intact 10 point they let me keep.


Did a bunch of hunting/loading deer by myself into the back of a pickup. I found that a 4x8 or a 4x6 ( or whatever truck bed measures) sheet of plywood comes in real handy when loading buy yourself. Pull plywood out and leave one end propped up in bed. Get deer on plywood then you just have one end of plywood to lift. Then slide it into truck.
Have actually loaded two deer at a time this way.


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## wrmdunker (Apr 11, 2012)

Great story. Son and I hunted NASA a few years ago with the bows. We both shot deer. Haven't been back in 5 years. Thanks for the post.


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