Indiana Buck 2020....short season!

[Ryan Rothhaar]

Well, the Indiana season only lasted me 2 days.  We've had a cold front here and the hunting has been good for me...while it lasted 

Thursday evening I passed up a 2 1/2 yr old 8 point and a real nice 3 1/2 yr old 8 pt both at 7-8 yards.  I also had a doe with twins and a lone doe come under me, could have shot any of them, that makes me feel good that I'm set up right.  Moved over to another stand Friday evening on the other end of the property and after about 30 min in the tree I heard something coming.  Looked up and geeze..that's a nice set of horns at 40 yards and closing.  Had to get up (I was sitting down), get my bow off the hanger, get an arrow out and set up for the shot.  By then he was going through my main shooting lane.  He got past that, walking pretty quickly, and when he got to a little hole through the brush I whistled at him.  He stopped and I ran a Snuffer through the middle of him at 22 steps.  Thought I heard him crash, and the arrow looked really good when I checked it stuck in the ground on the other side, but I gave him 3 hours to be sure. 

Katia was giving me grief at home while we were waiting to go in.  All she kept saying was....."October 2nd" and shaking her head.  I have a reputation with her (totally undeserved....maybe) of getting excited and shooting 3 yr olds.  I told her this was better than a 3 yr old.  The real issue is she thinks if I shoot one early I'll be around the house too much in Oct/Nov!

He went 80-100 yards and I'd heard him die.  Oskar and Katia tracked him in about 5 minutes.  Heavy blood from hit just forward of diaphragm.  When we came up to him she said it was OK that I shot this one early.

I'll post up some pics of the area when I go back in today, I left the arrow at the hit site and I want to go get that.  Will tell about the setup then too.  Its a nice spot, and this is the 2nd good buck I've killed out of that tree in October (2017 was the other one).

Last winter I bought a farm here in Indiana, 96 acres, so now I have 3 months of hunting season, a new farm, and no buck tag! Haven't even sat in a tree on the new place yet. But a guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do.....  Gonna be fun figuring out the new place too.  I'll be packing a video camera with my bow.  Maybe I'll shoot a doe there later on. I'll also need to figure out the "work remotely" thing for my Missouri place, I think, and spend some more time over there.

I did, truly, actually, debate about whether I wanted to kill him this early.  For a couple seconds, then I came to my senses.  Shot him with one of Dad's old Black Widows, 64 inch, 62 lb bow, 560gr carbons, Big Snuffer.

R

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[N Schraft]

What a beauty!! Congrats!

[Ryan Rothhaar]

Fortunately he died on a logging road.  I like to bring them out and weigh them with the guts in when I can.  It seemed a struggle to load him on the quad trailer, and the wife had to give me a hand with that.  Put him on the scale...265.  He's been raiding the refrigerator.

The little shiny eye with the orange collar in the back of the first pic is Oskar chewing on the back leg.  He turned 11 this year, and still loves it.  He has found around 60 deer.

R

[Roy from Pa]

 

[kennym]

Great buck Ryan!! Congrats!!

[Cory Mattson]

Beautiful buck Congratulations
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[J. Cook]

Beautiful deer!!!!!

[TIM B]

What a great story...and taken with your dads bow....attaboy
Tim B

[Whip]

Congrats again Ryan!  When I wished you luck yesterday I had no idea the power my words would carry! 😄

[bucknut]

That's a dandy for sure.  The Old Man is looking down proudly!  Nice to chalk another up with his old widow too.

[Sean B]

Nice!! Congratulations!! Good think you weren't messaging me back and forth ya mighta skeered him!!🤣🤣. Good job buddy

[Cove-Creek]

Great deer!  Congrats!

[ESP]

Outstanding deer. Congratulations

[Sky-chief]

Wow Ryan!  I should say you're forgiven for tagging your buck this early....he's beautiful!   Congrats on taking him with your Dad's bow.

I was up your way working (forester) Thursday and Friday W of Cloverdale.  Saw deer on their feet all day.  Made my first sit yesterday evening near Poland and watched the deer parade there too.

Looking forward to more about this hunt when you're able.

Best regards, Sky-Chief from Owen county.

PS, good to see little Oskar still has "it"!

[RedRidge]

What a deer! Congrats

[azhunter]

Great buck, congratulations.

[TooManyHobbies]

Great buck. Congrats.

[Jeff D. Holchin]

Very nice buck, and good decision!!!

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Congrats Ryan.  Beautiful buck.  Just lost my pooch on his 11th birthday 1 week ago today. I miss him dearly. 

I'm reading your dad's book again you sent me. Apples dont fall far.

Outstanding!!

[Alexander Traditional]

Really nice buck,congratulations!