I know mcninja already posted my picture but I figured I'd make a little post about the hunt. I know some people still have hunts coming up there so maybe this will help some.

Overall I had a great week. It was a fun hunt, and they did a good job with how it was ran. It seems like the hunts are working for thinning the herd, because only 3 deer were killed this last week. I saw one deer the entire week while hunting. Now, that one deer is now in my cooler, but was still crazy to me. The way they talk about it, you'd think deer are behind every tree out there. Seems like most of the other guys hunting experienced the same thing (other than the dudes in the zone with the golf course and houses, they saw tons of deer). I took a guest with me, he hunted closer to the sewer plant/Wildlife center and saw more deer but didn't get a shot on any.

I had scouted the spot the Friday before the hunt. I found really fresh scrapes all down the ridge and thick young pines on the top. Seemed like it would be good bedding, so I figured it'd be my first morning hunt. Got set up early, and sure enough right around 7 this buck came walking straight out of the pines. He was heading away from me, I grunted, he turned 180 and came right at me ready to beat someone up. He had battle wounds all over him, and a couple fresh cuts/stab wounds I hunted the same spot two mornings later and the scrape was way bigger and there were new rubs all around it. I would have loved to see the buck that was beating him up

Other than a tiny little 4pt, this was my first buck. Was cool to take it with my bow. Going to do a skull mount myself I think.

My two year old wanted to hold the head and kept asking when we were going to eat the reindeer.

Congratulations Jono! Scouting paid off!

Cool story - congrats

Hope the reindeer taste good 🤣🤣

Congrats again jono, I grew up around the park and there are tons of deer there. And you are spot on with your assessment of where they are. But there is also some big woods hunting and don’t forget the mountainous region of Pelham running right through the park. It is a beautiful place. Looks like y’all stayed at the cabins, did you stay in the park?

Great story. Just be careful, my little girl took interest in all the deer I killed and got the bug. I don’t get to be the trigger man much any more. She’s been behind the gun since gun season started pretty much. 😁

It was absolutely beautiful. My friend and I kept remarking how pretty the woods were, especially further in. The spot my friend hunted closer to the sewer plant/ Wildlife center was much bigger woods, I just don't really know how to hunt that yet I guess. That whole half of our zone was nothing but that. WIDE open woods.

We did stay at the cabin. When I got selected, my wife suggested that we just make it a trip for all of us. Her and my daughter went hiking, to the playground, the demo farm, and the McWane center. They had a great time too. It was a good trip for all of us. The cabins aren't fancy but they were adequate and the lake they were on was absolutely gorgeous. We were the only people over there till the last night when a bunch of grillers showed up for a grilling competition. If I ever get selected again, we would rent a cabin again.

It seemed kind of weird to me that not many people were willing to share info on their hunts out there. I guess it's just holdover from how the hunts used to be run, but now that it is a SOA the chances of hunting the same zone (or even the same SOA) seem pretty slim. I want to see some other people kill some deer! Even the other hunters that were there the same week as us wouldn't really share what they were seeing too much. I'm like that with all other land I hunt but I felt like this was a good opportunity to be able to talk about it and it not matter.

I'll have a few years before that happens Gotta get my kills in now I guess!

Great story and congratulations man! Nothing better than getting it done with the bow.

Congratulations Jono!

Congrats! Thanks for sharing

Awesome!! So where on the topo did you set up? Just curious if any of the spots panned out

Congrats on the buck Jon! That’s awesome! Glad your got him.

Honestly I set up or at least scouted almost every main spot talked about in my Topo thread. But I killed this buck around the three waypoints closest to the "Red Rd" trail/ the blue line. He was bedded on top of that ridge where that trail runs straight through.

Thanks for sharing.

I think Jon is slap ate up with hunting. I believe Nora will be just like him except with a pink bow. I am so happy for you Jon.

Cant get enough of it! And I think so too. Although I'm sure she has no idea what it means, she always asks if she can go with me

Thanks James!