Of the 41 trail camera photos in which the Sticker Tine Buck was captured, all but one were taken at night. This photo clearly shows the buck’s sticker tine on the left G-2, the inspiration for his name. The impressive rack also sported split brow tines.

BATTLING THE ELEMENTS
To avoid making the buck warier than it already was, Mike went to his stand only when the wind was from the west. Over a five-week period, he hunted there 17 times. Eleven of those outings were sunup-to-sundown vigils. Staying on stand all day is challenging anytime, but it’s brutal in subfreezing temperatures. After a brief warm spell in early November, Ohio’s weather turned unseasonably cold. Morning temperatures typically dropped into the teens, and they were accompanied by blustery winds and frigid wind chills. Mike claims that he couldn’t have stayed on stand all day were it not for a Heater Body Suit that he used for the first time last season. He claims it exceeded his expectations.

Although the Sticker Tine Buck failed to pass Mike’s stand during shooting light, other whitetails were more obliging. Mike often had does and smaller bucks within bow range, including a few 140-class whitetails. The deer sightings helped him pass the long hours on stand, but even the most avid hunter can become discouraged.

At daybreak on Nov. 16, Mike was in his tree for the 11th time. His intention was to stay until dark. A few does passed through that morning. Then there was a lull in the action.

Warm and cozy in his body suit, Mike found himself lapsing into a drowsy stupor. At noon, he received a text message from his son Ryan. Although Mike isn’t a text-messaging fanatic (as are many of today’s teens), he admits that it is an excellent way to communicate silently while on stand.

REGRETS AND MISFORTUNE
Ryan’s text message said a trail camera on another property had taken a photo of a big buck. It was all the excuse Mike needed to head home to see the photo and take a short break. The buck in the photo was a 160-class 10-pointer with a split G-2. After ogling the photo with Ryan, Mike stretched out on the couch for a 15-minute nap. He overslept, waking up two hours later. He frantically headed for his tree stand. He was about 50 yards away when he saw a doe only 10 yards from his tree. She bolted with the Sticker Tine Buck in tow.

'If I had stayed on stand that day, I could have killed that buck,' Mike said. 'I knew right away that I might have blown my only chance to get him.'

On Nov. 22, Mike waited in his tree for the final time. A few small bucks showed up in the morning, but nothing stirred during the middle of the day. At 2:30 p.m., Mike received a text message from a friend that the Ohio State Buckeyes had just gone up 35-7 over their archrival Michigan. As he looked up from his phone, a doe trotted past his tree with her tail up. Then Mike glimpsed heavy antlers only yards behind her in the thick cover. It had to be the Sticker Tine Buck!

page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4