Huge Buck Sighting today.....

[Fish-n-Fool]

I was just traveling to our Springfield office from Columbus and decided to take the route by CJ Brown. As you travel up Croft road and go under the RR Tracks where the landfill is on your right. The woods attached to the landfill there by the private pond I spotted a huge tall rack in the cover. I immediately pulled to the side of the road and I watched him work down the edge of the woods towards the state land and slip into the woods before the open ground by the landfill. This buck was in the 16-17 inch inside spread range& man he was VERY tall. He had G-2 & G-3's in the 12+ inch range and was at least a 5X5 - I haven't seen one with this much tine length in a few seasons. Those familiar with the area will know exactly where I am talking about.

Over the years I have seen many deer in this area - especially before the landfill opened up the cover that used to be along the RR tracks. I once watched a 150-160 class buck not 60 yards off that road with my dad for 20 minutes in broad daylight; he was with his doe and they were just hanging on that fenceline. All that off limit state ground in the area, coupled with several hundred acres of cover towards town still makes that a prime spot for mature deer.

[jackalope]

I was just traveling to our Springfield office from Columbus and decided to take the route by CJ Brown. As you travel up Croft road and go under the RR Tracks where the landfill is on your right. The woods attached to the landfill there by the private pond I spotted a huge tall rack in the cover. I immediately pulled to the side of the road and I watched him work down the edge of the woods towards the state land and slip into the woods before the open ground by the landfill. This buck was in the 16-17 inch inside spread range& man he was VERY tall. He had G-2 & G-3's in the 12+ inch range and was at least a 5X5 - I haven't seen one with this much tine length in a few seasons. Those familiar with the area will know exactly where I am talking about.

Over the years I have seen many deer in this area - especially before the landfill opened up the cover that used to be along the RR tracks. I once watched a 150-160 class buck not 60 yards off that road with my dad for 20 minutes in broad daylight; he was with his doe and they were just hanging on that fenceline. All that off limit state ground in the area, coupled with several hundred acres of cover towards town still makes that a prime spot for mature deer.

Yeah I know where you are talking about there is a field of grass on the right and usually a crop field on the left... Right before you get to the creek..... All that land on the left is private, then he has about a mile of "nature preserve" to go through before he gets to the public hunting land through those woods. There are some big ones in there on the public hunting ground but you can't get yourself through it much less and arrow.. It looks to me like when they got the land for the lake, the jackasses clear cut the entire thing. Then didn't do a single thing for reforestation... The whole thing needs to be burned out to clear those Buckthorn / honeysuckle / and multiflora rose out of there... That makes up 98% of the hunting land... The didn't cut the nature preserve and you can stand on the line between the preserve and the hunting land and it looks like a hedge on the public hunting side.. The preserve is nice big mature hardwoods. I have all but gave up messing with that place because of how thick all of it is.......

[Fish-n-Fool]

Jack - you nailed it. They are in process of burning/clearing out areas on the other side of the lake where no hunting is permitted by all the horse trails:confused:

You know the bait house there on croft "The Boat House" - the old owner Chuck would bow hunt the public hunting area there on the lake. One season (I'm guessing about 1990-1992 memory gets foggy) Chuck bagged a WHOPPER in there. It was an 11 pointer and it field dressed at 232 lbs!! It was truly one of the largest bodied deer you would ever see. Chuck kept that deer hanging in bait shop freezer for almost the entire season - he showed it off to everybody that came in. It was a tremendous buck and he was so proud.

Chuck sold out after his father passed away when he crashed his private plane on the airfield there behind the shop. Chuck's brother has the marine shop there on Rt. 40 - they are good people.

There are some monster bucks in there, but you are right it is very difficult to hunt.

[TripleA88]

I always see them driving back by the damn across from reid park. Seen a monster back in there several years ago.

[erbuck]

Finally some Clark County Boys to talk shop with!! Anyone live around the Enon area? I do most of my hunting on several properties between Enon and Yellow Springs!

[Fish-n-Fool]

erbuck -

I primarily hunt a couple properties right there near YS. My "sweet spot" that is close for me that I hunt most often is right there inbetween YS and Clifton. I also have permission on another property there that doesn't garner enough of my attention. There is some pretty darn good hunting in this area and the chance for a quality buck is high if you have the time and are willing to pass young animals. I've been hunting the area for only three seasons and have seen good to great bucks each year. My 07 buck came from this area - he was a good buck, but I saw better - much better:shhh:

PM me your e-mail address and I will shoot you a message to start talking "shop". Heck, I would love to have another guy hunting the area to meet/call after hunts to swap what we are seeing/anticipating.

[OLDHAT]

I probably seen some of my larger bucks ever of Murfield rd that crosses at the back of the lake by the Nature preserve. I seriously looked at that place several times through the years, but too many weekend warriors made me give up......there are some good deer in there!

Oldhat

[TripleA88]

I hunt where all the true Clark County Monsters are, Catawba and SouthVienna :whistle:

[erbuck]

That is a goo area!!! Hello OLDHAT!!!

[Fish-n-Fool]

TripleA88 - my brother lived out in S. Vienna several years back and he had some great hunting out there. We killed several coyotes out there and that was before the "explosion" of yotes. Seen a few real big deer taken during the gun season out there. Back in those days there were a couple "groups" of landowners that would use trucks, ATVs, CBs, and beat the heck out of every piece of brush during gun season (including property they had no business being on). It wasn't uncommon for them to send drivers through firing reloaded shot shells too. I never could understand how they got away with this year after year after year:confused: I know of so many "incidents" this large band of idiots had from shooting through the truck floor while chasing deer to running their deer right over with the truck - then shooting it. It was sad to say the least.

Same thing was going on in South Charleston every gun season.

[TripleA88]

I have never heard or seen anything to that extent going on, but Im sure it has happened. And we dont have the brightest Game Warden so I can see how they get away with it year after year.

[Gunners]

Finally some Clark County Boys to talk shop with!! Anyone live around the Enon area? I do most of my hunting on several properties between Enon and Yellow Springs!

Talk to OLDHAT he is Mr. Enon!

[erbuck]

Thanks Gunners!!! I've talked with Oldhat some he is a nice guy. Not to mention how good a hunter he is guys around here won't even hunt close to where he is because they don't stand a chance at baggin the big one!:whistle:

[steveOh]

I got a little spot in Clark Co. that I hunted for the first time last year. I didn't see any big bucks only a few basket racks. It's outside of Medway..:shhh:
Good Luck to all this year
steveOh

[jackalope]

I have never heard or seen anything to that extent going on, but Im sure it has happened. And we dont have the brightest Game Warden so I can see how they get away with it year after year.

That would be Byron..... He still hasn't called me about a tag for a dead deer I found. But I damn sure bet he'll be out there checking licenses on opening day.

[TripleA88]

That would be Byron..... He still hasn't called me about a tag for a dead deer I found. But I damn sure bet he'll be out there checking licenses on opening day.


Lol yea. I talk to him every year at the Clark County Fair. Hes gotta ODNR tent out there. He doesnt like to answer his phone during deer or turkey season.

[Fish-n-Fool]

In his defense he is very busy. I know him and we share access to a very sweet gravel pit - I fish it; he trains his bird dog there and fishes for soft shells. However I've only seen him training or fishing a few times in several years - instead he is typically working late and checking it for tresspassers as it gets a LOT of problems. Only a half dozen people can fish it, but all the locals know of the huge bass and 10 inch bluegills that inhabot the water and they can't leave it alone:tsk:

TripleA88 - As I said this was years ago; over a decade. Most of those guys are old and many of the sons have moved away. I do still know of a few that own the land, but they gave up farming for the sunshine of Florida.

Jack - I left a P&Y+ 9 pointer lay on ground I have written permission for last year. Spotted him in the dark on my way to work - called everybody including HW Patrol Xenia office later that day. I had to run to work and was in "nice" clothes so I took off. I know who went and retrieved it and it is in his barn with several other large untagged road kills. I don't think they are too concerned about this stuff with all the other issues out there.