For The Record 0803

FOR THE RECORD

By Ray Ward

Mary Worley

Shotgun 2001

Carroll County Ohio

B. B. B.C. 168 5/8 Typical

At this year’s Buckeye Big Buck banquet our publisher Dave Freeman and I had the opportunity to observe many beautiful racks from across the state of Ohio. Amongst them was a fantastic basic frame 10 point that caught our attention. We learned later during the awards presentation that the buck belonged to Mary Worley, who received the award for the largest rack taken by a female for the year. Recently my wife Sandy and I traveled to Carrollton, Ohio to meet this lucky lady and her husband John. After taking pictures and telling hunting stories, Sandy and I both agreed we have never met nicer people. Here, in her own words, is Mary’s story of the morning she took a buck of a lifetime.

My love for hunting

For me it all started when I was nine years old. My uncle would come from the city to our farm to hunt and I was so lucky to get to tag along. We hunted squirrel, grouse, rabbit, and deer. The deer then were not as abundant as they are today. I learned a lot from him through the years and I knew hunting was always going to be a part of my life. But it was in the ‘60s, when I met my husband John, that I knew deer hunting would become my passion. He became my mentor and I have hunted ever since. Although we have hunted everything that came in season, nothing excited me more than the hunt for deer.

Like everything else, I feel hunting has changed and I know it has changed they way I hunt. So much of the area we hunted in the past has been sold off and houses have gone up. When we had several areas to hunt I always joined in the drive but now I stand.

The area I hunt now is on our own property. We have close to 100 acres and I almost always hunt alone. Hunting deer for me is not just that one-week of gun season, but throughout the entire year. I spend a lot of time observing. I note their patterns. I look for sheds and rubs. I love to see them in the velvet and I was so fortunate to watch a doe give birth. If nothing else, it has taught me patience.

My gun of choice is my Remington 1100 12 gauge. This is what I shot my trophy with. Several of us get together to sight our guns in and you know then that opening day is getting closer and the real excitement starts. I really enjoy the hours my husband and I spend together just talking about where I will hunt that day hoping he can get off to go also. He was not hunting with me the day I shot my deer and I sure wish he could have been.

I shot my buck on opening day. It was around 10:30 a.m. and up until then I had not heard much shooting and only two nice doe came by me. I just have this thing that I will not shoot a doe.

There are several trails that go through the area I was hunting. I can see them all pretty good and usually can guess which way the deer will come in. That morning was different. It was an unusually warm morning, no snow, although I wish there had been. The wind was calm with very little breeze. There is a fairly long ravine which runs from one section of our woods to another. The deer travel down it on certain occasions but rarely ever come up it because two of their main trails cross over and through it.

I was checking my areas when I thought I saw the tip of a rack in the ravine, which I was not really watching as close as my other areas. Then it became quite apparent that it was a buck. He stepped out to where I had a clear view of his head and shoulders. Well, I knew then he was a shooter. I had no idea how large his rack was, and I learned a long time ago not to focus on the rack because in a brief second your shot is gone.

I got him in my sight and moved back to the shoulders area and fired. It was around a 40-yard shot. He took off, traveled about 60 yards and went down. When I approached him to make sure he was dead I saw his rack.

What can I say but "WOW!"

I had been watching a good buck during the year but this guy was a total surprise. The excitement that consumed me was indescribable and indeed I will be out there every year looking for his offspring.

In closing, I would like to say that in the past I have shot some and I have missed some, but this deer was special. Not only because of his size, but the fact that when I saw his beauty, I thought of my father-in-law Paul whom I had the honor of hunting with for 20 years. I know how proud he would have been of me and I know in spirit he was with me that day.

Also, a special thanks to my husband for he truly is "The Wind Beneath my Wings