When the HuntStand app shows hunt conditions are favorable, it pays to act. Here’s more proof from another exciting hunt that unfolded last fall.
Ask most any successful deer hunter the story of their first buck, and you’re likely to hear one heck of an entertaining story. The reason, for many of us, lies in the scope of the accomplishment, and Ohio’s Matt Hershberger can certainly relate. Last fall, at the ripe age of 18, Hershberger tagged his first buck, an accomplishment that was a good handful of years in the making. Bowhunting, as most of us know, is not the easiest endeavor, but Hershberger had been an eager student of the game; he also had an important ally: his HuntStand app.
Team HuntStand never tires of hearing exciting success stories; here in Hershberger’s own words is yet another fine example:
“I use my HuntStand app religiously both during the season and out of the season,” Hershberger began. “I want to share the story of Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016, when I killed my first buck. It’s not the biggest deer in the state but it’s a memory that will last for ages to come!
“I took up bowhunting in 2011, and after much determination, learning, and some failures and successes, I finally tagged my first buck on that fateful Saturday late last October. The past few years I have been using my HuntStand app religiously and last fall it really paid off. The week before the fateful day I had kept a constant watch on both the forecast, and the app’s awesome ScentCone feature. That Saturday morning, with favorable conditions, I was in my stand before the first rays of sunlight began peeking over the horizon. I had hung this particular stand specifically for the rut and this was to be my first sit there, of the fall.
“Reaching for the rattling antlers around 10:45 a.m., I performed another sequence of banging horns, grunting, and estrous-doe bleating. Fifteen minutes later, as I was fumbling with the wrapper of another snack, I heard soft steps on the leaf-covered forest floor. Glancing up, I recognized the buck immediately as the ‘Split Brow Buck’ I had previously captured on camera about one mile away. In fact, two weeks prior, I had an encounter with this very same buck, but after legal shooting time. But this time, after my rattling sequence, he came in looking for a fight, and a potential girlfriend. Finally, when he got to within 40 yards, he presented me with my first and only shot opportunity. I made good on that opportunity and he was down within 80 yards. “My closest friend and hunting buddy offered assistance in the recovery, and we were able to share the wonderful experience together,” Hershberger continued. “Thanks to HuntStand I made a memory of a lifetime, and have a buck to show for it!”
Congrats Matt on a well-earned bowhunting milestone you will likely never forget, and thanks for sharing your experience that proves the deadly effectiveness of both the HuntStand app and a well-laid hunt plan.
For sharing his HuntStand app success story, Hershberger will receive a pair of Arctic Ice cooler packs: One Tundra Series X-Large cooler pack (shown above) and one Chillin’ Brew X-Large cooler pack, a $60 total value.
VIDEO: Arctic Ice Improves Your Cooler’s Performance
Arctic Ice reusable cooler packs are tailor-made for sportsmen, both hunters and fishermen, who want to keep fish, game meat and food/provisions cold or frozen longer, while avoiding the hassle and expense of dry and standard ice. Arctic Ice Chillin’ Brew cooler packs (available in four sizes, Small to X-Large) have been shown to keep coolers under 32°F for days, and can also be used with ice to keep ice frozen up to 50 percent longer than an equal weight of ice would last alone. Tundra Series cooler packs have been shown to maintain frozen temperatures in coolers for days; they’re great for keeping frozen food or frozen game in perfect shape without the need for freezers or dry ice.