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Daylight is slipping under the horizon as JT Olds holds motionless, awaiting the perfect angle to take a 2023 opening week buck in Owen County. As he waits, his pocket begins to buzz like a hornet's nest, but now is no time to make careless movements. His phone already buzzed moments ago as the large, mature 14 stood at the hayfield fence, diligently scanning the alfalfa field for danger. Thoughts pass through his mind as to why his phone is vibrating in his pocket. The deer has now entered shot range, and his body is shifting. A steady trigger pull sends a flash of carbon and metal to its mark. As the deer begins to crash into the alfalfa field JT already has his phone in his hand. Grayson Olds breaks the silence, "I smoked him, dad, I smoked the Big 10." Grayson is JT's 12-year-old son, hunting only 400 yards away. "I just killed a monster," JT replied. Grayson is quite familiar with JT's tendency to joke around and asks, "Dad, are you being serious?" The excitement is palpable in their brief exchange, and Grayson heads to pick up his dad.
Many would say it's a blessing or pure luck for a father and son to double up on mature deer in velvet, but the larger blessing is a son dedicated to their shared passion. JT took Grayson to the hunting blind for the first time when he was four, and at six, Grayson took his first whitetail. At 12, he has taken multiple mature bucks with a crossbow, starting with a 158-inch brute that Grayson wasn't quite sure was big enough. JT explains that watching Grayson grow into deer hunting has been a lot of fun. "He puts in a lot of work and time," JT said. "And he has a lot of success."
Grayson has become so talented at his whitetail scouting and habitat work that JT calls him Big G Outfitter. Determination, hard work, and patience are just a few qualities that describe Grayson's passion for hunting. JT points out that Grayson lets many of them walk each year and has more patience than he did as a kid. Just as the best guides care about their clients' success, Big G Outfitter cares a great deal about his dad's success. He will often tell JT, "If you want to kill your deer, tonight is a good night." The night they killed their 2023 bucks was no different.
Grayson had been watching the Big 10 all summer and decided he was the deer to target this fall. He tried to get him on opening day, but the deer didn't follow the plan and crossed the wrong spot. Grayson gathered more information and put out a camera and corn. The next good night of hunting had to be passed over for a birthday party, and on Sept. 5, Grayson asked JT if they could go hunting. "The wind is perfect for the stand tonight," he explained to his dad. Unfortunately, JT had to work on the hay mower, but Grayson asked if he could go out himself. JT agreed, and as Grayson headed to the stand, he made sure to tell his dad that he had laid all his hunting gear out for him while he continued working on the mower.
As working on equipment sometimes goes, or perhaps often, JT decided a break may be beneficial and quickly got ready around 7:30 p.m. He wanted to hunt with Grayson but knew that walking in now could mess up the hunt, and opted to sit in the alfalfa field stand to just watch and relax. JT had been texting back and forth with Grayson to check on his hunt when that unfamiliar deer approached the edge of the hayfield fence. After the shots, JT was anxious to return to Grayson's deer and start tracking in the fading light, but there was no need. Grayson's deer had piled up five feet from where his body soaked up the crossbow bolt, tipped with a VIP Veteran Broadhead. Both deer had gone down in sight, but JT phoned a friend anyway to help them load the deer up. It takes little convincing to have your friends come to help you load a monster deer, much less two. The group was up until after 2 a.m. the next morning, working on the deer, telling stories, and making the best hunting memories a father and son could share.
The bucks hang on the wall at the Olds's home, shoulder-mounted so they are looking at each other, a tribute to the hunt and hard work. When asked what their favorite way is to prepare their deer meat, JT said, "We're pretty simple. Battered and fried in a skillet is probably the best way we like it." The best hunting stories end surrounded by family and friends, with game in our stomachs and memories in our minds.
Kentucky's deer archery season opened Saturday, Sept. 7, and closes 30 minutes after sunset Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. The fall is full of opportunities for hunting and fishing in Owen County, from deer and squirrel to upland game and ducks. Visit fw.ky.gov and download the fall hunting guide for all the necessary information. I hope all of you find some time to enjoy the woods and waters of Owen County.
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