Hunters Log : last weekend
11-07-2006, 11:30 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2003
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Hunters Log : last weekend
Hello everyone,
I just wanted to pass on what was quite possibly the best hunting experience I've ever had in the past 33 years on to you.
It had been a pretty bad season. Time constraints had kept me out of the woods. One of those years, my wedding anniversary, my oldest son's birthday, and my wifes birthday all fell on a weekend. To top it off, I was sick the weekend before last. Needless to say I didn't get out much. Not only that, but I hunt in the dreaded "earn a buck" zone.
I had taken last Friday off, but was not all that pumped about hunting. On Thursday evening, after spending a few hours with the kids after school I went out to split some wood for a nice fire that evening.
When I was outside, I realized that I wasn't going to see any deer in my back yard. Twenty minutes later I was on the road to my parents house.
I got there, and immidiately called my friend, he was hunting, trying to earn his buck. So I sat down and had a few beers with my dad. Well, at about 8:00, he shows up with a nicely bloodied arrow.
After talking for awhile, we left to track his deer, and I'm happy to say that he "earned his buck". A nice doe at that. We returned at about 1:00 a.m., and enjoyed some fresh inside loin.
On Friday, we headed out for the afternoon hunt. I wasn't in my ladder stand but 10 munutes before 3 doe came up behind me, and stopped on the other side of a gully. This stand is really meant for deer in front of me, about 20 yards in the woods (cornfield beyond) over converging trails. I was twisted halfway around watching them, when the lead doe decided to head past me toward the field. She almost made it, stopping 8 feet from my stand to look right at me.
I had no idea what she saw, but she was somewhat on to me. I just closed my eyes and took an occasional peek at her. She ran back about 10 yards, and continued to look both at me and the field beyond. It was an amazing confrontation. She raised her foot several times to stomp, but never followed through. When she did this, she was looking at the field, and there was noise coming from the field at the time. I just couldn't move to survey the field. Every time what little wind there was would blow (towards her) she would stick her head up and try to wind me. After an eternity, one of the trailing doe decided to head back to where they came from, and all 3 left. I was hopeful, she never really busted me, so I thought they would be back.
About an hour later, I was not dissapointed. All 3 returned. This time I decided to NOT watch them, focusing in front of me instead. I was hoping to deal with them when they were in my lanes. Quite intense, they rumaged around for at least 10 minutes. After an eternity of silence, I snuck a peek. I saw a doe in an area that I didn't expect and thought the 3 had left, and this was a new one.
I stood up, and turned about 110 degrees to my right. Then I saw the other two does. Apparently, it was the same three. Mistake on my part for not watching them, but they didn't bust me. The most likely candidate was the doe I initially saw. She slowly moved into my lane at about 30 yards, and I drew. She stopped, and looked directly at me, and I released. At the time, she was moving from left to right. After the impact she took off in the other direction. I could see my fletchings bobbing up and down behind her. She hit the field at full speed, and then crashed. Surprisingly, one of the doe with her didn't take off. I was able to reach into my backpack and get another arrow, but she didn't give me a shot. She just wandered around for 15 minutes or so before simply walking away. I climbed down at dark and claimed my "earn a buck" prize.
Between the arrow bouncing up and down, and the eventual breaking of the arrow, the broadheads had done their job. All of the feeds into the heart were severed.
The next day my brother showed up. After another nice meal of inside loin we headed out for an evening hunt. Our land is basically a big hill, and our mutual friend was too spent to make it. We had gotten both of our does on the top of the hill, but the best path tothat location involves over a mile of walking and I didn't want to do that alone (what can I say, I'm old and conservative). My brother and I decided to buddy hunt. We setup on the bottom field way way way in the back. It's really the best all around stand we have. I was in a gun stand (basically a box on stilts, which I HATE) and he was accross a small field on the ground. We've done this before, and it's a blast. Both of us have witnessed the other shoot deer.
Unless you count squirrels, it was an uneventful evening. About the time I was thinking of calling it, I heard him grunt several times. Usually, I respond in kind with a grunt or bleat but held off this time. About a minute later, some squirrels behind me went nuts. Flashback about 8 years ago when I was watching a squirrel, and he went nuts, I was wondering what caused this, and behold, a deer appeared. Thinking back to this, I immidiately stood up, turned around, and surveyed the hillside behind me. Sure enough, I spotted a buck coming through the thickets. I quickly turned around, attached my release, and turned around again. He hadn't seen me, and slowly made his way to my shooting lane. I shot, it was pretty dark, but I thought it was a good shot. My brother clearly heardthe impactover 120 yards away. If I thought the doe the night before took off, it had nothing on this buck. It's very thick woods, and I lost sight of it right away, but could easily track it by sound. When he headed up the hill, I was concerned, until I heard him crash loudly, followed by a deafening silence. I crawled down a bit later to talk to my brother. After a brief rest we went tracking. Not an easy task for us as we are both colorblind. We took our time, marked our spots, and found him after 60 yards or so.
What a pig he was, full rut with a neck to show for it. The rack was only so-so, but he weighed in at 210 dressed. The biggest deer I have ever shot, and my first buck with a bow. Just a great weekend.
The best part is the shot, smack dab in the middle of the heart. Sometimes it's good to be lucky.
Oh yea, I enjoyed fresh inside loin with my family the next day, three straight days of fresh loin, does it get better than that?
Thanks for listening,
The Trashcanman
I just wanted to pass on what was quite possibly the best hunting experience I've ever had in the past 33 years on to you.
It had been a pretty bad season. Time constraints had kept me out of the woods. One of those years, my wedding anniversary, my oldest son's birthday, and my wifes birthday all fell on a weekend. To top it off, I was sick the weekend before last. Needless to say I didn't get out much. Not only that, but I hunt in the dreaded "earn a buck" zone.
I had taken last Friday off, but was not all that pumped about hunting. On Thursday evening, after spending a few hours with the kids after school I went out to split some wood for a nice fire that evening.
When I was outside, I realized that I wasn't going to see any deer in my back yard. Twenty minutes later I was on the road to my parents house.
I got there, and immidiately called my friend, he was hunting, trying to earn his buck. So I sat down and had a few beers with my dad. Well, at about 8:00, he shows up with a nicely bloodied arrow.
After talking for awhile, we left to track his deer, and I'm happy to say that he "earned his buck". A nice doe at that. We returned at about 1:00 a.m., and enjoyed some fresh inside loin.
On Friday, we headed out for the afternoon hunt. I wasn't in my ladder stand but 10 munutes before 3 doe came up behind me, and stopped on the other side of a gully. This stand is really meant for deer in front of me, about 20 yards in the woods (cornfield beyond) over converging trails. I was twisted halfway around watching them, when the lead doe decided to head past me toward the field. She almost made it, stopping 8 feet from my stand to look right at me.
I had no idea what she saw, but she was somewhat on to me. I just closed my eyes and took an occasional peek at her. She ran back about 10 yards, and continued to look both at me and the field beyond. It was an amazing confrontation. She raised her foot several times to stomp, but never followed through. When she did this, she was looking at the field, and there was noise coming from the field at the time. I just couldn't move to survey the field. Every time what little wind there was would blow (towards her) she would stick her head up and try to wind me. After an eternity, one of the trailing doe decided to head back to where they came from, and all 3 left. I was hopeful, she never really busted me, so I thought they would be back.
About an hour later, I was not dissapointed. All 3 returned. This time I decided to NOT watch them, focusing in front of me instead. I was hoping to deal with them when they were in my lanes. Quite intense, they rumaged around for at least 10 minutes. After an eternity of silence, I snuck a peek. I saw a doe in an area that I didn't expect and thought the 3 had left, and this was a new one.
I stood up, and turned about 110 degrees to my right. Then I saw the other two does. Apparently, it was the same three. Mistake on my part for not watching them, but they didn't bust me. The most likely candidate was the doe I initially saw. She slowly moved into my lane at about 30 yards, and I drew. She stopped, and looked directly at me, and I released. At the time, she was moving from left to right. After the impact she took off in the other direction. I could see my fletchings bobbing up and down behind her. She hit the field at full speed, and then crashed. Surprisingly, one of the doe with her didn't take off. I was able to reach into my backpack and get another arrow, but she didn't give me a shot. She just wandered around for 15 minutes or so before simply walking away. I climbed down at dark and claimed my "earn a buck" prize.
Between the arrow bouncing up and down, and the eventual breaking of the arrow, the broadheads had done their job. All of the feeds into the heart were severed.
The next day my brother showed up. After another nice meal of inside loin we headed out for an evening hunt. Our land is basically a big hill, and our mutual friend was too spent to make it. We had gotten both of our does on the top of the hill, but the best path tothat location involves over a mile of walking and I didn't want to do that alone (what can I say, I'm old and conservative). My brother and I decided to buddy hunt. We setup on the bottom field way way way in the back. It's really the best all around stand we have. I was in a gun stand (basically a box on stilts, which I HATE) and he was accross a small field on the ground. We've done this before, and it's a blast. Both of us have witnessed the other shoot deer.
Unless you count squirrels, it was an uneventful evening. About the time I was thinking of calling it, I heard him grunt several times. Usually, I respond in kind with a grunt or bleat but held off this time. About a minute later, some squirrels behind me went nuts. Flashback about 8 years ago when I was watching a squirrel, and he went nuts, I was wondering what caused this, and behold, a deer appeared. Thinking back to this, I immidiately stood up, turned around, and surveyed the hillside behind me. Sure enough, I spotted a buck coming through the thickets. I quickly turned around, attached my release, and turned around again. He hadn't seen me, and slowly made his way to my shooting lane. I shot, it was pretty dark, but I thought it was a good shot. My brother clearly heardthe impactover 120 yards away. If I thought the doe the night before took off, it had nothing on this buck. It's very thick woods, and I lost sight of it right away, but could easily track it by sound. When he headed up the hill, I was concerned, until I heard him crash loudly, followed by a deafening silence. I crawled down a bit later to talk to my brother. After a brief rest we went tracking. Not an easy task for us as we are both colorblind. We took our time, marked our spots, and found him after 60 yards or so.
What a pig he was, full rut with a neck to show for it. The rack was only so-so, but he weighed in at 210 dressed. The biggest deer I have ever shot, and my first buck with a bow. Just a great weekend.
The best part is the shot, smack dab in the middle of the heart. Sometimes it's good to be lucky.
Oh yea, I enjoyed fresh inside loin with my family the next day, three straight days of fresh loin, does it get better than that?
Thanks for listening,
The Trashcanman
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Tomster
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