My brother and I were getting some lessons in deer hunting from some large groups of late season does. A lot of late season activity was being centered on a particular overgrown field. The problem is that this field runs east and west and for the most part our prevailing winds are from the northwest.
As luck would have it these deer bed on the south side of this field and we were having a hard time getting the wind right for them. We were doing our best working with some tricky angles but these deer knew the game and were schooling us.
That was until yesterday
when the wind changed. We finally got a steady southwest so we were headed to the other side of the field. My brother headed to the east end and I went west. We were far enough apart that our wind would not affect each other.
However, it was one of those days where it seemed nothing would go right. We both brought our hang on stands as this was a new area and we did not know what we would find. It seemed like the cover in there was either wide open or too tight to thread an arrow through. With these deer wide open was not an option as they would pick you out in an instant.
I finally found a decent tree but there were no lanes and I was going to have to saw a couple of limbs just to hang the stand. I was also going to need to bend some big limbs on surrounding brush just to open up a small lane. Of course while doing so I made a bunch of noise.
I was seriously afraid that my brother would hear all my crashing and breaking and give me a hard time about it. I was cursing my luck and questioning the feasibility of this hunt. I looked at my watch and it was already 4:00 pm as I started to strap my sticks on. We had been seeing movement at 4:30 from our various previous setups so I knew I was running late.
I finally got up and decided to forgo the bow hook in an effort to just get settled. Strapped in and bow in hand I finally got to just sit for a minute and enjoy the warm fifty degree day. It is amazing how just sitting in a stand can take all your cares away. In no time at all I was relaxed and peaceful and just enjoying the woods.
I figured with all the racket I made this would be an uneventful afternoon and I could just check it up as setup work for a later hunt. I had not been in the stand but for ten minutes till I caught some movement in the bottom to my left. Sure enough I began to make out the forms of several deer headed my way.
My lanes were so tight that I had to determine whether to sit or stand in order to clear the intervening brush. As the deer approached I had to wait to determine exactly which trail they would use. A large doe cautiously eased up the slope with her ears and nose on high alert. I knew better than to try to draw on her as she obviously had a few years on her and she was wired tight.
I slightly lowered the brim of my hat as she slowly passed at twelve yards. I did not intend on such a close shot but that was just how it was working out. It was quiet enough and I was close enough to hear them sniffing the air. I did not bother counting how many were in the group as I was locked on the doe behind the wizened old long nose. I knew if that old gal would just pass I would be able to draw.
Sure enough she moved on and the following doe entered into my lane. I had a hole to shoot through the leaves and branches of a little red oak that was in front of me. I picked a spot low behind the leg and slowly came to full draw. At the shot there was mayhem and deer crashing away in all directions.
I watched the doe run into the field and could immediately see the wobble in her legs. I thought she made it over the edge of field which was about a hundred yards away. I looked down to where she had been standing and there was my arrow bright red and sticking in the ground. I shoot yellow and white fletching so I knew right away what kind of blood I had.
I looked at my watch and it was 4:30! I figured I had only been in the stand for ten minutes. I gave a little thanks for the good luck and started to wonder if I might be in store for my first double. At 5:00 though with the sun going down I decide to play it safe and track in the light. I took a compass heading on where I last saw the doe and climbed down.
I picked up my arrow and did not even bother with the trail. I was just walking on the bearing and came up on the deer about thirty yards into the field. With all the tall grass she was difficult to see till I got right up on her. What I thought was the deer dropping off the edge of the field was actually the deer dropping in the field!
A perfect double lunger! I had sent a text message to my brother before I climbed down and now he called me as I was performing the work. I said “hey, where are you?” and he said I am just cleaning my deer up. Turns out he got a shot as well and took a little doe. We both met in the field in the dark and did a high five. It was our first ever double while hunting together. Turns out he too had made a bunch off noise setting up and thought he would see nothing as well.
When we got to the butcher he had already cleaned and turned off his freezer as our season ends on the 31st. As we left we told him to keep it cool as we were not done quite yet :D !
Sorry about the picture as the camera phone was all I had.
Topic: One for the road (Read 231 times)
