So, another Friday night in Athens, GA. I went out to a friend's 200 acre property to hunt a few whitetails. I have been looking forward to this night all week. The previous Saturday I had gone out to the same spot on the property and saw 9 deer including some nice 6 points, an 8 and a 10. I shot at two 4s and the 8 but all were missed, a combination of jumping the string and first deer nerves. I had gone out on Tuesday night as well and seen a 4 point and 3 small does, none of which were in range. So tonight I hoped would prove more fruitful and provide a chance for me to get the deer that got away so to speak.
I began my walk to my ground blind that I had used the previous nights at around 5 pm and settled in behind a small water oak, pine tree and a selection of vines and shrubs that looked out onto the opening of the roadway leading into the small 3 acre field that the deer would frequent. I had plenty of cover to my left provided by the water oak and a small pine. In front of me was my primary shooting lane out onto the edge of the field where I had been watching the deer trek for the past 2 weeks like clockwork. On my right I was somewhat exposed with sparce leaves on the branches providing ample shooting lanes but little cover. And unfortunately all the deer so far had been coming from the right.
I sat on my stool, a 525 grain arrow with a magnus 2 125 grain 2 blade nocked on my homegrown recurve. From 5:00 to 6:55 there was nothing but birds, mosquitos, and squirels to keep me company. Better than the fireants that visited with me on Tuesday. At 6:55 I looked out across the field and noticed two does grazing along the woodline out about 150 yards. They were fun to watch and kept my attention for the next 25 minutes until I noticed what I thought was a branch falling to my right about 30 yards away. I turned slowly and caught sight of the "branch" moving slowly toward me. It was in fact no manner of branch at all, but rather the dark legs of a big bodied 8 pointer. About 3 years old from the look of him. He moved around the privet hedge on my right 20 yards out. This hedge was the last of my cover on the right that did a decent job of concealing me and I had already spun around on my stool and raised my bow, my fingers dancing on the string, applying just an ounce of tension as I waited for him to move in position. He was now 15 yards away and was facing me when he turned to his right and began eating something from the road, his vitals exposed perfectly for my broadhead. He had no idea I was sitting only 15 yards away from him. I at this point was debating whether or not to try for a shot here. I had been practicing out to 20 yards so this should be a snap, but it seemed to be more like 25 yards away to me with my first prospective deer grazing carelessly only a stone's throw away, and the thoughts of the previous weekend's missed shots. I just didn't feel right about the shot and so decided to wait for him to move closer to me along the woodline. He grazed for only half a minute more and began to walk exactly as I had hoped he would. Only, as he took his first two steps his eye caught me for the first time, my bow held in midair with an arrow nocked. He couldn't decide what I was, but he didn't like me. He stomped and slowly backed away. I betrayed no signal as to what I was or what I meant to do to him but he ran off still the same, prefering to ere on the side of caution. 10 minutes after this encounter I was feeling glad to have seen such a magnificent deer so close again in the same spot as before and feeling mixed feelings about not having taken the shot but thinking that it was better that I didn't take it if it didn't feel right. In the middle of this second guessing I looked to my right as something caught my eye. 4 big bodied bucks had just run out onto the road to my right and were walking right toward me. One of them was the 8 pointer I had just seen who had apparently told them about the strange bush on the left corner as all 4 of the bucks stayed on the opposite side of the road about 25 yards away. Three of these big boys were 8 pointers with broad heavy racks that would have been fine for most anyone to have displayed proudly over the mantle. There was the 8 pointer I had just seen as well as the one I had shot at and missed the previous Saturday. The fourth buck was the 10 pointer I had seen on the previous Friday and in the somewhat better light of 7:20 or so I notcied that he had quite a unique rack with a mainbeam carrying 3 large points each and a massive crabclaw bi-point base tine on the right side, the corresponding base tine on the left I could see was not there. At any rate these boy strolled out into the field where I watched them until they left quietly allowing me to slip out without spooking them so I could try for them again tomorrow night.
I've got to get me a deer soon...so close...
Topic: Evening Hunt in Georgia (Read 354 times)
