I am blessed to share the hunting rights on about 70 acres of wooded hills and hollers just 7 miles from my house in west/central Indiana. A 5 acre hayfield is on the only flat ground, about right in the middle of the property. I take of care the property for the owner (brother in law) by mowing the trail and keeping the fallen trees cleaned up. Pretty good deal for me.
This year I have seen several nice bucks and a good number of does. Having Veteran's Day off, I decided to hit the woods early and sit a stand all day. Prime time on this property seems to be from 9:15 a.m. until around 11:30 a.m. At 9:15 I hear movement on the ridge behind me. I am studying the ridge with my binoculars and then I hear it.....voices?!? I think that maybe one of my brother in law's nephews shot a deer and is trailing it with his brother. Then I see my brother in law and another fellar. They make their way up the ridge and come to one of the trails I maintain. Maybe they will go north toward the hay field? I'd be alright then. Nope, they turn down the trail and head right to me!
I already knew that my brother in law was planning to have the timber on the property select cut and it looked like it would be at least a year away. They stop in front of my stand and the logger tells me his crew is working in the area and if he gets the contract they will start in 2 weeks!! They head back into the woods where I expect to see the deer coming from, so I head for home. Driving home, a sense of urgency hits me. I normally do not hunt on any evening before I have to work on the following morning. Too many things can happen....questionable hit, lost blood trail, whatever. I hate missing work (construction), but if I have to leave a deer in the woods overnight, I will take off the next morning to retrieve it. I decide that with the logging starting in two weeks I had better get with the program. So back to the woods Tuesday afternoon.
I took a nice little doe that evening. Double lung shot and went about 40 yards before dropping. All good so far. Well, I have been going through a series of shots in my knees to try to make it 3 more years to full retirement (62) before knee replacements. While retrieving my doe, I stepped on a leaf covered limb and twisted my left knee. Pain is immediate and intense. I bail out and head toward home and leave the deer cart right there.
Next morning I see my family doctor as my knee specialist is in surgery. He says I sprained my knee and to stay off of it until I see my knee doctor. I had an appointment for injection on Thursday anyway, so I call the job and tell them I am going to miss a couple of days. I strap on a knee brace and the wife and I head to the woods. Recovery is short and sweet, the walk in and out hurts like the devil, but I got my doe.
Too sore to hunt again until Saturday evening and with the opening of gun season that morning, the deer movement is very slow. Hit is again Sunday morning and had a small buck push a doe past me. I am really wanting a shot at one of the mature bucks on the property so I held off.
Worked today and the knee(s) did o.k. Will be out again on Friday morning (work Mon.-Thurs. 10 hrs./day) and then again that evening trying to fill 2 more tags. If I do, that's great. If I don't, that's just hunting. Everyone tells me that after a select cut, the next few seasons are better than ever...we'll see!
I did get one pic of the deer on my phone, but don't know how to get onto the computer. I can text it to someone if they wants to post it for me. Thanks for reading-Mike
Topic: a different season........ (Read 291 times)
