Well I will paint a picture the best I can since no pictures were taken due to time and need to get the animals into the cooler,
I was able to squeeze in a hunt with my best buddie Brandon over on his ground in Western Indiana, I arrived back from my Nashville, Tn trip on friday night at 1030pm, and was up and getting stuff packed up at 6am on Saturday.
I arrived midday, and set off to find a good spot for my double bull, with the high winds that were upon us, I find a nice inside protected corner that kept me from getting blown to Kansas. That evening no deer were seen as I was sitting in the blind but it was a good refreshing start to the hunting trip.
The Oct 16 am hunt, went to a climber that I have been in numerous times before, good spot, deer come in very close in a natural funnel, the moon was high in the sky and awful bright so bright as I sat in the tree overlooking a switch grass patch and a mowed travel path to my perch, I could see the moon shining off the back of a deer coming down the trail, I checked my watch, it was 710, 14 mins before legal light, this deer came to within six yards, of me, had no clue I was there, couldn't tell if it was a buck or a doe but to me it was a successful hunt, went completely unnoticed with it downwind, that was the only deer seen that morning.
Oct 16 pm hunt- with the windy conditions that we had been having here in the midwest we chose to get in some heavy cover that is close to food, my perch for the evening was a 17ft ladder stand overlooking a hammered small bean plot with a hairy wooded draw to my back. As I made my way the 400 yds from my truck to the stand, one of those feelings we all get when we think its going to be a successful evening came over me, I went ahead and nocked one of my arrows on my recurve, and took off. I came to the crest of the slope that is the top of the bean plot and to my left is about 12-16 rows of food plot corn that is 60 yds long, I catch movement, look and a nice doe is about 15 yds off the corn, about 35yds from me, no shot for the curve but I squatted down in the edge of the corn and let the ole gal feed off, she enters the draw, and heads down a mowed trail that goes behind my stand. I finally make it to my stand, get strapped in and cat quiver hung, pull up my bow, nock an arrow and the game is set, just need some players. I was in the stand at 445pm at 455pm I heard leaves crunching to my left, look and there is a bbuck and large doe, they are in some very thick stuff and about 60yds, they come through the edge of the switch grass and enter the corner of the bean plot, the bbuck, with his no fear senses walks way out into the bean plot to gorge himself on the bean pods, the doe stayed close to the edge, so at any moment she can get to safety, little did she know she our paths would cross in a very long 20 mins. During this 20 min stint she fed along the edge and had made it about 20 yds from where she entered so 40 yds between me and her, then the bbuck arrived back as a light rain set in, he with his no fear attitude started on his trek along the edge and was eating and walking with the doe in tow, in the 40 yds between us they changed leader 3 different times and when they both were in front of me, I had some branches that were covering up the vitals of the ole gal, I had my bow up and tension on the string but no green light, a very bright yellow, the wind was spotty but with my cover scent I was confident I would stay hidden from her nose even though she knew something wasn't right since she was at 15yds, and the wind hitting her directly in the face. She went back to eating as the bbuck chose to come in and smell my cover scent footprints, he came so close I could only see his back 1/4, I honestly think his head was in between the rungs of ladder HAHA, still watching the Doe and now my back aching, not knowing I had been so tense waiting to draw and release the 2 bladed simmons head, So I slowly let my arms down and rest my back and draw arm, the doe still feeding with her hind quarters facing me, starts to turn to the right, GREEN LIGHT, she finishes turning, and comes completely broadside, I at this time am burning a hole behind her shoulder, I bring up the 57lb St. Joe Recurve and draw and let the string drop. I watch the arrow spinning home and taking her just level with her elbow. She spins, and walks with blood pouring at out of both sides. I mark mentally where she exited the field, and start shaking like a leaf, (I know it’s a doe but to me it’s not the size or the number it’s about the journey and the journey that I have been on in the last week, my wife’s grandmother had to have been smiling down on me, and when if ever I lose that tore up feeling, I will hang up the bow and gun)
Now I looked at my watch, it was 515pm, but I didn't have my phone on me, and no communication to Brandon’s wife who I had dropped off on the north side of the property and wanted to check in with her to make sure was all right since she was in my charge.
I make it back to the truck shed some cloths, check in with everyone, letting them know we have a blood trail to follow, they were all asking if I needed them to come over now, told them all to stay where they were at, didn't want to mess anyone’s hunt up, and we can all together take up the trail and share in the hunt, (that’s what it’s about)
I check back at the clock, and its 545, I said heck with it, I will go back to the stand and just relax and see what I see and wait for dark, as I make my way passed the food plot corn for the 3rd time that night, I mark the blood where the doe was standing in the bean plot, I get all settled back in, replaying the shot on the doe, very confident I took out the back of the heart.
The wind had finally started to calm down, and I was just really enjoying the fading light. I hear something get up in the food plot corn and start walking, I looking and I see a deer out feeding along the edge. There is 80yds between and this deer, I had left my grunt tube back in the truck when I striped some cloths down etc. So I chose to grunt with my mouth started low, to make sure I had the right tone, and got alittle louder each time, about the 4th grunt I made, I saw this deer’s tail come up, look sorta my way and take off at a trot and come across the bean plot and stand right at the corner where the doe exited the field, So I grunt again, the deer trots back into the middle of the bean plot about 40yds straight out in front,
So 3rd time is the charm, grunt again and this deer grunts at me, and comes trotting to me, and stops at 8yds, when the deer comes to the stop, it was all muscle memory at this point, I draw, pick my spot, and send the 620 grain carbon express shaft on a very short journey, at the shot, the deer spins and I swear seems to take out every tree between me and the 60 yds runs and crashes by.
I hold my bow and it just dawns on me I have done something I have never accomplished before other than with a gun, I have taken 2 deer with a bow, now let the celebrating begin,
The doe made it about 250yds before we found her, I missed the back of the heart and took her left lung low, 125lbs 24yd shot (farthest shot I have taken with traditional equipment)
The 2nd deer which I thought was a doe turned out to be a bbuck, kind of kicked myself but still honor the animal, 90lbs 8yd shot.
I must admit, with all the traveling I have done over the last week for my wife’s grandmother funeral and then the starting of my screening process for Metro Nashville PD it was a great ending to a long week.
I have to travel back to Nashville on Weds for an appointment for Thursday and will be back on that very evening, have class on Friday but will be back in the tree this weekend.
Everyone take care and stay safe, and may your blood trails be shorter than my does but if not stay on em
Topic: Oct 16th was good to me, long read (Read 245 times)
