On Long Island the season started on Oct 1st but I had to wait until this past weekend to hunt. On Sept 22nd I donated a kidney to my wife and the Dr said I had to wait 4 weeks before I could shoot my bow. It was a long wait for me not being able to shoot. Well Saturday had me up at 4:00am and on my way to my hunting spot. The wind was blowing to the east which would be pretty good for the one stand I was able to set up before the operation. I'm in my stand and the sunrise was amazing and just being able to hunt i was very special to me. Around 8:00am I hear a deer behind me, I peak behind and there is a small six, a doe and what looks like last years fawn. They are on a trail that will give me a 15 yard shot. Then all of a sudden the wind swirls for a second and the buck and doe putthere head up sniffing. After doing that for 10 minutes they turn around and head back the way they came.
Well I stayin the stand till 11:00am and then want to go finish putting up another stand in a spot close by. As I am heading through the thick stuff I hear some does snorting and stomping. One runs off in front of me and I move to cut the others off. The wind is perfect so I crouch down behind a small bush and give a couple of doe bleats and then wait. Sure enough 10 minutes letter here they come. I've got a broadside shot at 20 yards but they are nervous and so am I so I wait for them to pass at 15 yards. Just as she gets there and i start to draw she turns to walk towards me and spots me and then bolts. So close!
At this point I finish setting up the stand, gets some lunch and take a nap. The only side effects I'm having is I get real tired around 5:00pm. About 3:00pm I head to my evening stand. I'm hunting a major trail in front of me with thick cover behind me and off to my left and right. At 4:00pm a doe feeds out in front of me and is about 30 yards so I am waiting for her to get closer. She is just milling around feeding and as she gets to my trail and turns broadside i start my draw and she jumps ten feet. I should have waited for her to look away since the sun is shining right on me and i must have shined like a beacon. Rookie mistake.
Around 5:00pm off to my right i hear a deer coming , sure enough I see antler, and some nice antler to boot. A 130 class buck is making a scrape, then he beats the hell out of a bush, grunting the whole time. If he comes my way he will give me a 17 yard broadside shot. Well this goes on for a 1/2 hour. Grunting the whole time. Well he starts to go the opposite way so i give two grunts and he stops. He stands there for 5 minutes and then starts walking my way and i am ready. Then out of nowhere comes a 125 class buck with his hair up and pissed off. They then proceed to have a knock down fight that lasts 10 minutes and the 130 class chases off the 125 lcass in the opposite direction of me! Now where I hunt I'm lucky to see one good buck like these once or twice all season let alone two fighting. The whole long ride home i was smiling the whole day. Sunday I did things with my wife so I can't wait to get back in the stand on Saturday.
Topic: First Day, Four Close Calls (Read 267 times)
