It has been awhile since I've posted here, mostly because I am new and have been reading all y'all's expertise, and practicing. Last weekend a great opportunity fell into my hands, and though I brought back no venison, I think you all will appreciate my story.
I used to work as a park interpreter, managing volunteers at a state park. Well, on a recent return to visit my old park and introduce folks to our new daughter, I struck up a conversation with a lady who offered to let me hunt their 12-acre apple orchard property. The following Friday found me pulling into their driveway, ready to hunt!
The couple informed me that earlier in the morning, around 5 am, they were awakened by a couple of deer in their garden, a buck and a doe, and that soon after a bigger buck arrived and pushed the two out. I was excited to at least see some deer with antlers, so I geared up and walked to a clearing above their orchard and just below a thicket and treeline.
I set up two blinds, one to cover me at a well-worn trail (but these are blacktail, so the trail doesn't always mean much as for where they will be), and one to cover me if they came across the open field. These were 15 yds. apart, and I cleared a walkway to get to the second blind, while I sat over the trail.
After about three hours of wind knocking madrone leaves and eucalyptus bark to the ground, I heard the unmistakable sound of steps, but they were much closer than I'd anticipated.
I peered over my second blind, 15 yds. from me, and though I thought the hill would cover me enough to scoot over to it, I quickly realized my error. This deer more resembled a horse than a blacktail. His head was down, but his shoulders were plainly visible above the hillock, as were the tips of his tines!
He was huge, easily the biggest buck I've ever seen while hunting. His four points stretched well out past his ears, and he carried them like no buck I've ever seen. He was light reddish in his summer coat, and amazing.
A dog barked down in the valley, and he raised his head and looked my way. I didn't move. I barely breathed. He started feeding again.
I knew I had to get closer, and behind my blind. He was about 40 yds., well out of my range, so I began creeping up the trail. A car honked in the valley, and he looked up. A door slammed, and he looked up. The wind picked up, and he lazily looked up and around. Each time he'd raise his head, I'd have to stop in mid-crouch. The fifth time he looked up, he saw my knee move. I had a bit of cover behind my blind, and between my movements and his, we had closed the gap to inside of 30 yds. I crouched a bit lower, knowing he'd seen me.
He craned his neck over my blind and peered right through to my soul. He then walked closer. I knew what would happen, but just in case, I stood, and drew.
He snorted a billowing mist, turned and stotted up the hill into the treeline, where he proceeded to snort at me and shake the bushes until I left, shaking, dazed and amazed, and thankful.
Topic: My day afield (Read 251 times)
