more of the story....
so I've gotten out a few times this year, mostly in Connecticut as the season there starts mid sept, and up here in mass it doesn't start 'til mid october. Had only seen one deer until 2 weeks ago when I had a doe get run off by a button buck, the the button got run off by a spike, the spike gave me a shot at just over 20 yards, but I didn't bend at the waist and shot over its back. so I told myself to calm down next time, no need to panic, etc.
snuck out for an hour wednesday evening at the farm and didn't see anything but an owl. but still made plans with Mark to hunt there friday morning for an hour or two before work. after staying up to watch the world series 2 nights in a row until after midnight, and being home with my 4 year old daughter all week while my wife was in Ohio visiting her ailing grandmother, I was WIPED. my alarm went off at 5am and I hit snooze, and even thought about turning it off completely. If mark wasn't going to be there waiting for me (he can't use the property unless my brother or I am with him) I probably would have stayed in bed. but I managed to drag myself out, showered and took the 5 minute drive to my parents to suck down some strong coffee. mark climbed in and we drove back to our parking area.
at about 6:20 I climbed up in a new stand that I had just hung last weekend, 15 yards off a run leading to some white oaks that were torn up by feeding deer. on the way in I made a quick mock scrape on the run with some doe pee. waited about 15 minutes and then blew a couple bleats on my new favorite call, the Quaker boy hammer. waited another 10 minutes and did a rattling sequence, which almost proved to be my undoing. about 5 or 10 minutes later I caught movement back behind me about 35 yards out, and made out the outline of a deer. she was acting very skittish, looking in just about every direction, sniffin the breeze and just generally looked unsettled. at first I thought it was a yearling, but quickly made up my mind that this quite likely could be the ONLY deer I see in MA al season, so if she presented a 'good' shot I'll take it, no matter how small she is. I think she was trying to get back to her bedding area, but wanting to avoid the 'bucks' she heard sparring. my heart was racing and I was breathing pretty heavy, but her procrastination gave me a good 5 or more minutes to gain 'some' composure, work on controlling my breathing, and line my self up for a shot on the run the stand was set near. Eventually she decided it was safe and came up the run. I waiting for her head to disappear behind and ash tree and began to draw but she too quickly popped out on the other side, of course head and neck visible on the right side of the tree, rear end visible on the left. its uncanny how they can always manage to do that, isn't it?
and she stepped out and I thought, "...now or never.." then she stopped fast, sticking her nose up in the air and slightly over her off shoulder as she got a whiff of the scrape I had made, and I took the opportunity with the head slightly turned to come to anchor. at this point shes just about 10 yards off the left hand side of my stand, perfectly broadside, and as she was slightly up hill, at just about the same elevation my 16' high treestand was. she never knew I was there. I don't remember releasing, and was almost startled when I saw the home made luminok come into my vision and streak towards her. she dropped and spun about 100 degrees on impact and as she did I saw the shaft hanging out the exit in her off shoulder, just barely by the fletching as she took off. she ran straight away and covered about 60 yards in what seemed like 4 or 5 seconds and then she went down for good.
I excitedly pulled out my cell phone to quickly text mark but my hands were shaking soo much I couldn't type! the message was something like, 'II JJUUSUTTS SSSSSHHOTT AAAAAAA DOOOOEEEEE'
Topic: 6 year drought HAS ENDED! Updated pics pg 3 (Read 1659 times)
