Hope Day 1
Ok I got her unpacked and home. I literally put three in the money at 20 with no adjustments. Then shot after shot where I needed. She likes 70-75 Doug Fir at 30.5 inches and an Ace Standard, 160 gr. Within an hour we were like peas and carrots.
*First three from 20 yards.
I had an hour and half till dark and decided to slip into some edge cover 1/4 mile from the house. I had some does there last night as I was glassing and a couple of bucks that needed a closer look. So with my ghille, my cheap stool and Hope I eased across the road and into some standing beans. I had a great wind and a place I wanted to get to. Time was short!
I no sooner sat down and a fat doe came into the field about 80 yards away. I decided to go for it and started slipping to her. Each time she put her head down to eat I moved along the field edge hugging the fencerow. I got caught by some brush sticking out in the field and waited. As I looked over the rise with my glass I saw two bucks feeding in the fence row ahead. With light getting short I backed out of the field. I circled to a field road that runs parallel to the field and made my way close to the fence row about where the bucks should have been.
I looked up to see a great 3 1/2 year old buck walking to me from the field. I looked to my right at 20 yards and there is a big ol scrape. I eased to my knees and off the road pronto. He came in facing me and started tearing the scrape up. I was kinda caught out in the open but my ghille is pretty cool...store bought but cool. As I was thinking of how to get an arrow to him or get him to turn I made a little crinkle in the leaves. Bad move...he stood and stared with me on two bad knees for a long, long time. I just didn't make eye contact. He never spooked and he never gave me an ethical shot. Quartering to was the best I had and I elected to pass. At dark he eased back to the field and I took the long way home to not spook all the deer in the field.
So, how's that for a first night with Hope? My God if they all go that way I will have a dump truck full of memories and some dead critters. Stay tuned...this is gonna be a fun month!
*Beautiful.
*Checkering and riser gorgeous
*Braced at 7 1/8.