Hello Gang-
Well, let me start with opening day 9/15. This is an easy one for me. It rained the entire time and I did not see a single deer. On the bright side I did get to help my brother drag out a healthy doe. It was nice to get out in the woods again. Oh yeah as a side note, I recently switched to aluminum shafts and switched to wensel woodsmans. The reason I bring this up is because I got the wrong file (to narrow) and was not able to sharpen my heads. My brother wanted me to come along for the opener. In order for me to get out there the next day I would have to bring my compound. This was very dissapointing to me because I have spent a great deal of time practicing and shooting 3-D with my recurve. I had also told myself that I would only hunt with stickbows this year. However, I did not want to veto my brothers offer. Quickly I remebered how heavy my compound is compared to my curve.....I was almost glad I did not see anything. Although,I was happy for my brother and it was nice to be back in the woods.
Today, 9/20, I had all my trad equipment ready. The wensels shaving hair off my arms. I did get off on the wrong foot however. Setting my alarm for 5:00 last night, I forgot to go to AM. So rising on my own at 6AM I hurried and finally made it to the woods right around the 6:55 sun-up. It was already pretty bright which aided in setting my stand quickly. About 45 min into the hunt, I turned to notice a doe and a fawn coming from behind me. Walking down the path searching for acorns. 15 more yard and she will be broadside. She stops right where I had hoped. As I began to draw, the spot that I am focused on becomes covered. The fawn she was with decides to stand right next to her, blocking my shot. I think to myself, when she clears the next tree the arrow will be in her. She had a different plan, stopping behind the tree and then useing the tree as a shield as she walked away from me. Oh well, at least I was seeing deer and it was not raining. The weather in fact was perfect, one of the coldest days of summer here in Maryland. The next three hours turned out to be pretty uneventful. I figured that I would get out of my stand so I could go home, get some food and make a few work related calls. I was planning on meeting my brother at 3pm for an afternoon hunt anyway. As I was reaching for my tow rope, I caught a quick glimpse of a tail flicker. WHAT, a deer was 40 yards right in front of me and he was facing away. How did he even get there? Did he walk right past me? No way. Waiting to see what it would do, I noticed it was a young buck with a spike on one side and a fork on the other. He turns, again searching for acorns, walks around a fallen tree and heads straight toward my stand. At 18 yards, he stops, still facing me. He is concerned with something behind him. I was hoping that it was a bigger buck, but nothing else ever materialized. In fact, the young buck did not take those 2 or 3 steps that I need for a shot, but turned 180 degrees and went back to the trail he had come. I'd be back at 3:00 though.
I got fed and returned around 2pm. I had called my brother to let him know that I would be out in the woods by the time he got there. After, spending 4 and a half hours in the stand without seeing anything I was about to pack it in again. Once agian, right as I am trying to leave the deer show up. This time, the buck is a yearling with 3 to 4 inch spikes. I do notice another deer taking up the rear. I wish I could say it was a buck that would easily make book or magazine cover. Instead, it was a good sized doe. In Montgomery County the deer are so overpopulated that doe harvest are unlimited. However bucks are limited to 2 per season. I set my sights for the doe. As they munched on acorns that had been raining down, helped by a flock of birds that had landed in a huge oak about 30 min before, the doe, within range turned broadside. I picked a spot, drew, anchored and then let fly. Dang! Dang! Dang! I heard my arrow shoot in to the ground. Most have shot right over her back. Dumb Dumb, all those 3-D shoots, I know that I have to shoot a little lower from a stand. Well, the doe takes off and the spike runs about 10 yards, waits a moment or two then runs to catch the doe. I sat for a minute or two kicking myself. I then took out my binos and tried to spot my arrow from my stand. I could not see it anywhere. How could I not see yellow barred feathers? Well that was enough for me, I gathered my stuff and got down. I went to find my arrow. HOLY COW, my 2018 easton Legacy had been dipped bright red, BLOOD. Sweet, I guess the arrow was only in the deer for a milisecond and my mind did not compute that the deer was hit. It looked to me that I had shot over. A quick call on my Rino GPS gave my brother my position. When he showed up about 10 minutes later and we began to track. The blood was pretty good and went about 175-200 before we found her. She was hit a little high, but the woodsman blew through her and due to the angle from the stand the exit hole was properly placed. I did good.
Oh yeah, this is my first traditional deer.
Feels damn good. Thanks for reading.
WM
Topic: ******Daily Hunt Report 2004****** (Read 15543 times)
