I've had a good season even though no deer taken until yesterday. The first week of bow season(back in early September) I shot over the back of the biggest 6 pointer I'd ever seen - at 19 paces....My first miss ever with the Widow on game....
Saturday, the first day of gun season, was an overcast, cool and fairly windy day and it found me with bow in hand. Me and the family had been at the State Fair till mid afternoon but I found time to squeeze in an afternoon hunt. Walking in I found this evidence another hunter before me had walked this same ground:
Even though I was hunting alone, I felt like a 'brother of the bow' was with me in spirit while carrying the stone blade in my pocket.
I was hunting an oak ridge that bordered a field that had been planted with pines probably 15+ years ago. The pines had been thinned a couple of years back and the undergrowth provided good cover for the deer. The acorns were dropping on the ridge and the deer sign was plentiful. A perfect recipe for a successful hunt.
I had been in the stand maybe a half hour when I saw two deer come out of the pines a hundred or so yards down the farm path I had walked in on. The bigger deer was having a fit when she crossed the path that I had walked in on. The yearling that was with her walked on up and fed all around me but was smaller than I wanted to shoot so I just enjoyed watching it. The big doe never would come up to where I was at.
About an hour later I see more deer come out of the pines at about the same place the other deer had. Once again, the bigger doe did not like what she smelled when she crossed the path where I had walked in. She did eventually come up within 15 yards of me but was very spooky. Eventually she ran back into the pines. Mental note: don't walk down the path by the pines when hunting the ridge, cause the deer check it before coming into the oaks
.....
In my opinion those older does are the hardest deer to fool. Especially in heavily hunted areas like the club I hunt in. You'll see me grinning like a possum when I take one of those big girls 'cause I know Ive done something when I do.
Anyway, a while later I hear something coming up through the woods, soounding like a buck in that steady rut walk. I'm thinking its to early in the season for them to do that but then this buck comes into view walking straight to my Golden Estrus wafer I had stuck on a tree.
At 15 yards, just a few feet from the scent wafer, he stopped and looked at it as if thinking where is that hot doe I smell. Then he turns, takes a few steps closer and when he hits broadside I bust him. I was hunting 20+ feet up so hit him high and spined him. He went down immediately. A follow up shot finished him off quick. My Widow was now back on its killing streak. Here's a pic of the deer:
I'm real proud of this deer, he's probably the 3rd largest I've taken with trad gear. Especially proud to have taken him during the gun season on heavily gun hunted property.
For those interested, my equipment was a 52 lb. Widow PSA recurve, 160 grain snuffers, Beman Classic shafts(total arrow weight 480 grains).
Hope ya'll enjoyed this little story and I wish you all the best luck this season.
Topic: First deer of 2008 (Read 3445 times)
