So I’ve had a very good season so far. I’ve been fortunate to have taken three nice bucks, which left me with one statewide tag. Since I had already taken two bucks here, I had to use it on a doe. I decided I’d spend the remainder of the season trying to get a doe from the ground with my recurve and no blind.
I had some time Thanksgiving morning to give it a shot. I sat a place that deer filter through in the mornings on the way back to bed. I was sitting there half asleep when I heard something over my right shoulder. I turn to see a doe at 25 yards pulling some leaves off a tree. Well, she caught the movement of me turning my head and started the whole stomp routine.
She started walking alongside of me, keeping an eye on me the whole time. She made it to the trail I walked in on and decided to start sniffing around where I walked. At this point she was off to my right side in front of me, but there was no way I could shoot due to it being my weak side and my makeshift blind situation
I decided that when she turned away from me I was going to stand and get ready to draw. I knew it was a long shot, but I had to try. So she turned away and I stood and got my bow up in one motion. Somehow it worked without getting busted. Now I just need her to turn and give me a shot. After a few seconds she lifted her head and immediately stared at me. But when she did, she went from facing away to quartering away really hard. I decided it was now or never and drew my bow, burned a hole, and took the shot.
My arrow flew perfect and hit exactly where I was aiming. I hit her right in front of the hip and drove up into her offside shoulder. She ran 20 yards and piled up. Getting it done off the ground was such a satisfying feeling. I have one more doe tag for IL, and may have to try it again.