A tale of 2 deer...Updated W/ Pics

[Doc Nock]

This isn’t an exciting story of grand hunts, gourmet food and camp frivolity.  It is the musings of simple time afield for us ‘stay-at-home’ hunters with limited resources.

To begin, this has been a difficult season. It started with good weather the opening day, October 3rd , and then it snarled, spit, rained, snowed and was pure-T miserable every weekend since.

To step back a bit farther, it’s been a 3-year dry spell for me with no shots taken or even drawing a bow. No money and no work kept me hunting in my back yard. I’d started to loose some connection with why I was out there.  Endless hours on stand watching the local woods fill with hunters and leaves when all the deer sign told of nocturnal movement, left me dejected.  I needed things to change.

 Maybe some of our Trad Gang Brethren can relate?

I know of a few decent spots but they were several hours travel away from my home area.  When there was work, there wasn’t time and when there was time, there wasn’t money to even fill the tank and go where I wanted to hunt.
 
This year, I looked forward to the fall.  I had a new job and figured I’d have $$ to at least travel in-state to hunt better haunts.  The job turned highly stressful and as the season approached, it became apparent that I’d hunt only on weekends.

Traditions die hard. For years I’d hunted a few times in central PA each season with an old friend. 2 of triplets now drive, but they still all hunt together. Our interactions were more about meeting in the field, exchanging well wishes and keeping in touch during the day electronically.

End of last bow season, I learned through this friend that we could hunt an adjoining property.  I spent a few hours scouting and found a trail that a buck was using (based on scrapes and rubs) so I mentally marked the area.  Having to drive 3 hrs to reach this location, I didn’t get a lot of scouting done after spring turkey season…but had an idea where I might “give it a whirl.”  

I set a stand the afternoon before the opener early October, in a small clearing that the “buck” trail had quartered through.  I saw a good buck, but all movement was to the East of my stand. It was 2 weekends later till I got back and I moved to where the deer had seemingly been traveling… But, then that weekend, it snowed! In Mid-October!  I mean, C’mon!! The woods were a mess with snow clinging to the leaf canopy--- then it rained and slushy snow was falling constantly… including whole tree tops! The constant whoosh- whump of large bodies of falling snow and crashing limbs kept deer movement to a minimum.

Once I got hit on the head with a half wheel-barrow of snow and almost got removed from my stand.  I decided to give it up and I did some stalking. Nothing was moving.  Saturday it got worse and rained more.

Then it rained for 3 more weekends in a row… I don’t hunt bow in the rain. Oh, I’ve seen lots of deer in the rain, but I fear losing a blood trail, especially early season with the understory thick with leaves. I refuse to chance it.

Time was running out.  The next to last Saturday I got in a good hunt with a friend on his place in NE PA. It was 19 degrees and there was a lot of chasing being done. I saw a passel of bucks in one day, a few does…but nothing would come close to the permanent hang-on stand location I was hunting.  It was intoxicating but frustrating, too

[Doc Nock]

Last week was the end of the season. I had a few days coming so I took off work
Thursday and Friday and headed back to Central PA.  I got there mid day on Thursday and got out and set a stand at the other end of the clearing, closer to the base of the ridge.  

With the sour weather, I never got my annual “fix” of the smell, sights and sounds of the early fall woods that renews my very inner being.  I was blessed to find that last Thursday was a perfect “fall” day…cool and crisp.   The air full of the dank smell of the forest, wafting to my nose and I breathed deeply.  I smiled.  My inner being was drinking in what I’d missed and so longed for…

Some strange malaise hit me Thursday overnight and I was one sick dog. Nausea and dizziness don’t go with tree stand hunting at my age, so it was later Friday AM when I finally felt stable enough to push myself to go hunting.

Friday was again a beautiful fall day.  I again drank deeply of the soul-healing scents and crisp air.  I saw does both days…but too far away. There was a few small spike’s chasing fawn does around.  At noon, a nice buck appeared. He was a tall-tined 6pt or 8pt… and marched right past the other end of the clearing where I had my original stand opening weekend. “Archery is truly a game of inches…”

The malaise returned early Friday afternoon and I felt horrid, but still enjoyed the time in the stand between waves of nausea.  More does appeared, but it seemed the deer had altered their patterns to run a small hogback that sloped down to the right of my stand. Deer movement seemed confined to the small ridge under the canopy of hemlocks.  It was too thick to shoot into that area.

As ill as I felt physically I was still elated. I had missed so much of what I enjoy of bow hunting: the opportunity to snuggle deep inside your jacket, awaiting the dawn’s warming rays as the pre-dawn chill sinks into your bones. The smells and watching the woods come alive as the only sounds are the night creatures scurrying back into cover as daylight approaches.

Thursday afternoon and Friday, instead of the dreary, cold damp normal weather of mid-November, I was gifted with all that I’d missed. Beautiful fall days, crisp air and I breathed deeply of the sights and sounds and smells to cleanse my inner being of all the tension and stress of recent months.  Deer sightings kept the blood moving quickly and I loved the “rush” of seeing those wonderful animals.  I was renewed.

I finally found that peace that draws me back to the early get ups and bleary eyed climbs into trees. The world was right again. I thought I’d miss out on that entirely this year and the Good Lord gave it to me at the end in grand style.

Friday night, I’d have pulled the stand because I felt that badly. I figured I’d come back Saturday to pull it if I didn’t feel well enough to hunt.

As I stood in the dark at the truck putting away my gear, I reflected: I’d seen a great buck. I had does around me but no shots. I’d gotten to feel my soul cleansed with the wonders of the woods that I’d missed up to that point. I was ok if whatever was plaguing me physically prevented my hunting the last day.

I drove back to my 83 year old “2nd Ma’s” house, feeling queasy but at peace and fulfilled.

Once there the smells of “Ma’s” home cooking hit me. I figured if I was going to be too sick to hunt, I might as well have some good reason and I settled into a hot meal. “Ma’s” cooking was always good—and good for me.  

The hot meal stayed where it belonged. I actually slept well that night. I got up at 4am and felt a bit dizzy, but some say that is normal for me anyway. I got a light breakfast, a quick shower and headed out.

I settled into my stand in the cool darkness. While Thursday and Friday were crisp and cool, Saturday was overcast and damp: more typical mid-November day in Pennsylvania.  I was at peace and planned to pull the stand after 12:00 since I’d seen the buck the day before at Noon.  Then drive to get some apples for “Ma” at an orchard nearby and come back and do some ground hunting.

Around 9am, I noticed legs coming over the spine of the hemlock covered ridge. I stood up and got ready, but I fully expected the deer to do as others had and turn to go up the spine of that small hogback ridge, stay inside the hemlocks and out of shot range.

Alas, not so! She came straight through… “Whoa…David, get your mind right! You might get a shot if she holds this course!”  The self talk helped…

[bohuntr]

Good stuff Doc, waiting for the thrilling conclusion!!!

[Doc Nock]

I readied the Morrison…feeling the pressure build on the string and the riser settle into my open hand… everything felt right…she proceeded between trees and shooting lanes… one, two, three came and went…I had one left. I drew and she paused. Dang…don’t usually hold this long….arms started to burn and I just said a small prayer and increased back tension.  She moved into the slot and I let the fingers slip the string… the GT5575 with a KME-ground single bevel Tusker loaded up to 290 gr. zinged on its way.  It hit perfect! Well, a bit low, but I always held that a low shot behind the shoulder was a dead heart shot…she took several noisy bounds and I lost her movement. Her departure was shielded by trees but I never heard her fall…odd. Seemed like a great hit. I saw the arrow go in where I wanted.

Using the binocs, I could see the blood was good at the shot site and the shaft was a pass-through and covered in bright blood. I looked up the hill behind me and see a doe walking head down low, one slow step-by- step at a time. UH-OH! I know that look! Liver shot! How’d I hit the liver?  

She only went 50-60 yards and bedded down. Took a while, but she keeled over and showed me her belly.  I gave thanks.  I called my preacher buddy and he shared my joy at breaking a 3-year dry spell.  We teased that I could still shoot a buck in PA so I waited a bit.

I’d caught one lung perfect and just missed the other one catching a lobe of the liver, so she didn’t travel far …but it wasn’t that 30 second bleed-out we like.  Had I pushed her, I don’t know. I waited the appropriate time and over the years, you learn to just sit and wait: Give Nature the time to do what is natural.

I sat there and planned the rest of my day. I reflected on how perfect things had ended for my season.

I’d gotten the full Monty “fix” of smells and the rejuvenating healing only the fall woods can provide a bow hunter.  My soul was quieted. I was finally at peace within myself and when that happened, along came a deer. A good shot made and she was down and in sight.  Divine intervention? I prefer to think that truly possible.   When I stopped being the pursuer and enjoyed being there, it came together.  Thank you, Lord.

As I quietly sat and gave thanks and did mental inventory of the fullness and gratitude I felt for the whole experience, I looked up to see legs standing on the other side of a pine tree directly in front of me.  I leaned out and with the binoculars could see bone… ugly, palmated many points, but legal in PA bone!

I quietly stood once more. My mind raced. Is this possible? Would I get another shot? At a buck? For real?  It took tremendous will-power to quiet my racing mind ---forget the heart…it was going to do what it wanted anyway! Steady ole boy…

This buck started up the small ridge to my right… but outside the hemlocks. He’d pass offering a 22 yard shot…and then he turned.  He turned to parallel the path the doe took less than 2 hrs before…but wait. Mr Murphy decided to show up.  That goofy-horned buck then turned again and came straight down the hill directly toward me! I’m screamin in my head, “NO, Turn broadside!” He didn’t hear me or he just was too ornery to listen.

He finally turned parallel to me…at 10 FEET! Of course, at that proximity, I SWEAR animals can feel your eyes! He snapped his head up and there I was… I closed my eyes to slits so’s not to make eye contact…he stood there what seemed like forever but was likely 5 seconds…then gave a half snort and turned to run back the way he came.

All those Primos videos paid off. I mouth bleated and he stopped and turned quartering away. I had a good size hole between 2 pine limbs framing his vitals. I bent my knees slightly and saw the perfect shot… I told myself…”Done this hundreds of times on 3d targets…just burn a hole”

Without thinking, the arrow was on its way and there it was as he kicked his back legs up, just 4” sticking out behind the shoulder. Off he ran and I never heard him fall.  Hmm…maybe it’s my ears as I age?

I couldn’t believe it! 2 deer in 2 hrs in ONE day!  The closing day of the season! Amazing! I just sat down grinning like the proverbial Cheshire Cat, and once again, giving thanks for a perfect closing and an unbelievable bit of fortune that just doesn’t seem to happen often in my life.  I felt truly blessed.

After that, it was the “accountability” that goes with all good things.  I got the stand down, packed it, walked to where I shot at the buck and found on his exit trail 5” of shaft and broad head, but not the shaft… I knew it was sticking in him and I knew from several other deer doing the same thing, I’d have a bit of a tracking job till the arrow came out and opened the blood trail.  Seems on 1/4ing away shots, the deer draw back that off-side elbow to run and snap off the shaft as it’s exiting…quick li’l buggars, them deer!

I left that trail and went and got the doe down on the flat, then took the stand out and changed into old clothes for the pack out and took my cart up to get the doe. Till I had her dressed, my friends had finished their lunch and were ready to help track. It was a short track job. Sparse pin-head drops of blood for 30-40 yards till the arrow came out and then the spigot opened up. The buck traveled less than 75-80 yards total.

We carted him out and I insisted my buds go off to hunt the last afternoon.  I paid in spades getting that 2nd one dressed and the two of them in the truck.  I was then off to my friends garage to hang and skin them both.

Till the ordeal of dealing with both deer was completed, I hurt in places I forgot I had.  Two in one day is a lot of work…I smiled, but I am paying for that ‘joy” for sure!   I vowed to do a Mickey (Ferret) from OH and carry only ONE arrow in the future and never, ever shoot 2 deer in the same day again.

The buck was no wall hanger.  By many standards he was kinda ugly. He has two palmated antlers with 4 points on one side and 3 on the other. He looks more like a freak antelope than a whitetail. The doe was “just a doe” to some.

I’m grateful to have harvested 2 of God’s great creatures with good shots.  I reslish the meat and will process it myself lovingly.  I managed to capitalize on 2 opportunities when they finally presented themselves to me.  Best of all, I quit “hunting” and relaxed and enjoyed “just being there…” and that was when it all came together.  I'm thinking there is an important lesson in there for us all...

We didn’t get pictures as the guys wanted to get back out for the afternoon and both deer were pretty stiff, so it was ok we didn't get any unglamorous pics.

Thanks for traveling along on a not-so-glamorous tale with a regular ole “Joe” who was blessed in so many ways as this tale unfolded.

I was shooting a Morrison recurve, 50# @ 28 and shooting 29.5" GT5575 with 290gr up front pushing Tusker 150's custom single bevel ground by KME.

[Hawkeye]

Terrific, Doc.  What a wonderful return to the "game"!

[bear1336]

Congats brother

[Tim]

Hey Dave,

Great job and yes two deer in one day is quite a bit of work but well worth the effort. In the business world they would call that "Quality Time Management"!      

Tim

[Gatekeeper]

Congratulations Doc! You did good.    Thanks for taking the time to share your hunt with us.

[pronghorn23]

Wow! Two in two hours...now theres a great end to a season.

Congratulations!

[4runr]

Outstanding hunt tale told!!

I felt like I was in the tree next to you filming it!

Congrats Sir!

[Doc Nock]

Thanks, folks. This whole weekend has been an experience of intense emotions that will take a bit of time to fully comprehend and unravel.

Thanks for the kind words.  I'm glad to see that a simple hunt can be shared and enjoyed by my bow bretheran.

[Killdeer]

Sweet!  

I wish I could see a pic of the antlers, though. They sound unusual.

Killdeer....um, not exactly "brethren".     :p

[JEFF B]

congrats doc  

[Bonebuster]

Wow!!!

Congrats...and thanks.  

[ber643]

My friend Don, "batman" sent me a PM about this post this evening - am I ever glad he did. Congratulations of the grandest scale to my old and dear friend "Doc" Nock. If anyone deserves it after the bad breaks you've had the last three or four years, it is you, Dave. I am so happy for you. (and the story was great, so was the shooting!)          (One for each of them -    )

 

[oneshot-onekill]

Congrats Doc! Great story!

[rastaman]

Hey Dave!  i'm glad it all came together for you.  Thanks for sharing the hunt.

[slivrslingr]

Nicely done, both on the deer and the story!  Omedeto!  

[DW]

Congratulations Dave and great story telling....I'm glad you had this opportunity....Don and Skyler

[Longbow Jake]

Congrats     very nice story teller