Today I was hunting a public WMA nearby. I sat in my stand until about nine then decided to get down and stalk around because I had not done a very thorough scout of the area yet. I walked slow and as quiet as I could but not near like as some of the still hunters here who do a yard a minute. Well I was walking against the wind and jumped some bedded deer in thick undergrowth maybe 25 yards ahead of me. I heard some tear out of there while I heard another run in a different direction and stop. Well I tried to get a look at it and it got scared off as well. In past experience with unhunted city deer, a different animal I know, I noticed when jumped out of the bedding area they will often come back. So I was moving up to see if I could find ambush spot with a shooting lane when I noticed two young does trotting in my direction, this is maybe 15 min after I jumped them. I had to immediately squat down with a couple fair sized oaks between me and them and a little undergrowth around but no real over. But one saw me and they flashed their white and ran like 10 yards and stopped. I never moved. Now they seemed curious one turned back around and closed about 20 yards on me staring me down between the two oaks one about a yard to my 11:15 and the other one about 2 yards at my 12:30. I tried not to move or look directly at her but I noticed that my adrenaline had the broadhead trembling at the end of my nocked arrow like Jon Voight in deliverance
She stared at me raising and lowering her head, then stamping her foot for literally close to ten minutes but it felt like and hour. Then the other one walked past her to the point that it was on the left of the closest oak to me and she was on the right. She seemed to relax and follow. Now they were both 20 yards tops on my left where my bow is already pointing with a clear shot but I didn't know how to draw but I figured I'd have to try. I only torqued my bow hand slightly to line it up with them and they blew and took off like mad. O well, for and inexperienced bowhunter like me it was a blast. Now I just need to get them that close while I'm in my stand.
But I was curious if more seasoned hunters try that strategy of jumping some deer and then waiting in ambush for them to come back. I sure it would only work on young dumb deer if you didn't get obviously busted when you jumped them. but in my VERY limited experience it seems like they meet back at the bed site if they split up. And you have the wind in your favor like I did.
Topic: Fun Hunt this morning do experienced ground hunters use this method? (Read 297 times)
