i stayed on the ground this past season. i had several shot opportunities, but couldn't get it done
on the last day of dear season i got a lesson on the ground i will never forget.it was about 8 a.m.,im sitting on my still hunter pack with my bow in hand, with the bottom limb on my foot. my head supported by my string hand with my elbow on my right knee, fighting drowsiness and boredom. desperate to not get figity and not make noise by moving around. this is where it starts to get interesting.at about 8:05 some movement got my attention,40 yrds out i see a tail flicker. then a head move looking in the direction that it came from. it was a doe. then i see a second, and then a third doe, all looking the same direction they came from. as im watching , im wondering if they are being pushed by a ruttin buck. as that last thought popped into my head , they bolt 20 yrds to my 10'oclock and stop.i stood up in my natural blind to get a better look with bow in hand.as soon as i stood up, the bolted again circling around my left wide past my 9 o clock out of sight. they moved fast and hard, and thats when i saw them. a pair of coyotes hunting the does.they moved through the tall grass and brush really fast, but i could make out their silhouettes.i just hung my head and muttered a few choice adjectives, thinking my hunt was over. i leaned my bow against a sapling with an arrow still nocked, reviewing what had just happened in my head, big mistake.all of a sudden , here comes the male coyote, right in front of my blind, 3 feet in front of me, i scrambled to get bow in hand to try to get a shot. i even mouse squeaked to get him to stop, but he flattened his ears and turned on the turbo to get out fast.i felt pretty stupid, didnt even get to half draw. thinking that it was all over i leaned my bow up against the sapling again, mistake #2. 5 seconds later the female coyote stepped out from my right, 10 yrds in front of my blind, again i scrammbled to get my bow in hand, sencing something wasnt right, she back peddled and then a 180 turn to get out. at the same time i mouse squeaked again to get her to stop, no dice she was outa there.in all my yrs of hunting, i have never witnessed what i saw that day.lessons learned, #1, anything can happen in the woods,#2 never put your bow down until its over.#3 coyotes are the fastest and quietest predetors ive ever layed eyes on.i left the woods emptyhanded that day, but i have a memory that will last a lifetime. if i had been prepared for what happened i had a good chance at at least one coyote. this event that i described took place in less then 2 minutes. i also feel like i hade done something right, neither coyote knw i was there until i tried to manufacture an opportunity. rv
Topic: How many of you hunt on the ground? (Read 860 times)
