This evening the plan was to put some much needed boot on the ground time in. I decided to go scout and semi-still hunt an area that last year was loaded with acorns and deer. I got to the area I wanted to scout out and after about 10 minutes I found a nicely worn trail on a bench just under the top of the ridge. I decided to just ease along the trail and follow it out to the end of the point and just sort of take my time and observe. I was slowly creeping along the trail when about 60 yards through the timber I saw a small deer easing down and away from me. It didn't act alarmed as if it had seen, heard or smelled me. I stopped and watched and it slowly eased down on to an old logging road that had a tangle of briars on it. I saw it stop in the middle of the briars and I tried to keep an eye on it. I'd lose sight of it at times and then I'd see a little flicker of its tail or it turn its head and it was standing right in the middle of the briars. I watched for about 10-15 minutes and decided to try to stalk up on it. I slowly, super slowly, creeped my way down to around 20 yards or so of the briar patch and I kept looking and couldn't see the deer anymore. I took one little step and snapped the tiniest of twigs and all of a sudden I seen its head move and look my way. It had bedded down just on the other side of the briar patch up on the bank next to an old stump that was under a little buck beech. I couldn't tell much about it at that stage as it was still bedded down. I could tell its head was small so I was thinking a young deer and I was right. I decided to just wait right there until it stood and I was going to take it. Thats when the plan changed. After standing there a few minutes just watching it and never making a move, its started moving its head looking back up the hill from it. That when all of a sudden a huge doe comes around the ridge and right down between me and the bedded deer and stopped. It stood there a minute and then made 3 or 4 really quiet grunts and all of a sudden that little deer jumped and ran up to it and started bumping the heck out of old gal. Its little tail was stuck straight up and was wagging all over the place. It jumped and played around her and would stop and suck 3 or 4 times before she decided to move a bit. I was going to take the big doe, but I simply couldn't bring myself to do it after seeing the little one suck and how happy it was when the old girl came into us.
I managed to get some practice in control in tight situations. I ended up drawing on the old doe twice. The old doe finally worked herself down wind of me after she had already been shot twice and never knew I was standing there. Once she got down wind of me she jumped and snorted but didn't leave. She dropped down on the flat below me and the young deer who hadn't made a move after she started making all kinds of heck. It stood there about 15 yards broadside looking down hill at her and I slowly raised my bow and drawed on it too. After I let down I tried to creep even closer to it while she was throwing a fit below us. It finally caught me moving as I got tangled in some of the briars. They both took off like bullets after that.
After they bolted I looked around and there was loads of sign everywhere. I didn't get to finish my scouting out but I wouldn't have traded that experience for any other I have had my entire time bowhunting. It felt better than killing my first buck and coyote. Knowing I did a real spot and stalk in these rugged hills and got to draw 3 times before being totally busted along with the show I got watching the little one suck just takes the cake at this point.
So hopefully I'll get my chance at an old childless gal soon. Just wanted to share how an old roughneck broke soft.
Topic: Got all soft and sentimental (Read 665 times)
