My Traditional Journey...

[Joe2Crow]

You're killing me here. Ok, bring it home! lol

[Sockrsblur]

Our 2012 season opened October first, two weeks earlier than ever in the past and that was not officially decided or released until rather late.
I'm not complaining but as far as seeing game those early weeks turned out to be tough going for me.

By the very end of October I would describe my 2012 season to this point as hard fought and sparse. I had seen some deer but had plenty of days that I went without seeing one. Most of my action was created while still hunting and/or stalking a spotted deer.

The number of deer I was seeing did seem to be down but I knew there were good bucks in the area from my trail cameras. This season I was hunting on the ground even more, it's reached a point where being on the ground is easily the majority of my time afield.

I like still hunting but honestly some days I don't seem to possess the patients to move that slow and deliberate but then there are the other days. I have killed a number of archery deer on the ground and last year shot my first traditional deer with my Cascade longbow from a ground set up using a portable, folding, 2'x3' flat blind.

This year I really wanted a still hunt harvest and seeing how my action was slow I tried often. There is a large golden rod field maybe 500 x 500 yards with lots of beds and sign throughout it. It has scattered patches of cover, a small cattail drainage pond, islands of small thick tree groups, pine patches, a small corn field partially harvested, and enough contour to help a good hunt.

When the conditions were right I had been through the field partially or thoroughly after morning hunts many, many times. Once putting up a pair of does with no shot and the same spike three times.

The spike was truly a gift for me. I saw him enough and spent just enough time crawling after him that I began to believed I could sneak a deer on the ground. That might sound silly but in my mind there was a large separation between all the articles I had read of great stalks and all the photos of unaware bedded bucks with hunters looming over them and the view over the longbow in my left hand.

I believed great stalks happened but despite trying I didn't really believe in my heart there was a deer waiting around the next blown down tree top for me... over time that little year and a half old spike changed that feeling and that simple feeling changed how I moved through cover.

[Sockrsblur]

The first time I saw him was October fourth, the first week of the season. I had gone through the goldenrod field without encountering a deer. Arriving at the small corn patch I elected to travel through the 8' deep drainage ditch to the left that paralleled the standing corn along its side.

I took my time and was quiet, checked up over the banks right and left when a vantage point  seemed to present itself. Reaching the end of the corn in a hundred yards or so I peaked over the bank with my hat and face net covered head. 250 yards away was a lone deer feeding along the face of the woods, just milling slowly around.

 

[Sockrsblur]

It honestly pleased me to see a deer, the first one of the day and while stalking with the longbow! The wind was blowing from him to me but it was open cut hay field and going way around was really far so I watched for a bit. As he fed around the hay field he was slowly coming my way, I was pleasantly surprised. I was comfortable and waited.

As he was about 100 yards out and you could see his 10" curving spikes nicely. The thought occurred to me he might actually be feeding across that field to the corn and if he did that... well the far side of the corn was 30 yards from the ditch bank, all he had to do was enter the end of the corn and I would have my shot!

As he came closer, inside 80 yards I was ready for a shot. I had situated myself up on top of the ditch bank in a small patch of goldenrod left uncut from the hay field. I was on my knees sitting back on my boots, bow in my left hand resting on its end, arrow on the string, I watched him come closer.

He had come all the way across that field, 30 yards from the ditch walking broadside to it and headed directly toward the corn. I was on the ditch at the face of the corn waiting. When he was 30 or 40 yards from the face of the corn he looked up from feeding in the grass, he seemed to be looking into the corn.

He started walking faster then trotted and loped a little.My bow came up and I pulled the string a little as he crossed 30 yards in front of me trotting excitedly to the opposite side of the standing corn. UGH... Once he was out of sight I jumped out of my little weed patch and hurried to the opposite side of the corn. Peaking my head around the corner there he was walking slowly, directly away.

I slid around the corner, dropped to one knee and as I drew the bow I grunted a little to loud! I couldn't believe it... as I my finger was anchoring into the corner of my mouth at full draw that spike stopped and turned left to see what was behind him, as he came 80% broadside I stared behind his shoulder, elevated a little and the string slipped from my fingers.

As the glove rested on my cheek I watched in slow motion as the arrows fetching climbed in trajectory racing toward the motionless buck, slowly it started to descend in height closing the distance, dropping down on to his chest then below and still lower, striking the plowed, overturned dirt behind his front legs. A clean miss, to low.
He whirled and ran out into the field snorting and loping high as he went. I rested there on one knee watching him go out of sight.

As he left from sight the rest of my environment filtered back into my consciousness. I rested on one knee looking around at the beautiful sunny October day, the big green hay field, the dry corn stalks rubbing their long, brown, dried  leaves together in the breeze... no place I would rather be... not since I was 16 yo.

The shot was 40 paces and a little far but i wanted to shoot and so I did. The hunt was not really a true stalk to me but more a matter of being in the right place at the right time. However it was noon and last year I would have been back at camp with my boots off relaxing, I was proud of making a better effort this year, hunting harder. Like uncle Bud said "Can't kill your buck at camp!"

[23feetupandhappy]

[Sockrsblur]

The second time I saw the spike I was almost looking for him! We all know deer like corn but I saw how excited that spike was when he looked up at it and started running. If that's not what he was thinking well he sure created that illusion in my mind and since perception is reality in the hunting woods or at least my next best guess I was standing at the middle end of that 30 yard wide standing corn patch, arrow nocked, head net on, with the next stiff wind we had in my face the following week at 1230 in the afternoon.

I stared into the noisy corn thinking I should pick a course but it's only 30 yards wide so the middle seemed best, in I went. I was surprised how easy it was to move quietly with a good wind in my face. To say this shale dirt, Amish made corn patch was weedy would be the under statement of this story. The grasses and cover growing between the crooked rows of corn came over my knees at times.

This was a small patch but thick and nice, I moved slowly forward, stopping frequently to look hard and long for a deer. It was fun and because it was so small It was relatively easy to go slow and make it last. Nearing the last 20 yards of the corns 100 yard length I had not seen a deer but lots and lots of sign.

[Sockrsblur]

As I scanned ahead I noticed an open little circle maybe fifteen feet in diameter, ten yards from the end of the corn. The opening was choked with tall, dark green grasses. As I stared in and around this little spot I thought well that's were I would be, so I looked longer and harder... nothing. I remember taking the time to look around the portions of the hay field I could now see as I neared the end of the corn... nothing in the field either.

I moved up toward the grass patch trying to look through the corn around it, it was difficult and thick, I saw nothing. I had just stepped into the  grassy area and thought I would look to see if there were in fact any beds here when there was an explosion of deer. The Spike was there, bedded in that nice little grassy area and I never saw him. He erupted up and out in a most shocking manner and so close it was amazing.

In a moment, 15 short yards, he crossed left out of the corn, toward and down into that 8' deep drainage ditch. I drew and wiggled around in between the moving corn stalks trying to anticipate him climbing out of the deep ditch for a beautiful shot that just never materialized.

He did climb out and not that fast but the corn was over my head, around my head, in my face, I could have loosed an arrow but not the shot I wanted as he crested the far ditch berm at 20 yards and walked into the field on the opposite side. Ha  I'm always impressed, a motionless deer can hide!

As I crossed the ditch in pursuit he stood in the face of the woods watching me safely from 50 yards, flickered his tail and walked off seemingly not impressed. Not knowing where all the other deer were I was really growing fond of this little buck!

[lt-m-grow]

The title of this thread made me think this was an older thread...foolish me.  I finally opened it today.

Great story.   Loving it like the rest...

[snakebite]

      Great story.

[Sockrsblur]

The next week about the 20th October I met the spike for our third hunt but not our last time together. I was on rout for an evening hunt and to get there I had to cross within 100 yards of the back of the hay field. On a whim I deviated from my course to peak out into the back of the field. Often I've seen deer in the back of the field eating, out of sight from any roads or trouble. As luck would have it tonight was no different.

As I stood in one back corner looking way over to the opposite back corner I could clearly see a deer feeding. Couldn't tell what it was but it looked like a fair bodied animal. The wind was so calm It hardly picked a direction as I blew the wind checker over and over at the field edge.  So I had a choice to make. Go set up and sit behind the blind in the spot I was headed for or stalk this deer... I picked the bird in the hand even though it seemed a low probability hunt, it was still action.

[Sockrsblur]

I left the corner of the field and quickly, quietly circled back 50 yards into the woods behind the field. Cutting the distance in half I poked my head net covered face and hat into the field, I couldn't see him. I waited... couldn't see. It took me a moment to realize that this portion of the field held just enough subtle contour to hide the deer from me, however it also was hiding me from him. I stripped off my backpack and extras just inside the woods.

Entering the field there was a faint wore down into the ground tractor path that was a small gift with it's hard pack, smooth ground and tall uncut goldenrod edging along the field side of it. I could move almost to fast and silent... In no time I was close to the corner but still no deer. Maybe he walked into the woods I thought? I really slowed and looked carefully as I moved closer crouched down as if I knew, or believed, or simply hoped he would be there.

Cover was getting thinner as I came closer to the other corner of the field and gained elevation, slower, closer, then a faint brown back line began to emerge, and a head lifting and looking to my left into the hay field. It was my spike! He lowered his head and I closed some more distance as he grew out of the grasses and weeds the closer I came to him. I love this deer, I thought, as I smiled and closed a little more.

[Sockrsblur]

He fed steadily and kept a regular look out into the field by lifting his head but as soon as he lowered I closed what I could. He wasn't moving much but I was going onto higher and higher ground as I progressed. My tractor path was no longer lower than the rest of the field. It came to 40 yards and it felt like it was decision time.

He was to far for a good shot to me and I was out of good cover as he fed facing directly away from me. I scanned between us for anything and saw a nice cluster of goldenrod and weeds half way between us. It could not truly provide hiding cover for me to get from here to there but I made the quick decision it was the red line. If I could get to there undetected I would be inside 20 yards away and from there I would find a way to kill him. There wasn't a doubt in my mind as I thought fast and acted on my thoughts.

[Sockrsblur]

I waited for him to raise his head and when he lowered it, without true cover, I moved silently part way to the clump and lowered down low as I could to a crawling position with my longbow in front of me. He looked up across the field, back down his head went, my feet moved. It took a third cycle to get to the clump of golden rod but I was there now as he faced directly away, feeding at less than 20 yards.

When he looked back across the field he turned enough to offer a quartering away shot but was looking for danger and I couldn't move safely. When he lowered his head for some reason he turned and faced directly away each time. I guess I was waiting for him to break his pattern or offer me an unaware shot into this chest but unknowingly he was waiting for that faint, fickle, swirling wind to give me away. His nose found me before his feet helped me.

He turned to face my direction, not positive where I was, jerking his head right and left, even walking closer to my position before jumping twice to my right and placing himself safely in the woods, he did then take the time to give me a final snort good bye. As I stood there in the back of that damp Hay field I thought... That was a stalk! I felt decisive, quick, carefully bold, hidden, everything I could think of... besides deadly. I was all smiles! This is what I wanted this year, I was on the ground and learning. I love that Deer!!!

[Hopewell Tom]

I'm in no hurry for this to end. You're making my day up here in the cold and snow.
You're psyching me up for more on-the-ground hunting this coming season.
Sooo, what's next....?

[Sockrsblur]

Ha, Thanks guys! I'm enjoying the tellin!

[Joe2Crow]

Great story. You should do this for a living. Looking forward to more later.

[Sockrsblur]

It was a few days later until I saw the spike again. A hunter from a neighboring cabin told the story. From the story, he was hunting from a ladder stand 50 yards off the hay field with his compound and the spike came in before good light. He took a shot, hit him somewhere and the deer left into the darkness. Getting down immediately he found the buck with a flashlight bedded beside his 4 Wheeler 20 yards from the stand.

With blood every where the deer got up and ran off not to be seen again though several bloody beds were found later on the track before it too was lost. The story was two days old when I heard it but I took in as many details as I could and went looking. I found what was left 4-500 yards away from the stand, 2 legs, hair everywhere, some hide, couldn't find his head and antlers, I wanted to but couldn't.

I like those hunters plenty, that's not the point and there is a lot more I could say that would stray us thoughtfully farther from how I felt that day.

I considered leaving this part of the story out  but it made me very reflective of what we do and how we do it and what we get from it in the end. In time, It made me grateful!

It seems clear we are all coming from somewhere different, looking for something different while we are here, simply creating a different journey through the woods and life.

Lets travel onward

I'm out of stories, only one left to tell. The story of the Hurricane Sandy Buck!

[Bernie B.]

You're a great story teller!  I almost felt that I was with you as you were approaching that spike!  Looking forward to the story of the Hurricane Sandy Buck!    

Bernie Bjorklund

NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin

[dhermon85]

I just read it all today, forgot about the title!

[Chromebuck]

Bring on the Hurricane!  Nice piece of writing bud.  Fair to say we have all enjoyed your tale.