We all have hunts that taught us something. I would like to hear about hunts that taught you something or better yet taought you about yourself as a hunter.
I have a story about a doe 10 years ago that made me prove i could be the kind of hunter i always said i was.
Cold December day. Nothing in the freezer except for a doen form missouri in ocotber. The season is just about to run out with only 3 huntable days left. There was a big storm coming in that night that was suppose to be blizzard like with 8-10 inches of new snow in a 5-8 hour period. I decided I was going to hunt that night and the next 3 days regardless of the weather. I had a tag to fill and the urge to be in the woods. So after argueing with my wife on why anyone would go out in this weather, I headed out the door. It was a hour drive to the ara i was going to hunt. I have never hunted that area before but figured id figure it out when i got there. There was a few inches of snow on the ground already and i threw my stand on my back, my pack over my stand and my sticks on my shoulder. I wasled about 400 yards into the woods when i found a small oak flat that was all pawed up as the deer were digging for left over red oak acorns. I picked a tree taht gave me the best option to cover 3 trails and the right wind. I hung my stand, pulled my bow up, settled in and the wait was on. four hours later and a half hour before dark the weather was really bad. lots of snow, high winds, dropping temps and just plain miserable. I saw a deer working thru the short pines (christmas tree size pines). my binoculars confirmed it was a lone doe. When she broke into the oak flat she started pawing for acorns and took her time working in my direction. did i mention the weather was horrible, snowing hard, and 30+ mph winds. I kept thinkning what is this deer doing out here! what was i doing out here! She finally made it to me and was 26 yards out and not coming any closer as she was working tree to tree where other deer had been pawing. She was broadside when I shot and standing still. As soon as i let the string go a big poof of snow from my yard silencers blew snow in my face and i didnt see where the arrow hit. She walked off all hunched up like a 5 year old that had to poop really bad. so i knew it was a gut shot. it was snowing hard, snow was blowing everywhere from the high winds, and we had 8-10 more inches on the way in thsi blizzard. what to do!!!! i knew if i waited until moring id never find her. So i got down and went to the truck. drove 10 miles to get cell service, called my wife and told her i dont know when im coming home and i cant leave her out there. i drove back, hiked to the shot location and started slowly taking the trail up in the dark, snowy windy night. I caught her eyes in my headlamp where she was bedded down. so i stopped and just sat down myself to wait her out. she got nervous and walked off. i waited 15 mins and then follwed. we did this game of hide and seak all night long until finally almost 3 am she stopped getting up. the snow was over knee deep know. i was almost 1 mile on ym gps as a cros flies to my truck thru swaps and rugged country. I was exhausted and didnt want to hike back to the truck making a 2 mile trip to get my jetsled to drag her out. i gutted her out and wanted to try and bring her out withme but knew dragging her with out the sled would kille me as the snow was deep and fluffy she would just plow not slide. so i used paracord to tie her from legs at the first joint and lifted her over my shoulders so i had a front leg over each shoulder and the paracord across my chest like a sternum strap. i only made it a couple hundred yards like this and could not do it anymore. i was just too tired. I dropped her there and went back to the truck. drove out to cell reception called my wife and told her the situation and i would be home as soon as i could. Then i drove back the hunting area, slept in the truck for a few hours until daylight. then went back with the sled and got her.
I had always said and believed I would always do everything I could to recover every animal. I had always said and believed I held every animal in the highest respect. That night I proved to myself that all that was not just talk. I really ment it, proved it, and have never been so proud.
http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg133/jasonsamko/JSmiDoe04_zps8027b93b.jpg 
Topic: Hunts that taught you something (Read 547 times)
