This morning I decided to go back to an area that I hunted last Saturday for some redemption. I gave a doe a haircut here as she just ducked the arrow. I call this area the Hole. There is a bowl shaped ridge that runs around 3 sides of it and a steep ravine that runs out of it. It is choked with multiflora rose and dogwood in the center and the wind is a nightmare unless you have a stiff NE like this morning.
I climbed a large black cherry on the edge of an access trail at the mouth of the hole that the deer use to go in to bed. I was all set up at 0630 and the wait would begin. At 0725 I was watching a gray squirrel in front of me when I heard pounding hooves. I looked to my right to see 3 deer running into the hole. they were about 60 yards away and upwind so I knew I wasn't the problem.
At 0755 I looked to my left and here came 3 does up the trail. The lead doe was huge and I was in position to shoot from my seat. She got 15 yards away and I started my draw, she then caught me as the string was slipping from my fingers, she hit the deck as I watched, my arrow just clear her and stick in the ground. I couldn't believe it 2 perfect blown opportunities in the same spot.
I reloaded and sat, then at 0830 here came the same 3 does. They wanted to get into the hole to bed. This time they cut off the trail and were 30 yards above me. The lead doe came to a halt and was searching for me in the worst way, she was dead downwind, but she couldn't wind me, I just smoked my clothes last night. One of her fawns walked out on the trail and gave me a perfect shot, but it was a little longer than I wanted and I knew the old girl would bust me. After a 15 min. standoff they walked in to bed.
At 0924 I looked up the trail and here came a familiar group of 4 deer. The nervous lead doe 2 fawns and a huge doe in the rear that I missed last week. Again at 15 yards I started drawing and got busted by the nervous doe who was angled towards me, I had a perfect shot at the largest fawn and turned my attention and drew. Just then the big doe came up and turned blocking the fawn and as she turned to leave the arrow was gone. I could see my arrow was back and dangling out the far side. On her third bound I saw the arrow fling out and she disappeared into the hole.
Here is a pic. from the stand, she was on the trail standing just to the right of the small tree in the middle of the pic.
I got down after a while to inspect the arrow. I thought the shot was back and it was, but she had turned away on the shot. I knew upon finding the blood that the arrow travelled forward into the vitals as the blood was light instead of dark red, and the arrow looked like it was painted I decided to start tracking instead of waiting. 120 yards away I found this.
I used a Kustom King Trailmaker on the end of my 1535 to close the deal. A great day in the woods and redemption, thanks for coming along.
Topic: Another doe with my 1964 Browning (Read 998 times)
