Just A Doe

[SheltonCreeker]

I've enjoyed the success of the harvest again. Yesterday was a pretty lazy day. With the wife and kids feeling a tad under the weather everyone was home from church. I hadn't got off work until about 4 A.M. so I slept in. Got a text from Davenport (waipiti792) around 11 saying he was gonna fling some arrows. I invited myself, he has better targets than me, plus I don't think he really minds.
 Shot bows with Mike for about an hour and we discussed his evening hunting plans. We talked wind direction and hunt locations. At this point in the day I didn't have much intention on hunting. I was on call till 6 and rarely hunt while I'm on call.

[SheltonCreeker]

Mid afternoon I got to thinking about this rare East wind we had. Also got to thinking about my Great Grandpa Emory's farm. It's not 10 min from my house and I knew the wind was going to switch into a Southeast wind sometime before dark.
 I took my first animal with an arrow off this farm some 16 years ago. It wasn't with trad equipment so I won't elaborate but this farm is near and dear to my heart. I had yet to harvest an animal with trad gear from this farm. Something I have been wanting to do for sometime.
 I cleared the evening with my bride and loaded up. Took a lone wolf hang on and 4 climbing sticks with me. The tillable ground on the farm didn't get planted this year. I found a good deer trail that I used as an access route to the area I intended to hunt. This trail ran along a field edge next to a drainage ditch that holds water year round. Luckily I found a dead log to cross into the timber.
 Once I was on the South side of the ditch I had plans to go deeper into the woods. Those plans changed when I made it a mere 15 yards in and found the ground littered with white and red acorns. As I stood there studying the sign acorns continued to fall. Yup, this was the spot no need for further intrusion.

[SheltonCreeker]

I was in the woods early, so there was no need to rush putting up my stand. I took my time and was very careful not to make a lot of noise hanging my set. It was fairly open and I didn't have to trim hardly any limbs. I got everything set up and was hunting by 345. The wind stayed steady and I knew with being as close to the edge of the timber and my proximity to the road deer movement would happen late.
Being on call I kept checking my phone. THE GREAT DISTRACTION. I exchanged a few text with Mike about his hunt and location and we joked about switching from whitetails to squirrels, we both were covered up with them.
   
Mike had this guy trying to give away his location. I really think he was tempting fate as it was a slow evening in both locations.

[njloco]

[SheltonCreeker]

As I said it was slow. Slow hunts lead to day dreams for me. My mind wandered as the sun slowly faded in the West. I got to thinking of my Great Grandfather and the property I was hunting.
Grandpa Emory as I referred to him was deaf. Not heard of hearing but completely deaf. I remember as a young boy coming to his house and stomping on the porch. At the time I thought this was great fun but never understood the point. He would feel the vibrations thru the floor and answer the door. He was a salt of the earth individual. Hard working all of his life. The very farm I was hunting he used to plant strawberries on. He was known as the Strawberry Man to a lot throughout the community.
 Most of our conversations growing up were written down. I couldn't sign but loved to converse with him. So I would write on a yellow legal pad my questions and he would reply.
When I began hunting that's all I wanted to talk about with anyone, including Grandpa Emory.
 He told me about his hunting days. Not for sport back then but actual survival. His daughter (my grandma) told me of days when she was small and he went to the woods and picked up hickory nuts and shot squirrels. That's what they ate.
 He only killed one whitetail in his life. It wasn't with a bow so I won't go into detail, but the tree I hunted in last night couldn't have been more than 100 yards from the place he killed his "big doe" as he referred to her.

[SheltonCreeker]

So with a head full of nostalgia, I glance at my phone it's after 6 and I'm no longer on call for work. I can really enjoy myself now! Having had hunted this farm a lot in the past I expected the deer to come from the East. Along the drainage and past my location on out toward the crop fields. At 605 the deer took their cue and entered stage left. A big doe and fawn. The fawn made it to my location first. Picking acorns to the base of my tree and noticing those sticks weren't on that tree before. She gets very cautious and works behind me and out of sight. I am marble, froze solid. The doe works almost directly in front of me and reached up to browse a low hanging limb on an Ash tree. When she did she looked right at me. I quickly thought the hunt was over. The red oak I was in wasn't much bigger than a telephone pole, so I knew she had me outlined. She gave me the head bob and all the sudden the fawn jumps about something. When the fawn spooked the big doe jumped two big bounds and stopped. Almost completely broadside with a slight quarter away. Her attention was on the fawn and I took advantage. Came to full draw, released and the spot I was looking at split as my arrow passed thru. Arrow was right behind the shoulder double lung.
She ran hard for 60 yards and stopped. I fully expected to watch her go down. She was tough, she went on a sideways death run out of sight. I immediately text Mike as I knew I was going to need help getting her out of the woods.

[SheltonCreeker]

Mike and I hatch a plan, within an hour or so we are back at the scene and I am replaying the events to him. I had found good blood and my arrow before I left the woods. We followed a unbelievable blood trail for less than 100 yards. We found her pilled up in a briar patch. Mike helped me dress her and then drag her out. Sure does make things easier when you got a friend in the field with you! Mike had commented about how big she was and I told him that's what he gets for teasing me about always shooting fawns. The last deer he helped me drag out was a yearling. As always THANKS BUDDY! So we loaded her up in my hunting rig and headed for the store.
 
After what seemed like a wild goose chase we found the ice we needed and made it back to my place to take some photos before I broke her down for the cooler.
 
I am happy as any hunter can be. She was an old doe. Covered in fat and ready for winter. Her milk sac was almost dry. The fawn was good sized and will make it thru winter I suspect, a little more educated now.

[SheltonCreeker]

As always I am amazed at what seems to be an endless school of teaching. I learn something new it seems every time I venture into the woods. The more success I enjoy. The more I have learned to trust what I know to be true as a hunter. This doe is a welcomed sight at my house. Just as my grandfather fed his family from wild game off that farm, so will I. Thanks for reading.

[nineworlds9]

Wonderful story.  Two thumbs up!

[KentuckyTJ]

Fantastic job all the way around Brother, congrats!

[Big Ed]

Very nice!!!

[wapiti792]

[kennyb]

Great job and nice doe! Excellent story. Congrats!

Kenny            

[Thumper Dunker]

       

[Joeabowhunter]

Beautiful big old doe, congratulations David.

[SheltonCreeker]

You got that Mojo working with them coyotes Mike. I'll switch any day of the week. I have yet to arrow one as you know. I got some arrows to serve out over the Buck I fed them!  

[KyStickbow]

Congrats!

[Bernie B.]

Nice story and a very nice doe!  Congratulations!  It's fun when you can add a little history or nostalgia to your hunts!    

Bernie

[Whip]

You've got a way with the written word David - I always love your stories!
Congrats on a fine old doe.  Glad you got Mike to help with the work and didn't let him get away with one of his medical excuses.  

[Swinestalker]

Enjoyed the read, thanks for sharing your hunt.