A good shot doesn't always mean a short recovery

[Tim]

Tonights hunt was one of those nights that just make you scratch your head.  So here goes.....

I couldn't help but stare at the clock most of the day.  I was pretty busy at the office early on but around 11:00 everything slowed down and I planned my escape!  

The weather here in eastern PA has been quite brutal the past few days with single digit temps and double digit winds.  Wednesday was downright nasty but I still managed to climb into my stand despite the 25 mph winds and bone chilling cold.  I was into deer all night but nothing would venture close enough, so I stayed buried in my coat and double hats. With about 10 minutes left of shooting light I "tapped out", as the young guys like to say!  What I did was run back to the heat of my Jeep, pushing the electric start button as soon as it would reach!     :rolleyes:  

Today was different though.  The winds had calmed a bit and the temps where in the mid to upper 20's.  A heat wave in my eyes and a perfect night to hunt.  

I pulled into the farm around 3:00 and gave my wife a quick call.  She had seen a good group of deer from the highway hanging around the alfalfa right on the edge where we had hung a stand last weekend.  This time of year the deer love to browse the edge of the field, stepping in and out of cover feeding on green briar and the lush alfalfa.  We have a couple inches of snow on the ground but the area around the stand gets good sun and most of the snow had melted, allowing the deer to feed without having to dig.

As I slipped down the edge of the woods I could see around 9 deer gathered close to my stand location.  A few neighbors walk the field edge quite often so the deer are used to getting bumped out of the field and most often return just before dark.  That was the plan......so I strolled around the bend like a walker with a purpose.  The deer scattered into a wave of white tails up through the woods.  So far so good....    

[Huntrdfk]

I' m jealous you're still hunting Tim.......but looking forward to the rest of your story.


David

[Tim]

I love to hunt the late season here in PA.  We have a pretty good deer herd around the house and most often I see several deer each sit.  The hard part is trying to slip into the stand unnoticed or unheard.  Heavy coats and cold fingers really test our resolve and most of the deer are pretty aware of any change in their surroundings, making those 15 yard shots tough to pull off.

I don't have a buck tag, so I was hoping for a nice close shot a doe as I climbed up into my stand and settled in.  It was a beautiful afternoon and I had some pretty high hopes.     :D

[Tim]

Yep David.....we go until the 24th!    

[Tim]

I had only been sitting for around 20 minutes when I saw the first set of ears bump over the hill up to my right.  Two more sets of ears soon followed.  I could tell something was up as the two smaller deer would dodge left, than right.  

A few more minutes and 50 yards, I noticed the problem.  This guy was still in the frisky mode, even though his head gear seen better days.  The young does he had been pestering fed out and around me and out of harms way.

 

[South MS Bowhunter]

[Tim]

It quieted down for the next half an hour as I watched the wonderful bird life.  The woods was full of cardinals this afternoon.



When I first noticed the deer I thought it was the shed buck coming back towards me.  It was a good sized deer with a bit of a blocky head and real nice size through it's hips.  I pulled up my binoculars several times to confirm that it was a doe.  And a beautiful doe she was.

[Tim]

I always struggle with the idea of shooting the big matriarch does during the late season.  I would much rather take a young doe but beggars can't be choosy so I made the decision to take her if she gave me a good close shot.

The idea of her walking right up to me for a 10 yard shot crossed my mind, but it was obviously not in the cards as she came to with 30 yards and than fed off.

 

[Tim]

30 minutes into this doe encounter, the ancient game continued on.  The more I watched her the more respect I developed for this old girl.  She was all by herself and not a single sound or movement was left unnoticed.  She moved only a few steps at a time, followed by long periods stillness. This deer was obviously at the top of her game and she was beginning to stress me out a bit.  The sun was beginning to fade and she had made an 80 yard semi circle up and around the patch of woods.  She wanted to move into the field but I just couldn't see her making that decision without the comfort of other deer and no other deer had came up the hill.  It was just her and I.....    :(

[sheepdogreno]

Can't wait to read the rest of this story!

[Tim]

This doe was good....she was real good!

She had moved to within 30 yards of me and every little breath I took seemed to gather a response.  She wasn't wired, just incredibly careful.

I was afraid to stand up because I didn't know how long I would have to stand with my hands out of my pockets.  The temps had dropped and I was getting cold.  I decided to sit tight and see how it played out.

At 10 yards she glanced up at me. I was tucked into my coat and had my eyes mostly closed.  Her glance was only brief and the multi trunked tree I was in did it's job.  She was quartering away and just in front of the tree in the center of this frame.

[Tim]

Just as I "thought" about standing she tensed!  OMG....this chick was insane, I thought to myself!

She mellowed for just a second and looked up the hill to the right.  I quickly stood and came into my anchor in one motion.  The arrow was gone and crashed into her ribs in back of her shoulder.

[Tim]

She dropped hard and ran out into the field and than cut back into the woods towards the direction she had came.  She stopped in some green briar 60 yards away and just stood there.  I pulled up my binoculars and could see my arrow buried to the fletch on her left side in back of the shoulder and the tip of the shaft sticking out her right side just in front of the opposite leg.  

I sat down and said a prayer for her to fall over......

[SAM E. STEPHENS]

I'm in ....

,,,Sam,,,

[House]

Sounds good this far. Excellent recount of the event!

Travis

[KyStickbow]

Come on with the rest of it Tim....sounds good so far brother!!

[Lowrider]

Hope for the best. Leaving in a few minutes to go hunting. Hope you have found here before I get back on here.

[Carcajou]

Way to Go Brother! I already smell the tenderloins cooking!

[Guru]

[A.S.]

OK buddy, I'm up with coffee in hand.

Let's hear the rest!!