I was finally able to fill my doe tag after 5 days of hard hunting. This season is supposed to be a gimmie, but I have never seen so few deer during a hunt. This was all for the best however, as I don't love to kill, but to hunt and I'd take alot of hunting with or without a kill over a kill with no hunting almost any day.
This morning I encountered the anterless deer that I'd seen from my homemade ground blind all season (since Tuesday). Doing what any fool would do, I shot at the first possible opening, even though it was not the best shot, and a better one would have surely presented itself. Needless to say, I missed. It was disappointing, and I had not missed a shot in several years. I remembered quickly why I stopped doing that. There was some time to shoot a few arrows after the morning hunt and I took advantage of it. After about 12 arrows later, I had my confidence back and was ready to head back out for an afternoon in the woods.
I hadn't quite made it to my stand when I saw big ears moving through the sage 200 yards off or so. I quickly ducked behind a large sage and waited. Deer started filtering into the small clearing I had inadvertently set up near. To my dismay, it was a doe with 2 fawns. I was sure this was my family of yard deer that I had been watching since the fawns were born. I nearly stood up and walked off to let the deer graze when more does came into the clearing. These were NOT my yard deer. I renocked my arrow and waited for nothing less than a perfect shot. A doe came by grazing. She stopped broadside, lifted her head and looked around. She put her head back down and my bow went off. I saw neon yellow fletching disappear behind her shoulder.
The shot turned out to be very good, but I knew it was a good shock from the time I started the draw. This shot was just over 30 yards and the recovery was made within 35. It was a double lung shot which also took out half of the heart. There was not much of a blood trail, but I watched her take off and heard the crash. I only needed to wait a while and follow the deep, hopping tracks in the soft dirt.
I took this great doe with my BW PCH (III riser V limbs). The arrow of choice was a CE Heritage 250 with a 200 grain Wensel Woodsman broadhead. I am fortunate to live where I do, blessed that I can shoot a bow and really lucky to have seen those deer before I got to my stand.
Topic: A Great 2015 Mule Doe (Thanks for Wishing) (Read 525 times)
