I hadn't hunted yet here in Ohio so tonight I thought I'd wander down in the woods and see whats moviing. I grabbed "Twiggy" a David Mims osage bow, a cane arrow with flint head and my little 3 cornered stool and head down the hill towards the creek. There's a trail that parallels the creek that the deer use a lot. Trouble is, it's so close to the creek that you can only hunt the uphill side of it. The trail runs north to south. I've seen deer running it both directions. The wind was blowing gently from the Northeast. If the deer came from the south I was pretty much screwed, but if they came from the north I was in fat city.
About an hour into the sit, I hear hooves in the leaves and spot 2 does walking the other side of the creek. Headed north. After they dissapeared, I stood for awile leaning against a tree I was using for cover. Suddenly I hear hooves in the leaves on my side of the creek and look up to see a deer about 20 yards away coming up the trail from the south. Not good. I managed to get turned around and sat back down. The sounds of walking keep coming and I thought it may just work out. I turn my head slowly to the left and see there are not one but two does headed my way. At this point they are maybe 10 yards. I raise the little osage up and aim the arrow into the hole I have to shoot thru and the one they must pass thru if they are going to continue going up the trail. The lead does nose goes into the hole a mere 5 or 6 steps from where I am seated, then her head and then...SHE LOCKS UP. Then she backs up. Dang wind. They stand there a minute or so looking around. Obviously they have caught a whiff of man scent but can't find me. Finally they decide to try it again. By now my bow arm/shoulder is killing me, but I can't move. Again the nose enters the hole followed by the head and..SHE LOCKS UP AGAIN! Arrgghhhhh. Then she backs up. This time they decide it just isn't worth it and melt back the way they came. :thumbsup:
Man hunting on the ground is a rush! I love it. :archer:
Good story, i tried some stalking on friday but was busted on three different tries. Lots of fun anyhow.
Good way to clean out the arteries around your heart! :thumbsup:
I love it...so typically Deery of them! :wavey:
Now that is a great time.
Nice hunt!
That doe has no idea how close she came to being in you freezer!
Does that one count as "counting coup," Buddy?? :goldtooth:
If she only knew. Great post Mick.<><
Amazing to watch them hit the scent wall. Way to get up close and personal.
No coup Daryl, I didn't get to full draw, pick a spot and let down
Yea Shaun it's fun when you know they are going to hit that scent wall and there's nothing you can do about it but watch it happen. I actually had the priveledge of watching it happen at about 250 yards about 20 years ago. I was hanging on the edge of a big field in Alpina, Michigan with my scent blowing out into the field. A spike buck was feeding out in the middle of the field. When he hit my scent he just locked up, backed up a few steps and started wind testing and looking around. 250 yards! A great lesson in the ability of the whitetails nose.
Tonight is Halloween, tomorrow a wedding rehearsal for a niece, the night after that we are invtited to my bro in laws for dinner, Sat night is the wedding. I won't get to hunt again until Sunday after the Bengals lose :(
Seems like the does never make stupid mistakes.
No other animal that I know of is ready to bolt ALL THE TIME. Isn't it great!
Only exception to the rule is those poor love struck spikes, almost feel sorry for them :D
So Cool! Up close and personal. Hope ya get a good one Mickey.
Sounds like a great encounter. Sure gets the ol heart pumping.
Good story Mickey. Good luck on Sunday. Hunting. I think the bengals need more than luck. ha keith
Neat story! I call it winding up when they catch that scent. It's like they have an internal spring that goes on stand by for the big jump. Very exciting
Very Cool Story!
Gracias!
Sounds like a successful hunting adventure to me!
Good adventure Mickey. It's really neat and frustrating to be close enough to hear them breathe when they hit your scent. You know it's over and there is nothing you can do. Been there too many times.
Dennis
Being at ground level only intesifies the experience....for them and for you! Oh well, you can't cover all the bases. Sooner or later one will come down the right path. Thanks for sharing Mickey!
Mickey I noticed you had the lil sliver bow in some of those Wisconson pics. Now twiggy out second year in a row. I hope you bloody one, as I'll likely not bloody one myself. And I'm honored by your choice, but you are hereby officially allowed to hunt w/ a different bow buddy.
Had the same thing early season w/ a set of does, only at a good 400 yards across the bean field, again recently at maybe 20 or 30 yards. Have had same w/ coyote. Sometimes they bump and run, sometimes just put their nose up, mess around a bit then move on. You gotta accept the fact wind will mess up some portion of the animals in the area. It's perty darn fun having them inside of 10 yards though!
Good luck.
Hey Mickie.. sounds like you had fun. I am asking myself if I had fun or not..lol I haven't been in the woods hunting off the ground for years before this season. I've managed to kill a tree which I want to blame on a noisey recurve(BW) but last evening it was just me. I guess I'd forgotten what my heart felt like trying its best to get outside my chest. I'd hate to think what it'd feel like if it were a buck instead of a yearling doe. I remember those feelings from years ago but I truly thought I'd gotten over "deer fever" but I think being back on ground level and at very close yardage can make for a good heart check. The last time I can remember it beating that hard or fast they had me on a table doing what they called a chemical treadmill.(not fun)
Thanks for sharing.
God bless,Mudd
Keith..YOU GOT THAT RIGHT!LOL
Mudd..know the feeling brother!
David. I tend to hunt with bows that please me.Those little osage slivers really please me. Plus I know those two are expertly tillered ;) Blooding one would be fun but not necessary for me to enjoy the hunt. The path travelled is more important to me than the destination. I'll also be hunting with skinny little osage bows from Timo and Wingnut this season. I love this stuff.
Awesome Mickey, nothing better than when you can see a deer's eyelashes, it's nature's blood thinner for us.......
David
Gotta love it, Mickey. At least you know that your heart is getting a regular workout!
I'm bowhunting from the ground this year too. Just haven't had any close encounters as of yet. The weather's starting to cool down finally, so I can hopefully get out more in the next couple of weeks.
Got that right David.
Clint, it'll happen. You hunting with one of your rock/canes?
Yep, what little I've been out.
Temps are still running in the upper 70's here a lot....had a few cooler days, but not many. I can't hunt in the mornings during the week, and haven't hunted the evenings much yet because of the heat.
Took last weekend off and hunted with the little .40 cal mountain rifle I built a few years ago. Still gotta go make that rotten egg smell occasionally.
Weather's supposed to start cooling off some...I plan on getting pretty serious about it from now on. I've already decided that the next deer I shoot with a bow will be with the little flatbow, cane arrow, and stone head. It might take a while, but that's just how it's gonna be!
How'd your thumb heal up Clint?
Dennis
Hey Mick,
That reminds me of a red fox I once saw. He was traveling into the wind coming across a hay field twards the corner of the woods where I was sitting 15 ft. up in a maple. He was just about to enter the woods and all of the sudden.......BANG! I swear I saw him turn inside out in his skin to change directions. Funniest thing I ever saw in the woods. As it turns out, it was the same very distinctivley pale fox that I missed three weeks earlier....3 times...@ 20 yrds. :rolleyes: :o
The Mickster
Dennis,
The finger finally healed up fine....took a while though. Wasn't my thumb, it was my trigger finger.
Stitches didn't hold, and neither did the tape they put on it after the stitches. Finally had to do it my way, and super glue it. Healed up fine now, just don't have much feeling back in it yet.
Clint..hope it wasn't a knapping accident :scared:
Nah, not a knapping accident, but a stupid one.
Using a pocketknife to try and loosen a screw on a dremel tool, the week before MOJAM. Let it slam shut on the end of my finger...I knew better, but I'd done it lots of times and got away with it. Not that time. 7 stitches to put it back together. As my granddad used to say..... that'll learn ya.