I spend all summer waiting on deer season. Im always out shooting, making arrows, going to traditional shoots, spending time with others that think like me, walking the deer woods (Scouting) putting up stands and so on.
Today is Oct 1st and deer season is upon us Hoosiers. The waiting game has ended and re started for me.
I'll explain. Today my wife took off work early. I walked her to her stand and begain stalking the woods.
Within 15 minutes I stalked up on a red squirrel that was feeding on the ground. He would not move and kept milling around on the ground. It was like he was saying "shoot me Shoot me" I took out a field tip and let one fly. The arrow glanced off his back and the squacker took off and ran up a tree and carried on something awful. I gathered up my arrow and continued on my way.
Over the past week I had been seeing a few does feeding in a soybean field right at dark. The particular soybean field was planted late and the leaves are nice and green. This is some prime source for the deer.
I decided I was going to stalk around and wanted to end up at the edge of a soybean field sometime before sunset.
I found myself set up next to a large red oak tree on the edge of this soybean field. I sat there and about an hour went by and the wind started dying down. I started hearing some movement to the East of me. This was bad because the wind was coming from the West. I listened to the footsteps for a while then I heard atwig snap to the West of me. This is good because I was down wind.
I started looking through the thicket and saw some movement. I focused on the movement and made out the outline of a deer. The deer was moving toward me. I was thinking Oh Ya one of these does is gonna give me a shot. This is great its only the 1st day of season. As the deer got closer it was moving toward an opening in the woods. (One of my shoting lanes I had picked out)
Once the deer steped into the opening I only had a moment to make the shot of the deer would be in a non shootable area (Another thicket)
The deer stepped into the opening and I realized it was a very nice mature buck.
I looked at the rack and decided it was not a certain buck and I was gonna take him. I picked a spot pulled back and let it fly.
I mentioned a certain buck. Let me explain. There is a very nice buck in this woods. We have been watching him since last season. This deer will probably score in the 150's.
My wife and I decided not to shoot this mature deer. Some of you are asking why would they not shoot that deer. The folks on here that have children that hunt understand why we will not shoot that buck. Heres why. We have a 10yr old son that is an avid hunter. We are going to let him hunt that deer.
OK, back to my hunting story. The arrow flew well and hit a little to the left. The arrow went in, I saw blood and the deer ran off.
I wathced the deer run about 40 to 50 yards and stop. I was waiting for him to fall. He started walking away from me at a very slow rate. Everytime he put his left front hoof down he would stumble.
He walked behind a large red oak and then disappeared. I waited for about 30 minutes. I recovered my arrow. It had some nice deep red blood all over the broadhead and about 6 to 7 inched up the shaft.
I walked to the last location I seen him. I looked around and found some blood (Small amount) I did not see the deer in the immediate area.
I backed out and went to meet my wife.
She wanted to go and track it but I felt I needed to go home and take up the track at forst light.
So, The waiting game ended today but begain again for me. I do not believe I will get a wink of sleep tonight.
TO BE CONTINUED: (Hopefully with Pics)
Good luck.Hope to see some picks. :pray:
Good luck on finding him!
Good luck! Looking forward to the rest of the story!
Hey Jeff, Sorry I missed your call. I got the message but you can see what I was doing when you called.
Good luck, mate!
Jim,
Good luck. Let us know what happened.
John
Jo, a friend of mine came over this morning. We went to the woods and hunted for a little while then started looking. We spent a fair amount of time looking but no luck.
Im trying to get my evening shift covered so I can go out and look some more. I have about 3 friends that are goin to help look.
I found some blood at the site of the shot but no more blood after that. Im STUMPED???