I recently got permission to thin the herd of does from a local farmer. Rare in Michigan these days. He is having a real problem this year, so he had a weak moment!
He didn't tell me his deer were very educated!
My first two sits, the deer were headed to a hay field to feast and when they got about 100 yds from the field, some would start "hunting" for hunters. In particular, one doe "hunted" me down twice, and in different trees!
Last night I made a drastic change. I got unusually high up, for me, and build a little canopy of leafy branches to break up my outline with a good wind direction.
She covered the 80 or so yards in about a half hour, scouring each tree and watching every careful step she took, head constantly in the air checking the wind. I truly I wish I had this on video. It is crazy how wary she acted.
A small buck came in just as she was approaching my range and spooked her off.
She ended up coming back and was a little less careful when she got a shaft 12 yds from my tree through the lungs.
I think I put a stop to that just before the fawn knew what she was up to!
Many years ago, when people really started hunting more from trees, I heard of deer really looking up, but I never really witnessed it unless there were other circumstances like a noise or scent they caught...but this was out of control. I almost jumped up and down with excitement!
To me, this was a bigger trouphy than 90% of my bucks!
I have done the same thing before, It gets to be a huge game of cat and mouse. fun stuff for sure. CONGRATULATIONS!
Chuck
Good job. We have a ton of those hags on the farm we hunt too. We celebrate everyone that goes down.
Congratulations! Those big old does are hard to get these days. I shot two older ones this year. The second one blood hounded my scent away treated rubber boots to my tree. I don't know what she was smelling, but she picked up something. Maybe just dirt from the wrong part of the farm. I think they are that smart sometimes. I also had some extra branches around and under me so she didn't pick me off. I had 5 deer come in with her. She was the last one in and spooked off my tracks. She came back in while all the others including two at lest two year old does stood under me all the while without a worry. After about 20 minutes I finally got her back in and quartering away for a shot. I was very happy to take out such a crafty old girl. I had one other just as old as her do about the same thing opening day, but I didn't get a shot. She never saw me and the wind was right. She just got totally wired being close to me. Those old does have an extra sense or something.
"hags"...so funny. There are a few more crafty ones, but I haven't seen any others this smart! 2 does down with the longbow, 3 to go.
A true trophy. Congrats!
Great job. That took lots of preparation to pull off and that is what makes the success so rewarding. A trophy indeed!
Yep taking a 5+ year old doe is as hard if not harder then shooting a big buck. The does have a job too do and the older they get the more protective they are of the family group. Around feeders I've seen them come in with the group and stop and watch the trees while the younger ones go eat. If anything moves, they blow and away everyone goes.
Congrats on a true trophy!!
Mike
matt congrats! yeah those old breeder does have a sixth sense, I've been hunting one for 3 years that has busted me, ducked arrows or just plain outsmarted me lots of times and i'm not the only one..but 2 weeks ago she finally made a mistake and neighbor got her, was believed to be over 6 years old and dressed at 142#..a mac truck of a doe!
Good for you. I got one earlier this year who belly got the best of her brain. she spooked the first time I drew on her but came back for acorns. 5 1/2 yr old dried up doe.
I should start aging the does I shoot. I guess it would be interesting. I have shot a lot bigger ones than this one, but never smarter. 142# doe is a very large doe Drew! I think I have only ever shot 1 about that big. Luckily it was winter with snow and I sledded her out.
I bought a deer cart a few years ago, works great on farm type areas or areas with some fields. 5 1/2 year old doe is getting up there.
I have so much fun with the longbow that every deer is now a trophy.
I noticed that at 25 yds in lower light conditions, I have to start passing on deer because I really cannot pick a spot and just see a dark form. I think I will open a post to see what other people do for this instinctively.
Congrats. It sounds like it was a fun hunt.
Thanks for sharing.
Paul