Trad Gang
Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: Gatekeeper on November 06, 2009, 01:23:00 PM
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Still riding on the high of my success from the day before see http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=080319 I find myself sitting in the predawn darkness at a local urban park. I and a few other Trad Gang members were lucky enough to be drawn to hunt Tiffany Springs Park in the northern part of Kansas City, Missouri’s city limits.
I am up early and gunning the Ford Ranger south to my intended destination. Upon arrival, the first order of business, text Chris to see if he has started his voyage “Right behind you” he replies. At 05:45 I was in my stand and the wait was on.
This park is an 800 acre multi use park. Lots of overgrown fields, creek bottoms, junk timber, hardwood timber and a few old quarry pits. Of course being a multi use park there are also soccer and baseball fields within the boundaries along with hiking, biking and horseback riding trails. Prior to the hunt we, the hunters, learn that there are approximately 80 deer per square mile and our job, the 35 hunters drawn for the hunt, is to thin the deer out.
The spot I pick is a SE facing oak laden ridge with multiple, multi trunk trees growing in the area. The tree I picked is a four trunk oak at the bottom of the ridge. There is a shallow draw that runs N/S in front of my stand and a nice rub line to the south of my tree. Further down from my stand to the south is an old field with a lot of small closely spaces saplings growing in it. Ron Brown, another Trag Gang member in this hunt told me that he hunted this same ridge two years ago and the does will file one by one off the ridge and down the draw to the saplings trying to escape from the advancing bucks.
At 6:15 the first deer arrives. Like Ron claimed, a buck came off the north ridge and followed the draw down where he stopped near my tree and then proceeded east. Perfect, I went undetected! But, I would soon find out that this would not last. The day continued with several sightings but no close (within shooting range) encounters. Around, 09:00 a poor excuse for a forky appeared at the top of the ridge to my NE with a north wind, he had no idea that I was around. He moseyed around on the ridge for a while and then decided to bed down and take a nap. Ha how cool! I got to watch him for 1.5 hours as he slept.
The hours ticked away and deer came and went but again no shot opportunities were made available. From my 16’ high seat I had a great view of my surroundings. I could see deer filtering through the lower scrub brush and deer appearing and disappearing occasionally on the north ridge. On a few occasions there were deer that came down into the draw but every time (usually from a doe) I was busted. The doe would get close to shooting distance, stop and look right at me and then slip back into the surrounding cover. Quote from Brian “these deer look up” he’s right they do.
2:45 a single fawn moves through the scrub brush to my east. I watch her for 30 minutes as she meanders about foraging. To her south is another doe that’s been bedded down for two hours. The fawn begins to work her way in my direction and her path will put her to the NE and up wind of me. "My wife is not going to like this" I think to myself. 3:15 the fawn has finally arrived but she, like every other doe, looked right at me as she made her approach in but her inexperience will prove to be her demise.
Slowly and cautiously she commits herself to one of my shooting lanes. I draw my bow and realize that my bow limb might smack the tree to my left during the release. Poor time to figure this out. I let down, reposition and draw again but the fawn has continued moving to the NW and now there is a bigger chance of smacking the tree with a bow limb…nope I’m not going to chance it. Determined to make this shot I repositioned once more and lean out on the opposite side of the problem trunk draw the bow to confirmed my clearance, let down, looked at the fawn and drew again. Staring at her chest I hit anchor and release. Smack down she falls. Another deer for the freezer and one less at Tiffany Springs.
(http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc168/Gatekeeper100/2009%20Deer/DSCN3839.jpg)
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Tender Vittles. Nice shooting Tom. Glad You and Brian are getting some shooting in.
That might become Your lucky hat. LOL
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Congradulations. Hap
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Holy Crap Gatekeeper! Again!
I gotta get one of those hats! :goldtooth:
Congrats
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NICE!!!!
Way to go. :thumbsup:
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Congratulations Tom! thanks for taking us along
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You the man!!!!!!!! congrats Tom!!! :)
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Congrats again Tom!
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Man Tom you are on a roll!! Congrats!!
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Happy for ya!
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Almost time to buy another freezer! Congrats.
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All right Tom! How many deer can each of you take at Tiffany springs?It won't be long before you and Brian will have to take a day off to rest your shooting arms! Ben
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You guys are doin a number on em for sure. I bet the deer will be very relieved when your hunt ends!
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Originally posted by ksbowman:
All right Tom! How many deer can each of you take at Tiffany springs?It won't be long before you and Brian will have to take a day off to rest your shooting arms! Ben
Doe tags are endless. Well...we have to stop hunting them in Tiffany Springs Park after the 22nd but our season ends 1-15-10. We get one buck before 11-14 and one after.
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Congrats again :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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Gotta Love it!!!!!!!...Hammer down sir!!!!!!! :jumper: :jumper: :jumper:
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I think you're getting this figured out bud! Congratulations.
More? :thumbsup:
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Way to end a dry spell!
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Awesome! That's gonna be some good eating!!!
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Originally posted by Charlie Lamb:
I think you're getting this figured out bud! Congratulations.
More? :thumbsup:
Working on it but the weather isn't playing nice. I blame Al Gore.
Chris saw a big'un this morning but nothing would stop him. No chasing going on either.
Saw a doe and a button buck tonight and I would have had a chance at her if I could have setup in the tree I wanted. The trunk was too big around and my step straps weren't long enough...story of my life.
When she was up wind of me I could smell her. That time must be getting close. I may take rope in with me tomorrow to length my step straps and sit the tree I really want to be in.
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Congrats looks like a great week for you. :bigsmyl:
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Congrats :thumbsup:
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Congrats!
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Way to go wild man :D - wish I could have been there with the pinz to take you to your spot ;) .
I got a mule doe like that in Alberta once because the rest of her body was in the brush. I just drew and hit her in the ham - she went about 75 yards and piled up - not even a cup of blood left in her.
It's not a bad shot with a bow although I try always to take the vitals. We also recovered a nice bear once that was shot in the ham from above from a tree stand and the arrow deflected and went there. He made 3 beds and finally packed it in.
Jer Bear