This morning I eased into a place I had found last weekend blackpowder hunting. I had seen 5 does last Saturday and 10 does Sunday. We can't kill does during our first blackpowder season so I had plenty time to watch and see what was going on. I told my good friend Gurnie about it and he said "well, you know where to set up on them now", and thats what I did.
I took my LW climber with me and setup right in the middle of white oak heaven. The ground was punched pretty good all around with sign and along with that there is one heck of a trail that runs right through the area. I got set and was in the tree by about 7:15am. I had a good feeling about the place after sitting there about an hour because I had never in my life seen so many squirrels and ground squirrels on the ground all around me. There was more fighting amongst neighbors there this morning over the acorns that it was almost comical. I've heard it said, "find the squirrels and the deer won't be far away". I guess it held true this morning.
About 10:30 my hands were about numb so there I stood with my hands in my pockets trying to warm them up when I heard that familiar little sound and right under came a little doe. If I had been ready I could have had a great shot on her, but being I was sitting there with my hands in the pockets, she got her free pass for the day. That was a good lesson for me as it put me on alert just in time.
About 30 minutes later here come 4 deer right over the ridge and they were heading right for me. They got about 40 yards from me and they busted up like someone had thrown a hand grenade in the middle of them. Two of them ran about 15 yards from the tree I was in and were under a little buck beech. They started moving and when the one got into a little opening I stopped them and had a quartering away away shot and it was tight and I ended up hitting it a little further back than I wanted.
I waited about 15 minutes and got down out of my stand and eased over and got my arrow and started looking for blood. I had a nice little trail and hadn't realized he had only went back up on the top of the ridge and bedded down. I ended up jumping him up, but I watched him bed back down down in the little swag. I backed out and waited a couple hours and went back and found him bedded down in the same place when I left. I eased down to where he was and thought he was dead but I saw him barely breathing and I eased down below him and put one through his heart. He jumped and went about 20ft and was done.
Only thing I wish I could change is that I would have taken a little more time and really tried to pick a spot when I shot him first. It was a tight spot, but I could have done better. I just need to get more experience and this one takes a the pressure off that I self apply.
Well, I ain't the best at telling stories so thats that.
(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6234/6270589588_959acd3a2b.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jroark75/6270589588/)
IMG_0893 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jroark75/6270589588/)
:thumbsup:
:thumbsup:
congrats
I think you do just find with the story telling. Congrats :thumbsup: :notworthy:
Good job Jeff. We all make mistakes and hopefully, learn from them. Glad it ended well.
congrats :thumbsup:
Congrats on Blooding that Howatt! Good story telling too. :clapper:
Congradulations. Hap
:thumbsup: congratulations!
Awesome the deer are falling now. :thumbsup:
Congratulations Jeff...Good job on the followup..Mike
You did a good job at telling your story! Congratulations on a fine doe and a good recovery!
Bernie Bjorklund
NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin
Congrats! Great story.
thanks guys. here is a short youtube video.
http://youtu.be/Yl1DOnv2aZI
Nice deer,and you did fine on the story,congrats! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Congrats!
Great recovery job! Congrats!
Good job sir! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
congrats from hinkle,ky you did weii
QuoteOriginally posted by kybownut:
congrats from hinkle,ky you did weii
Kybownut,
I'm over here on Redbird hunting in the RedBird WMA. Do you ever hunt over this way?
nice deer and good recovery job
there is more to the story than I told by the way and it has to do with my wife. She went back with me to get the deer and she got her first experience with anything in the mountains.
So, when we easing back in I was showing her the bloodtrail leading up the ridge and over. Well, when we was getting ready to just get to the top of the ridge I hear a dog barking. First thought through my mind was that it probably pushed my deer into the next state. But, it was coming right at us and I heard the deer coming right for us. I quickly nocked an arrow and told her to get down and you could see the excitement come over her face. Sure, enough that old dog pushed one within 25 yards of us, a little doe, and she got to see her first deer in the wild. After it passed she said "Jeff, I think there is one over behind us too!" We didn't see anything behind us and we watched the old dog go on by wailing at that little doe. If he would have been in range I had something other than a broadhead for him. Anyway, after all that, she was tore up. She said that all of us a sudden her heart started pounding and nearly beat out of her chest when the deer come on us. this was pretty interesting to me since this is someone who has no interest in the woods or hunting and just seeing a deer that close did that to her.
She didn't know it but she was in for a roller coaster of emotions on her first trip into the woods to get an animal. Like I said, when I found him he was barely breathing and I wanted to end it sooner for him. When I eased into position for the kill shot I told her to look away, she did but as soon as the arrow hit the deer she looked around to see the blood and the deer hit two trees and go down. Thats when the crying started. She said "oh my gosh, I just don't think I can handle this." I wnet over to her and explained that basically what she witness was just fight or flight and the deer was basically dead since he didn't even get up when I approached him. I told her that I did the most humane thing I could do at that point and that it completed the kill. She said that she had never seen an animal killed or lose its life and it was a shock to her. We sat down and I told her just to take in everything around her a bit and see all the beauty in it. Of all things, she says "you know, God made it like this, a bow and arrow was what he gave us to take food with. Its just like it says in the Lion King movie, it all part of the circle of life." I said yeah, it sure is, just like us and all the trees here and all the animals that live here. She then asked me how I felt, since I wasn't up celebrating like she has seen on TV shows. I told her that I just didn't feel that way and most of that is just for television. I had just taken an animals life and that I was quietly happy and thankful that I was able to take him and was looking forward to eating some tenderloins.
When we got down to the deer and I was getting ready to dress him out she said I don't think I can watch you do this but I am going to make myself. She sat there and was amazed rather than getting sick like she thought she would. She asked a hundred questions and I answered what I could while trying to do a good job dressing the deer out. After I was done she said she never realized what our not so distant ancestors had to do just to get food to feed themselves and their families.
In the end I think it gave a non hunter a greater appreciation for what hunting is and is not. I am proud of her for the way she handled a bunch of different emotions. She was definitely a trooper for me Saturday. Maybe I can get a bow in her hands soon!
Just wanted to share what really was just as important as the kill story to me.
Well told Jeff. Your wife is certainly made of the right stuff, good 'on her! :thumbsup:
Fine story and patience...
CONGRATES on the deer!!!
now she knows the real story and can make her case for hunting weather she hunts or not...my wife went through a lot of the same things years ago...she don't hunt but she's ready and willing to defend those of us that do.
Classic bow and deer on the ground. Doesn't get any better than that. Congrats. :thumbsup:
You da man Jeff! Them little ones is great eating, easy draggin, and harder to hit! Anyone can hit a big ol fat deer! Congratulations old buddy!