I have this farm I've hunted for the last 10 years and for 5 years this doe with a slight limp in her back leg has blowen me out out of my stand no matter where I move it way to many time for me to remember. Yesterday morning I was late getting out so I just grabbed my ghillie suit and went to a trail and found a big oak tree and sat down. About 8:30 hear come the coyotes chaseing deer in the timber they came by heading west and I missed by inches as they came through and kind of figured my hunt was over. About 15 muintes latter hear comes ole limpy from the same way the youtes did but this time I was in the right spot. Now that it's over I've been thinking I will probally miss her but I'm sure she has a offspring out their to take over. This year she had no fawns or maybe the coyotes got them or she's just to old. I'm going to hunt their tomorrow and it will be different with out her.
I used my '64 Kodiak and a 125 Woodsman Broadhead.
(http://i945.photobucket.com/albums/ad298/doug7759/Doe12.jpg)
(http://i945.photobucket.com/albums/ad298/doug7759/Doe9.jpg)
It was just time. She's done her part.
Well done:::Good to see the old Bear bow in use :archer2:
Good job! To fool such a wise old girl takes some skill. Her daughters probably inherited her nack for spotting tree sitting humans. Good luck.
I've run into does like this one several times and I think they are probably the smartest animal in the woods. In terms of being hard to kill they require as much work....and maybe even more work....than a smart buck which can usually only be killed during the rut. These old gals are "on" all the time and they are amazing. A trophy any day.
Great story and quite the accomplishment.
I've got a similar guard doe at one of my hunting spots. She has even saved old bucks by blowing when the buck was approaching my stand. I got to wondering if my wife called her when I left the house.
Glad you appreciate her and congratulations.
Last year I was crossing paths with a Ma Doe and her twins repeatedly. After the last of the gunfire died off in December I saw them again - or at least a similar group - across the road. I was much relieved they had all made it. Funny thing the relationship we get with deer.
I was talking about deer at work and one of the women overheard and said "You're a hunter. I thought you hated deer".
No, I think the world of deer and respect them more than some people. Make that most people.
Doug, your relationship with this old girl hits home for me. We had an old matriarch doe on our family farm for years that would give us fits. She had a white patch on her left hip and is how we would recognize her. I finally killed her one year and had similar feelings although we were all glad she was gone. A more worthy foe you will not meet in an old doe as yours. A true trophy you should be proud of.
It does not require big antlers to be a worthy adversary. Congrats on the ol longnose.
Great job! Congrats on a fine deer.
An old doe is much harder to hunt then a love sick buck! Congrats
QuoteOriginally posted by Stumpkiller:
No, I think the world of deer and respect them more than some people. Make that most people.
Funny - I was thinking "what does he mean some people, more like most people" then I read the end of the sentence. :biglaugh:
Congratulations on the doe. I have one of those watchful ones behind my place as well. I watch her come out first from the thick stuff looking around and then the others follow. I just had to move one of my stands because of her but I don't say that with frustration, rather respect. She busted me early in the season in it and wasn't going to allow anyone near there again until I moved, so I did. We'll see if I can't catch up with her one of these days.
Getting a mature doe is a feat in itself. One of my goals for the season was to take a mature doe. I feel they are just as much on edge as a mature buck. Congrats!
Way to go Doug77!
Old does are cagey for sure and not easy by any stretch. They use the wind constantly to scent check and are very wary.
just my 2 cents
I think the dumbest deer in the woods are 1.5 yr old bucks during the rut. They have one thing on thier mind. They respond to calls with allmost total abandon sometimes.
Congrats, like others have said. Old does are almost impossible to kill. They have been looking out for themselves and their off spring for many years.
Enjoy your trophy.
Better for you that you got her and not the coyotes. Congrats on the trophy!!
Doug,double satisfation to outsmart that doe on the ground,with your trusted 64.It looks to be a killer! :clapper: :clapper:
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Man i can relate to your story, I am glad to see that many of us Trad hunters have these encounters with these wise ole gals! I have one big doe that I have seen for the 3 yrs I have hunted this area! She has 2 others does always with her but they are not yearlings! She has a real dark almost Black yew to her coat, no matter where I sit even when I am downwind she knows exactly where I am, on the ground, in a tree, she somehow knows, its uncanny! then she Blows like crazy,I have never seen a deer blow so much! LOL The 2 with her never appear to be alerted she lets them amble about while she stands back and watches, I have almost had shots at them but the minute you move a eyelash she lets out a snort and the way they go! I have seen this group about 6 times so far year and the results are the same! In comparision I have a real small spike buck that doesn't seem to care what the hell I do, he should hang out with her for an education! She is my challenge if I ever get a shot and take her I am sure I will have some mixed feelings about it, its almost as we know each other on a personal level!
Nice!
she's a big ol nanny
good story, i have a few does around the farm that are like that. They got to go but easier said than done.
I loved the story...
Very good story.
Awesome picture and story Doug!
Does like this seem to be everywhere. Kudos to you sir for harvesting a fine deer.
Nice bow too by the way!!!
Your post is a fitting tribute to her. I agree with SWP. Better your 'relationship' ends on this note than her being pulled down by Yotes and you forever wondering what happened to her.
Congrats on the accomplishment, especially on the ground in your Ghillie. :thumbsup:
Boy oh boy does this thread ever hit home for me.
I have had the same problem for 4 years on a property I hunt and this is the year im GOING to take a crack at her.
Im very happy for you that you got your "DETECTIVE DOE" as what mine has been dubbed.
I believe it will be a bitter sweet hunt.
Good deal right there. She sure looks like an old legend.
Congratulations on your ol doe.
Matriarch does are amazing. Once in a stand I watched as a group of 7 deer were coming down the run I was hunting. Two smaller doe were first followed by a 2 year old doe, then the matriacrh with 4 more deer (one a button buck) with her. She saw me move at 40 yards and stamped her feet. All the deer froze, then the two lead does started coming towards me again. They got to within 15 yards when the matriarch got really annoyed with them and sorta whistled, not a blow, and stamped her feet again more aggressively. The two lead does stopped, turned and walked back down the run to the other deer. When they passed the matriarch she sorta snorted and nudged them with her nose as they went by. Then she blew (as if to say ha ha) and they all took off. I never would have believed the level of communication and control these big old does command unless I would have seen this with my own eyes. A real lesson in whitetail behavior. Dave
Last year after deer season this doe limped to my dad's feeder behind his house. He feeds deer in an old hog trough style feeder so he and my mom can turn on the floodlight and watch deer from the supper table. Strange thing was she had the area dominant buck by her side like a shadow. He stayed with her every step through the winter. He seemed to know she was hurt. Maybe by a car.
We have not seen either one yet this year. But when you can ID deer in such a way as you have over the last few years it does get personal.
I trust you may have saved her from a death by the coyotes this winter. A memorable harvest for sure.
Congrats.
Good job Doug, I've had a couple of those too, one I took, the other retired somewhere. LOL
Just as satisfying as a good buck, but in a different way I guess.
i know what ya mean. ive been hunting this doe i call big fat mama. she has busted me every season at least a dozen times total. ive been as close as 10 ft from her and didnt hear her sneak up on me , but she knew.old gal blows me out for a hundred yrds or better.i just hang my head and laugh . oh by the way ive been hunting her for 3 yrs. rv
Nicely done :thumbsup: :clapper:
Congrats on bagging ol limpy!
Bisch
Way to go Doug, I really liked the story!
Congrats on beating an old adversary. I do understand your respect for her.
Congrats Doug!! That's a trophy right there!
Very nice sir.
,,,,Sam,,,,,
Congratulations on the fine trophy. One of the toughest deer that I ever tried to harvest was a three legged doe (leg shot off by a gun hunter). She had twins every year that I hunted her and they would circle around her as she traveled along. She seemed to be extra cautious because of her run in with the gun hunter. Tried for 5 years to get her, but never did. She just disappeared one year. I guess old age finally got her.
From the ground no less. She was probably looking for you up in your tree still. Good job buddy, save me a piece of jerky :thumbsup:
Nice story. I love reading these types of post. Nice work and good pics.
CK
An old doe can be one hard girl to take down. CONGRATS!
Nice job! Those old does can be tough. I have noticed in areas practicing QDM, the does get smarter, and the bucks (the little ones) get dumber.
I hear you brother! I have a doe that is the same way. She will come in and blow 30-40 times but just hang around and blow without running away feeding the entire time. It doesn't seem to bother the other deer though becouse they just come through like nothing is wrong!
Good for you Doug. On the ground with a stick bow, it don't get better than that.
Great kill. So much respect for the old does here.
Congratulations!!!
Now thats a trophy! If you can get an old and wise doe like that you know your doing something right.
...love hunting thoses old does....tough stuff there !!! Great Job !!!
Congrats on a fine looking Matriarch Doe. :clapper:
I'm very curious as to your setup on the ground! I have hunted more times on the ground this season than I have all my years of hunting combined. I have been using a ghillie suit. It is FUN! But I gotta say..it is tough...at least for me largely because of my inexperience in ground hunting. I have been able to fool plenty of bucks while in the ghillie, but on the ground...those big old matriarch does seem to pick me off every time...no matter what I do! Did you setup so that she would walk past you before you shoot? This is what I have been trying to do lately. Would love to hear the story.
Congrats! Great trophy :thumbsup:
That old girl is more of a trophy than many a young buck. Nice work Doug!
Kinda sad when its over, huh?
Well she is a true trophy for sure.
Congratation! Taking that wise old doe, on the ground no less, is quite an acomplishment.
It's kinda cool when you see the same one enough to develop a relationship with them.
Congrats!
Bisch
I got a big old doe one year off public ground, and at the time I was required to bring them to a check in station because they were doing a test/study for CWD. They aged the deer and said it was around 8-9 years old! I believe the only reason I got her was because she was being chased hard by a buck and I was quick enough on the draw when she happened to stop momentarily by my stand. I had similar old does that same week bust me from 75-100 yds away. They were really conditioned to spotting out of place abjects in trees. Very nice job getting that ol' matriarch sir.
Yes, those big old gals are tough. I'm just finishing Charlie Kroll's whitetail management book and he states that the old does will stop producing fawns and therefore are a habitat drain for the good of the herd and should be harvested. Of course, he didn't comment on how hard that is to do, especially with a bow!!!!
I echo all the comments above regarding the old girls. They've certainly been around the block. I tagged an nice old doe at our deer camp this year. She came through with two other does and two single fawns of theirs and this was after I had spent 5 hours in the stand (it was about 12:30 in the afternoon and I was on stand well before first light). I was in a triple truck oak tree and I had a large limb in front of me from the direction they had come from and my back was against a large limb too. She was on pins and needles and this was my first time in the stand, but we'd been hunting the area for about a week at that point. Roger Norris and one other guy in camp had seen this group running the property as well. It certainly feel satisfying to match wits with these deer and come back with a true trophy.
Congratulations on your accomplishment and thanks for the story. :thumbsup: :notworthy:
Thats great to be seeing her for that many years and finally harvest her with a stick and string. Its a lot like killing a old smart buck, good job.
Doug, thanks for your P.M. This year during the early season I had a doe come to me that was so big I thought for sure it had to be a buck. That and the fact she was alone. She got in range, but I was still convinced it just had to be a buck with no antlers for some reason? I frantically tried to figure it out with my binos, when a deer approached from downwind and blew the whole setup. I mean this doe is huge, and has no fawns with here.
Two night ago, I was in the same area about 300 yards from where I had the first encounter with her. I had not seen a single deer. Then just before dark I hear a lone deer approaching. I'm on the ground in a Ghillie suit. Assuming it had to be a buck coming since it was alone, I got ready. The deer stepped into view about 60 yards away, and I realized it was that same huge doe I had seen in October! Even in my Ghillie, and no exposed skin, and with good cover in front and behind me, she picked me off immediately! I'm heading out tonight to try to even the score!
Congrats on the doe, a deserving trophy for sure!!
Great story, however, I think now you should go out and shoot them coyotes!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hunted a whitetail doe in western Nebr that only had about 3 inches of her tail left. It was just as wide as normal, but really short. Made her look like a bit cottontail rabbit. I saw her in the same canyon for 3 years and she picked me off every time.
Congratulations and I understand your appreciation for a great critter.
Cool story!!! Congratulations on a hard earned trophy! Like so many others here I have had some epic battles with those big old matriarchs. Most of the time those old does just flat out have my number. I had two big old does come by me at 15 yards last weekend when I was in a natural ground blind. I had one tag left but it was good for any deer so I let them feed by me. It sure was tough to do. I will probably regret it as it has been several weeks since I have seen any kind of respectable buck but that is just the way it goes!