This evening the plan was to put some much needed boot on the ground time in. I decided to go scout and semi-still hunt an area that last year was loaded with acorns and deer. I got to the area I wanted to scout out and after about 10 minutes I found a nicely worn trail on a bench just under the top of the ridge. I decided to just ease along the trail and follow it out to the end of the point and just sort of take my time and observe. I was slowly creeping along the trail when about 60 yards through the timber I saw a small deer easing down and away from me. It didn't act alarmed as if it had seen, heard or smelled me. I stopped and watched and it slowly eased down on to an old logging road that had a tangle of briars on it. I saw it stop in the middle of the briars and I tried to keep an eye on it. I'd lose sight of it at times and then I'd see a little flicker of its tail or it turn its head and it was standing right in the middle of the briars. I watched for about 10-15 minutes and decided to try to stalk up on it. I slowly, super slowly, creeped my way down to around 20 yards or so of the briar patch and I kept looking and couldn't see the deer anymore. I took one little step and snapped the tiniest of twigs and all of a sudden I seen its head move and look my way. It had bedded down just on the other side of the briar patch up on the bank next to an old stump that was under a little buck beech. I couldn't tell much about it at that stage as it was still bedded down. I could tell its head was small so I was thinking a young deer and I was right. I decided to just wait right there until it stood and I was going to take it. Thats when the plan changed. After standing there a few minutes just watching it and never making a move, its started moving its head looking back up the hill from it. That when all of a sudden a huge doe comes around the ridge and right down between me and the bedded deer and stopped. It stood there a minute and then made 3 or 4 really quiet grunts and all of a sudden that little deer jumped and ran up to it and started bumping the heck out of old gal. Its little tail was stuck straight up and was wagging all over the place. It jumped and played around her and would stop and suck 3 or 4 times before she decided to move a bit. I was going to take the big doe, but I simply couldn't bring myself to do it after seeing the little one suck and how happy it was when the old girl came into us.
I managed to get some practice in control in tight situations. I ended up drawing on the old doe twice. The old doe finally worked herself down wind of me after she had already been shot twice and never knew I was standing there. Once she got down wind of me she jumped and snorted but didn't leave. She dropped down on the flat below me and the young deer who hadn't made a move after she started making all kinds of heck. It stood there about 15 yards broadside looking down hill at her and I slowly raised my bow and drawed on it too. After I let down I tried to creep even closer to it while she was throwing a fit below us. It finally caught me moving as I got tangled in some of the briars. They both took off like bullets after that.
After they bolted I looked around and there was loads of sign everywhere. I didn't get to finish my scouting out but I wouldn't have traded that experience for any other I have had my entire time bowhunting. It felt better than killing my first buck and coyote. Knowing I did a real spot and stalk in these rugged hills and got to draw 3 times before being totally busted along with the show I got watching the little one suck just takes the cake at this point.
So hopefully I'll get my chance at an old childless gal soon. Just wanted to share how an old roughneck broke soft.
It is a decision we make individually. It appears you made the right one for you. God Bless
Way to go. You will get another chance. You don't always have to kill somthing that you sucesfuly hunted.
Catch and release bowhunting. I've done it several times and love it as much as making a kill. IMO you had GREAT evening.
:bigsmyl: :thumbsup: :clapper:
Thatl pay off big...
Great hunt, enjoyed the story!
Counting Coup. I've had some very memorable hunts where that was the result I chose...
We find satisfaction in indulging our primal instincts through the hunt. We can also find satisfaction in inversely rediscovering that which makes us human. Good call.
I like it!
Great story!
I understand totally the place you were coming from.
Almost all who have had those types of encounters will doff their hat to you in respect as well.
God bless,Mudd
It's the journey. Moments like that are a success no matter how you slice it. Great post.
Jeff that sounds awsome. I would be shaking so bad I couldn't stand up. You don't well my friend.
Great story. Probably would have did the same.
:clapper: :clapper:
Jeff, that was a fun read. Thanks for sharing a great time in the woods with us!
I would of done the same cause I've been there in situations like that...You were just getting a heart check to see what type of man you really are and it looks like a good one :thumbsup:
:clapper:
I don't see you as being soft, having a heart is a good thing. Obviously you can hunt and did something that gave you a lot of confidence.
There'll be a next time...
Thanks men! For those of you that have been that up close and personal and get to see that in the wild know exactly what I speak of. I got to hear the old doe talk to her child in soft little grunts telling it that it was dinner time. If I would have killed one of them I might as well had started shouting and fist pumping saying "I smoked that monster mature doe." It would have been as meaningless as all the canned hunt TV shows.
On another note about this hunt. Straight to the point, Terry Green is right. I had Brown pants on that I bought at the Flea Market, the same ones I was wearing when I killed my deer, and a long sleeve spring green predator T-shirt along with my old bush hat on. They couldn't see me. Looked right at me countless times and never even acknowledged I was standing there. That brown pant and spring green predator is a mean combo.
That's a great day of real hunting. Congratulations on one heck of a great experience. Thanks for taking us along and telling us about it.
Great story, Thanks for sharing it with us. That's the first time I heard that expression, " broke soft ". I like it and hope to use it sometime.
Well done on the stalk BTW. :thumbsup:
Cool, what a great outing.
I do not take does with little ones. Years ago when I was still a kid, I shot a doe on opening morning that had a fawn with her. That evening I hunted the same stand and the baby was back calling for her. It was the saddest thing and I swore I would never take another doe with fawn.
It is a great feeling to know that you could have done it. It means you won the game even though you did not actually take the shot. Seeing a deer interact with a playful youngster is truly a refreshing sight. Sometimes, being tender hearted is exactly the right thing to do, and it seems this was one of those times.