And it worked. I'm sure many of you have experienced that OH SO SMART DOE. Well she won't be looking up anymore! Going to bed. I'm exhausted. More tomorrow.
Joe
:thumbsup: :campfire:
:campfire:
:coffee: :coffee: :biglaugh:
My PLAN....try and out smart a wise doe that for some reason had our hang-on stand pegged. Last Saturday morning I hunted the hang-on and she busted me. The wind was fine, I wasn't moving and it was still low light. On Monday night my son hunted the same stand and had a button buck walk by then a few minutes later a young doe calmly fed on acorns in front of him. With 15 mins of shooting light the adult doe came in, head up staring at him 15 ft up in a tree with good cover. After about 5 mins of her stare down and front hoof stomps he heard a crunch to his left. It was a heavy 9 pt. He never offered a shot nor did he stick around though because of HER. :banghead: Hmmm, time to bring out the climber and change things up!
:campfire: :coffee:
Yep, I use ladder stands a lot and move them sometimes every day to keep the old does from patterning me.
It works well!
Mike
I had a perfect wind for my stand and was up the tree ready with 2 hrs of hunting time left. I'm now setup 40 yards West of the hang-on stand. I'm hoping the deer will come from North/East. The stage was set now I just needed the deer to follow the script.
The wind switched from South to East and died to just a slight breeze. I watched a group of 8 turkey sneek through the timber and fly up to roost and was thinking that this night just felt perfect. That's when I heard some twigs break and the sound of more than one deer walking my way. They were following the script perfectly. First to show themselves were two young does. They were nice and calm and working their way toward me. They were within 20 yards when the third deer showed herself. A bigger doe, more cautious than the others. She was keeping her attention focused in the direction of the hang-on stand (my decoy tonight). The others had crossed 10 yards in front of me and SHE was taking up their trail. ;)
She stepped into an opening at 12 yards. I drew back and dropped the string. It was now around 7:15pm and low light in the woods. I heard the arrow hit its mark and she bolted. I lost sight of her but was able to hear her running back in the direction she had come from.
(http://i1241.photobucket.com/albums/gg520/Joeabowhunter/13bldtrail2_zpsc5d57741.jpg) (http://s1241.photobucket.com/user/Joeabowhunter/media/13bldtrail2_zpsc5d57741.jpg.html)
I climbed down after 20 minutes and checked the arrow. I wasn't too thrilled with the sign. It smelled fine but it wasn't soaked in the bright red lung blood I hoped to find. The blood trail started within 10 yards of the shot though and was pretty easy to follow. Some nice bright red blood but also some darker. This was the first blood I found. Pictures are from this morning...I was too excited to remember to take em last night.
(http://i1241.photobucket.com/albums/gg520/Joeabowhunter/13bldtrail3_zpsc1cec137.jpg) (http://s1241.photobucket.com/user/Joeabowhunter/media/13bldtrail3_zpsc1cec137.jpg.html)
The blood trail looked pretty much like this for about 50 yards.
(http://i1241.photobucket.com/albums/gg520/Joeabowhunter/2013doebloodtrail1_zpsb5e0e6d8.jpg) (http://s1241.photobucket.com/user/Joeabowhunter/media/2013doebloodtrail1_zpsb5e0e6d8.jpg.html)
She lay right where I last heard her. This picture is how I found her last night. You can see the exit wound. The shot was back of one lung and liver. After I got her cleaned I began the long drag out.
I'm very thankful.
(http://i1241.photobucket.com/albums/gg520/Joeabowhunter/2013doe_zpsca65f316.jpg) (http://s1241.photobucket.com/user/Joeabowhunter/media/2013doe_zpsca65f316.jpg.html)
:campfire:
Way to outsmart her, Joe! Now y'll can get after that heavy 9!
Congrats,
Bisch
QuoteOriginally posted by Bisch:
Way to outsmart her, Joe! Now y'll can get after that heavy 9!
Congrats,
Bisch
Thanks Bisch and yep the big 9 is now my focus...or any buck that rings my "shoot" bell for that matter.
Way to go, Joe! Congrats!
good eating there..congrats sir!
Congrats! :thumbsup:
Nice shooting Joe! I did something similar a couple years ago to get an old nanny that cost me 2 different bruisers. Ding dong the witch is dead :archer2:
Good luck on that 9. You just took away his last line of defense. He will be in there with some younger does that don't know what time it is :)
Very nice - you know they are getting old when they have warts on their elbows. She look like a heavy one.
I appreciate all the kind words fellas. I should add we think we know why the hang-on stand was busted.... This is a lease property that goes up for raffle each year. I found a screw in bow holder in the tree just overhead. By coincidence it looks like I happened to setup in the same tree that had been hunted last year. I plan to move the stand into the tree I used the climber in.
Joe
Those big old does are a true trophy congrats! :thumbsup:
congrats
:clapper: :clapper:
Congratulations on a great doe! You used good hunting sense in moving to a new location to out smart her. Good for you!
Bernie Bjorklund
NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin