Why not?....
I haven't taken much opportunity to hunt deer for a few years, even though I live amongst them on my farm. I popped a nice treestand up in late October and went to it the morning of Sunday Nov 2. After a lot of deer activity...including a very nice buck which foxed me by circling downwind of my grunts...a nice coyote came trotting from the direction the buck disappeared. I don't normally worry with shooting them, but something triggered inside my head on this one. We've been seeing LOTS of 'yotes and having them in your yard is a little much. No mercy this time. I got the bow in hand and managed to hammer him as he walked by. Hit through mid-body, he spun and snarled loudly...biting at the arrow. I immediately hammered him again at 18 yards, whereupon he ran away to die. Funny thing...I don't really like to shoot things I don't eat or use, but this one didn't bother me. It all happened so fast I was rather surprised by the outcome. Although I don't have a picture of the dead coyote, this image was taken about 2 days earlier on my farm.
(http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g13/dillbilly/yotes.jpg) (http://s52.photobucket.com/user/dillbilly/media/yotes.jpg.html)
Next up were 5 deer...all antlerless that came in from my left. I passed the shots, though one or two looked really...what does Gene Wensel say?....juicy. I wanted to, but didn't. They moved off and in ten minutes a big deer shocked me by slipping in and jumping the fence no more than 15 yards away. In this case, the jump landed the deer on my side of the fence and walking right under me. Grab the bow again...this one's a shooter. I had little time to react but this really fantastic doe put herself at 10 yards broadside and started sniffing the ground. The arrow was on the mark and punched all the way into the dirt after passing through her ribs. She bounded out to 70 yards and stopped...stumbled...hesitated and suddenly dropped stone dead. I shot through the top of her heart and she never acted anything more than mildly puzzled about the event. Good girl, and I gave thanks for her life.
(http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g13/dillbilly/315.jpg) (http://s52.photobucket.com/user/dillbilly/media/315.jpg.html)
I didn't hunt in the evening...other things to get done.
Monday Nov 3....
I headed for my one-and-only stand just as dawn was arriving. I made a drag trail the final 200 yards and a good stand entry. Perfect morning. I was seeing deer as soon as I arrived, and guess I was up to around 10 sightings when a mature doe slipped across my hayfield and intercepted my drag trail. She then followed it directly to my stand and was undecided where to go from there. I was noncommittal on taking her until she turned and walked broadside in the clear at ten yards. I shot from a seated position and the hit was 2" forward of my intention. The heavy broadhead penetrated the back side of both shoulders and she wheeled away. Another 70 yard death run and she was down without leaving the field.
(http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g13/dillbilly/IMG_0805.jpg) (http://s52.photobucket.com/user/dillbilly/media/IMG_0805.jpg.html)
She wasn't quite as big as my previous doe, but was mature and in great condition. My venison supply is looking a lot better! I really did pinch myself over this run of good luck.
The morning was as perfect as I've ever witnessed for deer hunting, so I decided to get back in my stand. Earlier I had watched 7 deer go past and into a thicket. Several minutes after they disappeared I heard a loud and bossy grunt come from that same thicket. I responded with some active chase-grunts and then stuffed the tube. Nothing showed.
Many minutes later I heard a deer walking behind me and identified a good 8 point....had to be the thicket buck. I grunted at him and he almost immediately went 'fight' and began hooking brush and walking my way. He stopped and scraped, but then decided to hang back. Nothing I could do would get him all the way in, though I turned him around 3 more times. He slipped back behind me and I thought I could barely see him paralleling the brush line back in there. I suspected he might have a plan, and the thump of his hooves confirmed that a few minutes later when he jumped the old fence and was now 40 yards to my left. He immediately went to a scrape and worked it for 5 minutes. I just stood with bow in hand and waited for him to decide where he was going. His decision wasn't one I agreed with...he was headed away...and so I aggressively grunted at him. He turned 180 degrees and walked directly to my position. As he passed me around 12 yards out I took the mild quartering-away shot and watched my fletching disappear through his upper mid-body. The shot position didn't look all that impressive, but I knew he was mine to find. I've hit deer there before and none of them gave me any difficulty. He barreled straight ahead and over the hill into a weed field where he crashed and never got up. Pinch me again.
(http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g13/dillbilly/IMG_0812.jpg) (http://s52.photobucket.com/user/dillbilly/media/IMG_0812.jpg.html)
(http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g13/dillbilly/047.jpg) (http://s52.photobucket.com/user/dillbilly/media/047.jpg.html)
Pretty eventful couple of days. Four animals taken in two sits. All three deer tags filled. All three deer made it less than 100 yards and required no trailing. To top it off, I was hunting with a brand-new bow made by my friend Abe Penner and had not taken a game shot with it before this. No complaints.
(http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g13/dillbilly/063.jpg) (http://s52.photobucket.com/user/dillbilly/media/063.jpg.html)
....and there are still bucks roaming!
(http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g13/dillbilly/700JPG.jpg) (http://s52.photobucket.com/user/dillbilly/media/700JPG.jpg.html)
Awesome. Bad-A$$ couple hunts. Great shooting!
:thumbsup:
that is very impressive.... (colo we get 1 tag every 2 years!)
:scared: my goodness. I'm moving to Ohio. Awesome shooting. Congrats!!
All I can say is: Wow!! :notworthy:
Fantastic Kevin!
and here I am.. been hunting about 15 times and no meat on the ground other than a coyote.. lol.
Put some of that luck in an envelope and send it my way!
Congrats!
Dang son!!! I thought I had alot of meat to cut!
Great shooting, deer, story, and pics!!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Congrats! That is a great year :thumbsup:
WooHah!!! Thats some good hunting. Congrats.
Now that's something to write home about!!!!!
:clapper:
Nice :archer2:
Nice job Kevin.
That's good hunting !
Enjoy your rewards.
Holy moly! Congrats!
Awesome couple of days!
Congrats,
Bisch
Many congrats Kevin! :thumbsup:
Excellent!!
Great hunts, great shooting. Congrats to a fine PBSer, Kevin. Though I have shot three fox with my recurve over the years, I've only mmmmmissed at coyotes. I can't get them to slow down enough to get a decent shot off. They are becoming a real nuisance in my neck of the Iowa woods.
Nice shooting sir...
,,,Sam,,,,
Excellent season, congrats! :thumbsup:
What a season! I enjoyed your story and pictures! Congratulations!
Bernie
Outstanding, Kevin! I think that's what we call a "hot stand". :thumbsup: :archer:
That's just awesome
Congrats Way to get her done
That's my buddy! :)
Kevin, congrats
Is that the Tuktu?
Congrats brother....u were definatly in the hot spot!!
Nice shootin!! Congrats on puttin some serious meat in the freezer!!
Steve
Impressive work there Kevin! Beautiful deer.
Harry
Congratulations on the good shooting!
wow. impressive
Nice shooting Kevin but that first doe is surely one of the biggest I've seen..She must of had some Big boys chasing her?
gotta love it...congrates
Thanks guys. I don't usually post my hunts here, but had the time to do it today. I appreciate the comments and all, but I mainly consider myself just plain lucky. I guess someone had to shoot the bow, though...lol. Speaking of bow, this is my new Cari-bow Tuktu Ex takedown. I had it in Alaska for moose but never used it there. Five weeks after getting home I shot a few arrows to verify accuracy and then went hunting on my farm. The results speak for themselves...it's a phenomenal bow in terms of power and performance.
I like reading your stuff Kevin... wish you posted more of your hunt stories here! Congrats on the 3 beautiful deer, and yote! Great shooting!!
now that's getting it done , congrats
You had a wonderful couple of hunts!
-Jay
WOW what an amazing season! Congratulations.
Great Job! What a season!
Congrats! That is one heck of a year! :thumbsup:
Wow nice season! Congrats
Way to go Kev,
I'd rather be lucky than good I think your a bit of both. Probably more good! You should post more,of you hunts.
Very inspirational
Thanks for sharing
Tim
.
Congrats on a great season!
Congrats again Kevin. :clapper:
Nice work! Congrats.
Good for you Kevin. :thumbsup:
That's Great Kevin, Congratulations!!!
When you're hot..you're HOT!
Great stuff brother!
Congrats again Kevin!
Abe does build some great bows. I have a few myself. :bigsmyl:
Fantastic read! Thanks for sharing!
Super cool. You been busy. :thumbsup:
what a season...great.... congratz
Congrats, :thumbsup:
Here's a couple of bucks which use my farm. The images are screen shots taken from video. I was on my back deck when this was filmed.
(http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g13/dillbilly/2buck.jpg) (http://s52.photobucket.com/user/dillbilly/media/2buck.jpg.html)
(http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g13/dillbilly/2buck2.jpg) (http://s52.photobucket.com/user/dillbilly/media/2buck2.jpg.html)
And a bit of fun video of the action:
http://vimeo.com/109600467
Kevin, I was wondering if the buck you shot was one from the video. Is that him? comparing the pics, I would say No and that you may have 2 studs still tormenting does and shrubs,.
Fantastic stuff Brother! Beautiful bow!
I hope that bush was of the invasive species type cause I am sure there was nothing left of it!!! So very cool to watch, No wonder their necks get so big!
Ha! I bet the big guy thrashing the bush is thinking.."I double dog dare you to cross this fence"! :)
I liked the story when I read it on the PBS site, and I like it here!!
Nice couple days "work" Kevin.
David
haha he is tearing the bush up! Awesome vid!
Congrats Kevin, well done bud
Way to Go, Kev!
:bigsmyl: :bigsmyl: :bigsmyl: :bigsmyl:
Great deer! What county?
Wow, very nice!!
So let me get this straight Kevin, you did all this without foodplots, 50 different stand locations, baitpiles, trail cameras,...and I can count the number of days without taking my other mitten off?? Something wrong with you ;) Big hunters and hunting industry giants are not gonna be happy
Me? I think it's great! Way to go Bro, definitely cool on a multitude of levels.
Tad...that's a very much appreciated comment. Thank you.
I'm probably hard to figure. I like stickbows, but have nothing against wheels at all. I like old wool and modern new synthetics. I killed with cedar for 20+ years and now I use Beman's best. Trail cameras are for fun only, and not for actively scouting deer. Feeders are for photographing animals...not for luring in to kill. I hunt when I feel like it and don't when I don't. My atv is a Kubota tractor. I don't food plot, unless you consider that deer eat off my farm and landscape 24-7-365. I consider deer to be part-time cool and full-time varmints with the damage they do here. If they didn't taste so darn good I probably would have no use for them at all. Their antlers are favorite chews for my two drahthaars. I guess life is pretty good out here in the hills.
This guy roamed my hills and hollows. I figured I owed him a last look at his home before welcoming him into mine.
(http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g13/dillbilly/IMG_0816.jpg) (http://s52.photobucket.com/user/dillbilly/media/IMG_0816.jpg.html)
You're welcome Kevin. Sounds like we have a lot in common, ('cept I'm partial to blue heelers and putin' antlers on the wall, ha.),maybe our paths will cross someday.
Last pic and caption, along with all your writing is really special. Thanks
I like Weimeraners and John Deere. But I happily use my buddys Kubota to get my deer out on his farm.
I've still got an Ohio "varmint" tag in my pocket if ya need some of them eliminated. Lol
Enjoy the run of good luck! Congrats and good shooting. Joe
Very nice. Thanks for sharing.
Congratulations Kevin!
You have a perceptive that comes with time and an appreciation for your environment. Well done and very nicely written.
Abe
Too awesome. It's always amazing to see what they do in their natural habitat when they think no one is looking.