Dad's Wisconsin Doe

JJB · October 04, 2014, 10:05:00 PM

Wannabe1 · October 04, 2014, 10:06:00 PM

Here we go!

Bernie B. · October 04, 2014, 10:17:00 PM

The wind has been howling the last few days in Wisconsin, and luckily our property has a long ridge that would work nicely with the NW wind. My son Jay (JJB) found a great looking tree that neither one of us had hunted yet, so after sorting out my stand choices, I felt this would be a perfect chance to use the new stand.

After arriving and settling into my stand, I looked over my shoulder and watched the first arrivals at 7:35 am. This looked like it could get interesting....a doe, a forkhorn, a six point, and a basket-racked eight point. A nice start to a mornings hunt!

Gen273 · October 04, 2014, 10:21:00 PM

Looking good

Bernie B. · October 04, 2014, 10:28:00 PM

During the next half an hour a number of other deer entertained me ,but I was going to hold out for a good shot at a doe if one presented the right shot. At 8:05 I looked over my left shoulder and a mature doe was watching me from about ten yards away. Rats! Obviously, some movement from me had caught her attention. I figured this isn't going anywhere and continued to not have eye contact with her.

Eventually she went back to feeding and wasn't concerned with the "blob" in the tree anymore.

For this hunt I was carrying a '69 Bear Super Kodiak that Jay gave to me for Father's Day a couple of years ago. What a nice bow! I was hoping that I could deliver with it!

Bernie B. · October 04, 2014, 10:33:00 PM

As the doe continued feeding, she slowly fed away from me and stopped broadside at fourteen yards on the trail I walked in on. I mentally burned a whole in her while aiming and let the string drop.

Yes, the shot looked great! She crashed away and frantically headed at an angle down the slope. I replayed the shot sequence over and over and patiently waited my thirty minute limit before climbing down and checking for blood.

JJB · October 04, 2014, 10:41:00 PM

The shot was a good one Dad, congratulations on your doe!

dhermon85 · October 04, 2014, 10:43:00 PM

Congrats ! Looks like a great shot

Gen273 · October 04, 2014, 10:52:00 PM

Congrats, that is great!

Bernie B. · October 04, 2014, 10:55:00 PM

My arrow was completely covered with blood and showed air bubbles of a lung shot. Unfortunately, as fast as she ran off I knew the blood trail could be sporadic for awhile. I carefully worked out the trail but after about sixty yards it petered out. Oh no!

At this point I felt I needed to back out and bring in the reinforcements. A cup of coffee would taste good while my wife Jena got ready for the hopeful retrieve.

We drove the Gator up on top of the ridge to save a long hike uphill. Before long we were at the last toilet paper marking. Jena started looking for scuff marks in the leaves and scanning the timber ahead of us. I decided to look at angles from the last blood to see if the doe had changed directions on us.

Whip · October 04, 2014, 11:09:00 PM

Nice one Bernie, and what a perfect shot!
Congratulations!

Bernie B. · October 04, 2014, 11:11:00 PM

Within five minutes my wife whistled to me from about fifty yards away. At the same time I picked up fresh blood at a ninety degree angle from the last drops. Jena whistled again and I asked what she was seeing! "Your deer" she yelled back! Wow! What a relief!

Unless you actually see "your" deer go down or hear the deer crash you always have a sense of concern and worry. Bringing the hunt to a conclusion is a tremendous feeling. It helps to have a good tracking partner too!

In addition to the Super Kodiak I was shooting Easton 2018's tipped with Bear four blade Razorheads.

Bernie

joe ashton · October 04, 2014, 11:14:00 PM

Fire up the BBQ

elknutz · October 04, 2014, 11:26:00 PM

Real nice!

CoachBGriff · October 04, 2014, 11:39:00 PM

What a great picture to begin a story!

Congratulations! It is a great feeling to conclude a hunt knowing that you did things right!

Nice work.

Tsalt · October 04, 2014, 11:52:00 PM

Looks like a perfect shot! Congrats!!

October 05, 2014, 12:15:00 AM

Awesome!

Congrats,

Bisch

longbow fanatic 1 · October 05, 2014, 08:09:00 AM

Congrats! Beautiful doe.

JMG · October 05, 2014, 08:12:00 AM

Congrats to your father!!

tracker1 · October 05, 2014, 08:44:00 AM

It doesn't get any better than that a perfect shot and a wife that likes to blood trail deer. My wife likes to track also and I call her the Indian tracker.