A beautiful miss!

[Cavscout9753]

I posted this over at PBS but thought I'd share here as well.


Thought I'd share todays excitement since I know some folks' season hasn't begun yet. For backround, this year my goal is 100% ground, and 100% longbow. At the end of the season I plan on chronicling my trials and errors with ground hunting, but thats a ways off still. I hunt Ft Benning, not my #1 choice, but it is what it is and there's a lot of game there. So far this year I have been out 3 times and today was my most eventful. For years my prized spot on post is a surprisingly old tract of hardwoods (most of benning is pulp pine and buck brush) containing white oaks, hickory, and I believe some cedar among others. Theres a large quarry and on the back side the woods drop down for about 200 meters to a creek. In the past I have scaled an old wooded tree stand whose owner has long since moved on. But the deer always pass closer down the hill by the creek just out of range. This year since Im ground hunting only I have the chance to get closer. I carry some pruning shears with me and a tripod stool. So I brushed in a small brush blind to break my silhouette down by the creek. To my front I look up the steep hill, to my left is dense woods full of heavy deer trails and to the right the back corner of a bedding field. To my back is the creek with steep banks on either side. Perfect. A hardwoods/bedding field transition and a natural funnel all in one. I snuck in this morning under the chilly cover of darkness and found my "blind" as I left it on opening day when a bad storm ruined my hunt. I got my ghillie suit on and my stool out. I could hear the acorns falling like rain for the first hour or so. About 0830 I turn slowly to my left and there they are. They came in like ghosts! A full bodied doe and what I assume were her two older fawns. No spots and good sized but clearly smaller than mom. My reaction time was nil and mom was out front. Now normally I wouldnt draw up on a doe with fawns but these ones were old enough that they were either not her fawns at all, or if they were they would be plenty fine with out her. It was clear they were heading somewhere and not foraging and were not going to stop. I raised my bow and tracked her as she walked hoping shed pause. Before she left my lane she slowed her walk to as slow as I figured she was going to go. I drew, anchored, picked a spot, and loosed. And she stopped. Haha. Arrow stuck in the hill right in front of her chest and she turned up the hill. Not panicked, not fleeing, but trotting off non the less. I chuckled to myself and crept over to retrieve my arrow. Sure, it was a miss, but I had 3 deer within 20 meters. So, the combination of location selection, scent control (to include wind), the small brush blind, and the ghillie was successful. Ive never been so happy to MISS a deer! An hour later a coyote passed behind me on the other side of the creek. Im confident I am unnoticed on the ground. I will only get better from here on out, but im still pleased. To be free from the trees and still be shooting at game is the culmination of a lot of research, trial and error, and doubts on my part. Sorry this wasn't a dead deer thread. Maybe next time!  

-Luke Walrod

[Wannabe1]

Doesn't matter that this isn't a dead deer thread! Great story and at least you are having some action and getting in the woods!      

[Possum Head]

Great story. Just to pull a draw off from the ground is an accomplishment. Especially with 3 sets of eyeballs lookin!

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Its always exciting to get them in close on the ground.

[Norminator]

Good going Luke

[nineworlds9]

The ground game works, keep at!  Great story  

[Cavscout9753]

Thank you all. I knew the ground game was "doable", just wasn't sure I was able to do it very well. I've learned so much this season and had some great opportunities. Now I know stands have pretty much the same opportunities, its just the mental block allowed me to mulligan a lot of aspects because "I would be up high". Not dogging stands, quite the opposite. Im dogging my way of cutting some corners using them. On the ground there is no exception to less than perfect performance. I've got some of the wind powder check stuff in the mail, that will help. As it is I just pull some fibers off my yarn puff string silencer or some burlap twine fibers from my ghillie, but I'll try this other stuff out. Thanks again all!

Keep after them and it will all work out!

Bisch

Keep after them and it will all work out!

Bisch

[Bernie B.]

That sounds like a great time in the woods!  You can tell by your excitement that you really enjoyed the hunt.  Good luck with your season!    

Bernie

[Stump73]

Makes me wanna get there and hunt, but I have a few more weekends to get things done before I head out.

[Bill Turner]

What a day. All the elements of a successful hunt without the kill. Sounds like you are hooked for sure. Look forward to reading your upcoming reports. Be safe and "Keep'Um Sharp".  

[SteveB]

The following is just how I feel for me:

A miss tears me up almost as much as a wound because I know how close it was to being one. Nothing that ever would make me smile.

[Cavscout9753]

SteveB, that's an interesting view on the situation and I can understand. Naturally a wounded animal is not a "smiling" matter, but the "what if" game is a deep rabbit hole and it was what it was, just a miss. An "aw shucks" moment coupled with the satisfaction that I had gotten a deer so close while on the ground. I could not agree with you more on the gravity of a wounded game animal but I can't wring my hands with guilt over every missed shot - I'd never muster the courage to pull the string back again in the woods. Abraham Lincoln said something to the effect that "we can lament the fact that the rose bush has thorns or rejoice that it has beatiful flowers", in that regard I'm doubly happy it was a clean miss over a poor hit. All the same, happy hunting.

[jonsimoneau]

Great story.  I've got no doubt you will connect the next time.  Good luck out there!

[hitman]

Some of my most memorial days ended with a miss. Just look to the heavens and thank God for the opportunity.

[panhandleokie]

A 19D should be able to get close without being seen. That's your job! Glad to hear of your success in finding a place on post. You seemed to be in a more positive mood from your earlier posts. Will be looking forward to seeing them in the future on your hunts. Get close and fooling them is just as good as a harvest!