That last hunt

[Ulysseys]

Final hunts of the season always stick with me.  What a brutal year it's been trying to get time in the woods, work has had me extraordinary busy.  Well tonight I got out in the afternoon after planning on this day for the past week.  Post blizzard in NJ I found a great deer trail in a new area on public land.  I settled in around 1 pm and watched a slew of cardinals picking away at bark and holly, the birds as bright as the berries themselves.  At 5 I caught movement to my left and saw a huge doe standing on the trail I was hunting.  She browsed in that spot for a bit before inching her way in my direction.  As I set up for the shot I saw a second deer, then a third, followed by a fourth and fifth, who were being trailed by the sixth, to the dismay of the straggling seventh.  Seven deer, seven sets of eyes heading past me just like that.  They stopped again and I got to witness some awesome deer behavior.  One yearling seemed to be "play" attacking the mother by charging her and stopping short then bouncing in circles around her.  The annoyed mom responded by just laying her ears back and staring the yearling down, who then went on to harass another deer.  The train of deer once again started towards me and the surest target became that playful yearling who approached to within 7 yards of my tree then actually looked up towards me for a second.  He put his head down then perfectly quartered away, heading back towards the mom.  The majority of my instinct was ok with the pleasure that puff ball already had given me so I didn't consider taking him.  The whole train then turned and headed away from me, none of the first 6 giving me a decent shot.  In a now or never moment the seventh, the straggler, stopped for a moment quartering away.  I picked a spot, anchored, and released, watching the arrow sail harmlessly under her chest.  She quickly trotted to catch up to the deer train, that was now looking back towards the missed shot.  Another opening was never offered and the whole procession melted in to the Jersey thorn thicket, very likely taking the rest of my deer season with it.

[Bud B.]

Ah, but what a hunt! Sounds like a wonderful scene to have witnessed.

[Soonerlongbow]

Sounds like a wonderful time!

[CRM_95]

Sounds like a great hunt even though you didn't connect.

[Keith Zimmerman]

Sounds like a great evening.  Did you get a nice pic?

sounds like a great afternoon in the woods. If it was all about the kill, most of us would never have any fun!

Bisch

[Ulysseys]

Great afternoon for sure and not a bad one to end with.  I didn't get any pics but I'm thinking of trying one of those gopro cameras one day to capture some outdoor footage.