Adirondack Stillhunt Doe

[CAPTJJ]

Stillhunting is my favorite way to hunt, very difficult with a traditional bow. The woods around here are usually pretty open with a lot of mature trees, unless it gets logged. The big area I have permission to hunt on the mountain near my house was logged 5 to 6 years ago and it is growing back thick, especially the logging roads/trails. Nice part is the area wasn't clear cut, so it is a good mix of cover and open areas to feed, lots of acorns all over this year. The new growth provides great cover with the leaves still on, making it much easier to sneak around unseen, I have been committed to ground hunting only for the early season, and maybe more.

Up until last Tuesday I hadn't seen a deer since the first day of bear season, saw 3 does and had 2 withing 30 yards but season wasn't open and I didn't try to get closer. Never found any bear sign where a nice boar was hanging out a year ago. Had been out several times since deer opened on 9/27, trying different spots based on the wind, mornings and evenings. One section has a good amount of buck sign, rubs and scrapes, for early October, actually saw some in September.

Got up early but didn't head out until after first light, nice thing about still hunting is I don't feel the need to be hiking in the dark like when using a treestand. Plan was to set a trail cam on a scrape then hike in further to hunt... now there were 2 scrapes and rubs all around.





Set the cam and hiked a short distance back up to the main trail which is also getting overgrown, after marking a couple potential trees to climb with different winds. Then went on to the end where the old landing has been for years to load the logging trucks, also growing in with small pines there.



Beyond the landing it was getting pretty thick and I really slowed down and started hunting, heading north into the light wind and toward a saddle between two ridges. With the open hardwoods you really have to look everywhere and move super slowly or risk getting spotted, this cover allows faster movement at times and I was covering ground... 100 yards every half hour instead of an hour maybe, "still" is the name of the game and movement needs to be minimized. I was working through the open areas, using the aspen, birch and beech saplings for cover. I took this picture at 7:58am, not knowing what was about to happen.



Took a few more steps and was standing there and heard a deer running toward me from downwind, quickly pulled an arrow from my hip quiver and nocked it, turning to face back left where the sound was. Next, I see the deer passing at about 20 yards, then turn right toward me still running. I look and see no antlers but a good sized deer, she passes by and stops right where I am facing, maybe 6 yards away in the saplings. It's thick but there is a clear path to the vitals, no time to think: I raise the bow, get to full draw, pick my spot...and next thing I knew she was running off and I heard her crash. Fastest hunt from first sensing a deer to shooting, over in less than 20 seconds.

She was standing right there, had no idea I was standing nearby, never saw me. Took this right after I shot.



Made it less than 50 yards back where she came from, no need to track just walked straight to her and spotted the white patch.



Nice start to the season and first kill with my new super recurve from Scotland, the Border Archery Ghillie Dhu. It's short, light and fast, great for stillhunting the thick cover. 44# at my 29" draw length and really slings a 510 grain arrow, tipped with a 150 grain Stinger Buzzcut.



Hiked out to get my cart, then almost a mile back in the get her out. Needed to hurry, was a cool start in the 40s but quickly warmed into the 70s by late morning. Had her home, skinned and quartered, and on ice by 1pm.

[Al Dente]

Congratulations.  It's great when it all works out like that.

[glenbo]

Congratulations Jeff . Thanks for sharing your experience 👍🏻

[Mike Bolin]

Sounds like a perfect morning! Congratulations>>>------>

[kennym]

Awesome!!

[Tater John]

That is impressive!! 

[shick]

Good stuff JJ; Congratulations.
Shick

[Roy from Pa]

That's great, congrats..

[Bowsey Wails]

Great story and photos. Hands down, my favorite way to hunt as well. Congrats!

[Tim Reese]

Congrats.

Still hunting with trad bows is def one of the hardest but most enjoyable ways to hunt imo.

[hessian]

  that's awesome!

[Steelhead]

I like still hunting as well.I see so many things that I would never see on stand.Its pain staking.But your involved in the hunt thn when in a stand.Very rewarding when successful or not.

Congrats on your fine doe!

[rastaman]

Way to go sir!  

[mnbwhtr]

Good job! Love to still hunt.

[Homey88]

Congratulations!

[woodchucker]

CONGRATULATIONS, Jeff!!!!!