Making memories at 5 Pines ( update 1/1/16)

[ron w]

What a cool encounter.......that's near as cool as tagging him. Just shows the hard work you have put in on your place has it's rewards. There are folks that hunt a lifetime and never even see a deer of that caliber.      

[Horne Shooter]

Great to read about your season again.  I always admire your place and wish that I had your skills available on my ranch in Texas.  You really know how to keep up your place and your writing skills are second to none.  Merry Christmas!

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

I just have to do this, here is a teaser, update shortly...............

[Jayrod]

I am tuned in Jim your threads are simply THE BEST!!

[aim small...release]

Oh boy here we go!

[South MS Bowhunter]

Come on Jim, lets hear the story!

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Great to see the updates Jim.  I like the looks of that last photo.      

Magnificent buck and encounter! DG2 is a  stud as is Son of a Gun, I mean Godzilla.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

ok sorry everyone , I thought I could make it back here sooner than this!

So this season has been an almost duplicate of my 2014 season. Kill a buck early then hunt your butt off trying but failing to close the deal on an adult doe.

I have been really hunting hard Since filling this years buck tag back in early October. I did only recently slack off on the am hunts during the week. Got a little lazy I guess. But last night while on stand and only seeing one spike buck. I started to form a plan for today's morning hunt.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

Stand #24 is known as the short ladder. It sits just off the logging road ( red line) that travels up the bluff face above my house.

The prior photo doesn't show you the food plots below , but the deer of late have been visible well after first light leaving the food plot behind the house and lolly gagging in the 10 acre meadow that separates my home from the timber. They then bed on the SW facing slope and reverse course in the late afternoon.

 

The stand is only 8 feet at most off the ground . I removed one section of ladder because the hill is so steep.

[23feetupandhappy]

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

As the Google earth photo shows the stand is roughly 300 yards up from the house and a short 5 minute walk from the yurt.

We had another warm southerly breeze this am     ( blue arrow) and over night temps above freezing!! Moisture hung in the air and water droplets were on all of the tree branches.

The bluffs tend to make the wind go up hill at this spot and the potential to get winded was minimal.

At about 8.30 I spotted an ear flick down hill from me. A doe had stepped up onto the road from the strip of woods that runs above the meadow.

Then I noticed some big white branches were they shouldn't be slightly behind her. The branches moved and I was looking a great buck with a bone white rack. I had forgotten to bring the bino's and I couldn't make a positive ID. So I am hoping against hope it was SOG. I tried getting a photo of him but between all of the bramble between us and the auto focus of the camera , I could not succeed. So I very carefully replaced the camera on it's hook and picked my Black Widow El Uno.

Then both deer bedded ( yellow stars)!

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

It was pressing on half past nine and I had work commitments in front me. I looked down to my right just as 3 does ( red arrows) were walking along the woods edge in the mowed fire break. Then over my right shoulder I spotted a 4th and she was on the logging road.

She was walking thru an opening where a deer trail crosses the logging road but instead of turning up onto the trail she took two steps past it and then stopped on the road. There were a couple of small trees in front of her here. She stood staring down hill.

I guessed her buddies had crossed into the woods and possibly had also stepped up on to the road.

Or maybe the buck had heard the does approaching and stood to get a look. I didn't want to turn my head. But temptation eventually got the best of me and when I turned my head back the doe was starring up at me.

When this happens I always seem to hold my breath as if that will make me invisible! She looked away and looked quickly back trying to catch me moving.  After a couple of minutes she reversed her direction and stepped back into the open and stopped.

I had set this stand up to shoot deer on the deer trail at 15 yards but not on the road which is a long 25 yards and steep down hill. I  now had an alert doe at 25 yards in the open and I decided to try and draw my bow to see what would happen.  She is standing at the red square on the map.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

I made it to full draw without her spooking. I focused on her shoulder and the arrow was gone!

Missed ! I laughed out loud as she tore off down the hill thru the waist high wild flowers. I just laughed again and then texted two buddies that I had just sent an arrow over the back of a doe after trying to get a shot now for over 10 weeks straight!

My black back pack is on the trail were she had been standing.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

So I climbed down and went down to find my arrow. I fully expected it to be sticking in the dirt just past the road. Hmmm no arrow. Then I spied the red on the leaves in the first photo I teased you with. I couldn't believe that I did not see the arrow strike her or in her as she ran off. I mean it happened quickly but come on are my eyes that bad?

The blood trail was a short 75 yards.    

 

[ron w]

One heck of a shot.......  

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

I gave a shout of joy! Then I spent a few quiet minutes thinking about how hard I worked for this doe and what a great memory this morning will be.

I walked down to get Jayne and together we dressed her and brought her home.

 

She weighed 120 dressed. I used my BW KBX. CE heritage 150 shafts tipped with a 100 grain insert and a 145 grain Eclipse werewolf single bevels. Anyone who shoots light weight like I do ( 40lbs) wouldn't do bad to check them out. My 500 grain arrow passed thru both lungs and thru the far arm as well. She was dead in 10 seconds.

While I still have 3 does tags for here at home, I am going to call it a season. I have a week long hunt coming up in Ill in 2 weeks. I also want to spend the next two weeks looking for a favorite bucks sheds. He showed up here Saturday morning missing his antlers. With the spotting scope I was able to see that he had a slug wound along side his tail. He was missing about a tennis ball chunk of flesh. I have watched him twice since Saturday. While limping he seems fully alert and intent on feeding and surviving.

Here's wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New year.

[23feetupandhappy]

Well done Jim!!!!!

[South MS Bowhunter]

Merry Christmas Jim! And really appreciated this years stories.

On another note I to shot at a doe at about 24-25 yards and my arrow appeared to sail high over the her back.  

When I went to get my arrow it had no crimson flow but was buried in a pine sapling      

Good shooting!

[Jayrod]

As always jim its a pleasure to watch and read your threads buddy until next time MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!  

[MR BILL SHORTY]