DGorman
Active Member
This season was one of the best and worst seasons for me. I had a lot less time in the woods, both preparing and hunting since I switched jobs last spring. I saw a few real nice bucks, a lot of young bucks, and overall less deer than normal. We found out in August that due to recent developments, one of the best properties we hunt would go on the market and we could no longer hunt it. That put a serious kink in the planning. I was only able to hunt the first two weekends in October, and opening night I had two big bucks walk the ridgeline above me. The first looked real old with bleach-white antlers and the second looked a bit younger with a massive chocolate rack. They looked like cattle walking to the feed bunk. They were about 60 yards out and didn't have any interest in my calls or the deer feeding in the field below me. I didn't get back out until Halloween morning, when I shot the only deer I saw that morning. She was a nice doe, and I was happy to have one down.
I was able to get out the next weekend, but didn't have any luck. I took the 11th and 12th of November off work to make a four day hunting weekend. I was in my climber an hour before shooting light on a ridge with two trails running the top of three draws down to the river. I had high hopes for the day, but in the end, I had one marginal buck about 35 yards trailing a doe mid-morning and a bunch of does throughout the afternoon, but no big bucks. I did decide to try for another doe toward final light. She was broadside at about 32 yards, and shortly after the release, I heard a loud crack. I center-punched a nice branch. I did try another shot at her in frustration after she reacted to the first shot, but it fell harmlessly under her chest. Disgruntled, I decided to try a different property in the morning. My brother in law had seen a nice 10 at this property and told me to hunt from his stand. I hadn't been to his stand, and didn't want to stomp around in the dark to find it, so I went to stand a couple hundred yards away and figured if I hadn't seen anything by nine or ten, I would try to find his stand and sit the rest of the day. It was raining fairly hard the first hour or so, and when it let up, deer started moving. I had a doe with a small eight in tow come in about 7:30. I decided I was taking her, since I knew time was limited. She was 20 yards, and I sent one right over her back. She ran a few steps and stopped. I proceeded to send yet another over her back. The buck just stood there the whole time watching. I was able to nock another arrow and the third (yes third) shot looked good and she ran over a hill into a draw. I climbed down and grabbed my arrows and climbed back up. I knew my brother in law would be home from work soon, so I sent him a text saying I had shot a doe. He said he would meet me there so I stayed put. About 45 minutes later, after he had informed me he was at the gate, a big buck walked the fenceline about 50 yards away. I sent a few grunts his way and as he disappeared behind some thick brush, I snort-wheezed at him. I didn't see or hear him for several minutes and figured he was gone. To my surprise, he turned and came back down the fence. I gave him a couple more grunts and he jumped the fence and came my way. I was in an open area, so I had to draw when he was about 50 yards out. I held until he was broadside just over 30 yards out. I gave a little grunt to stop him and by the time the arrow got there, he had spun and ducked. I watched in horror as he ran off with my arrow sticking out of his chest almost straight on. I waited a half hour and climbed down. I trailed the doe on the way out for about 100 yards and bumped her from a draw. There was very little blood in her bed. I was sick. I had two wounded deer on my hands. We went to town for a couple hours to try to figure out what to do. We came back and looked for the doe first, since I thought that was the better shot. There was no blood anywhere, and after a couple hundred more yards, we bumped a doe that was running like a healthy deer. She ran across a pasture across the road and was never to be seen again. We went to look for the buck, and I was feeling pretty low. We had only gone a few feet when the red river appeared. I have never seen blood like this deer was leaving. We followed slowly with an arrow nocked hoping to get a follow up shot if needed. After about 250 yards, we found him in some tall switchgrass. After we loaded him up, we went back and searched for a couple more hours for that doe, but never found a drop of blood.
You can still see the arrow. I can't believe how lucky I was to find this deer after such a terrible shot.
I didn't get back out until second shotgun season. I was in a DMZ hunt that allowed bows during gun season. I had a bunch of does that first morning and I shot one, but she ducked and the shot was a bit high. I tracked her for nearly a mile before blood ran out. I did end up shooting her a couple weeks later, so it did ease my mind a bit, but I absolutely hat e the feeling of losing an animal. I shot one more out of the park on New Year's eve, giving me a total of four deer with the bow, and one more unrecovered. My last hunt on January 29th, I decided to quit a bit early and pull my set. I took my bow to the truck and dropped off my harness and ropes and such, and went back for the stand. I dropped the stand, and as I unbuckled the top strap from my climbing sticks, they shifted from the tree and I fell about 15 feet and landed with all my weight on my right foot. I knew something was broken right away, and hobbled up to my truck. I ended up with a sprained ankle and a broken heel. Once again, I can't believe how lucky I got. I am very thankful I am still alive and able to walk.
This was a very disappointing season from a time in the woods standpoint, and also because I haven't missed a deer in four years, and this year I missed five times and had a couple bad shots that worked out. On the other side, I was able to take four deer, including the biggest buck I've seen from a tree. He was eleven points, with a total of 182 1/8" and net of 160" I can take away a lot of things from this season, but the main thing is when you get in a hurry, bad things can happen. I will not hang or pull stands anymore without my lineman's rope. I can also remember from this season that no matter how bad things seem to be going, it can always be worse, and the buck of a lifetime can be just a few minutes away at any time.
Sorry this was such a long post.
I was able to get out the next weekend, but didn't have any luck. I took the 11th and 12th of November off work to make a four day hunting weekend. I was in my climber an hour before shooting light on a ridge with two trails running the top of three draws down to the river. I had high hopes for the day, but in the end, I had one marginal buck about 35 yards trailing a doe mid-morning and a bunch of does throughout the afternoon, but no big bucks. I did decide to try for another doe toward final light. She was broadside at about 32 yards, and shortly after the release, I heard a loud crack. I center-punched a nice branch. I did try another shot at her in frustration after she reacted to the first shot, but it fell harmlessly under her chest. Disgruntled, I decided to try a different property in the morning. My brother in law had seen a nice 10 at this property and told me to hunt from his stand. I hadn't been to his stand, and didn't want to stomp around in the dark to find it, so I went to stand a couple hundred yards away and figured if I hadn't seen anything by nine or ten, I would try to find his stand and sit the rest of the day. It was raining fairly hard the first hour or so, and when it let up, deer started moving. I had a doe with a small eight in tow come in about 7:30. I decided I was taking her, since I knew time was limited. She was 20 yards, and I sent one right over her back. She ran a few steps and stopped. I proceeded to send yet another over her back. The buck just stood there the whole time watching. I was able to nock another arrow and the third (yes third) shot looked good and she ran over a hill into a draw. I climbed down and grabbed my arrows and climbed back up. I knew my brother in law would be home from work soon, so I sent him a text saying I had shot a doe. He said he would meet me there so I stayed put. About 45 minutes later, after he had informed me he was at the gate, a big buck walked the fenceline about 50 yards away. I sent a few grunts his way and as he disappeared behind some thick brush, I snort-wheezed at him. I didn't see or hear him for several minutes and figured he was gone. To my surprise, he turned and came back down the fence. I gave him a couple more grunts and he jumped the fence and came my way. I was in an open area, so I had to draw when he was about 50 yards out. I held until he was broadside just over 30 yards out. I gave a little grunt to stop him and by the time the arrow got there, he had spun and ducked. I watched in horror as he ran off with my arrow sticking out of his chest almost straight on. I waited a half hour and climbed down. I trailed the doe on the way out for about 100 yards and bumped her from a draw. There was very little blood in her bed. I was sick. I had two wounded deer on my hands. We went to town for a couple hours to try to figure out what to do. We came back and looked for the doe first, since I thought that was the better shot. There was no blood anywhere, and after a couple hundred more yards, we bumped a doe that was running like a healthy deer. She ran across a pasture across the road and was never to be seen again. We went to look for the buck, and I was feeling pretty low. We had only gone a few feet when the red river appeared. I have never seen blood like this deer was leaving. We followed slowly with an arrow nocked hoping to get a follow up shot if needed. After about 250 yards, we found him in some tall switchgrass. After we loaded him up, we went back and searched for a couple more hours for that doe, but never found a drop of blood.
You can still see the arrow. I can't believe how lucky I was to find this deer after such a terrible shot.
I didn't get back out until second shotgun season. I was in a DMZ hunt that allowed bows during gun season. I had a bunch of does that first morning and I shot one, but she ducked and the shot was a bit high. I tracked her for nearly a mile before blood ran out. I did end up shooting her a couple weeks later, so it did ease my mind a bit, but I absolutely hat e the feeling of losing an animal. I shot one more out of the park on New Year's eve, giving me a total of four deer with the bow, and one more unrecovered. My last hunt on January 29th, I decided to quit a bit early and pull my set. I took my bow to the truck and dropped off my harness and ropes and such, and went back for the stand. I dropped the stand, and as I unbuckled the top strap from my climbing sticks, they shifted from the tree and I fell about 15 feet and landed with all my weight on my right foot. I knew something was broken right away, and hobbled up to my truck. I ended up with a sprained ankle and a broken heel. Once again, I can't believe how lucky I got. I am very thankful I am still alive and able to walk.
This was a very disappointing season from a time in the woods standpoint, and also because I haven't missed a deer in four years, and this year I missed five times and had a couple bad shots that worked out. On the other side, I was able to take four deer, including the biggest buck I've seen from a tree. He was eleven points, with a total of 182 1/8" and net of 160" I can take away a lot of things from this season, but the main thing is when you get in a hurry, bad things can happen. I will not hang or pull stands anymore without my lineman's rope. I can also remember from this season that no matter how bad things seem to be going, it can always be worse, and the buck of a lifetime can be just a few minutes away at any time.
Sorry this was such a long post.
