HawkeyeHerps
New Member
Ive been waiting for three years to shoot a deer so this is going to be kind of long, sorry. I had tried muzzleloader hunting the previous two seasons. My first season I saw lots of deer, but none that I thought I could kill with a good shot. Last season I had a hernia operation two days before the season opened. I still went out after New Years but I could only shoot a deer that basically walked up and sat in my lap because I couldnt walk very far and I definitely couldnt drag a deer. This summer I was lamenting the fact that muzzleloader season was so far away when Tineseeker said Too bad youre not left handed, Id lend you my extra bow and you could hunt Oct. 1. The gods were smiling on me because I am left handed. Tineseeker set me up with a bow, some arrows, a decoy target to practice on, a couple of tree stands and whatever else he thought I needed. I can say that sitting in a tree out in the woods is one of the most relaxing things I have ever done. My first day I saw 4 does, 12 turkeys, a pair of raccoons and a barred owl. I started to get frustrated as each week passed and I did not get a shot. Tineseeker kept saying that the closer we got to rut the better my chances were. Then he shot a big buck and his brother shot a doe. Last week I was able to rattle in a huge 8 point buck but he was too cautious and would not come out of the bushes. I was getting more anxious each trip out but I just kept remembering what Tineseeker said and thinking to myself that I was waiting for a big buck. Last night I was 20 yards too far from an apparent trail where I saw three 8 point bucks in a matter of a few minutes, two of them with heads to the ground chasing does: the rut is on.
I borrowed Tineseeker's climber this morning and went out around 1 PM. I set up where two deer trails meet in timber near Richmond and did bleats followed by tending grunts every half hour. At 3 PM a small six point buck came in to my calls. He walked 20 yards in front of me but took me by surprise, I wasn't ready to shoot. As he walked away I faced the other way and bleated. He stopped and looked for five minutes. He started to walk away again so I turned away and bleated a second time. This time he decided to see what all the fuss was about. As he walked in I picked a spot about thirty yards away where I though he would pass me, drew, and decided that if he passed I was going to take him. He passed and I shot. This was the first animal of any sort that I have shot so I wasn't sure how I'd feel. It turns out all it made me feel was hungry for some venison. I do feel a little guilty about harvesting such a young buck, but I'd waited three years and I decided it was time. Tineseeker came out and helped me field dress and drag out this buck. I owe him an awful lot. Thanks to everyone on this board, I've learned a lot here.
I borrowed Tineseeker's climber this morning and went out around 1 PM. I set up where two deer trails meet in timber near Richmond and did bleats followed by tending grunts every half hour. At 3 PM a small six point buck came in to my calls. He walked 20 yards in front of me but took me by surprise, I wasn't ready to shoot. As he walked away I faced the other way and bleated. He stopped and looked for five minutes. He started to walk away again so I turned away and bleated a second time. This time he decided to see what all the fuss was about. As he walked in I picked a spot about thirty yards away where I though he would pass me, drew, and decided that if he passed I was going to take him. He passed and I shot. This was the first animal of any sort that I have shot so I wasn't sure how I'd feel. It turns out all it made me feel was hungry for some venison. I do feel a little guilty about harvesting such a young buck, but I'd waited three years and I decided it was time. Tineseeker came out and helped me field dress and drag out this buck. I owe him an awful lot. Thanks to everyone on this board, I've learned a lot here.
