IKS...
- Thread starter dante322
- Start date
One would think so anyway
Here's the story......
I missed opening weekend because of my son's cross country meet on Saturday and work on Sunday. I was pretty bummed about missing it but with the crazy hot weather I made peace with it lol.
This Saturday again found me at a cross country meet but it was close to home and they ran early in the morning. I got home just before noon and decided I was going out for an afternoon hunt. I texted Dante to see if he would be making it out. With the wind coming out of the south east it limited my stands but I knew the north edge would be good and with a cornfield just off that edge of the woods wouldn't hurt any either. After texting with dante and figuring out where I was going I dug all my gear out and packed it in the jeep. I was thinking about taking my climber and compound but drug my feet to long and ended up leaving later then I wanted. I ended up just grabbing the xbow and sitting on the ground where I usually hunt opening morning. I parked at the edge of the corn and walked the edge to the woods. As I stepped into the woods I seen a couple turkeys walking off. Took a few more steps and a doe busted out and waved the white flag as she bounced down the woods. It was only 3 O'clock so there was plenty of time for another to wonder past before dark. I made my way to my favorite sitting spot and got all setup. Nothing much happened until just after 6 O'clock when a doe came out of the bedding area. She was just over 50 yards out but I didn't feel comfortable with that range and watched her walk towards Dante. Just a little while later probably pushing 6:45 he sends a pic with 2 doe 15 yards from his stand. I texted him back saying I was hoping one would come past me because I needed meat in the freezer. About 7 O'clock it was pushing time so I moved off the ground and sat on the log I had my back against all evening. Just as I sat I spun around to check the downwind direction not thinking anything in it's right mind would be coming from that direction. Sure as shit there stands a doe about 35 yards and I scan to see if she was alone. I seen another bigger doe just coming into the woods using the tail from the cornfield that they use and I used to enter the woods. I had put some evercalm on at the truck and she must have picked up the scent because she was scanning the woods looking for something. Being the biggest of the 2 I decided I'd she came in that tail I was going to take her. She got closer and so did the smaller doe. I repositioned to shoot the bigger doe and the smaller doe picked up my movement so she started looking a little harder which made the bigger doe stop in get tracks and of course she was behind a big tree. I clicked the safety off and just waited until she stepped out from behind the tree. A minute later she stepped out but only far enough to see her head back to just behind the shoulders. I took my time and guessed yardage and buried the pin just behind her shoulder. Pulled the trigger and heard a huge SMACK! I watched her run about 30 yards into some waist tall grass and do the wobbly back legs move. When I seen those legs wobble I knew she was done for. I looked down for a split second and looked back up and didn't see her. I heard something in that direction heading towards a tall CRP field and thought it was her.
I texted Dante and told him I shot one. He said he would climb down and head my way. While I waited I went to where she was standing to see if I could find my arrow. Not an easy task when shooting from the ground as it doesn't just bury in the ground like shooting from a stand. I found it just a short distance away from where she was buried in a dead log. I look it over and it's covered in blood all the way to the knock. I mark the spot and start looking where I last seen her. Find a bunch of blood and started following. I got to the last spot I seen blood and marked it with an arrow. I texted the wife and told her I would be awhile yet. I didn't want to push to fast to easily so I turned back and waited for Dante in the cornfield. Wife calls and asks if I shot one or if Dave did. I told her I did. She got all ticked off and turned a happy thing into a bitch fest lol. She knows it's going to be all about the deer and taking care of it for a few hours lol. I hung up when Dave got to me and filled him in on what happened. I took him into the woods and showed him everything I had found on my quick search.
Here comes the tracking job....
We get to the last blood I found. We looked all over and couldn't find a single stop anywhere. I figured fat must have plugged the holes. By this time it was dark and we lost blood in waist high grass. We fanned out and started looking in the direction I thought she crashed in. NOTHING. Not a single drop of blood, broken branch, or turned up leaves. After getting frustrated because I knew she was dead but just couldn't see her because of the weeds and darkness we head back to last blood. It's now been an just over an hour with nothing new found. Dave says "she has to be close to this last blood" "do you think she is laying just off this last blood on the other side of the trail going the other way?" I said it's possible what I heard was a different deer that she spooked and it wasn't her. I then said " if she's over there and we just spent over an hour looking I would feel really stupid." I bet we didn't go 20 yards and i shined the light around and damn it if she wasn't piled up over there. Now feeling stupid and happy we found her I took an as she laid pic. I was planning to go to the house and grab my quad and trailer to get her out and back home but being it was late Dave and I drug her to the field edge. Sweating to death from searching we took our gear the 1/4 mile back to the trucks. Dave had a game cart so we ended up using that to get her out and saving me an hour not running after the trailer and quad.
Dave and I got her to his truck and loaded up. He was nice enough to drop it off at my house. I spent a another hour skinning and quartering her out and put her in the fridge in the man cave. Finally got to bed just after 1am and had to get up for work at 6am lol. I need to debone and grind in some pork tomorrow to finish it up.
Thanks for the help again Dave. Thanks everybody for the congrats. 1st sit of my season worked out great. Now to see what the new job schedule is to see if I can get another tag and head back out.
tpierce
Junior Member
Hortontoter
Senior Member
Big_Holla
Senior Member
When you see the wheels start to wiggle just don't take your eyes off of them. They can jump sideways lol.