The Dream Bowhunt

Do I have all of my tackle packed in my boat?  I wondered what I had forgotten.  Last time out, I forgot my polarized sunglasses that would have helped spot sunken timber where we knew bass where waiting in ambush of unsuspecting shad.  Hey, there's my laptop on the boat deck displaying a spreadsheet that I had been working on the other day.

Huh?

Huh????

My body lurched upright as my instincts prevented me from falling over.  I nearly dropped my bow and almost snorted out loud.

I climbed into my Lone Wolf climbing treestand an hour earlier, pulled up my bow and set up for my hunt about twenty five feet up in the tree, but it was still too dark to legally shoot.  I must have dozed off.  That's never happened to me for this long before.  Usually I only doze for a matter of seconds or less than a minute at most.  I guess that's inevitable after staying up most of the night preparing for this hunt.

I wasn't in my boat after all!  I awoke to a bright forest in fall colors.  What a beautiful morning.

Whew, I'm glad that my safety harness was secured to the tree.  I always climb with it, and wear it.  In fact, I would feel naked hunting from a treestand without it.  The woods was quiet.  I know that if a deer had approached during that time, I would have heard it coming.  With a thick layer of fallen leaves displaying brown, red and yellow hues blanketing the forest floor, there would be no way even the smallest mammal could move across it without me hearing it.  Fresh Doritos would have been quieter to walk on.

Not much was moving, even now.  I hadn't seen nor heard even a squirrel.  It was seven thirty in the morning.  But, I was optimistic.  Yet, my mind wandered as I tried to stay alert for any movement in the distance.

I visualized my last fishing trip, where big largemouth bass and big chain pickerel pounced on my crankbaits. I can't get those images out of my head.  As if the experience the other day, having one of my best bass fishing days of the year, wasn't enough, the anticipation of my next trip the day after tomorrow to the same lake is an overwhelming distraction to the task at hand today.  Will I have another banner day of fishing?

"Snap out of it, Kevin!!!!", I thought as I tried to focus on the gaps between the trees in the distance. I scanned for movement, for anything white, for horizontal shapes that might be the backs of standing whitetails.  I need to pay attention.

It's late November, and in my neck of the woods (no pun intended...well, OK, maybe), the whitetail deer are well into the rut.  A couple weeks ago, bucks everywhere were competing for the attention of does in heat.  They chased each other.  They chased the does.  They chased the does from each other.  Live was hectic in whitetail world.

Now things have settled a bit.  The bucks are spending more and more time just hanging out with the loves of their life.  By now, the smaller bucks are hanging around for sloppy seconds.  Most of the young bucks know better now than to mess with the dominant buck in their territory.  They've lost battles, yet their hormones compel them to keep up the chase that they might sneak one opportunity in to mate.

In my younger days, this buck followed a doe to my tree stand grunting all the way.  It was his last mistake.  It was early December.  Certainly that could happen today.

It's still a great time to be in the woods.  I'm bowhunting today, only a few days away from the opening day of our gun season.  Maybe I'll get lucky like I've done before and kill a nice buck before the gunners have a shot at them.  There's still a great chance that the dominant buck will chase the younger ones off.  And, at the least, I might still have a chance at a decent buck trying to invade the dominant ones action.

I daydreamed about the day my brother, Kyle, shot a nice buck with his bow during late November on public land not far from my home.  I helped him drag it out of the woods.  I'll never forget the phone call from him asking for my help.  At first, it was like, "What the heck does he want now?".  All I heard at first was "Blah blah blah, blah blah blah", like the television cartoon, Peanuts, were the adults had that muffled sound.  But then I hear, "Kevin, I got a deer, a big buck!"  I jumped up, dressed, and met him at his truck as fast as you could read the last paragraph!

My brother Kyle shot this nice buck with his bow during late November.  I daydreamed about the experience afterwards, how much joy he had, how much joy I had being part of that evening.

Kyle was elated.  And who wouldn't be with a big bodied big rack buck like that?  I was elated!  Kyle was a heck of a bowhunter, killing many big bucks over the years with his bow, all on public land.  I learned a lot from him, how to do things right, to pay attention to detail.  To not stink and make sure to be scent free.  To practice and be a good shot.  You can read about Kyle, who passed away in 2007, in a tribute that I wrote not long after I began this blog.  Here's the link in case you missed it:  Tribute to My Brother Kyle

Again, my body lurched as I snapped out of my daydream.  I suddenly heard the cracking sound of a stick breaking behind me.  That sound in the woods can be good or bad.  It's either a hunter, a dog, or a deer.  I hope it's a deer.

Normally, I try and stand to get a shot long before the deer near my stand.  My form is better standing, and the trick is to see the deer first, and get into shooting position before they have a chance to see you.  I slowly stood up and looked over my shoulder.

Immediately a small button buck looks right up at me.  Holy cow, the deer were much closer than I thought! I froze praying that they'd ignore me.  The sun was at my back, maybe they didn't see me.  Obviously my movement, from standing, got his attention.  Miraculously, the little button buck thought I wasn't a threat and went back to feeding mode.  Right behind him was Mom, and two more does.

They all walked into my shooting lane.  At one point, not at the same time, each of them paused long enough broadside at ten, fifteen, and twenty yards for me to put them down.  I passed on the shot, wondering if I'd made a mistake since I have yet to put any venison in the freezer.  What little I had left went bad after losing power from hurricane Sandy.

I passed on the does hoping for a beast like this one.

Out of the corner of my left eye, over my left shoulder, I caught some more movement.  Two deer approached, not thirty yards behind the first four.  First, a doe followed by another button buck.  The doe moved into my shooting lane giving me another easy broadside shot.  Then, she turned and looked right up at me.

What?  I was scent free, I know it.  I was meticulous in my preparation, from my clothes, my shower, spraying down my equipment.  And, the wind was blowing in my favor. There's no way she winded me.  She's had experience with hunters in treestands before.  She recognized my silhouette.

She stomped several times, moved, then stomped some more trying to get me to move.  I stood as still as the oak I was sitting in.  She bobbed and weaved her head like a boxer ducking punches in defense, trying to get a better look at me.  She lifted her nose in the air, trying to smell me, as she marched around my tree.  Meanwhile, her son, presumably, fed unaware and unfettered by my presence.

The large doe all of a sudden lost interest in me and began feeding.

Whew!  I thought I had blown it.  Now I'm in a good situation.  All I need for them to do is to move far enough away without leaving the area entirely and bed down.  But they all lingered, feeding, and moving away ever so slowly.  I had within a forty yard shot at almost any of them for about a half hour.

I stood motionless for almost the entire time.  My arms and legs were cramping, but I knew if I moved, it would be all over.  I nearly prayed that they'd move off.  Finally, they did.  I saw them bed down about sixty yards away.

This was great!  Now I have the best bait there is for a big buck, a bunch of does!  All of a sudden, a small yearling comes hightailing it through the woods from whence the others came.  Not seconds later, it ran by at top speed right back where it came from behind a thicket behind me.  I heard it crashing through the woods. Not seconds later, here she came again, bounding full speed right through my shooting lane and toward the bedded does where she stopped, and bed down.

I quietly laughed inside.  I was wide awake now.  No more daydreaming or nodding off.  No more thoughts of fishing.  I was focused.  I was ready for the big buck to walk through at any moment.

While hunting in Ohio, this buck came walking in grunting, looking for a doe.  I put him down with my muzzleloader.  Would I have a chance today at a buck like this one?

Well, I stayed ready for two hours.  The does and button bucks that were bedded sixty yards away all stood up, as if their alarm clock went off, and walked away from me.  It was eleven in the morning, and I had to be home by one in the afternoon for a doctor's appointment.  I climbed down, and the big buck never showed.  Again, I wondered if I made a mistake by not putting a deer down for my freezer.

There will be other days, but not many more chances at a big buck.  I did the right thing.

20 Doe Parade, Only 19 Standing Now

Today, I hit my local small plot of land for the last bow hunt before our gun season comes in tomorrow, the 10 acre one.  I was in my tree well before first light.  I wasn't up there a half hour and I heard deer coming from all directions right to my tree, from behind, from over my right shoulder, and from straight ahead.  They hung around my tree stand for what seemed like a dark eternity.  I sometimes heard them run, wondering if they winded me.  Later, when it became lighter, I could see that they were chasing each other, a pecking order of sorts I guess.  In my mind I kept wondering why the sun was taking so long to rise.  Hurry up, dang it all!

A short time later, that seemed like a long time later, several deer worked their way back to me, lingered around my tree, then moved off.  More followed.  Light was approaching.  I could make out forms, and eventually could see enough to determine that they were does and no racks among the group.  I couldn't see my sight pins yet, so it wasn't legal for me to shoot yet.  Hurry up sun!

A few minutes later, the four does moved away from me, in the 11:00 direction, about 50 yards away.  Then, more moved down the hill from behind me heading towards the four.  Two, then two more, then three more.  All of these were 40-50 yards away not in my shooting lanes.  I could see my pins.  Then, the weirdest thing happened, they bunched up around this one huge oak tree, almost as if they were in a football huddle. 

They were grooming each other.  I could hardly believe what I was seeing, having never seen that behavior with so many deer before.  More deer moved around behind me, but I had to be careful as the 11 deer were in plain view 50 yards away.  That's 22 eyes facing me.

Not long after that, a fox moved in from the East, heading their way.  They were on high alert, and then four more does followed the same trail as the others.  There were more deer mulling around behind me.  I wondered if one was a buck.  With this many does around during the rut, there had to be a buck.

Fifteen minutes later, a six point came from the direction of the original 11 huddled deer, chasing a doe heading East back into the field.  The huddle followed them, followed by the last three.  That's seventeen deer so far.  What the heck?  You'd think it was January, with them yarding up, on a Southern slope with so many deer around.

They all followed the buck, way out of my shooting lane about 50-60 yards away.  The fox was long gone by now, or maybe not.  I was focused on the deer, like a predator searching for that weak link, hoping to take advantage of Darwin's law.

All of a sudden, two of them broke off and headed down the hill straight to my stand, downwind of me.  I had three scent bombs wedged in a tree, in a zip lock bag, that I meant to put out and forgot.  Maybe that made them curious?  I don't know.  But, one stayed high on the hill, alert, sniffing, searching the trees, searching the ground, and occasionally stomping. 

Ms. Alert, moved across my right about 20 yards away, but too alert to draw and not in a shooting lane anyway.  But, the other "doe", was now directly in front of me giving me a broadside shot.  I can't draw or Ms. Alert will spot me and blow my cover.  Just then, she went behind a tree.

I had to act quickly, but the other "doe" turned broadside and then quartering away and stopped, 15 yards away.  I drew, found my spot on "her" and released.  I followed through on my shot as I saw through my peep sight the arrow hit the spot.  "She" jumped, and took off straight ahead crashing and falling about 30 yards away.  Then, "she" got up again, and ran another thirty yards past this huge deadfall and fell. 

I knew that "she" was dead.  Meanwhile, three more deer bolted toward the field snorting all the way, all does.  These were the ones mulling around behind me.  Ms. Alert was still standing on the hill, now stomping and snorting.  I actually almost thought about shooting her too!  But, she worked her way behind me not giving me an opportunity.  I knocked an arrow anyway, just in case, but she moved out into the field and snorted for the next five minutes.

I pulled out my cell phone and noted the time, 7:30 AM.  I texted my wife and told her that I killed a doe, then texted the land owner and my buddy Steve who was also hunting today a couple hours away to give him the news.  I knew the hit was good, and I knew that "she" was down, but still decided to wait a bit before climbing down.  I sat for 45 more minutes.  The neighbor opened her garage door and kicked out yet another deer.  Up to 20 deer now.

As I sat there, watching where I last saw my "doe" fall to make sure it didn't get up and walk away, wondering why time seems to stop during this process.  It's always the same thing, taking forever.  What ever happened to the phrase, "time flies"?  I played texting tag with my wife still keeping an eye out for a buck.  If one came by, I'd take it given the chance.  

Meanwhile, I envisioned my deer getting up.  I knew I put a good shot on "her", but still, doubt began to creep in.  I'll sit for 45 minutes, then climb down to find my arrow.  I won't push here until I know that the trail is good.

After two long grueling hours (well, it seemed that long, but it was actually 45 minutes), I climbed down.  I walked over to where "she" was when I shot, and immediately found blood.  Along with the blood were a few clumps of white hair.  I started to doubt my shot again, but with so much blood, I still felt good about it.  I ceremoniously broke a piece of orange tape off and marked the trail.  The trail was good, but I marked the trail anyway.  You never know when you might have to start over, or if it rains, or if some clod hopper comes along and stirs up your trail.

This is what you'd like to see, but the tuft of fur worried me.

Thirty yards later, I found my arrow.  I examined the arrow and, like Gil Grissom, determined from the forensic evidence that the shot placement was good.  There was something else troubling about the arrow.  I use mechanical broadheads, Spitfires, which have always been reliable for me.  Normally, you'd see at least a couple blades open if not all three after a shot like that.  But, the blades were completely closed.  I couldn't believe it.  Did the broadhead fail?  Oh no.  I put the arrow in my quiver and continued to follow the trail.

The trail was quite large now.  No more orange tape needed.  30 more yards later and I was amazed at the trail, and I looked up and there was my deadfall.  I could have walked straight there, because there "she" was.

There "she" was, just up ahead.

I moved around her and noticed that "she", wasn't a "she".  It was a little devil of a button buck.  Had I known that, I might have passed.  Still, such a youngster will be nice and tender.  I snapped a few pics and stopped, took a drink of water, and readied myself for the work part of all this fun.  I examined the entry wound and noticed that it had that classic triangular shape, indicating that my mechanical broadhead worked as designed. 

Brown and Down

Since houses were close by, I decided to drag my young buck back towards my stand and dress it out there, out of any possible view.  I figured that, even though they know that I'm there, that they probably won't want to see me dressing a deer out of their bay window while they ate breakfast.

He's little, but gonna be tasty!

After dressing the deer, I noticed that this deer had been feeding heavily on corn.  Man, this little guy is going to be a tasty feller.  I dragged him out, and later took him to a local butcher to be made into sausage and burger, about 10 pounds each, with the tenderloins and backstraps whole.  What a great hunt, and it all happened so fast.  Now that I have some meat, it's time to hunt for a rack.

The Thirty Minute Eight Point Whitetail Buck

It was the Tuesday before thanksgiving, and with firearms season approaching in Maryland the following Saturday, I wanted to get in the woods with my bow for a shot at a rutting whitetail buck.  The previous day, I informed my boss that I wouldn't be at work the next day.  November is a busy time in my business, but I made sure that my schedule was clear and that all due dates were met or would easily be met.  When I take a day off to hunt, I want my mind to be free from the worries of work, so I can lose myself and be at peace with the woods.

I really enjoy bowhunting for many reasons.  Obviously, it's a challenge.  Scouting, stand placement, preparation, and shooting accuracy are all things that need to fall into place prior to your hunt which contribute to the success of a good bow hunt.  But most of all, I enjoy blending in with nature, having creatures do their thing as if I'm not even there.  I once had a Carolina wren land on my nocked arrow while in a tree stand.  It's common for grey squirrels to climb trees that your sitting in. On another occasion when I first took up bowhunting, while hunting on the ground, seated in a folding stool, I had a groundhog actually walk between my legs.  But the best aspect of blending in is obviously to be invisible in every way to the quarry that you seek, and in my case, it's whitetail deer.

Prior to bow season, if I'm hunting an unfamilar area, I scout the property seeking out potential hot spots.  Hot spots to me include areas of much deer activity, plenty of sign, and obviously a good tree for my tree stand.  You may need to find multiple spots that would be best given the time of day you'll be hunting.  Some locations are better morning spots, others are better in the evening, and some work all day long.  I also look for areas that may be hot spots later in the season.  You have to imagine what deer would be doing in the future.  For example, areas that intercept deer on their travel routes to and from bedding and feeding areas can be hot.  Stands close or in bedding areas can be hot morning spots if you get in the woods early enough.  Likewise, stands near feeding areas are productive in the late afternoon hunts.

Of course, scouting never stops for me.  I'm always looking for a better spot.  Sometimes, it may not be obvious based on deer sign.  It could be simply a place where you've spotted deer repeatedly, almost predictably.  Many of my successful hunts were spots where I remembered kicking out deer while either scouting or hunting in the past.  Often, places like those are bedding areas.

The previous night, it rained pretty hard.  I expected the woods to be quiet despite the fact that almost all of the leaves had fallen.  On days like that, usually you can often sneak into the woods quietly, and I had a spot in mind that I knew was a bedding area.  I've hunted this spot before in years past, and had yet to see a deer before nine in the morning.  This particular plot of land is on public property.  In my state, it's illegal to hang or build permanent stands or leave temporary ones in the woods unattended.  So, I have to get in the woods early enough to set up my portable tree stand and climb.  I was very optimistic that I could get to this area before the deer arrived and be undetected.  The problem with this spot is that they feed fairly close by, so when the leaves are dry and crunchy, it's impossible to sneak in and get close enough to hang your stand.

I awoke knowing that I took plenty of pre-hunt preparation to be scent free.  If  you're going to blend in as a bow hunter, it takes more than just camo clothing to be successful at it.  You can't smell like a skunk and be noisy, and properly preparing yourself includes being clean and scent free.  As illustrated in previous posts, I take a shower with scent free soap and shampoo.  I wash my clothes in scent free detergent and store them in plastic bags.  I wear scent free hunters deodorant, and brush my teeth with baking soda.  When I get to my spot, I don an outer layer from head to toe with Scent-Lok clothing.  And finally, I spray my equipment and boots with scent eliminator spray.

When I arrived to the hunting property, I had about a half mile walk to the spot that I had scouted back in August.  Because of the rains the previous night, figuring the forest floor would be quiet, I planned my arrival right before first light.  Often, when you can see where you're going and sneak in without a flashlight, and the woods is quiet, you can set up before the deer return to their bedding area.  The added light actually gives you visibility to more effectively sneak, a few steps at a time, watching to avoid stepping on and snapping sticks, and watching for movement ahead.  My tree was right smack in a place where they like to bed, about two hundred yards from the edge of a field, which during this year grew a crop of soy beans.

This property has trails intersecting the land that are popular with the horseback riding community.  The ground was still damp from the previous nights rain, at least on the horse trail that I was walking on.  The horse trail meanders beside a medium sized freestone stream that has a good population of wild brown trout, some of them that are real brutes.  I followed the horse trail until I arrived to the section of woods, passing a small pond along the way.  My spot is about half way up the side of a hill, along side a stand of pine trees.  I don't leave reflective pins along the horse trail to find my spot so that others don't catch my spot.  Instead, I remember natural landmarks to clue me as to when I should cut into the woods.  I leave on reflective pin in my tree, that's all, and it's far enough away from the trail that a passing flashlight won't see it.

Everything seemed right until I took four steps off the horse trail, and the leaves were still crunchy.  Two more steps, crunch, crunch, and the woods erupted.   White tails danced away in all directions about two hundred yards away, with snorts sounding from all directions.  I was busted.  I was dejected.  The woods weren't as quiet as I had hoped, and the crunchy leaves were like an alarm to the deer feeding in the distance.  I was so ticked off that I didn't even feel like hunting any more, so I left.  I know, I should have just moved and set up somewhere else, but I wasn't thinking rationally at the time.  I let me emotions get to me.

Upon my arrival back home, I took a nap then woke up around lunch time and, while eating lunch, started watching a movie that was on TV.  It was one of my favorite movies, Barbarosa, with Willie Nelson and Gary Busey, about two outlaw legends that resemble 1800's Robin Hood types except that they're a bit greedier.  Half way through the movie, I thought to myself, "Kevin, what the heck are you doing?  You dummy, you have a day off to hunt and you're wasting it on television?  What are you thinking?"

By that time it was about 2:30 PM, and if I hurried, I could be back in the woods in time to salvage my day.  I had another spot in mind that I found earlier in the season, like a bench along a hill side hidden by another stand of pine trees on one side, and another small rise in the hill, with a ravine on the other side, all well away from the horse trail.  It was a nice funnel, where I imagined deer using the ravine like a road, right to my tree.  I threw my Scent-Lok outer layers in the dryer to activate the carbone lining, and quickly jumped in the shower.  Twenty minutes elapsed and I was finally ready.  I had to hurry as I still had a half hour drive to the propery.

I arrived at the property at about 3:40 PM, and still had a twenty minute hike to my tree.  I followed the horse trail up and down several hills, along the river to my left.  Normally, if I have time, there are a couple spots along the river that I like to take a peek at the big brown trout that live in there.  And also, normally, I'll really take my time to be as quiet as possible even on the horse trail.  But on this afternoon, I didn't have time.  I had to hurry.

When I reached the point where I had to leave the horse trail, I really slowed my pace down.  I didn't want to make too much noise, and the sun came out earlier today and along with the wind, really dried things out.  The leaves were really crunchy.  I was careful not to crack sticks, and eventually made my way to my tree.  The time on my watch said 4:00 PM and I still had to set my stand up and climb the tree.

Back then, I used a stand up sit down type of climbing tree, called the Old Man tree stand.  It has a large platform and, at that time, innovative rubber coated heavy wire bands to attache the stand to the tree.  It's easy and fast to set up, and I had it on the tree ready to climb in less that a few minutes.  I attached my backpack and bow to my pull line (a cord used to pull your stuff up into a tree), crawled into my stand, attached my safety harness, and began to climb.

A few minutes later, at 4:10 PM and I was twenty feet up in my tree.  I attached my gear hook, a hanger that I can strap around the tree, kind of a hook with a belt that attaches to the tree.  I use that to hang my gear, like my backpack.  The tree had a huge pine tree behind it, providing a great background to prevent deer from looking up and seeing my silhouette highlighted against the sky.  I had great shooting lanes to my left at about ten o'clock, straight ahead, and at two o'clock toward the ravine.  I pulled up my backpack and bow, and hung both of them on the hanger.

I was in the process of getting my Scent-Lok gloves and head cover out, when I heard something moving through the crunchy forest floor coming from behind me from on top of the hill.  Wouldn't you know it?  This deer was moving down the steepest part of the hill right toward me, about fifty yards away and closing.  It was a nice eight point buck, not huge, but nice.  For me, that was a shooter.  The only problem was, my bow and gear were hanging on the tree over my right shoulder, and the deer was heading right to me at walking pace, just above eye level to my stand.

How was I going to get a shot when I didn't even have my gear and bow in hand?  Every time the buck went behind a tree in this mature woodland forest, I made a move, one at a time, to get my stuff.  First, I unzipped my bag, then after the next tree, I grabbed my release.  Then, strapped it to my wrist as the deer moved behind another tree.  Then, when the deer moved behind a large oak about thirty yards away, it stopped, now eye level with me.

I was able to grab my bow and quickly nock an arrow.  The buck moved again, still unaware of my presence.  There was one more large tree about twenty yards away from me before the deer would reach my first shooting lane, and that was my last chance to position my body for a shot and draw.  The buck moved a bit quicker than I had hoped, and even though my body was now in a position to shoot, I hadn't drawn, and the deer was already in my shooting lane, about fifteen yards away.

The buck worked its way out of that lane and stopped behind a medium sized oak, which perfectly hid me from its vision.  I drew back my bow, and waited for the deer to move out from the tree.  If the buck took two more steps, then I'd have a small window for a shot if the deer would stop, otherwise, I'd have to wait for it to pass through a thicket and into the next shooting lane.  As you know, they don't always do what you want, and I didn't want to risk that buck changing direction.  I had to take a shot.

I drew back my Matthews Z-Max bow, and waited for what seemed like an eternity.  I wasn't sure how much longer I could hold my 70 pound draw without shaking before having to let off.  But the buck stepped out from the tree and stopped, just in time, giving me a quartering away twelve yard shot with a window between the oak and saplings about three feet wide.  I placed my pin on where I thought it's heart would be, and gently squeezed the trigger on my release.  My arrow flew true, and struck the buck with what looked like a well placed shot.  The buck didn't even flinch.  It acted like nothing happened.

Huh?  I heard the sound of the arrow striking the deer.  Did I miss?  I thought for sure that I hit that buck right where my sight pin was zeroed in on its heart.  The deer walked away in the ravine with it's nose down, as if still looking for acorns, and then moved around the corner, and out of site.  I heard a big thud, and, in my mind, knew that was my buck falling down.

Still, my mind raced as I worried about missing.  I couldn't have missed.  I knew it was a good shot, but now I'm confused, and a bit neurotic.  I wanted to climb down so badly to check my arrow.  But, experience taught me to be patient, to wait at least thirty minutes before tracking my game.  I looked at my watch, 4:25 PM.  I hadn't been in my tree for fifteen minutes and I had a shot.  I almost felt ripped off, not being able to blend in and see all the birds, squirrels and other wildlife that normally pass by.  I like that relaxation, the wait, the anticipation, and then the excitement.  This was anything but that.  It was frantic, it was exciting.  So, at the same time, I was pumped.  Adrenaline flowed through my veins and was telling me to get down.

I checked my watch, thinking that time was ticking away in my favor.  4:30 PM.  Oh my gosh!  I can't wait up here!!!!!  I tried to just calm down and rest a bit.  I closed my eyes, trying to relax, and all I heard was rustling leaves in the distance.  Was that my buck trying to get up?  Or, was it those pesky squirrels chasing each other in a nut gathering competition.  It was the latter, but my neurosis kept telling me otherwise.

4:40 PM.  I couldn't stand it any longer.  Maybe I could just climb down and get my arrow.  After all, it couldn't be that far away.  Then, I could get my orange tape out and begin to mark the blood trail, not track the deer mind you, but just get the trail marked.  So, I gathered my gear up, lowered my bow and backpack, and climbed down.

Now on the ground, I was still worried about kicking out my buck, but decided to at least prepare for the track.  I wanted to see my arrow, to confirm the hit, and get an idea how much longer to wait.  I took a little time to get my knife, my orange tape, and get my bone saw out of my backpack.  I put on my backpack, grabbed my bow, and nocked an arrow, and was ready for tracking my deer. 

To track a deer shot with an arrow, you need something to mark your trail.  I use orange tape.  Just make sure that when you're done tracking that you go back and gather up your tape to prevent littering the woods.  I always carry enough water in my backpack to drink, but it also comes in handy when you dress out your deer.

I moved to where the deer was when I took my shot, and looked beyond that spot a bit, and there was my arrow a few yards away.  I picked it up and it was soaked with bright red blood, a good sign that it was a good shot.  I found spot of blood and the blood trail within seconds, and tied a piece of orange tape to a tree to mark the beginning of the trail.  I moved a few feet, another spot.  Then a few feet more, and a few bigger spots.  Then, the spots grew and became more frequent.  I was now at the beginning of the ravine, and the blood trail took a right turn.  As I looked into the ravine, it looked as if the woods was painted red, and thirty yards away, there was my buck.  It was almost five o'clock now, and daylight was just about over.  I had a lot of work to do, and about a half mile drag back to my truck.  I tagged my deer and dressed out my buck and dragged it back, taking nearly and hour to get it out of the woods.

I couldn't believe that had just happened.  I blew my morning hunt.  Then, I almost gave up and became a couch potato.  Then hurried into an afternoon hunt and, within thirty minutes of getting to my spot, shot a decent eight point buck.  I learned a valuable lesson that day, and that was to not give up when you know it's prime time for bowhunting.  Get off the couch and get into the woods!!!!!!

Note:  Picture of this buck forthcoming...

Welcome to My Tree Stand

As far as this season goes, I've secured a new spot, a landowner (and his neighbors) agreed to let me hunt in their subdivision where each property is about 5-10 acres, and the one I'm on is 10 acres.  So far, I have written permission on the one property, but I'm hoping to get all his neighbors to sign.  Now, I set my stand on his property, but the neighbors agreed that if I shoot deer and they cross on their property, I'm allowed to track them.  There's only one adjoining land owner that won't let me on in any circumstance (anti), but he's pretty far from the best spots in the area anyway.

I've been there three times prior to today.  The first time was early in the season and I was really just testing out my scouting, sitting in what I had hoped would be my morning spot only to find out that when it's 90 degrees, this spot seems to have more mosquitos than a swamp.  That first day I didn't see anything but a cat and a few squirrels.

The last two times were partial afternoon trips.  The second trip, I was in the tree by 3:30 PM and didn't even have an arrow knocked and a bunch came from behind me.  Ever notice that?  How do they know to come from behind every time, them and squirrels too???   Anyway, they were all does  and were behind my right shoulder just enough that I couldn't turn and get in position to shoot.  They fed a bit, then went back the way that they came. 

The next time I saw four does and a buck.  I had two of the does come within 10 yards but I passed on them hoping the buck would come my way.  It was a basket 8 point.  It never did...I got blanked.  I may not have taken that shot, because next year it should be a better rack.  Since I'm the only one hunting it, maybe some restraint is in order.  That said, I was tempted.  I sat in the same tree all three times.  I decided that the next time I'd relocate to another tree that I've been looking at each time.  I kept saying, that tree over there looks better from up here, more cover, and better lanes.  But, I kept on using the same tree.

Today was a much different hunt.  This is a long winded story, but worth telling as it's one of the most interesting hunts that I've ever had.  The bucks are on hot on the does trails right now, running them everywhere.  This property has no shortage of does, so more bucks should show up.  The only problem was that I kicked out a lot of deer on the way in. 

This is a bedding area where they like to also hang out and feed during the day, but generally leave the woods at night and spend time in the fields (the one in front, and one behind me across the road).  In the morning, it's a bedding spot, in the afternoon if they don't bed there, it's a transition spot between fields.  But also, lots of oaks, so they do feed there from time to time.  Not far away, soy beans this year, but now they're cut.  Next year it will be corn.

I was a bit discouraged about kicking out all those deer, but I know that there are a lot here.  This morning, I decided to move further down the hill to the tree that I've been eyeballing all fall now.  This tree has a canopy of leaves under it and three good shooting lanes, with plenty of overhead cover.  I'm considering putting a hanging stand here, but am using a climber for now.  After climbing up and it got light, I was pleased with the set up...especially for morning.  The sun rises at my back, no shot straight ahead looking at the field, but when they come in on me they will take the path of least resistance (well, that's the plan), and give me a shot over my left shoulder or to the left, and never see me.

No shot straight ahead, but I can see them coming, and when they get to me, they have a hard time seeing me especially in the morning with the sun at my back:


The two left shooting lanes (first is at 10:30, the second is at 9 o'clock) where the deer would have a hard time seeing me if they come from the field in the front.

That said, a lot of leaves have fallen, but the bare trees still break up my outline a bit.  I have no shot straight down, but honestly, that doesn't bother me because a down shot isn't really a good one anyway unless you spine it, and that's really tough.

Front straight, then a bit to the left...



Here's the shooting lane to the right, but is in the direction of the adjoining property:

I set up my stand and was up in it about fifteen minutes before first light.  Normally, that's plenty of time for me to knock an arrow, but this time, I was struggling.  I didn't realize before that I had climbed a pin oak, not the easiest tree to bury a hook to hang your equipment in.  I'll have to hang the hooks on a non-hunting day with a drill.

After I donned my headnet and other gear, I had to lower my backpack back down and leave it on the ground.  Then, my jacket zipper got stuck...by the time I freed it, it was shooting time.  I worried about deer seeing and hearing me fiddling about, but so far so good, no tails dancing away yet.  A Carolina wren lands in a tree limb just feet away, moves about ten times to other limbs around me chirping and trying to figure out what I am before finally flitting away.

About fifteen minutes later, the first three does moved in from the field, to my right.  There's a small "point" of woods that goes into the field where I've seen them enter and leave the field a number of times, and today was no different.  I'm considering a stand on that point too.  But, there aren't any good climbing trees, so it will have to be a hanging stand. 

About that time, three more does move in from behind me from the other field to my right and feed.  All of the deer so far are 50 yards or more away from me.  They all move away behind the adjoining landowner's house.  Ten minutes later, a spike and another doe head my way from my buddy's house through the woods.  The doe heads toward the field and I lose track of her, but the spike heads nose down right to me and under my tree. 

The spike stops right at my backpack and jumps back a step, then stomps a couple times.  Then, it moves forward and starts sniffing the bag, then...bites the strap and tugs on it!  I've never seen that before!  It jumps back and starts stomping again and again.  Then, it acts as if it's on high alert and moves away, strutting like "the bad buck" that he wishes he could be. 

It then dawns on me what got him so fired up.  I was worried that it was human scent, but it was probably the scent bombs that I was going to put out that I didn't have enough time to do! 

The spike is looking behind me toward the other field, and in steps another buck and a couple does.  The other buck works away from me and the spike follows it.  I can't turn enough to see the rack, but it's bigger than the spike for sure. 

There are three more does with it, all moving away to my right.  I reach into my pocket to pull out my grunt call to get them to come back.  I grunt, but nothing comes out.  Great, my call doesn't work.  I have a back up.  I reach into my pocket and can't feel it and then...  I hear, "clank" and a second later, something hitting the ground.  It was my other grunt call.  I'm twenty feet up and no calls on me.  Dang.  The deer didn't care about the clanking sound but keep moving at the same pace. 

I tried a vocal grunt (my best imitation) and it works, sort of.  The spike comes back, stomps a few times and turns gives me a twenty yard quartering away shot, looking back at the other buck.  I passed.  With a spot like this, there has to be better bucks around.  This spike is an eight point in a couple years. 

I plan to shoot only 8's and better, and decent 8's too, not basket racks.  There isn't any real hunting pressure here to speak of, so I feel that it's in my best interest to manage the bucks here.  I will not hesitate to shoot does since we can take an unlimited number in this particular hunting zone.  We can only take two bucks, and the second one requires the purchase of a bonus stamp.

The spike turns back around and joins the rest of the herd, heading away from me.  They vanish like grey ghosts, and presumably they bed down.

A few minutes later, I see a doe in the field behind me, and then another buck walks high along the hill behind me about 50 yards away.  It's thick up there and I can't make out the rack.  I don't see any other deer.  The buck is moving like molasses, very slow and deliberate.  It hasn't winded me.  It appears to be feeding, but I can't really tell.  It vanishes.  I watch for another half hour in that spot and then it appears briefly, then vanishes again.  I watch for another half hour or so, I think.

I'm planning on sitting all day.  I'm thirsty, my contacts are dry, and I promised I'd text my wife.  My drinks, phone, and lunch, are in my backpack which is on the ground.  I put my bow in the bow holder on my stand, and pull up my backpack.  I put my hooks that didn't hook and head lamp in the backpack, then unzip the side pocket to get my phone and eye drops.  I find the eyedrops, then remember my phones in a different pocket.  I unzip that and find it.  I check the time, 10:39 AM, and put my Droid in my jacket pocket.  I unzip the main compartment to take out a drink, and...

...I hear stomp, stomp in the leaves behind me where I last saw the buck.  "Dang it, he busted me", I think.  I turn to see a small doe with two more behind it, stomping at me.  The haven't seen me yet, but they heard the commotion of me hauling up my backpack and fumbling through it.  I have the backpack on my knee, a drink in my hand, and my bow not in my hand in the holder.  Just then, I hear footsteps in the leaves from my right, multiple deer moving toward me.  I turn and see the spike and the other buck, a four point, moving toward me at a good clip.  Apparently, they were interested in the commotion.

The spike moves right under my tree again, sniffing around as if looking for my backpack, and starts stomping again.  This time he brought a buddy with him, and the four point starts stomping too, just to my right and just out of the corner of my eye.  The spike moves under the tree and behind me, still stomping.  The does are still stomping.  Everyone is stomping.  This went on for what seemed like an eternity but was actually about a half an hour. 

I didn't move a muscle the entire time.  My hands are trying to keep ahold of my drink and backpack without dropping either out of the tree or moving, and my hands are beginning to cramp.  Finally, the does turn and walk away towards my buddy's house.  Then, up jumps the other buck.  I still can't make out the rack, but it's better than the other two for sure.  It follows the does, and the spike also decides to follow, doing a lip curl the entire way.  As soon as the bigger buck jumped up, the four point turned and bounded away in the other direction.

I'm thinking that I blew the hunt.  Heck, it was 10:30 AM!!!!  Lots of folks are out of the woods by then by a fire!  I lowered my backpack and took a drink.  I pulled out my camera and took the above pictures, then put the phone away and picked up my bow.  It's 11:15 AM now.  I'm hungry, but I dare not pull up my backpack again.

A half hour passes and I hear something over my right shoulder.  Two does move about 65 yards away, feeding.  They either came in from the field or were some of the first ones I saw that may have bedded over there, I'm not sure.  But they feed for a few minutes and then I lose track of them.  They either left or bedded down.  I assume this time that they bedded down.  I want one.  I sit angled that way and watch...

Another half hour passes and I catch movement from that direction.  I see both does get up and move a bit, feeding again.  A few minutes later, they lay down again.  This time I can see them.  I keep watching.

I'm a bit tired now, and doze off for a minute only to wake by some commotion heading my way, from behind the does in the distance.  It sounds like something running this way. The does jump up and bolt to my left but now about 45 to 50 yards away before coming to a halt.  They gaze back at the commotion.  Is it a buck looking for them?

No.  Turkeys.  Two hens and a gobbler come running my way, they turn up hill to my right and stop and walk.  They're clucking, cooing, and turkey talkin' but slow to a quiet walk.  The deer bed down, this time, I can see them pretty well.  And, unfortunately, they're now looking right at my direction.  I can't hear the turkeys any more.  I guess that they moved out into the field behind me. 

Now with turkeys possibly behind me and the does bedded looking at me, I can't assume that the turkeys aren't there.  And I don't want to get busted again.  So, I dare not move a muscle.  I pray that the does get up and move a bit behind some trees, cover, or something because I'm not in a comfortable position.  But, I'll wait them out.  I'm not going to blow this hunt again.  I want one of those does and I'll suffer to get one.  About twenty minutes later, my cell phone went off, not high volumn, but a Metallica ring tone, and loud enough that the deer had to hear it.  They didn't react.  I wanted to reach in to my pocket and shut off the phone, but I couldn't because I was sure that they'd see me.  Then, the phone went off again, this time the ring tone lasted even longer.  Still, they didn't react.  I guess living with so much human activity around keeps then desensitized.

An hour after they bed, I'm stiff, cramping and uncomfortable, but I haven't moved an inch.  I can't hear the turkeys any more so I think that they've gone, but the does are both in my view and me in theirs, and they're chewing their cud.  Just when I'm beginning to hurt, I hear what sounds like someone raking leaves behind me into big piles of leaves.  Who's raking now?  I can't believe it.  The does just sit there, not caring.  So, maybe it's deer, I think?  A bit more time elapses and the raking gets louder. 

If it was a person, those does would have bolted for sure.  But now they both jump up and stare at the disturbance.  Since the does aren't looking at me, and they moved a bit behind some trees, I shift my position to gain some comfort, and gaze over my right shoulder.  The TURKEYS again, this time, sweeping and feeding!  The does have had enough, they get spooked and take off away from me.  Great, my hunt ruined by turkeys of all things.  The feed in the direction that the does ran, and I eventually lose sight of them.

About ten minutes later, at 2:39 PM, I see my buddy's dog, Charley, running through the woods right towards me and stops.  Then, I see my buddy walking behind him.  They decide to check me out, as if they wouldn't kick deer out.  Now, my experiences on public land would lead me to believe that my hunt may be worthless the rest of the day.  But then I think that these deer are kind of used to peoples ways and human noises.  They probably see him walk Charley every day, and they might return.  Plus, the turkeys kicked them out, not my buddy and his dog.  I wave and my buddy waves back, then he leaves the woods.

Ten minutes later, I hear yelling, as if someone is calling someone.  An ATV heads across the field and into the woods, cutting across the woods to my right, then turns and cuts parallel to the field but still in the woods.  I wonder if I've made a mistake on the boundry.  I'm pretty sure that I'm OK, but an element of doubt surrounds me.  I hope to not be discovered, and I'm not.  The rider heads away not looking for me at all.  A few minutes later, the ATV returns and takes the same path as it came.  I'm thinking to myself, "What the heck was that?"  Substitue heck for something else for accuracy's sake.

I'm shaking my head, thinking what else could go wrong after a great first half?  Then, I see a dog, a husky I think, running lickety split through the woods from the direction of my buddy's property right to me.  It's not Charley.  Charlie is a basset hound.  The husky has a long red leash trailing behind it.  I put two and two together and surmise correctly that the dog was lost, and the ATV rider was looking for it.  Now, the entire woods had been canvassed by an ATV, two dogs, and a dog walker!  But, I decide to stick it out.

4:00 PM arrives and I see the spike emerge from the field at the "point" and enter the woods, moving to my right away from me.  I try my vocal grunt call and get no response this time.  I wasn't going to shoot it, but just wanted the interaction, to see what it would do.

In the morning, any movement that I heard was deer.  The squirrels were nonexistent.  It was almost creepy.  But, after the ATV, the squirrels seem to awake and they were everywhere.  They were chasing each other, barking, and doing squirrel things, all around me.  Pairs of them seemed to perform deer imitations just to torment me, then climb a tree and chatter at me.

An hour goes by and a doe attempts the double squirrel imitation in the leaves, but I spot her, about 50 yards away and heading right for the "point".  She finds the "point" and exits the woods into the field.   That was the last deer that I saw.  Plenty of squirrels behind me kept me wondering if any deer were still around.

The sun set, I waited a half hour, and climbed down. 

I met up with my buddy and told him my tale.  It was a good hunt.  No, a great hunt.  I may have blown a chance at those bedded deer, but who knows what would have happened.  Chances are, the ATV, dogs, and my buddy would have kicked them all out anyway had it not been for the turkeys.  Even though I didn't have a shot opportunity, it was a really fun hunt, one that I won't forget.  Thanks for reading.