Doe down.............finally

tnbowhunter · 10-05-2009, 11:34 AM

Man, it's been tough this season trying to put meat in the freezer. Opening morning was a wash-out. The wife and I got up an hour before daylight, put on our hunting clothes and as we stepped off the back porch we were greeted by a blinding flash of light followed by a huge boom. Yep, a thunderstorm and torrential rain. The weather finally improved that afternoon and we hunted that evening but not a deer was seen. Hunted the next morning and finally saw a couple of does in the distant, same thing that evening.
Headed over to the lease in the middle part of the state Thursday morning. Got into the stand around 2:00 that afternoon. Saw a couple of does about 50 yds. away feeding on acorns, only trouble was they were feeding away from me. Sat till dark and no more deer were seen. I awoke Friday morning by the sound of thunder and a driving rain, I don't sit in a tree during a thunderstorm, lol, so I got to sleep in. The rain finally let up around noon so I once again headed to the woods. I repositioned my stand where I had seen the two does the previous evening and around 6:00 saw movement and wouldn't you know it......they were up the ridge practically under where I had been the evening before. I once again sat till dark with no other deer being seen. I headed out Sat. morning to the same spot that I sat Friday evening. It was a perfect morning, cool and just a whisper of a breeze which was blowing in the right direction. Right as it was getting daylight i heard deer running toward me but they crossed behind me and out of sight. Around 9:00 I saw the same two does feeding in the distance and watched as they fed out of sight into a clearcut. Around 10:00 a bunch of Crows and Blue Jays started having a shouting match at each other. Man, what a noise!!!! As I was watching the Crows and Jays I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. I slowly turned my head and there was a good size doe practically under my stand. I eased into a standing position the same time I got my bow in my hand. Justed as I was coming to full draw I heard a snort behind me. Dang!!!! Deer took off everywhere. I think there were at least five. Long story short, I only had that evening and the next morning to hunt and I have this "secret" spot that I almost always see deer. It's an old salt lick that has been on my lease ever since I started hunting over there almost 20 years ago. I pulled my climbing stand out of the tree, went back to the camper had a bite to eat and a nap. Got out and did a little scouting on the far side of my lease but didn't find anything that excited me so off to the salt lick I go. Around 5:00 two does fed in front of me about 50 yds. away. I kinda figured that after they fed they would come into the salt lick which from all the rain was now a small pond. But no such thing, they continued feeding on acorns out of sight. Finally around 6:00 I heard deer running in my direction, I quickly grabbed my bow and yanked my face mask down but before I could draw my bow the first deer was running directly under my stand. But as luck would have it the first deer was followed by another which was now out about 15 yds. in front of me on a dead run. I quickly gave a loud imitation of a deer grunt using my voice and the doe stopped 12 yards away. She turned broadside, I picked a spot directly behind her shoulder, held a couple of inches low and touched my release. She never made it out of sight.
Not the largest deer in the woods, but unless you've ever been bowhunting you wouldn't know the excitement that comes after making a good shot on any deer. Anyway, we had some fresh deer tenderloin for supper last night and it was delicious!!!!

**helomech** · 10-05-2009, 11:48 AM

Congrats, well the pressure is off now you can wait for that monster. The weather is supposed to be crap for the next 10 days at my place.

**DeadRiver** · 10-05-2009, 12:17 PM

i'm eating lunch right now and kinda wish i had some deer ....

37L1 · 10-05-2009, 02:39 PM

Nice shot tnbowhunter!!

How's it looking for rifle season?

bestatchess · 10-05-2009, 04:13 PM

Sick, sick shot. There are lots and lots of folks that can't shoot that well with a rifle.

src4usarmy · 10-05-2009, 05:19 PM

Nice deer!

tnbowhunter · 10-05-2009, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by helomech

Congrats, well the pressure is off now you can wait for that monster. The weather is supposed to be crap for the next 10 days at my place.

Yeah, the first one of the season is usually the hardest. If I waited for a monster over at the lease i'd never kill anything, lol. Waaay to much hunting pressure and no antler restrictions. Unfortunatly Tn. stresses quantity instead of quality. I will buck hunt for most of the season and won't kill another doe untill later on even though we are allowed three does a day for the entire season. I've never killed a doe here at home even though it is legal to do so. I let the wife kill one doe here if she so chooses.
I hear ya about the weather, it's been raining off and on all day with a chance of rain for the rest of the week.

tnbowhunter · 10-05-2009, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 37L1

Nice shot tnbowhunter!!

How's it looking for rifle season?

Thanks for the props!!
The rifle season should be good, plenty of acorns this year and looks like there are a lot of deer as well. The hard part is finding the right spot because with so much for them to eat they are just not moving around much.
I'll PM ya later on.

tnbowhunter · 10-05-2009, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bestatchess

Sick, sick shot. There are lots and lots of folks that can't shoot that well with a rifle.

Thanks best, I do practice quite a bit. I'll have to admit that this deer gave me that "perfect" shot. [Broadside looking the other way at 12 yards.] She was almost a little too close though, I would prefer a 20 yard shot anytime. When they get any closer than that the shooting angle from a tree stand gets kinda tricky.

tnbowhunter · 10-05-2009, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by src4usarmy

Nice deer!

Thanks!! Any deer I get with a bow is "nice" to me, lol.
Good luck to you this season!

Shane06fl · 10-05-2009, 07:38 PM

Good Job TNB!!! It's always good to see a deer hanging especially when the one that is hanging actually works hard for it..

IMADOGMAN · 10-05-2009, 07:55 PM

Hey Bowhunter, You need to take pictures in the woods...If you keep taking them in that same spot by the garage, how do we know that it isn't the same deer as last year??? LOL!

tnbowhunter · 10-06-2009, 06:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IMADOGMAN

Hey Bowhunter, You need to take pictures in the woods...If you keep taking them in that same spot by the garage, how do we know that it isn't the same deer as last year??? LOL!

Haha, you a funny man dogman!!
Yeah, your right I do need to start taking my camera with me. It's amazing how much gear it takes to get me into the woods. I swear i've got crap hanging around my neck and on every belt loop. Rangefinder, binocs, grunt call, rattling antlers, doe bleat call, two flashlights, hunting knife, face mask, orange marking tape, somthing to eat and drink, GPS, Walkie Talkie, tree stand, safety harness, rope to pull my bow up with, and last but not least............toilet paper!!!!

IMADOGMAN · 10-10-2009, 06:50 PM

Hey, Think about this: In a few more years, you can just load all of that stuff into your chair, and have someone wheel you to your stand

DRTYAZN · 10-11-2009, 11:22 PM

Very nice hunt and kill... glad to see persistence paid off... now go get that Buck when the weather breaks...