Post by Sasquatch on Oct 16, 2009 15:21:39 GMT -5
This season I decided to wean myself off of tree-only hunting. When I began hunting I couldn't afford a treestand, so I had to learn the ropes on Terra firma.
I think it was valuable training, and I took my first three deer from the ground.
But as the years went by, I noticed that I was hunting trees more than deer. I made the choice to be more aggressive this year.
On the property I hunt there is a large pasture, with an overgrown fence row going across the lower third of it. For years I have sat in my stands in the woods only to see deer work their way up to that fence row and mill around in the pasture in complete safety.
Not this year.
On the evening of the 14th I checked the wind and went to set up about 15 yards downwind of where I see the deer cross through the fence row.
After spooking three small bucks that had been bedded in the field, I settled in. There was no blind, so I sat in a spot that had a tangle of vines behind me to hide my outline, and a tree slightly in front of me.
Just before sunset a big doe and a spike came up from the place I had deemed least likely, off to my left. The spike was just far enough behind the doe that he would likely see me move on her. When the doe was about ten feet away, that's exactly what happened. He blew and she flew.
About a half hour later, I spotted a small buck and a doe angling up from the lower field toward the fence row---on the path I had planned for! Even better, a doe was in the lead. I just hoped that the buck would stay far enough back that he wouldn't give me away.
I became one with the tree as the doe closed the distance, heading straight for me. 75 yards. She was now joined by several more sets of eyes, some distance behind her. 50 yards. Was she going to walk past or cut through the fence? 30 yards. It looks like she's going to pass me, so I begin to wiggle to the left. 20 yards. Darn it, she turns slightly toward the crossing point. I wiggle back to the right. Thank goodness the ground is wet. 10 yards. She's gonna cross closer to me! I risk the draw and get away with it. 20 feet. She starts to turn, and I am looking at her through the peep. I calculate the angle and squeeze the trigger at 15 feet. The arrow strikes and she trots in front of me and heads away through the field, stopping about 100 yards away. She stands, head down, sort of leaning this way and that. I thought she was gonna drop there, but she suddenly lurched toward the woods. I saw other deer run away from her, so I figured she went down.
I waited an hour just in case, and went down to the lower field after dark. At first I didn't see anything, but as I was checking deer trails leading into the woods, I spotted her in the field about thirty yards from where I last saw her. I was able to drive the Jeep right to her. I ended up having to call work and arrive an hour late, but who cares. My fourth archery deer from the ground was one of the best.
I think it was valuable training, and I took my first three deer from the ground.
But as the years went by, I noticed that I was hunting trees more than deer. I made the choice to be more aggressive this year.
On the property I hunt there is a large pasture, with an overgrown fence row going across the lower third of it. For years I have sat in my stands in the woods only to see deer work their way up to that fence row and mill around in the pasture in complete safety.
Not this year.
On the evening of the 14th I checked the wind and went to set up about 15 yards downwind of where I see the deer cross through the fence row.
After spooking three small bucks that had been bedded in the field, I settled in. There was no blind, so I sat in a spot that had a tangle of vines behind me to hide my outline, and a tree slightly in front of me.
Just before sunset a big doe and a spike came up from the place I had deemed least likely, off to my left. The spike was just far enough behind the doe that he would likely see me move on her. When the doe was about ten feet away, that's exactly what happened. He blew and she flew.
About a half hour later, I spotted a small buck and a doe angling up from the lower field toward the fence row---on the path I had planned for! Even better, a doe was in the lead. I just hoped that the buck would stay far enough back that he wouldn't give me away.
I became one with the tree as the doe closed the distance, heading straight for me. 75 yards. She was now joined by several more sets of eyes, some distance behind her. 50 yards. Was she going to walk past or cut through the fence? 30 yards. It looks like she's going to pass me, so I begin to wiggle to the left. 20 yards. Darn it, she turns slightly toward the crossing point. I wiggle back to the right. Thank goodness the ground is wet. 10 yards. She's gonna cross closer to me! I risk the draw and get away with it. 20 feet. She starts to turn, and I am looking at her through the peep. I calculate the angle and squeeze the trigger at 15 feet. The arrow strikes and she trots in front of me and heads away through the field, stopping about 100 yards away. She stands, head down, sort of leaning this way and that. I thought she was gonna drop there, but she suddenly lurched toward the woods. I saw other deer run away from her, so I figured she went down.
I waited an hour just in case, and went down to the lower field after dark. At first I didn't see anything, but as I was checking deer trails leading into the woods, I spotted her in the field about thirty yards from where I last saw her. I was able to drive the Jeep right to her. I ended up having to call work and arrive an hour late, but who cares. My fourth archery deer from the ground was one of the best.
