2008 Hunt 4

September 20, 2008. Finally started feeling good again by the weekend!

Set up in a stand on the west edge of a food plot planted with corn, soy beans, and some winter rye. The wind was coming in from the east/northeast all day, and looked to be all afternoon. Got everything set up and ready to go by 4:30 p.m. I was expecting action to come from the south or north, and feared I'd spook anything coming directly from the west.

I read from a book on and off 'til about 5:45 p.m., when I heard and then saw a doe coming from the WEST! I slipped the book into my jacket that was still unzipped. The doe slowly made her way directly under me and then headed toward the field. I knew I had her on the edge of the field at 20 yards. I grabbed the bow while she was heading away from me. She turned broadside as soon as she reached the field, and I let an arrow go. She was quartering a little, and I hit her perfectly; the arrow passed through her right front leg, piercing her heart on the way!

She scampered away, and I heard her crash about 40 yards from where she was hit. I slowly gathered my stuff and climbed down. I picked up my arrow exactly where she was standing, and found her just as quickly.

I headed to the house and grabbed my oldest daughter to help bring the doe in on the ATV trailer. We got some pictures and I brought her to the pole barn.



Got her hung up and started skinning her right away as it was getting dark. Was just about to cut off her front forearm, and sliced up my left thumb...bad! Ended up at the ER, and had to have a tendon stitched up as well as the laceration. I'm in a splint for a couple of weeks, but the doc thinks I should have no problem shooting the bow once they're sure the tendon is healed.
A good and bad start to the deer season!

Deer sightings: 1 Deer down: 1 Time on stand: 2 hrs.

2008 Hunt 3

Got out on Sunday, the 14th for an afternoon/evening hunt. It was rainy all day, but looked to be letting up about 4 p.m.
Wasn't really feeling good from the start, and started sneezing throughout the day. Finally gave up around 6 p.m., realizing I was making too much noise even in a ground blind.

Deer sightings: 0 Deer down: 0 Time on stand: 2 hrs.

2008 Hunt 2

Waited the rain out and got back into the same ground blind I was in earlier. Twenty minutes later, around 5:20 p.m. a small one or two year old eight pointer came through the small food plot from the north and fed for about 25 minutes. He cleared out heading south.

About a half hour later I think this same deer came through heading back north. I tried to get a pic, but didn't get a clear shot.

At 6:50 p.m. this guy came in from the south. I've got several trail cam pictures of him throughout the summer. Weird rack, with seven points, but the fork on the left is enough for me to let him grow another year.






Deer sightings: 2 Deer down: 0 Time on stand: 2.5 hrs.

2008 Hunt 1

Sat in ground blind on east edge of small food plot. Got up later than I wanted, but still got set up about 1/2 hour before legal shooting time. Not much action, except for the dropping of acorns.

About 7:45 a.m. a doe surprised me coming into the food plot from the north. She immediately got nervous about something. I had set up this blind last weekend, so she should have had time to get used to it. Must have been me. She kept moving south and finally came back around toward me. I could barely make out her front feet as she stood about 7 yards away with all kinds of saplings between her and the blind. She slowly slipped south.

Deer sightings: 1 Deer down: 0 Time on stand: 2:15 hrs.