3rd time out hunting

[mikeandronda]

K, Im new to hunting and I have only been bow hunting twice before this morning. Last week my buddie stuck a 8 pointer about 75-100 yrds away from my stand but had not seen one deer this year close up. This morning I get to go into the stand that a couple different guys have taken deer from and everyone of them have seen deer there. We are hunting a plot of land thats just outside the city limits and the deer are thick. This morning I have one come up on me before its really light and our deal with eachother is not to shoot unless you would bet your buddies life that its a deer. So I sit and watch this shadow about 20-25 yrds from me for about 15 mins and it slowly backs up and gos the way it came from......wind was blowing in that direction Im guessin he got a wiff of me I sit for another two hours and nothing but squirils and lots of them.......I begin to wonder what the heck is wrong with me......I know 3 guys who have seen or taken deer from this stand.......one last night.........I figure maybe they ruined the spot or I really am stinky or im just unlucky and about 8:29 I really am kinda wondering......kinda thinking about my kids , my wife, why the sky is blue and how much I hate those flippin tree rats. Im thinking that my buddie should be along any time cuz we figured about nine we would leave the woods. I look down about 15 yrds from me and there are two deer. One huge doe and a smaller one. I never heard them or saw them untill they were that close. Now some guys dont get to excited bout' a doe, but my heart just go's wild. I have seen many deer up close but she looked as big as horse to me. I was a little cold and shivering just a little bit before I seen them but now I was afraid I was gonna shake my self out of that tree. They were coming at me straight on so I slowly brought up my bow, and she( the big one) looked up at me. I froze and she went back to rooting around the ground. I continued to draw back and she quikly looked back up at me. Everything became slow motion and I made eye contact and she turned.........I let the site ride right over what my buddie calls the boiler room when she gave me a broadside shot.......I released the arrow and I hear a loud crack........both deer run off into the woods like bolts of lightning. I am shaking so hard now that Im afraid of falling out of the stand........I have never felt so increadably alive and excited about anything other than the birth of my daughter and well.........well this is a family site so I will leave anything else to your imagination. After sittin up there for 15 mins.....felt like an hour I notice my arrow way off to side of where I shot.......I thought it was kinda wierd........Turns out after I got out of the tree to look for blood the arrow must of hit a branch I somehow didnt see. Broadhead was broke and arrow a bit bent but no blood. It went 90 degrees from the direction I shot so we guessed it must of hit a branch. It took a whole hour for me to quit shaking and for my adrenalin to stop pumping........This was the single best moment I have ever had outdoors...........Im going again this weekend Ohhhhh Im so hooked on this hunting and I cant believe there is a sport Im beginning to like as much or more as fishing.....

 

[ehenry]

Re: 3rd time out hunting

Stuck a deer at 75 to 100 yards??? What'd he doo shoot hard and hope or does he shoot a crossbow?

 

[ehenry]

Re: 3rd time out hunting

I reread your post....the deer was that far away from your stand but not that far from your buddy.

 

[mikeandronda]

Re: 3rd time out hunting

Yep thats what I ment Efhenry........75-100 yrds away from me and my tree stand.......I was in his stand this morning.

 

[mvaughn]

Re: 3rd time out hunting

I've been hunting since I was a wee lite tyke, and that adrenalin rush just keeps getting better each time! Good luck with the rest of your season!

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: 3rd time out hunting

Great story Mike.<br /><br />I really enjoy hunting cause its a great way to escape.<br /><br />Man I cant wait until next month.<br /><br />Ken

 

[mikeandronda]

Re: 3rd time out hunting

Thnx, mvaughn....Ken I take it your season does not start till next month.........What are the deer like down there? I was kinda disapointed in the size of the deer here......well untill I saw that, what looked to be at least a 400 lb doe today she looked bigger then my buddies 8 pointer he got in the same place but it might have been adrenaline. I have read about hunting in Texas and it sounds pretty awesome.

 

[FLATHEAD]

Re: 3rd time out hunting

Mike. Glad to hear your enjoying the hunt. I have been out three times so far this year. Passed up a few does and had a 4 point directly under the stand Thursday eve. Didnt fling an arrow yet. Had a big fat doe at 20 yards opening day and had a bead on her, when a small fawn stepped out , must of been born late because it was about the size of a dog and still had full spots. I could not kill momma when I saw that. Still have 5 weeks to hunt so know worries here. Still waiting for the big boy to meander through. The rut should kick in here in about another 2 weeks. Then things get interesting. Was going to head out today but it is a heavy downpour now and supposed to rain all day.

 

[cpj]

Re: 3rd time out hunting

I am glad to hear that you are hooked!And I still get excited when I see a doe even after 13 years of bow hunting.Its alot different from gun hunting isnt it?I mean if you see a deer 75 or 100 yards away,you know that with a gun, that deer is as good as in the freezer.But with a bow its a whole differnt story.I am going tommorow.I thought that I would try and fish more this fall, but Mike, as you know the weather here has turned a little cool.When I walked out one morning this past week and it was in the 40's,my neck swelled up,I started grunting,pawing the ground and peeing on bushes.Some my think that that is strange behavior,but my fellow bow hunters know that as being in rut!So the boat getting winterized, and the tree stand is coming out,cause its time to go huntin!

 

[mikeandronda]

Re: 3rd time out hunting

Well cpj hope you get one.....keep us posted. It was a bit cold yesterday morn.....its gonna bit a bit chilly tomarrow to so its perfect hunting weather. My buddie said they killed the bass on Stockton a few days ago and its my guess they still may be doing well so the way I see it you could still get a few days of fishing in. Flahthead I cant wait for someday that I can see that many deer and not freak out

 

[rolmops]

Re: 3rd time out hunting

The deer around here in suburbia are so tame,they will ignore you when mow the lawn,while standing maybe 20 foot away.Last week I saw 2 does with flea collars on.I guess they were orphaned by a car and taken in by well meaning people (Boomyal I bet you they were liberals).So no legal hunting around here.It is fun to see a golden retriever sniffing and licking her adopted "baby deer" or what you would call a fawn.As for me,I see no reason to hunt unless I am hungry.

 

[mikeandronda]

Re: 3rd time out hunting

Well Rolmops I love venison and if hunting can give me a chance to put 60-70lbs of meat in my freezer, for that reason alone I will try. Not to mention the increadable time I have spent in the woods as well as the unique experience of being part of nature. Fact is if people dont cull the herd they will suffer hard deaths by being hit by cars, starvation or illness. I dont live in some big city anymore and these aint city deer. I have the utmost respect for my quarry and I cant believe how a 150-175 lb animal can get within 30 ft of my in the woods without me seeing or hearing it. And even though I was in head to toe camo, armed with a decent weapon of death that Im a pretty good shot with as well as being 25 ft up in the air......they still survived. It may be Im not the best hunter yet or my nerves got in the way or just an unlucky shot but I would like to think that the prey was a worthy advesary. As for a reason to hunt I can tell you I have many reasons but I guess if you feel you have no reason to hunt its cool. As I said before I have seen many deer up close.....dead and alive but this was a whole different thing I am more alive and it truly has been a life experience I am blessed to have had. If I never get one I will probably continue to hunt until I no longer can due to failing health.

 

[TwoBallScrewBall]

Re: 3rd time out hunting

I want to go hunting now.

 

[rolmops]

Re: 3rd time out hunting

Mikeandronda,I have absolutely no problem with you hunting.I sincerely hope it gives you all the joy and meat for your needs.As for me,I hunted different prey when I was much younger and now I mostly enjoy life without touching or changing life around me.

 

[cpj]

Re: 3rd time out hunting

Mike, <br />Saw squat sunday morning, went to my uncles 40 acres that he just bought,jumped up 4,then set in his treestand for the afternoon.His tree stand was not made for bow hunting.It had a horrible rail that went around it so that you had to lean out to shoot.Its a 2 man ladder stand.Any, about 6:30 a little doe walked in.I wasnt going to shoot it.It came right under my stand and stayed there eating some leaves.I wasnt going to shoot it.It walked about 5 yards from my stand and kept eating.I wasnt going to shoot it.Then it turned away and started to walk away.Oh what the heck, I had to shoot her! Well i leaned out over the railing and shot.When I let the arrow go,the bow string slapped my coat and made a very loud pop.She jumped about 3 feet in the air and I missed.Now I am about 75% sure that I would have hit her if she hadnt jumped.I say 75% cause I was in a goofy posistion, and didnt see where the arrow landed to tell how far off I was.Oh well, the seasons still young.And when that deer walked right under my stand and just stayed there, I remember why I love bowhunting!

 

[AJ168]

Re: 3rd time out hunting

Just the other day my boss took me out for wood duck.<br />Wow. There must have been a couple hundred ducks flying that day. First time out waterfowl hunting and I even filled my bag limit of the two birds. Had to use half a box of shells to do that though. I can't wait for deer. I don't bowhunt (don't have a bow, all my money goes into that hole in the water that I go fishing in every weekend) so I have to wait for firearm to open up. All of the venison in my freezer had been gone for a while now. <br />Don't worry Mike, I still get doe fever even though I've been deer hunting for about 5 years now. And don't feel bad about missing that deer. It's when you've missed a 12 pointer like I did that you want to smash your head into the nearest tree.