Dad and I returned to where we sat yesterday afternoon. On my way in, there were deer running in every direction imaginable. Unfortunately, I also walked up on a few bedded ones. I quickly realized why this area holds a lot of deer: it’s almost impossible to hunt in the morning or the afternoon because they bed there at all times.
After climbing into the tree, I didn’t feel overly optimistic about my morning hunt. My feelings proved to be true, and Dad and I had an uneventful morning. I did see a small 8 chase a doe past me during the mid-morning. I spike made its way past me shortly after daybreak, and I saw a few button bucks without their mothers – three to be exact. I also spotted a small bobcat. It never had a clue that I was in the tree watching it.
Dad sat in the stand next to the road. He saw three does and no bucks in the morning. We both decided to get down around noon and move our stands. Dad moved about 20 yards down the hill, and I moved about 75 yards through the thicket and out into the open. Every deer I had seen up to that point traveled through the open area. When I got in the tree, I felt confident about getting a shot. I was now overlooking a well-used scrape where two pounded runways intersected.
After settling into the new spot, I saw a doe in the distance. She fed for quite a while before disappearing into some thick stuff. A short time later, I saw some movement to my left along the water and realized it was a nice buck. Since I haven’t seen much this trip and my hunting has been a little different than normal, I decided to take him. I drew the bow and waited for him to get done pissing on his hocks. I had to let down after being at full draw for a minute. He just wouldn’t give me a good shot.
Finally, I drew the bow again and settled the pin behind the shoulder. I slowly began my process and waited for the release to fire. Right as it fired, the deer took a step forward and the arrow struck it in the guts. It bolted to the right and ran past me, stopping about 20 yards from the stand. He searched for the source of his excitement and couldn’t find it. After calming down, he took a few steps forward.
Now, at the perfect angle every bow hunter wants, he began walking away from me. I squeezed off another shot, and the quartering away angle allowed me to send an arrow through his vitals. His dash lasted about 40 yards before he came up on his hind legs and tumbled backward. The NAP Hellrazor broadhead had done its job.
I quickly got on the radio and told Dad that I had shot a deer. He asked what I was going to do, and I told him I would sit and let him hunt. The deer were moving, and I wanted him to have every opportunity to punch his tag.
When I clicked the radio off, I glanced to my left and saw a larger deer than the one I had just killed coming at me. He made his way to within 10 yards of my tree and proceeded to walk all the way around the tree, never more than seven yards from the base of it. I took my video camera out and took some video while wishing I had waited a few more minutes before taking the other deer that I had just taken.
Eventually, the deer visited a nearby scrape and sauntered away onto some posted land. Although I was disappointed that I hadn’t waited to shoot that buck, I was still happy to have filled my tag after looking at all of the things that have transpired over the last nine months. It has taught me to never take a second, minute, day, week, month or year for granted. Everything can change within seconds, and the world we know can be swiped from our hands without notice.
When the deer cleared out of my area, I heard a ruckus in the leaves behind me. Then, Dad came on the radio and said he had just knocked one over. He shot a nice buck, and when the bolt hit it, the deer went right down. It got to its feet and fell again within 30 yards, after which it stumbled onto the flat where I was sitting. Here’s the bolt.
I never saw the deer, but I could hear it. We looked for some blood and found it. The blood trail led to where my deer had fallen, but the deer never walked past me while I was waiting for Dad to get back to me on the radio.
Finally, we marked it and headed on our way. We decided to go back in the morning to look for it.
Brian shot a deer tonight in the place where I killed a big buck a few years ago. It’s a bedding area, and big bucks like to cruise it in the afternoon to look for does.
Dad walked through the area a few days ago and told me he wanted to set a stand in there. I told him to stay out of it to let things settled down in there. I figured the deer he shot at last week was probably hiding in there and just needed some time to return to his normal pattern. He was really disappointed when I told him not to go back in there, but he was excited when I told hi what I thought would happen if he gave it a rest.
Although I told hi to give it a rest yesterday, Brian went and sat in the regular stand in the afternoon. I’m not sure why, as it’s one of the only places Dad can get too easily with his condition.
Well, today he went back into this area where I told Dad to stay out of and shot the deer on our very first sit in the place. I’m happy for Brian. He deserves a nice deer more than anyone for all of the work he has put in. However, I’m saddened for my dad. His luck just doesn’t seem to be working out this year with anything, including hunting. I wish he could get around better so he could have a better and more enjoyable hunt.
Maybe we will find the buck in the morning, but I’m not feeling overly optimistic about it.