Doe and Management Hunts

[Larry]

I feel for ya buddy. Can't blame you for taking the weekend off from the bow, but don't get too down on yourself and your skills. You shoot way more and better than I do. We all go through spells like this. With the way the blood trail thinned out the last 200 yards, that buck just might be walking around still. You just never know. Hey, at least a plan sort of came together with the hunch we had for that stand. Odd placement in an area I'd never have hung a stand for a bow, but it just shows we're geniuses!

Sorry I didn't get to spend the weekend with this group. I know the food was good, and I would've had to wear my rubber boots for all of the stories told.

Looking forward to this weekend. Kids in camp...gonna be fun!

[pazthru]

Try not to be too hard on yourself, Jay. Sooner or later it happens to bowhunters.
I enjoyed your write up and I am sorry you have not had the chance, YET, to swig the Crown of Success because of a befouled shot.

[Sidthebowhunter]

Some of the low fence bucks from last month...

that is a beuatiful site

[Jeremy7306]

Great write up Jay, and like Richard and Larry said, don't be too hard on yourself. We've all done it and if ya haven't yet it's just a matter of time. I hope Dallas had a blast this weekend with ya, he sure is a cool dog!

[tgil]

I've seen you shoot, twigs happen! Get back in the saddle!

[salth2o]

Sorry to hear of the unfortunate outcome Jay. I know that is tough to deal with and I hope you get a shot at another toad.

[Johnny]

Outstanding write up Jay. While reading along out loud with Colton, I could feel the anxiety that you were feeling. Brother, I have been right there a few times in the exact same spot. I still think back to a couple of times that haunt me to this day. Your story reminded me a lot of Colton's big buck he shot at our place in Madison County the weekend before we came to the Cross J. We had real good blood off and on for up to 4 to 500 yards till we lost blood. I came back the next day and hit up every bush with a buddy of mine....no deer, no buzzards....nothing.

Have a good relaxing weekend at the Cross J this weekend with your boy D. The next time you release an arrow on a critter soon, I know darn good in well the whisper of death will cut through the air.

[BubbaS]

Pm sent

[Larry]

It was a good weekend.



Full update and more pics to come.

[Jeremy7306]

^^^ Sweet!!!! Waiting for the write up!

[justhrowit]

I'll get a write up going tomorrow. I have some cool pictures to post. It was a cool moment.

J

[texbama]

Thanks for posting the picture Larry.
First let me say that Jay can probably sum up the weekend better than me but here goes nothing.

First I contacted Larry a few weeks ago and told him that I wanted to take my 6 year old son, Jacob, on a hunt. This would be his first experience in a deer camp and first in a blind with me hunting for deer. Well, we got all the details worked out and a date set for a weekend hunt at Cross J. Originally there were going to be a couple of father and sons in camp; however, due to some illnesses the others had to cancel. For the weekend it was Jay, Larry, my son, and I camp.

Friday evening we met Larry as planned and drove into camp following him. A little while later Jay comes in with his lab, Dallas. After my son asks a million questions and chases Dallas around the house, I finally put him to bed so that we could go over the next morning’s hunt.

Saturday morning starts off nice and cool somewhere around 37 degrees and little wind. Jay takes Jacob and I to our morning stand and in route we see a couple of small racked bucks in the headlights and as we approach the box blind there is already a deer standing out in front of it. Jay drops us off and Jacob and I settle in just before the sun starts to rise. Around 7:30 we spot a lone doe off to our left but the rest of the morning was uneventful with the exception of pointing out different things to Jacob while trying to keep his interest in the hunt and off of the Nintendo DS that we brought to help keep him from being restless.

Jay came back around 10am as planned and took us on a ride around the ranch. After meeting back up in camp Larry also report very little deer movement for the morning. After eating a little lunch, I think everyone took a mid day nap to ready for the evening hunt. It was decided for the evenings hunt that Jacob and I would sit in an elevated box blind overlooking a feeder approx. 100 yards away. Jay dropped us off and we quickly settled in. This stand had a very nice scenic view and you could tell that this was a
location that deer would naturally be drawn to. I handed Jacob his binoculars and told him to watch the feeder and the hill side over my right should and I would watch the feeder and the bottom over his left shoulder. Around 5:10pm a buck popped out behind the feeder and began making his way down wind of the feeder. I immediately told Jacob to slowly turn and look behind the feeder at the buck. First words out of his mouth were very quietly, “Daddy that buck has a rack”. Then two more bucks appeared. A quick glimpse show that the first buck an 8pt is the best deer and the other two are a smaller 8 and what appeared to be a 4pt. I could tell Jacob was very excited and he said are you going to shoot one, and I replied yes, cover your ears. At the bark of the gun, the deer spins around and trots off behind some cedars. I thought to myself that it looked like I hit him but the 7mag did not knock him down.

Jacob is on cloud nine and I was trying to restrain him as we go down to look where the deer was standing. My heart sunk when I saw the blood with gut matter mixed. I immediately new that this was not the sign I was looking for. We track him about 75 yards where he entered a cedar thick and I made the call to stop. Man you talk about heart wrenching, I already felt bad about the shot place and my little boy became emotion as he could not understand why we could not go get the deer. I tried and tried to explain to him that we did not need to push the deer but he kept saying, “Daddy go get the deer”. Jay came by to get us about thirty minutes after the shot and I went over the details of the shot and my findings. We agreed that it would be in the mid 30’s overnight and it was best to let the deer lay and would pick back up around 9am the next morning. As I slept on and off that night I kept replaying the shot, my boy’s reaction, and the thought of disappointing him if we could not find the deer the next morning.

Sunday morning rolls around and after walking outside around the camp house playing with Jacob to pass time and keep him up beat, we finally head out to look for the deer. We get the spot that I had marked the night before and Larry, Jay, Jacob, and I pick up the trail. We followed the sign for about 150 – 200 yards and I see a white belly. Relieved, I tell Jacob to look over there at the deer. I was excited and relieve all at once. The thought of not finding the deer was weighting on me as I knew my son would be devastated if we did not find him. I was so relieved and excited that I did not get to take any pictures. Larry, Jay, and even Jacob were taking all the pictures. Jacob had his Nintendo DS out taking pictures of me and the deer.

I have taken several deer much bigger than this but this deer now has a special place above all other deer that I have taken. This deer is for Jacob and the only deer that will mean more to me than this deer will be the first deer that Jacob takes on his own.

I want to thank Jay and Larry for being such good hosts. I know after a million questions and the rowdiness of a youngster can be tiring but they made my boy feel special for a weekend. He has not quit talking about you guys, Dallas, and the buck. Again, thanks for making the trip to Cross J so memorable and special for both Jacob and me. I look forward to seeing you guys back at Cross J next year.

Stephen

[tgil]

Great write up! Congrats on the memories made!

[Johnny]

Ol Split Ear! This was a weekend you or your son will never forget. Thanks for the write up and congrats on a great buck!!

[salth2o]

Great write up and congrats on making special memories with your son.