Okay, I am putting off going outside to work, so I thought I would take a few minutes and tell the story of my hunt last weekend.
It starts with the Saturday afternoon hunt. The cold front had passed, the temps were cold but not miserable. The sky was clear and the winds were breezy but fickle, they were mostly north but changing back to the south.
I sat in what I call the back stand. It has the most traffic and last year there were always does at that stand. I believe about three were taken there last year. I am only hunting for a doe as it is after the regular season.
Well, I am covered with bucks all night. A couple of very young spikes, a button buck, a small 6, and a two year old 8. I also had two fawns that looked like twins. No doe.
So, during the night the wind was predicted to be out of the SE by daylight. Now, I have a choice to make. The back stand had only bucks, and I feel they will come back and even if a doe wants to come in, they will probably keep her out....but the wind is perfect for the stand.
My other stand is the gate stand. It is set up with a tree stand to hunt with a south wind and tent blind to hunt with a north wind. My thinking here, is when it is cold the wind will be out of the north and a tent will be nice. Well, Sunday morning it is 16 degrees and everything is covered with frost.
So, I can take the heater and hunt in the tent with a questionable wind, or I can climb in to the frozen tree stand. I debate with myself and change my mind many times. I still have not decided until I get to the location.
I stand at the truck and use my little wind tester. It feels like dead calm, but I know there must be a bit of air movement. I really don't want in the tree, even though I know that is where I should be. Okay the to give you the picture let's say the if you are in the tent blind and looking at the feeder that is twelve o'clock. The wind is blowing to two. The deer almost always jump into the pen from the 9 o'clock positon. I decide I can hunt in the tent, and put the hand corn in the 10 to 11 o'clock positon. It seems doable if the wind holds, but this was a questionable decision. Of course, it won't break my heart if I don't get a doe.
I get set up and as it starts to get light a deer jumps into the pen. I can tell it is not a big buck, but I suspect it might be a large button buck. I saw one here the last time I hunted and I thought, man, he could easily be mistaken for a big doe.
The deer offers me a few perfect shots, and I have enough light to see, but can't risk it.
Then a tall three yr old eight point jumps in the pen. He is followed my a yearling doe. I wait. The sun hits the horizon and I can see the first deer is clearly a doe not a button. The problem comes that as the sun comes up the wind picks up and starts swirling and the deer get jumpy.
The 8 hangs out right under the feeder at 10 yards, my favorite place. the does and moving back and forth behind him picking up the corn tossed farther by the feeder. All the deer are coming and going, jumping in and out of the pen.
On three different occasions, I pulled to anchor, for the second the doe was in the right position, but could never get her there long enough for a good shot.
Time goes by and I think they are about to leave. The doe moves to a spot about sixteen or seventeen yards away and is quartering away perfectly looking out of the pen. The other deer are clear, and almost without thinking I bring my bow up, hit anchor, concentrate on a little white patch right at the tip of her elbow and release......
It starts with the Saturday afternoon hunt. The cold front had passed, the temps were cold but not miserable. The sky was clear and the winds were breezy but fickle, they were mostly north but changing back to the south.
I sat in what I call the back stand. It has the most traffic and last year there were always does at that stand. I believe about three were taken there last year. I am only hunting for a doe as it is after the regular season.
Well, I am covered with bucks all night. A couple of very young spikes, a button buck, a small 6, and a two year old 8. I also had two fawns that looked like twins. No doe.
So, during the night the wind was predicted to be out of the SE by daylight. Now, I have a choice to make. The back stand had only bucks, and I feel they will come back and even if a doe wants to come in, they will probably keep her out....but the wind is perfect for the stand.
My other stand is the gate stand. It is set up with a tree stand to hunt with a south wind and tent blind to hunt with a north wind. My thinking here, is when it is cold the wind will be out of the north and a tent will be nice. Well, Sunday morning it is 16 degrees and everything is covered with frost.
So, I can take the heater and hunt in the tent with a questionable wind, or I can climb in to the frozen tree stand. I debate with myself and change my mind many times. I still have not decided until I get to the location.
I stand at the truck and use my little wind tester. It feels like dead calm, but I know there must be a bit of air movement. I really don't want in the tree, even though I know that is where I should be. Okay the to give you the picture let's say the if you are in the tent blind and looking at the feeder that is twelve o'clock. The wind is blowing to two. The deer almost always jump into the pen from the 9 o'clock positon. I decide I can hunt in the tent, and put the hand corn in the 10 to 11 o'clock positon. It seems doable if the wind holds, but this was a questionable decision. Of course, it won't break my heart if I don't get a doe.
I get set up and as it starts to get light a deer jumps into the pen. I can tell it is not a big buck, but I suspect it might be a large button buck. I saw one here the last time I hunted and I thought, man, he could easily be mistaken for a big doe.
The deer offers me a few perfect shots, and I have enough light to see, but can't risk it.
Then a tall three yr old eight point jumps in the pen. He is followed my a yearling doe. I wait. The sun hits the horizon and I can see the first deer is clearly a doe not a button. The problem comes that as the sun comes up the wind picks up and starts swirling and the deer get jumpy.
The 8 hangs out right under the feeder at 10 yards, my favorite place. the does and moving back and forth behind him picking up the corn tossed farther by the feeder. All the deer are coming and going, jumping in and out of the pen.
On three different occasions, I pulled to anchor, for the second the doe was in the right position, but could never get her there long enough for a good shot.
Time goes by and I think they are about to leave. The doe moves to a spot about sixteen or seventeen yards away and is quartering away perfectly looking out of the pen. The other deer are clear, and almost without thinking I bring my bow up, hit anchor, concentrate on a little white patch right at the tip of her elbow and release......
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