My little kill plot behind the house finally paid off. I've hunted this thing after work and a few mornings for quite a while. Despite pic after pic of deer moving, I hadn't seen a thing from my stand. The northeast wind was wrong for my hang-on today, so I took on of my Summit Vipers down at around 4:00 pm, wide-ended around the plot, worked through some thick undergrowth and climbed a sweet gum tree on the southwest edge. It started to sprinkle rain at about 4:30 but I had brought a tree umbrella and decided to put it up and just sit and watch. It didn't rain long - just long enough to make everything wet. At 5:45 I glanced over and saw a doe walking into the plot followed by a spike. I was already standing, so I eased my bow off the hanger and got ready. She walked right through the plot and made it to some small trees about 10 yards from my stand. I drew and gave a very soft whistle and she stopped. I settled my pin and let the arrow go. I knew when I saw my white wrapped and fletched arrow disappear into her that she was heart shot. She bolted into the thick undergrowth and went over a small finger off the ridge out of sight, but I heard her go down. I sat for about 10 minutes, got down and walked back to the house and got my wife (she likes to help her colorblind husband find deer) and my beagle, Elly May. Elly May has been trained to trail deer, but she had never actually been on a real blood trail and I wanted to see what she would do. As I said in another thread a few minutes ago, there was blood sprayed at the point of impact, but there was not much of a trail. This was compounded by the wet leaves on the ground. My wife had Elly May's leash and Elly May kept wanting to head in a direction that I didn't think the doe had gone. My wife finally let Elly May take the lead and she went right to the doe. Granted, at 30 yards it wasn't much of a trail, but it was cool watching that little beagle insist that she knew where that deer was.
Sweet shot! I killed one like that a few years back and it was a easy recovery that is for sure! Congrats.
Congrats... perfect shot. I have been thinking about getting a beagle for a trail dog as well. Does Elly May stay inside?
One? One deer? I don't know what I would do if that were the case for me. Here in Tennessee I can take up to three does per day (not that I would want to).
Yes she does. She actually sleeps in our bed and she's a bed hog. I'm actually petting her right now. Elly May is a "pocket beagle". She's only about 13" tall at the shoulders.
congrats LC! we can take 2 does a day down here in AL. can't imagine if i was only allowed to shoot 1 deer a season.
Worst part is 2.5 miles east of me is intensive harvest can shoot as many does as you want, year 1 shot on a deer with the bow sucks but it is what it is. With the arrow and lit knock and broadhead not including the tag is about $38
A co-worker's dad raises 13" beagles and trains them for rabbits. He sells them all over the country but said he could get me one if I wanted one for a blood trail dog. I love watching them figure out the trail... it sure humbles my tracking abilities. With Rebel, I would always just circle him downwind of where we suspected the deer to be down and he would usually throw his nose in the air and make a bee-line for the deer without even needing the blood. He probably averaged finding them in less than 5 minutes if they were truly dead after the hunter had looked for hours. He was a Lab.
Great story. I love dogs, but no dog deserves to have me for an owner. Maybe when I retire I'll be able to give one the time it deserves. Congrats on the doe.
