As for the story... It was beautiful night, maybe a little too warm for hunting. When i got to the stand it was about 330pm and roughly 55 degrees. For the first hour and 15 minutes, i watched squirrels running helter skelter through the woods making a crazy ruckus in the dry leaves. At 515, i heard a more rhythmic crunching in the leaves. I stood up and turned around in my stand and caught a glimpse of deer walking between trees about 60 yards behind me. I brought up my binos, and confirmed that it was a doe and a fawn making there way directly towards my stand. The fawn was a little spooked by a nearby squirrel, but was taking the lead down the path. She walked directly under my stand as mom passed behind a tree at 6 yards. I tried to draw quickly and silently but mom saw me, she did a head bob, turned, and started walking off directly away from my stand. Thankfully, she stopped, and turned broadside to coax her fawn to follow. The shot was 10 yards, and in the commotion i didnt see my arrow hit. She ran off at full speed and i lost sight of her. At dark (530ish), i got down and looked for my arrow which i couldnt find. I found a few SMALL specks of blood, so i backed out. After going back to the house, eating spaghetti and meeting up with my brother Isaac and buddy Tyler, we took my truck back and started the search around 7pm. The first 100 yards or so were just specks as she ran through the open woods. She ran a straight line into a 10-15 acre bedding area on the neighbors property. This bedding area is made up of pine trees, multiflora rose bushes and hedge trees. Beautiful for holding deer, terrible for tracking them. For the next hour we crawled on our hands and knees through this labyrinth following specks of blood. Every 10-15 yards we would find a splatter mark. Eventually, i found her laying right in the middle. Big relief. Then we saw how big she was. Damn. After creating a trail to drag her out, gutting her, and packing our supplies, we began the hour and a half drag back to my truck. In the process, i cut my finger, broke my brothers belt and tore my hunting clothes to rags. But shes now hanging in the shop and im extremely happy to have used to both my antlerless tags before they expired this year.
Congratulations on your doe and your brothers as well. I like the way the Siman Brothers get along with each other. I am sure you guys have done your share of in-house fighting like all brothers, but it is obvious you guys actually like to hang out together, which is a true blessing.
Our number one fight in the fall is who gets to hunt where/when. There are 4 of us brothers plus my buddy Matt who bowhunt the farm, which is right around 100 acres. Other then that we get along pretty well.
I forgot to add that my shot was 100% guts. No liver, no vitals. There was a large amount of internal bleeding, so i must have hit an artery. The Rage 2 blade TORE HER UP inside. I consider it very lucky that she died so soon.
Good job Caleb. your family sounds similar to mine, but I'm the only one die hard deer hunting. they are all into Waterfowl hunting. I'm just guessing here, but sounds like you guys are similar to me and my brothers. we all hang out together share friends, mostly, and are always there for one another. It's cool having three brothers. My older brother is 38, I am 35, little brother is 31 and the youngest is 23 (opps). The first three of us were able to spend one year of high school together. sucked for the one that was a freshmen. Again great job with the doe.
And we do pretty much everything together...wouldnt have it any other way Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk 2
Im up again tonight. Temps are warm, leaves are crunchy and no wind. Just looking to enjoy the evening. I have one more doe tag availible if ones comes close enough... Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk 2
Last night ended with a few does feeding out of range. Im back up this AM in a new setup that ive never hunted before Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk 2
When we hit the woods tomorrow morning, itll be with shotguns. Our farm has 6 going out, 2 of my brothers, my buddies Matt and Jim, my girlfriend Makenze and myself.
