My zone's general season comes to a close on Sunday, which I will be heading out for. My archery specific tag carries me through to the end of the year. I still have a chance to get my deer. I'm not giving up.
I’m heading back to Iowa today trying to fill my tags. Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving!! Good Luck!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Archery Hunting has it's own challenge. Archery hunting public land in San Diego County adds a significant challenge. I've been out just about every weekend through the season. Sunday was a case of, "You should have been here yesterday". I had 5 does and at least 2 different bucks on my blind camera on Saturdays evening. I was at home working on the Honey Do List. Sunday, my spot just reeked of hormones, fresh tracks and droppings, a new scrape, soil turned up. It was ripe for a return visit by one of those bucks. BUT NOPE. Just after 9am I hear some crunching leaves, arrow knocked ready to draw, and then talking. And louder talking. Two other hunters, following tracks no doubt, walk straight through my alley. Dragging their feet and chatting as they stroll. I whistled and whispered back, WTF? they loudly respond, SORRY JUST HEADING TO OUR BLIND! So I stayed in place for a few more hours in hopes that the heavy scent of hormones and pee would overwhelm the smell and noise from the other guys. No luck and no return visits on that camera either. So I hiked down to my second spot a mile down hill. Just as I get near the spot, I see a deer between some trees about 100 yards away but on the other side of a dirt access road. I can make a 100 yard shot ethically, but NOT over a road of any type. So I went wide to cross the unused, untraveled road and out of no where comes a dog, wearing a small orange strap harness, running FULL SPEED at me and barking. The deer bolted at the first bark. A second dog comes trotting up and just wants to say hi, but the first dog is now growling and barking at me. So for my protection I readied my knife just as the hiker comes around the corner from where I was heading. He loudly calls his dogs back. I yell back, "put your dogs on a leash, an orange strap wont stop anything if someone feels threatened by an animal out here. That's why the leash law is in effect out here." After that, spot two was burned also. after those dogs left, I've never heard the forest that quiet. Spot 3 is about a mile in the opposite direction from my first spot. So, back up hill and over to the other side of the highway. All the oaks were bare, leaves covered any trail that was. By that time I was too exhausted to think. I took a 45 yard shot at a pigeon with my dial set at 40, hit the tree. I hung my head in shame and hiked back to my car. I'm not done yet. I have until sunset on NYE and I will be taking ever opportunity to get out there that I can. This is far more than a team thing for me; this is personal. as i head into the twilight of my second deer season, I'm just keeping positive that all these misses mean that "unicorn" 4 point San Diego Monster comes out of the bedding straight for my blind in the final hours. Finger crossed.
