@S.McArthur Congrats brother! Man...if only now the Iowa boys would come through I got some bad news on my front as the main place we typically get back on after firearms season (why we plant late season food plots and such) landowner called and appears his grandson wants to bowhunt now after firearms season....so until I get that call my doe mission is on hold - as my personal small property is still buck only and handed over to pops.
Thanks all! I did the best I could, wife was on a zoom call and son doesn’t do the best taking pictures. I’m super pumped, it’s been really annoying the past month with the weather and lack of day movement. That dang doe almost ruined my morning, so I’m glad she slipped up and gave me a shot. She went right to my tree and we stared at each other for a few minutes, I hid my face as much as a could but dang it feels like they burn a whole through your soul. Her friend kept coming back to check on her, almost got a double. I still have a Buck and Doe tag in Illinois, I will shoot two doe rather than eat tag soup there again. I just need to find the time to get up there.
Please ask the doe to smile next time. Just laying there with those dead eyes, like she didn't even wanna be there.
hahaha, she didn't and almost ruined my morning, these doe have been on their game the past few weeks. I thought my scent control was on-point, but I got busted by a change of breeze a few days earlier, even the night prior. I'm glad I got another in the freezer, I'd like to put at least 2 more in there in case we get another covid shutdown in the next few months. I should have taken this entire week off to hunt, but we have a family trip coming this Friday and I need to make sure my work is caught up first. It might be good to take a week off though, I have been struggling to stay motivated during these past few weeks, I know there is one really good buck still around, and I still have those Illinois tags to fill. After next week our company basically shuts down until January, I will have a lot of time off to hunt, fingers cross I get a taxidermy bill. Good luck to the rest of you guys, I'm not going to check out yet, but I'll be quiet the next week.
Well guys, I painted another arrow red this evening. I was actually planning on taking a break, but I gave the last deer I killed to my niece and her husband (after processing, of course). My niece told my sister about it and my sister wanted a deer (of course) so this evening was sit number three in pursuit of a deer for my sister and her husband. I got on stand at 3:00 pm. At about 4:10 I heard something coming fast. I caught movement to my right and it was a fox. It came tearing in, stopped and looked behind it for a while and then kept on going. Then I heard something else coming. I caught a flash of movement and saw it was a deer. It had stopped about 50 yards away behind thick cover. I couldn't see it so I was listening carefully and heard voices to the NE, the direction the fox and the deer had ran from. After about three minutes the deer came walking almost straight to me. It was a big doe, which is exactly what I was after. She walked in and saw me. She did the head bob routine and I was hiding behind my bow doing my best not to move. I just knew the jig was up, but she finally decided I wasn't a threat, turned and walked past giving me a 23 yard slightly quartering away shot. The shot was just a hair back from where I was aiming because I didn't stop her, but it was still a great double lung shot - about 6" behind the crease of the onside front leg. I got to watch her crash, which is always nice for a colorblind hunter. I guess I should thank whoever spooked her to me. On another note, I think I set a new speed record getting her on ice in the cooler. Rigor hadn't yet set in as I was doing the actual quartering.
I'd post some pics but my wife has commandeered my phone to look at her trails on my OnX app. I love that woman but sometimes....... Anyway, there are a couple of pics in the LFTS thread. My wife won't give up my phone.
Back from a little golf trip to Nevada. Had a great time, but still wear out way too easy. First time golf has ever worn me out! lol. Tomorrow is the last day of our early bow split. I plan on being in the woods. I will take a doe if given the chance. Cameras are showing them to be getting into a feeding pattern again and starting to be more regular in their travel. I did get pics of a new buck that would work VERY nicely. If no luck tomorrow, I will be back at it after gun seasons. Congrats to those of you that continue to put them down. What a very solid team.
Congrats Johnny! What's your deer count up to? I think you got title of best deer killer of the team. Gun season ended here Sunday. I went most of the days, saw lots of does and a few small bucks, didn't fire my rifle. Really warm and dry in the woods. Kept thinking I should be making next years firewood instead of hunting.
Thanks! The count is at an even dozen right now, but I’m definitely not the best deer killer. I just hunt where there are a LOT of deer and they need to be thinned out. I’m actually thinking I might break out the recurve and give it a shot for a few weeks. I’ve never killed a deer with it.
That's a bunch of deer and lots of work processing that much venison. Recurves work great on deer, I used them for like twenty years, really bothered me when my shoulder couldn't take shooting them anymore and started using a compound. Before long I know I'll have to go to a crossbow, won't bother me anymore just happy to still be able to go hunting. Good luck to the team still hunting!
Yes it is a lot of work since we process everything ourselves. I think I've said it before here, but nothing goes to waste on our deer. The only thing that gets tossed is the head, hide, hooves, spine and then eventually the rib bones and pelvis when we're finished picking those clean. The leg bones and neck bone get baked for dog treats. Fat, belly meat, bloodshot meat, sinew, silver skin all go into the dog grind pile. I've never actually hunted with this recurve. I've won a couple of our club trad shoots with it, but I've never felt good enough to hunt with it. It's an old entry level bow, a Shakespeare "The Mancos" 45#. I helped a friend of mine move some furniture for an older neighbor of his. I saw this old dust covered recurve in the corner of this garage. I picked it up and was admiring it and he said "Take it if you want it." So I did.
I was able to get out Sunday evening and had a good sit. I saw 7 bucks and it seems they are really getting back into bachelor groups. Most if not all got close enough for a shot, but none of them had any age. I also had several does get close enough, but since I was seeing so many bucks I didn't want to mess up the sit with shooting a doe. So, be patient with me as gun season started Saturday and it will be a couple weeks before I can get back in a tree with the bow. I have a couple of spots that I am getting a lot of doe pictures on a feeding pattern and I will keep moving some cameras to find a nice buck to hunt.
