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Saturday Afternoon Bowhunt

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Fat Boy:
I hunted Saturday out of my same tree stand in the afternoon.  I spotted a small spike buck on the way to my stand that watched me walk by while he was hiding in a thicket.  For some reason he must have felt safe because he didn’t bolt.  I wasn't interested in either hunting him or risk spooking him, so I kept on walking quietly away from him.  When I got to my stand at 3 p.m., I kicked out a doe not 15 yards from my stand.  Usually, I get dejected when this happens, but I've learned that these animals often "forget" what has happened hours later or often flee without knowing what scared them.  Often, they are curious and come back.  In my case yesterday, I was hunting over a small field of clover with a classic funnel situation (nearby railroad tracks with a steep bank, creek, and steep hillside behind me), so there was a high probability that deer would have much desire to return.  I was looking for either a large buck or a doe for reasons that I've explained in previous posts.

After getting into my stand, I was somewhat disappointed in my efforts.  I felt that I made too much noise getting to the stand and as carefully as I normally prepare, felt that I may have blown my hunt.  Still, it was early and I've learned that by settling down, often you can make up for those mistakes.    But my chance for a big buck may have been blown.  One thing is on my side, Maryland's rut is just beginning.  Bucks often get curious during the rut checking out noises and activitity that at other times spook them.  Curiousity and hormones sometimes throw caution into the wind leading to their possible demise.  I rationalized this as I prepared in my stand but at the same time made a decision to take a doe if given the opportunity.  Plus, I'm about half done eating my bologna from the last deer :)

After kicking that doe, when I got into the stand earlier I noticed it looking to cross the creek but seemed unwilling to jump in the deeper water.  I assumed that it would wander down the creek and seek a shallow spot to cross.  Once in my stand, I carefully and quietly prepared for my hunt and noticed out of the corner of my eye down the hill behind me the same doe that I kicked out on the way in was feeding, working it's way back up the hill feeding on acorns and leaves that had just fallen.  That was interesting to me as I didn't realize that they ate yellow leaves.  This doe seemed to suck in every one on it's way up the hill.

I prepared for a shot as it moved through the woods toward my shooting lane.  At my first opportunity it crossed into the lane moving too quickly to shoot so I whistled in an attempt to get it to stop.  It ignored me, oblivious and kept moving into the thicket feeding all the while.  It eventually worked it's way to the path that I walked in on and didn't pick up my scent.  There is about a 10' window with a 20 yard shot along that path that I prepared for, but again she worked her way through it too quickly for a shot.  The path winds around a tree where I have no shot and then makes a right turn into the field.  My stand has lots of cover around me but prevents me from getting a shot as they enter the field.  Once entering the field, it worked it's way toward my main shooting lane but coming head first right to my stand.  I won't take that shot as it's a poor angle and your chances of hitting vitals are slim.  When it was about 10 yards away I drew back hoping that it would turn.  But, instead it caught my sent.  Unfortunately for me, the wind was supposed to be a Southwest wind, but had shifted during that past hour from the Southeast.  That's why the deer never smelled me before this point and that's why she smelled me now.  But, she was convinced that I was down the hill and behind me, oblivious that I was above her in the stand.  She was alert now, not a good situation.  A leaf fell from the tree that I was in and hit my arrow and that spooked her.  She jumped up and bolted to the center of the small field about 18 yards away.  I had a quartering to me shot now, but she was still looking down the hill behind me and very agitated.  I was still at full draw as she stomped repeatedly as her tail flicked up and down.  I hoped that the wind would return to what it was supposed to be and that she'd return to feeding on the clover and give me a shot opportunity.  She then walked toward my stand and actually smelled the ladder below me.  She looked up right at me, then down the hill, then up again at me, then down the hill.  Then, she walked to my left where I had no shot through the cover around my stand.  I let off the string and brought my arrow back and that spooked her again.  She stood motionless looking behind me for about ten more minutes, then began feeding, working away from me and not giving me a chance for a clean shot.  Oh well…maybe next time.

After she left, I rattled and grunted and didn't see any more deer that evening. :-\

About an hour before dark, a groundhog emerged into the field and entertained me the rest of the evening feeding on clover and sprouts.  It amazed me that the squirrels folicking in the nearby woods startled it as did just about every other noise in the woods, causing it to raise up to an upright position looking for potential danger, yet when a train came by and made all kinds of noise, it didn't even draw a reaction in the slightest. ???

It was a fun hunt! :)

PA_BOWHUNTER:
Sounds like a fun hunt Kevin!  I have a fat little woodchuck that has entertained me on several occasions this season.  Boy do those little gluttons love apples!  They're quite comical to watch.  It was feeding under my stand on the first day of the season when a big doe approached.  She was just about to enter my only shooting lane in her direction when the little whistle pig saw her and ran off causing her to jump through the lane with out giving me a shot.  That was the first time I ever had a shot blown by a woodchuck. ::) ;D  The next week she wasn't so lucky. ;)

Fat Boy:
Saturday afternoon I hunted out of the same stand and had an absolute beautiful 10+ point buck work through the area without giving me a shot.  :o  It was a fun yet depressing experience :'(.  I was so pumped when he showed up.  He rubbed a tree and tore up some brush about 40 yards away then worked his way around me without entering any shooting lane.  When he began to move off I grunted him back within 30 yards but I didn't have a clear shot.  He walked off again away from me and then bedded down about 40 yards away from me facing in my direction.  He remained there for about 45 minutes with me standing still not being able to move for the entire time.  My back was cramping up badly when a smaller 1/2 rack would be 6 point followed the same trail down with it's nose on the other bucks path.  He walked right up to the bedding buck and sniffed him, them moved off.  The big buck got up and followed him about a minute later.  I rattled and grunted without any response, positive or negative. :P

Still, I had fun...

PA_BOWHUNTER:
Awesome, it's always exciting just to encounter a big buck at those ranges even if you don't get a shot.  That was the story of my season last year.  I had 4 large buck well within bow range on different occassions and none presented a clear shot. :-\  This year is proving to be a little more difficult but some reall nice ones are turning up and a few people I know have taken some great bucks.

Fat Boy:
Yesterday I rattled in two squirrels... :-\ :P

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