# Done with deer hunting for the year!



## Fishman (Apr 5, 2004)

Wrapped up the year of hunting today, and what an interesting season it was. Typically I'm done before gun season, only harvesting one deer, typically a doe. This past year, my girlfriend and I managed to eat the yearling doe I had harvest in about 6 months so this year I decided I'de take two.

The day after opening day for archery I shoulder shot a very nice doe, and unfourtantly was unable to find her despite tracking her for about 5 hours. Best I could gather was the arrow never penetrated past her shoulder seeing as the blood trail I followed was poor at best and the arrow stopped dead on impact. I truley felt horrible about it, but it happens. I litterally saw zero deer while in my stand or blind from that point on for the next month and a half. It was weird, the areas I hunt typically hold lots of deer, last year I adveraged seeing a deer at least once every three trips. Not to shabby!

Well, after having a serious dry spell I opted to spread my wings a bit and try to find some new poperty to hunt which payed off well. I hunted the property only 10 times, saw deer every single time I was there, with the most deer I saw in one day being twenty-one deer in about 8 hours of hunting that say. A personal best, so that was exciting to say the least. Problem was they never came within thirty yards, and every time I moved my climber they would use different trails. Go figure! Thursday, thanksgiving day, despite the awful weather in the morning I opted to go out and did actually have two deer come into bow range. A small 4 point and a yearling doe. Given the weather, 15mph winds, and a 30 yard range on them I passed on the buck because of his size, and opted not to shoot the doe given the wind/distance ratio. I just wasn't comfortable with it given what had happened the day after opening day. Simply put, I just didn't want to injure another deer.

Fast forward to opening day of gun season (we all know how that was) I had a small doe come running in at about 9:40am and decided to take her. She infront of me at approxmatley 70 yards. I actually had never shot a deer with a gun before, she stood quartering away, a perfect shooting opportunity if I was 20 yards away and with a bow! Regardless I let one fly eager to harvest a deer with a gun and missed. She jumped and turned broad side and I placed a shot right through her heart. She stood there so I took another shot and missed that time as well. She ran 10 yards tops. Apon walking up to her I expected to find her looking like swiss cheese and spread her legs apart to find out it was actually a button buck. A bit baffled I quickly inspected "her" head to find out sure it enough it was. In all honestly, I wouldn't have shot that deer during bow season knowing that it was a button buck, live and learn. At 70 yards you simply cannot tell without the aid of optics.

After dropping the deer off at the processor I went to wal-mart purchased another tag, ran to Dicks got another box of sabots because Wally world was out. Ironically, several years ago I had payed 9 bucks for a box of 5 Federal Vital-Shok bullets. At Dicks, 19 dollars! Holy cow! 

So I went out today, and at about 8 o'clock I had a heffer doe at about 100 yards. I watched her walk towards me, waited till she got broad side at about 70 yards and purposefully aimed at her neck. A friend of mind, a frequent gun hunter told me it was the quickest way to down them. Sure enough down the hill she rolled. She was probably into her second or third somersault that I relized she was actually a he! After getting to the bottom of the hill he stood up and starting walking away towards a creek. Fearful of loosing a blood trail once it got to the water I shot it again sending the deer running, it crossed the creek out of site. It went maybe 70-80 yards. Apon inspection from a distance I thought I had shot an antler off but once getting up to it I saw that it had a decent 5 point antler on its right, and a bizzare 2 point dropping towards it eye. Siloutetted at a distance, with its left side facing me I just couldn't see it - so I ended up taking a buck. Regardless I was done for the year, only wanting 2 deer for the freezer, and in hindsight I probably would of harvest that deer simply because its rack was so different and it probably had poor gentics if the anomaly wasn't from an injury. 

So, countless hours spent bow hunting this year with 0 deer taken by bow and one injured. 4 hours of gun hunting with 2 deer harvested very cleanly (minus my bad eye sight obviously on the identification).

Which would I rather do, you ask? Let's just say now I know why I like bow hunting  

Good luck with the remainer of the season guys, hope you all fill your tags!

Tom


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## Bassnpro1 (Apr 6, 2004)

now thats a story! thanks for sharing.

My season sounds about the same. I have been on 11 bowhunts all 3+ hours, with only TWO deer sighted so far this season. The areas I hunt aren't the best but there should be a couple of deer out there somewhere.

Hopefully I can get your luck and get a deer down, as all I really want is to harvest one for the food(college kid) But school is limiting me this week and of course my national guard drill weekend is this one. Oh well


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## Fishstix (Aug 16, 2005)

That's a great story. I've shot a yearling doe and a button buck during bow season. I am strictly buck hunting now. Hopefully, I'll see a buck this weekend. I'm going to take the first thing with a rack, since I've put the time in during bowseason with no success.

Congrats!


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

congrads to filling the tags. i like bowhunting. you dont have the yahoo's shooting at anything that moves. had i taken a bigger deer with my crossbow, i wouldn't be going out in the morning looking for more.


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## Fishman (Apr 5, 2004)

I think it's important to add I had the most delicious meal of fresh deer steaks last night with another side of deer steaks and a beer.


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## John S (Nov 8, 2007)

Glad to hear that you accomplished your goal, especially without spending too much more time out in this weather. I actually think I would prefer snow above this rain. The time you spent hunting considering the ones you passed on because your a "true hunter", you deserve it!

P.S. You may want to double check your better half and make sure she is really a she based on your judgement of deer!  LOL 

JK - I had the same happen to myself. (Mistaken deer that is)


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## Fishman (Apr 5, 2004)

Haha John, no it's actually thanks to her I got back into the sport. After moving to Cincinnati I didn't hunt for the first year, due to time constraints and lack of hunting areas, ect. It was her, who brought up how much she enjoyed venison and wished I would get back into it. Caught the bug bad, just like the good old days and here I sit again, for the second night in a row enjoying a plate of steaks! I'll be lucky if this button buck last a month at the rate I'm going


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## Bassy (Apr 9, 2004)

Tom, did you check them deers for ticks?????????????????   
I have 2 so far with my bow, now Im chasing them with my muzzle loader
gotta have some big horns for me to pull the trigger. enjoy your deer steaks
Scott


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## Fishman (Apr 5, 2004)

Holy crap Scott, didn't realize ya we're still trollin' for the forums!

Don't have to worry about ticks while I'm deer hunting, I'm up in a stand a good 20 feet above them.


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## John S (Nov 8, 2007)

Fishman, I guess the last laugh is at me because I'm not going to be eating any deer steaks this year! 

By what you said she must be a "keeper" lol


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