Monday, November 10, 2014

Recreation: Hunting year 2 (aka, Deer-2, Me-0)

Well, I just finished my hunting session this year, but with only 2 days that I could hunt, I don't have a ton to report. I was only going to be able to get out hunting on the Weekends. The first Weekend had 15-30 mph winds with gusts up to 40. I opted to just stay home. I went out last year on a day like that and saw nothing at all because everything was moving except the deer. So, I got out this past Saturday and Sunday. I hunted tank farm 4D both days for morning and evening hunts. I hadn't ever been in TF-4, so it was also, unfortunately, a scouting trip. With a West light breeze, I opted to go around to the back side to the fence line. There was a nice patch of open trees back there with nothing moving and then, almost to the back corner of D was a nice deery looking area. As I was trying to set up, I made a little too much noise (briars+sticks+leaves) and bumped 4 deer from the far side. The sounded like they were moving downhill, so I opted to much more quietly do the same back to the open tree area. A nice doe was browsing her way towards the fence. I lost sight of her in the thicket and as I was trying to spot her, she stepped out into the open patch staring at me 8 yards away. I was straight upright, but stock still, so she ignored me. Each time she looked away or down, I lifted my bow a little bit. Once up, she stared for a good long while beacause the sun was reflecting brightly off my black fiberglass front of my recurve. (Note to self, wrap that in camo wrap next time.) She finally looked away. I drew back and released. The arrow was straight towards her vitals but managed to fly just (really, just barely) below her body. Yup, I totally blew an 8 yard shot. I can say is was an awkward shot because my body was twisted a little to far forward and my shoulder dropped slightly, but really, I just missed the shot. I guess I'm not qualifying for the Olympics any time soon. I managed to double my mistake too. Carelessly, I went looking for my arrow before seeing where she went. She was only about 15 yards into the open trees, so I probably would have gotten a second shot. As it is though, there is now at least one really wise doe in TF-4. Anyway, I saw nothing else in the Saturday morning hunt, and the evening hunt only saw a couple does way out of range. They didn't come out until 5 minutes before the end of shooting light. Sunday morning, I had a chance at 3 does, but as I was setting up a shot, a couple guys headed up to 4-B/4-C walked up and unintentionally spooked my deer. Sunday evening, I set up back along the tree line again in the back corner. I figured I would move down as it got closer to sunset. Right about 15 minutes after sunset, A buck comes out of the trees about 50 yards downhill, snorting and huffing and making all sorts of racket. 4 does came out of the trees and, instead of going uphill, they went downhill and the buck chased after them. I slowly moved downhill, but I couldn't catch them. No idea where the buck and 1 doe went, but after it was too dark to shoot, I saw 3 tails head out the tank farm and, probably, across the street to graze in recreation area. Oh well, better luck next year. For this year, I'm going back to fishing for my source of free protein.