Something for the freezer

[grouse]

Our season opened 0n Sept.15 but before this week I had only hunted on opening day (due to circumstances I won't bore you with). I finally managed to get back out Wednesday afternoon. When I hunted opening day, I had small bucks (we have a 4 points on one side rule where my farm is) in range both morning and evening, but no does or legal bucks. That pattern continued Wednesday evening when 3 forkhorns travelling together paraded in front of my stand. I did have a big buck come in at 25 yards right at the end of shooting hours, but I didn't shoot because I did not want to trail a deer in the dark in the heavy vegetation in the nearby thicket and, (though he had to be legal) it was too dark to count points and I would hate to shoot an illegal buck.

The next morning I hunted from the same stand and as soon as it was daylight, I could see a deer feeding in the soybeans. Deer continued to go in and out of the crop field until about 7:15 with none wandering into range. I decided to wait until 8:30 and then go have breakfast. At 8:25 I saw a deer way across the field and grabbed my binoculars to look at it. It soon disappeared so I decided to scan the field with binocs. To my surprise, I saw a deer moving quickly toward me as I surveyed the beanfield. Further examination confirmed that it was a big doe. When she arrived within range, I put the crosshairs behind her shoulder and pulled the trigger. I could see from the lighted nock that I wasn't swinging fast enough and I hit her too far back (I should have grunted to stop her). She crashed. got up, then wobbled off. The woods are too thick for me to see her for long, but a minute or so later I heard a big splash in a creek that is about 75 yards away. 30 minutes later I went to investigate. I found blood in the weeds above the steep creekbank but saw no deer in the creek or creek bed. I don't own the land across the creek, but I decided to wade across and take a quick look just in case she was close. She was. I found her dead as soon as I climbed the other bank. After a tough drag (including a creek crossing) I got her to where I could pick her up with the tractor and I had my first deer of the season.

[xcaliber]

Congrats, good reading that you stuck with the recovery!

[Hatchet]

Something for the freezer is always good! Congrats on your kill and thanks for the story. It was a good un.
Take care
Corey

[DuckHunt]

Congrats on the freezer queen and great job on the recovery.

[Normous]

I confess Creek crossing recoveries are not my favorite but necessary sometimes. Some recoveries and easy and some leave my downright cursing ,
the rest are somewhere in between.

I suggest taking a few days off and rest the aches and pains.
Cheers!

[ODH]

Well done, congrats on your doe!

[papabear1]

Way to go grouse, nothing better than a missouri bean fed doe.

Dave

[grouse]

I confess Creek crossing recoveries are not my favorite but necessary sometimes. Some recoveries and easy and some leave my downright cursing ,
the rest are somewhere in between.

I suggest taking a few days off and rest the aches and pains.
Cheers!

I work out at a gym on a regular basis and I'm in pretty good shape, but I'm 73 years old. Dragging that doe across the creek, up a steep, high creek bank, then pulling her through heavy brush for about 100 yards (I couldn't take shortest route because of obstacles) left me a little sore today. I'm not going back until mid to late next week.

[gerald strine]

Congratulations on the harvest glad that hit worked out ok for you.
Thanks for the hunt story.

[one shot scott]

Congrats!

[Boo]

Congratulations on a hard earned deer!

[mr meat]

Congrats on the doe

[longbow joe]

Well done congratulations

[vixenmaster]

That was a good hunt n great recoery on your nice tick toter

[nchunterkw]

Great job! Congrats on #1. They never seem to run towards the truck for some reason, though.