Well so much for holding out on the doe's till Thanksgiving, as this morning started I settled in the stand about 6:30, with a 7:36 sunup, and after about 15 minutes, still 15 minutes from legal start time, in 30 degree temps, with winds gusting 25 to 30 mph, I had at least 2 come in off the corn, their may have been more before seen them silhouetted on the light background of the corn stubble. I could make them out in the corn, but once they hit the darker background of the oak leaf covered floor of the woods I couldn't see anything, and it was blowing and gusting so hard you couldn't hear anything. Then after about an hour of legal hunting time, I heard a heavy thump and rustling leaves, I knew it wasn't a squirrel sounded like the rustling of a squirrel, from the heavier thump when the rustling started I knew it was bigger, Then as I peaked around a huge tree limb my bow is hung on NW of the trunk my stand is on, I see 2 doe,,, right in my wind, then a 3rd and as they are looking for where I am, and slowly heading around me about 35 yards out, a 4th,,,, but no horns,,, finally a 5th comes into view and about 10 minuets later they are finally gone.
That was 8:05, finally at 9:15 I decided I had to get down, being on the west end of the woods in these temps, (low of 29) and the 25 to 30 mph SW winds were cutting right through my swet's, Flannel, and fleece layers,,, first morning this cold and with the wind, I did underdress???? So I got down but I have been seeing deer all week till noon or a little after, and once I hit the ground I was out of the wind, and thought I could warm up here, the stand is on a huge trunk of an oak so I got under the ladder and decided to stick it out and see what happens while on the ground......Then it happened,,, not a buck, but the nicest doe I have taken in a couple years, I had seen her a couple different day's from a distance passing thru going towards the river but she was headed right behind my tree and heading towards the Indy corn field.
I had to move around the tree to keep out of sight and be carefull as there was a smaller doe behind her, behind my stand is very thick and no way to get any shot over 10 or 15 yards and they are crossing about 20 yards behind it. I watched them go out the back side of the woods, just 40 yards west of my stand into the Indy field as I thought dang that was big ole bich,, the her head dropped, just as she crossed the path the early deer came in on, looked up and back into the woods and started following those tracks, the smaller doe was still behind her and still in the woods watching her, I flipped the safety off and decided if she came back into the woods, I needed about 5 yards to have a clear shot on the trail she was on. She stopped a couple times looking around and right at me a couple times, and the she stepped past the last sapling between us, I flipped the safety on the 380 off, and took aim just as she dropped her head and stretched her neck in my direction, and let the 542 grain ST with a VPA 175 grn 3 blade COC on the front right into her neck and chest cavity, she did 180 stumbled and almost fell down getting out of there and the other doe hot on her trail,,,, clear outta sight,,,, W T H????
I walked straight over as she ran outa sight across the corn field, and started looking for the arrow???? 10 minuets looking everywhere and moving leaves, and out in the stubble and nothing?? I know I hit her! So I went back looking where she was standing, and seen her skid marks where she took off, but no blood no hair, and about 5 yards from where she was standing had blood spraying all over everything, trees weeds 3' high and 4 or 5 feet to the sides. I was on a steady walk over the hill in the corn and across the high side of the field about 175 yards, spray the hole way and then there she was, about 50 or so yards from making it to the Indy woods, that is separated by the 260 yard wide field. When I dressed her as reached in to cut the diaphragm out "CAREFULLY" I grabbed the arrow, had to leave it till I git the guts out but never busted the guts, it was toght against the inside of the spine, and in perfect shape. I could not believe even with a no no shot, this big VPA tipped Spynal Tapp didn't come out her ars,,,, 125 lbs KE stopped completely inside her,,, I would have never taken this shot if I didn't think I had enough arrow to do the job!
I know we got rain snow ice mix coming tonight band saturday, but even if I would have been going to hunt Saturday,,, as big as this old girl was I had to stick her,,, I have passed 6 or 8 this year, but none were as big, so now it will be a week from my target date to start filling the freezer but now if they are good doe and good shots,, there dead, it is freezer fill'n time!
My homemade oldman deer loader, lay it on the ground and load it, pick up one end set it on the tailgate, walk around and slide it in till half way lift up and slide her home,,,,, all fiberglass, weighs less than 5 lbs,, and works like a young man,,,,,,,
