Mossy Bloke
Member
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2002
- Messages
- 98
Got my first of the season yesterday! Went hunting right behind our subdivision which is in a small town. There were houses about 200 yards behind me and a 4 lane highway about 200 yards in front of me. I'd seen deer on the edges of the woods going to and coming from work a few times so I asked permission to hunt it from the developer (eventually it will be clearcut and our neighborhood will be expanded.)
I got back home from work later than usual but wasn't worried about getting out too early since I was so close to the road. At 5 the traffic was pretty heavy on the road...so I waited around for a bit and played with my kids. At 6 I threw my stand on my back and started walking down this narrow path leading back there. I hadn't gone 100 yards when I looked up and saw a deer standing on the edge of the path about 100 yards down. She was looking right at me so I calmly crept off the path and into the woods on the side she was on. I creeped about 20 yards closer to where I last saw her and found a tree that I thought was pretty decent and climbed up. I've got a Lone Wolf Hand climber and if you're familiar with it you know that it's almost perfectly silent setting up.
It wasn't 20 minutes later that I saw her and another deer browsing through the woods toward me. I watched her for maybe ten minutes until she got to about 20 yards and let her have it. My arrow hit her slightly high and a little too forward, but it worked out great. It clipped the bottom of her spine and she dropped in her tracks! I'd never had that happen before. I've always, always had to track them in the past.
A couple of things about this hunt that I thought noteworthy enough to share...
1. I'm convinced my climber helped me shoot this deer. This is the quietest climber I've ever had (just bought it last year). It's more expensive than some of the others but with no pins, cables, lock nuts, etc to fool with I was able to set up and climb a tree within 80 yards of two deer, one of which had seen me, and they still didn't spook.
2. Carbon arrows and expandable broadheads are the way to go. I switch to both this year from aluminum and fixed blades. I know you're probably not going to believe me, but I swear I can tell a difference in the speed of my arrows since switching over. I'm telling you, that arrow reached that deer QUICK! The mechanicals opened just like it should have and did good damage both going in and coming out.
3. This hunt again reminded me that very often you're going to find deer in the most unlikely of places. The spot of land I was hunting was maybe 400 yards wide and 600 yards long with houses and a major highway on all sides. Through the trees I could see the cars on the street and I could hear the kids playing in our neighborhood behind me. I agree that you're going to find more deer in the hard to reach places, but if you're short on time then don't overlook the obvious.
She may not have been a ten pointer but my personal motto is that anything with a bow is a trophy. I'll post a pic tomorrow for you guys to see once I get the pictures downloaded.
I got back home from work later than usual but wasn't worried about getting out too early since I was so close to the road. At 5 the traffic was pretty heavy on the road...so I waited around for a bit and played with my kids. At 6 I threw my stand on my back and started walking down this narrow path leading back there. I hadn't gone 100 yards when I looked up and saw a deer standing on the edge of the path about 100 yards down. She was looking right at me so I calmly crept off the path and into the woods on the side she was on. I creeped about 20 yards closer to where I last saw her and found a tree that I thought was pretty decent and climbed up. I've got a Lone Wolf Hand climber and if you're familiar with it you know that it's almost perfectly silent setting up.
It wasn't 20 minutes later that I saw her and another deer browsing through the woods toward me. I watched her for maybe ten minutes until she got to about 20 yards and let her have it. My arrow hit her slightly high and a little too forward, but it worked out great. It clipped the bottom of her spine and she dropped in her tracks! I'd never had that happen before. I've always, always had to track them in the past.
A couple of things about this hunt that I thought noteworthy enough to share...
1. I'm convinced my climber helped me shoot this deer. This is the quietest climber I've ever had (just bought it last year). It's more expensive than some of the others but with no pins, cables, lock nuts, etc to fool with I was able to set up and climb a tree within 80 yards of two deer, one of which had seen me, and they still didn't spook.
2. Carbon arrows and expandable broadheads are the way to go. I switch to both this year from aluminum and fixed blades. I know you're probably not going to believe me, but I swear I can tell a difference in the speed of my arrows since switching over. I'm telling you, that arrow reached that deer QUICK! The mechanicals opened just like it should have and did good damage both going in and coming out.
3. This hunt again reminded me that very often you're going to find deer in the most unlikely of places. The spot of land I was hunting was maybe 400 yards wide and 600 yards long with houses and a major highway on all sides. Through the trees I could see the cars on the street and I could hear the kids playing in our neighborhood behind me. I agree that you're going to find more deer in the hard to reach places, but if you're short on time then don't overlook the obvious.
She may not have been a ten pointer but my personal motto is that anything with a bow is a trophy. I'll post a pic tomorrow for you guys to see once I get the pictures downloaded.
That woulda been priceless. 
