mike.podolan
Member
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2020
- Messages
- 73
Based on my previous thread about thick cover, I was wondering if anyone would like to share some example maps of their successful hunts. I learn a lot from seeing actual examples and descriptions, and I thought others might, too.
I have only killed one deer so far, and it was last year. I actually killed this young 6 point from the ground with a shotgun, but I currently spend more time with a crossbow than a firearm (I’m in the process of buying my first compound) and this one could have been killed with any legal weapon.
This was opening morning of firearm on public land in Michigan, so November 15, 2021. I walked in here after finding the orange army at other spots I had targeted. I had scouted this area previously, and I had found some smaller beds off the point of the ridge south of where I set up. There was also a deer trail rounding the point of the ridge, as well as near the transition between more open woods and the thicker stuff that transitions down to the creek.
I intended to set up in a tree with my saddle, but I ended up tucking into some cover just over the crest of the ridge near the point. From there, I could shoot both the trail rounding the point and to the transition.
After spooking something on the walk in, I didn’t see or hear anything until about 10:20. The buck came through around the point at a decent trot. He rounded the point and stopped for a second. I think he could tell something was off. He crossed right in from of me heading north and stopped again about 15 yards right in front of me. I tried to shoot, but the safety wasn’t fully disengaged. I scrambled, clicked it off and got the shot off while his head was behind a tree. I hit him farther back than I wanted, and he took off to the north. I could see he was bleeding, but he stopped again about 50 yards away. I couldn’t get another shot off, and he walked over the hill to the north. I waited about 30 minutes to go to the point of impact, where I found good blood but also found some corn mixed in (there is a small DNR food plot near where I walked in). I slowly trailed the blood until I found him dead about 100 yards away. It was an exciting moment, for sure.
I am obsessed with trying to get better at this, thus the reason for the posts. I hope others might join in so we can all learn a little something.
Red=access and then setup
Pink X=where something spooked and blew at me for a bit on my walk in.
Blue=theorized route the deer took to me. I’m not exactly sure where it started. The blue X is where I shot him.
Yellow=his path after the shot and where I found him.
I’d love to see some of your examples!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I have only killed one deer so far, and it was last year. I actually killed this young 6 point from the ground with a shotgun, but I currently spend more time with a crossbow than a firearm (I’m in the process of buying my first compound) and this one could have been killed with any legal weapon.
This was opening morning of firearm on public land in Michigan, so November 15, 2021. I walked in here after finding the orange army at other spots I had targeted. I had scouted this area previously, and I had found some smaller beds off the point of the ridge south of where I set up. There was also a deer trail rounding the point of the ridge, as well as near the transition between more open woods and the thicker stuff that transitions down to the creek.
I intended to set up in a tree with my saddle, but I ended up tucking into some cover just over the crest of the ridge near the point. From there, I could shoot both the trail rounding the point and to the transition.
After spooking something on the walk in, I didn’t see or hear anything until about 10:20. The buck came through around the point at a decent trot. He rounded the point and stopped for a second. I think he could tell something was off. He crossed right in from of me heading north and stopped again about 15 yards right in front of me. I tried to shoot, but the safety wasn’t fully disengaged. I scrambled, clicked it off and got the shot off while his head was behind a tree. I hit him farther back than I wanted, and he took off to the north. I could see he was bleeding, but he stopped again about 50 yards away. I couldn’t get another shot off, and he walked over the hill to the north. I waited about 30 minutes to go to the point of impact, where I found good blood but also found some corn mixed in (there is a small DNR food plot near where I walked in). I slowly trailed the blood until I found him dead about 100 yards away. It was an exciting moment, for sure.
I am obsessed with trying to get better at this, thus the reason for the posts. I hope others might join in so we can all learn a little something.
Red=access and then setup
Pink X=where something spooked and blew at me for a bit on my walk in.
Blue=theorized route the deer took to me. I’m not exactly sure where it started. The blue X is where I shot him.
Yellow=his path after the shot and where I found him.
I’d love to see some of your examples!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk