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Team 10

thedutchtouch said:
Back out in the woods. Called out sick today because I had to get the covid booster yesterday (not trying to get into it, mandatory for my job) and it sucked. Fever all night and a bit this AM but feeling a bit better now and decided better to feel crappy in the woods than crappy at home. Same location as yesterday, I don't have the energy to scout around today so trying to figure out if the herd of deer Saturday was a fluke or if the empty woods yesterday was. Fingers crossed.

Edit: 6 pm seen 4 does so far. Problem is they all saw me too. Got to full draw on one but she wouldn't walk out from behind a stick and then spotted/smelled me. Argh. I'm getting a new saddle I think, this OG method isn't comfortable any more and I'm fidgeting too much.

Edit: 8:30pm pretty sure I gut shot a doe at close to 7. She ran off toward private blowing over and over and disappeared down a hillside so I got down pretty quickly and went to look at the arrow. Very disappointed with myself, would love to blame her taking a step but I think I just stretched the shot out a bit too much for the light I had (roughly 33 yards to the arrow in the ground so not a crazy shot but likely longer than I should have taken). arrow has no blood whatsoever on it, it's just slightly wet (seems to be clear liquid, not green at all) and smells ever so slightly off. I wiped it off and put it back in the quiver before taking a photo as well ugh. I've been grid searching in the direction she went, have worked my way all the way to the top of the hill where she disappeared towards private property boundary and can't find any blood/sign anywhere. None at the shot sight or arrow either. Going to search around some more at the top of the hill because I don't want to bump her if she's somewhat close but I'm not too hopeful at this point and technically I'm not supposed to be here much longer. Ugh frustrating. I suppose it happens sooner or later but it still sucks. I should have just shot one of the yearlings that was closer instead of waiting for Mama to give me a shot and then rushing it. One of the yearlings blew just as I was shooting so I think I rushed it. But no excuses.

Edit: 9:15 I'm calling it. Dangit. Can't find anything.
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Did the arrow pass completely through the deer(coated in the liquid from end to end)?

Are you positive she was the deer blowing as she ran away? And not another deer?



Couple bits of advice, not that ya asked:

Always take picture of arrow.

Always mark shot site - if arrow passed the through leave a stick oriented same direction as arrow and in same spot.

If you passed through and through the deer there should almost always be cut hair. I can’t think of a time I’ve hit a deer there wasn’t.

If you hit a deer like that, there’s almost no benefit to looking for it that soon after the shot. And a whole lot of downside.

You looking this morning?

Congrats on the oppprtunity, sorry it didn’t go how you wanted!
 
Made a stalk/scout into a spot near the house yesterday. Had two does at 40 yards on ground with mini, but neither came into open for a shot. They were 5 yards from the tree I intended on setting up in for future hunts. So that’s a good sign.

After sleeping on it, I’m going to leave that spot alone and not shoot a doe there. Hopefully results in bucks showing up.

Will hunt another area this eve and tomo morning. This evening will probably be a scout only, while looking for a setup for morning.
 
kyler1945 said:
Did the arrow pass completely through the deer(coated in the liquid from end to end)?

Are you positive she was the deer blowing as she ran away? And not another deer?



Couple bits of advice, not that ya asked:

Always take picture of arrow.

Always mark shot site - if arrow passed the through leave a stick oriented same direction as arrow and in same spot.

If you passed through and through the deer there should almost always be cut hair. I can’t think of a time I’ve hit a deer there wasn’t.

If you hit a deer like that, there’s almost no benefit to looking for it that soon after the shot. And a whole lot of downside.

You looking this morning?

Congrats on the oppprtunity, sorry it didn’t go how you wanted!
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I assume arrow passed through, and not completely sure if that deer was blowing or it was one of the others. I couldnt find any hair or blood at all anywhere, the arrow was just somewhat weirdly wet. Clear though to the end of the arrow. Main reason I started looking quickly was because I saw them run off at least 200 yards and only searched within the first 100 yards or so at first, along the direction of travel, just trying to find any more sign that I actually hit the deer and get an idea of what I'd gotten myself in to. I assume I did hit it somehow in guts/bladder (not sure why the arrow would be wet like that if I didn't) but couldn't find anything that indicated any other clues. I did go back and look again yesterday (had marked the shot location etc) during daylight and nothing again. Went all the way to the private boundary that time in the direction I saw them disappear, no hair no blood, nothing. Was not able to get in contact with the owners to ask permission to keep searching on their property so called it at the border.

Ultimately, I learned the hard lesson that I need a bit more self control, and to take the 4 yard shot on a 1.5 yo instead of the 30 yard shot at the 2-3 yo doe, particularly in that level of light and in these urban spots where private boundaries are only a few hundred yards away. Frustrated that my ego got in the way this time, and that I may have killed a deer that I didn't recover, but plenty of season (and deer) left to not repeat those mistakes. Part of me didn't even want to post about it initially but I figured I can't celebrate the wins if I'm not honest about the losses.
 
Should I set up on this persimmon? Not a ton of deer sign(no scat, few tracks) but tons of persimmons?
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We had pouring rain all day yesterday and this morning with a wind that wasn’t right for where I wanted to hunt. I changed gears and hunted a new section of public today.

Walked in about 845 and about 400 yards in I jumped a big bodied 10 that was bedded about 60 yards into the swamp. He must have been on a little hump. There were 4-5 other deer with him, looked like all does.

Didn’t see anything else on my sit. Rained on and off all morning until I got down at 12. Certainly more to explore on this portion and I need to study some maps and see if there is any better access to where I found him.

Anyone else have any luck today?
 
MIPublic said:
We had pouring rain all day yesterday and this morning with a wind that wasn’t right for where I wanted to hunt. I changed gears and hunted a new section of public today.

Walked in about 845 and about 400 yards in I jumped a big bodied 10 that was bedded about 60 yards into the swamp. He must have been on a little hump. There were 4-5 other deer with him, looked like all does.

Didn’t see anything else on my sit. Rained on and off all morning until I got down at 12. Certainly more to explore on this portion and I need to study some maps and see if there is any better access to where I found him.

Anyone else have any luck today?
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I might be able to get out Tuesday evening but today was a kids day. For me, soccer games and town fairs. It was a good day.
 
thedutchtouch said:
I might be able to get out Tuesday evening but today was a kids day. For me, soccer games and town fairs. It was a good day.
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I feel you brother. Halfway through kids soccer tournaments myself. I still plan on getting out Tuesday morning, got a cold snap coming through. Fella I hunt parcel with was out this AM, didn’t see anything but saw scat and tracks everywhere
 
Friday I walked all morning not finding much. My guest arrived around 130. As we were driving there was a black coyote in the road. I stopped and my buddy jumped out and got a shot off but he missed. I found a fresh scrape and multiple rubs real fresh. I climbed a tree about half way between the 2 and it was a crappy view once up there so I bailed on that tree and relocated. I sat about an hour and a half and the wind switched directions. I got down and moved outta that area and set up on a transition line with lots of trails. Didn't see anything. I wasn't able to go this morning. I showed up around midday and walked to an area I have traditional seen deers but there wasn't any sign so I walked to another known spot and it was a bust. I walked the road and found a spot right in the road with lots and lots of real fresh tracks, green acorns and brown acorns..I set up and within 45 minutes had movement in the palmettos....I would get glimpses of the white tail flickering in the tall palmettos. I could hear it periodically all through the afternoon....wind was predicted to be N NW and it was staying pretty steady. That deer hung out in the thick palmettos withing 75 yards of me all afternoon. I caught multiple glimpses and when it finally stepped out into an opening it was 45yds and downwind. Large doe stood there for 15 minutes and slunk off. 15 minutes.later another deer walked down the trail on the upwind side but never got within bow range and worked off. If that wind hadnt switch opposite directions I would have got a shot at the first deer for sure. I can only hunt half day tomorrow in the morning. The wind is right to go hunt where I found the fresh scrape and rubs. That is the best sign I've seen so I plan to go hunt in there in the morning till lunch and this hunt will be over
 
I hunted NJ yesterday evening, an urban hunt on an invite. If anyone is familiar, it was Chester/Mendham area. Had opportunities on two small bucks and a doe, but made the decision to not shoot based off of what is in the area. Was kinda hoping to upgrade points lol...
 
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Sounds like we're getting there team! Persimmon tree was a fun sit. Had 2-3 does move in from my weakside slightly up the creek at 530ish. Were about 15 yards and never could get a shot. When I had a small window, I started to draw and I think a 3rd set of eyes got me. Half hearted blows and they walked off. Going to move south from there and try tomorrow afternoon.

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I really like the adventure hunts were.u have no idea where u going. I showed up this morning and asked the check in station guy if he happen to hear where most of the other folks were going and he said he thought most of em were heading up to the area I was kinda planning on going. So I just decided to walk off from the check station. Walked maybe .5 mile down the drive road with the wind at my back and cut off into the woods and was gonna head to an area based off the map and sit till 9 and then slip hunt back toward my truck since I could only stay half a day. I walked the property line fence until I found a crossing point and set up. Waves crashing in the distance.and the first real cool snap. The deer was spooked by something else that was upwind. She was moving fast and ended up directly below me on the weak side 2 yards. I was maybe 12 feet up. We were very very close. I was in the process of slow mo over the bridge and I started shaking....those shakes transfered into the palm tree I was set up in and all the fronds started shaking making noise and she looked at me and boogered heading straight away. I got drawn and she turned ever so slight to an extreme quartering away and I let it go. She ducked and turned and caught the arrow in the neck behind the ear. It made a dull thud at impact. I waited and hour and a half and got down and see my relatively clean arrow. Luckily there was tons of blood and a good blood trail. She went 73yds. Entered in the neck cutting the main pipes and hit the off side jawbone and broke it in half and the arrowed exited her cheek..wasn't what I was wanting but not complaining at all.
 
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