CharlieTN
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 21, 2019
- Messages
- 580
Some Firsts on this hunt: first opening day hunt in years. 1st public land deer. 1st hunt in the CGM Cobra saddle. 2nd bow kill
Just wanted to share this entry from my hunting journal about my first hunt this year. I try to keep a record of what happened on each hunt, especially successful hunt, since that is what makes each one unique and memorable. This hunt was fun to say the least.
1st Public Land Deer
I had scouted this piece about 4 weeks prior, walked in on the access road but there was a large tree down across the gravel road about 100 yards in. I went further down the road but didn’t see anything too promising so I came back and sat on the tree to take a break. Noticed the woods just north of the tree was a larger patch of large oaks and the ground had been torn up by deer eating them. So I fixed my mind on hitting this piece if the wind was right on opening day.
Jump forward to opening day, 9-23. The wind was supposed to be light and directly from the North, so it seemed good to go. Got up at 4am, left the house at 5 am, and walked in to the woods at roughly 5:50 am. Noticed that they had cut up the large tree which concerned me. When I found the spot, the tree I had originally planned to sit on was across the area to the north east which wouldn’t be the best with the north wind we were supposed to have so I found a tree on the SW corner of this spot and started climbing.
One truck drove in along the access road at roughly 6:30 while I was finishing my setup up in the tree. At that moment I realized I was just off from the access road, maybe 10 yards from it. Oh well, I was there and I was going to hunt it. I just chilled till it started getting shooting light then started ranging some trees to have some landmarks for distance. Continued to hang out for roughly the next hour, while also questioning my decision of this spot. “Them cutting up the tree probably pushed the deer out.” I had decided at roughly 8am that I would sit till 10 and if I saw nothing I would get down and scout some more.
Immediately after having that thought I heard a crashing noise from my left and a doe came bounding into the area, passed my tree maybe 5 yards in front of the tree I was in and stopped. I grabbed my bow and started to work my way around the tree. I guess she saw the movement of the bow because when my head peaked around she was staring right up at me. I was pegged. Slowly I eased behind the tree and waited. For the next couple of minutes she would work her way to my right on the other side of a small scrubby tree with thick leaves obscuring her view, but she was trying to figure out what was moving up in that tree.
I had tried to move myself around the tree clockwise to my left in order to get a shot on her but I wound up with my right foot on the platform, barely, and my left foot on the second step clockwise around the tree, sort of doing a saddle splits. Because she had me pegged I couldn’t move anymore. Trying to hold this position, in hopes she would work her way back around, my right leg began to shake and my foot was slowly trying to slip off of the platform.
Off to my left I noticed another doe working her way in from the same direction. She was in no hurry and eventually got herself just behind a couple of small saplings. Finally she moved forward a bit into a clearing where I had a shot so I tried to draw my bow back, but the first doe, off to my right pegged me again, blew and bounded off. This scared the second doe who took a couple of jumps away from me but couldn’t figure out what was going on.
This second doe started working back my way and again was headed towards the clearing so I moved back around the tree and drew my bow. This time she pegged me (the third time I had been spotted). The doe jumped off to my right then hit about 3 jumps away from me then stopped and stood quartering away from me to the left of two trees I had ranged previously at 19 and 29 yards respectively. She was standing halfway between them so once again I drew back but this time she didn’t see me. Knowing she was probably about 25 yards I settled low with my 30 yard pin, double checked myself and let it fly.
I watched as the lighted knock arched towards her. She jumped and the knock showed that the arrow was sticking in the ground. She bounded off to my right and away, leaping over a downed tree then continuing off to the right and disappearing over a rise, seeming to trot away. This caused me to question, did my shot go low.
Forcing myself to be patient I waited in the tree a bit, slowly packing up. I even made myself pack up all of my gear at the base of the tree before I walked to the arrow. My heart rate went up though when I got to it, it was covered in good looking blood. From there it took a bit to find the blood trail, but once I did, thought it wasn’t huge, I was able to follow it til I spotted here. She had ran roughly 70 yards.
The entry was a bit far back. She had been quartering away from me more than I thought. The exit though was just behind the offside front leg so it had caught both lungs. Unfortunately it had caught a small bit of the stomach, but not too bad. The other great thing is she was laying about 20 yards from a power line cut which went down to the road. After gutting her, I drug her to the edge of that power line, went and got the truck and just rolled the deer cart maybe 60 yards to get her to the truck.
Once home, she weighed in at roughly 65 lbs field dressed. I did loose the rib meat and the tenderloins due to hitting the stomach but otherwise she was in great shape.
For those interested I am hunting with a Bowtech Guardian (14 years old), Easton 6.5mm arrows with 50 gr inserts, Magnus Stinger 100gr broadheads. Hunting from a CGM Cobra saddle, climbing 1-stick with a Mini-shikar with angled scout platform, homemade 3-step aider, Sterling HTP rope for tether/rappelling, and Safeguard.
Just wanted to share this entry from my hunting journal about my first hunt this year. I try to keep a record of what happened on each hunt, especially successful hunt, since that is what makes each one unique and memorable. This hunt was fun to say the least.
1st Public Land Deer
I had scouted this piece about 4 weeks prior, walked in on the access road but there was a large tree down across the gravel road about 100 yards in. I went further down the road but didn’t see anything too promising so I came back and sat on the tree to take a break. Noticed the woods just north of the tree was a larger patch of large oaks and the ground had been torn up by deer eating them. So I fixed my mind on hitting this piece if the wind was right on opening day.
Jump forward to opening day, 9-23. The wind was supposed to be light and directly from the North, so it seemed good to go. Got up at 4am, left the house at 5 am, and walked in to the woods at roughly 5:50 am. Noticed that they had cut up the large tree which concerned me. When I found the spot, the tree I had originally planned to sit on was across the area to the north east which wouldn’t be the best with the north wind we were supposed to have so I found a tree on the SW corner of this spot and started climbing.
One truck drove in along the access road at roughly 6:30 while I was finishing my setup up in the tree. At that moment I realized I was just off from the access road, maybe 10 yards from it. Oh well, I was there and I was going to hunt it. I just chilled till it started getting shooting light then started ranging some trees to have some landmarks for distance. Continued to hang out for roughly the next hour, while also questioning my decision of this spot. “Them cutting up the tree probably pushed the deer out.” I had decided at roughly 8am that I would sit till 10 and if I saw nothing I would get down and scout some more.
Immediately after having that thought I heard a crashing noise from my left and a doe came bounding into the area, passed my tree maybe 5 yards in front of the tree I was in and stopped. I grabbed my bow and started to work my way around the tree. I guess she saw the movement of the bow because when my head peaked around she was staring right up at me. I was pegged. Slowly I eased behind the tree and waited. For the next couple of minutes she would work her way to my right on the other side of a small scrubby tree with thick leaves obscuring her view, but she was trying to figure out what was moving up in that tree.
I had tried to move myself around the tree clockwise to my left in order to get a shot on her but I wound up with my right foot on the platform, barely, and my left foot on the second step clockwise around the tree, sort of doing a saddle splits. Because she had me pegged I couldn’t move anymore. Trying to hold this position, in hopes she would work her way back around, my right leg began to shake and my foot was slowly trying to slip off of the platform.
Off to my left I noticed another doe working her way in from the same direction. She was in no hurry and eventually got herself just behind a couple of small saplings. Finally she moved forward a bit into a clearing where I had a shot so I tried to draw my bow back, but the first doe, off to my right pegged me again, blew and bounded off. This scared the second doe who took a couple of jumps away from me but couldn’t figure out what was going on.
This second doe started working back my way and again was headed towards the clearing so I moved back around the tree and drew my bow. This time she pegged me (the third time I had been spotted). The doe jumped off to my right then hit about 3 jumps away from me then stopped and stood quartering away from me to the left of two trees I had ranged previously at 19 and 29 yards respectively. She was standing halfway between them so once again I drew back but this time she didn’t see me. Knowing she was probably about 25 yards I settled low with my 30 yard pin, double checked myself and let it fly.
I watched as the lighted knock arched towards her. She jumped and the knock showed that the arrow was sticking in the ground. She bounded off to my right and away, leaping over a downed tree then continuing off to the right and disappearing over a rise, seeming to trot away. This caused me to question, did my shot go low.
Forcing myself to be patient I waited in the tree a bit, slowly packing up. I even made myself pack up all of my gear at the base of the tree before I walked to the arrow. My heart rate went up though when I got to it, it was covered in good looking blood. From there it took a bit to find the blood trail, but once I did, thought it wasn’t huge, I was able to follow it til I spotted here. She had ran roughly 70 yards.
The entry was a bit far back. She had been quartering away from me more than I thought. The exit though was just behind the offside front leg so it had caught both lungs. Unfortunately it had caught a small bit of the stomach, but not too bad. The other great thing is she was laying about 20 yards from a power line cut which went down to the road. After gutting her, I drug her to the edge of that power line, went and got the truck and just rolled the deer cart maybe 60 yards to get her to the truck.
Once home, she weighed in at roughly 65 lbs field dressed. I did loose the rib meat and the tenderloins due to hitting the stomach but otherwise she was in great shape.
For those interested I am hunting with a Bowtech Guardian (14 years old), Easton 6.5mm arrows with 50 gr inserts, Magnus Stinger 100gr broadheads. Hunting from a CGM Cobra saddle, climbing 1-stick with a Mini-shikar with angled scout platform, homemade 3-step aider, Sterling HTP rope for tether/rappelling, and Safeguard.
