Opening Morning in Michigan for the Archery season is October 1st. The night before I set up for my first Saddle hunt. With an east wind and a woods full of acorns it was hard to pick a tree. The bedding area was out of the question due to the wind direction. I set up in a funnel between two ponds that had a lot of cat tail cover around the edge. It ended up being warmer than I expected and after a 1/2 mile walk to the tree, I climbed up the tree only to get my pull up rope tied up like a shoe sting in the ladder stick. So after getting all strapped into the tree, I reached for my rope and it wouldn't budge. So I quickly and not very quietly climbed back down and untied the tangled mess. I choose a great tree for my first saddle hunt. At about 30 ft there was a large branch that extended out that I used as a foot rest. Another small branch extended out at about 120 degrees from the large one, so I had two good foot holds.
My first deer sighting of the hunting season was a spike that has really long beams. He came upwind and I heard him snort a little bit as my scent interrupted his travel. He hung around for awhile and was joined by another 1 1/2 year 4 pt. Then the does started running wild around me. I had 14 deer sighting in the tall timber and most went through the funnel. What seemed like an hour of hunting turned out to be 4 hours of sitting. The adjustment of the aerohunter was easier than I expected and for someone like me with A.D.D its nice to be able to make small movements at a higher elevation without noise. Before getting down I took the opportunity to pretend to shoot in different angles and directions. Footwork seems to be the key.
What I learned most about hunt number 1 and 2 (pop-up blind along side a food plot in the rain), was to shoot more than you think you need. After hunt #2 with my crossbow, I decided to break out my old compound. I lost two bolts through the old target and was frustrated at the lack of consistency I had grown to take for granted in my Parker Tornado. Field point shots were on the money, but Muzzy Broad heads created way too unknown in the shot to have any faith. The old compound fit like a glove and muscle memory and faith is quickly building.
Hunt #3 was my second saddle hunt from the same tree I hunted #1 with. Second time up the tree was easy. I learned to strap my bow unto my back pack and just wear it to climb the tree. Less movement and noise was the result. I only saw 2 deer while on stand and both were bucks. This time I took my professional camera equipment with me to test out my new tree arm. Was able to 10 mins of footage of a little spike and a young 6 pointer. "Let'm e go, Let'm grow" rang out in my head as I continued to film. The footage turned out okay, and after 3 hours I was falling asleep. Working 24 hours the day before and getting out of work just an hour before first light wears on you. I felt comfortable enough saddle hunting because I practiced falling asleep many times that morning just to practice if it really happened.
Walking back on hunt #3 resulted in a slow stalk on two doe through the Acorn crusted floor of the woods. No shot presented itself and they walked away without notice. One doe is more educated than the rest. She caught me as I walked the 2 track back through the food plot to the house. Her game of Hide and seek ended with her insecurity as to this foreign object on the trail. 10 yards and autumn olive in-between wasn't enough cover for either of us. Instead of screaming like a TV Indian and charging her with a knife, I stood still until she couldn't take the suspense, snorted, and ran off through the standing corn.
Oh, to hunt another day.