@Exhumis once you recover from your heart attack, we'd love to hear more. Did he come in following her?
Nope, saw them at different times. Or at least not that I saw. Also I learned I need to incorporate CrossFit into my workouts.
This was one of the best hunting days of my life and not because I harvested two in one day. So there I was early morning, just minding my own business hanging from a tree in the dark trying to catnap like you do, when I hear a distant noise in dense brush off to the left of this pic:
at about 0730. I had just really gotten set up and literally had just loaded my crossbow. I seen the doe in my pic come out out of the thick stuff and she presented a broadside so I took the shot. She bolted off into this stuff and dropped
First deer harvested with the new xbow. I settled in to wait for 30 minutes intending to climb down as this parcel usually is a one deer kinda parcel. About at the 25 minute mark another doe popped out of the thick stuff on the left and bedded down 40 yards from me near the thick oak in the upper left of the pic:
Can’t really tell in the pic but she’s bedded down at the base right behind it. Well that’s cool I thought, amazing wildlife interaction. Zero interest of harvesting her just enjoying Gods creatures. We enjoyed each others company for a spell until a family of foxes strolled through, a mom and two kits. They strolled off about 50 yards and settled in off to my right right here in the spot circled in yellow
At this point I was like Ice Cube - I got to say it was a good day. That’s the most action I’ve seen on this parcel in one day. The timer for 30 minutes went off so I went to pack up and suddenly the doe to my left stands up and snorts and hear snorting from my rear. I risk a quick look behind me and see another doe standing about 30 yards behind me.
They musta had beef or something cuz that doe took off my visitor doe took off. Well that was cool. I settled down for a minute in case something else unexpected was gonna happen and wouldn’t you know but not 10 minutes later behind me to my 7 o clock about 80 yards back it sounds like all heck is breaking loose and two bucks come blasting through the thick nasty stuff right where my doe expired. I don’t think they were fighting just kinda fooling around. They kept at it for a few minutes and then parted with one running off behind me and the other hanging around my expired doe and thrashing the trees like they insulted his mama. He kept at that for a few minutes and then sauntered off through the thick and across the rail road tracks. By this time I was ecstatic - the woods were practically a zoo today. Well heck I thought it’s 45 degree, the doe will keep let’s see what else happens. About 20 minutes later a couple turkeys strut by behind my tree and then about 5 more minutes ANOTHER buck appears in the thick stuff, head gear above the bushes. He thrashed around for awhile, circled around a bit and then heads across the tracks. By this point it’s about 8:30 and I figure ok time to go. Well did a quick scan in front of me and see movement on the railroad track embankment about 100 yards out. I though no way, this can’t be another deer. 15 minutes later the headgear of Mr Freezer Filler pops out right where my first doe popped out. My heart was pounding so hard I could pounded 16 penny nails through brick. He kinda played around at about 60 yards at that border and then he came walking in. His profile was occluded by sticks but he presented a quartering away shot at 25 yards and I let fly. 500gr bolt tipped with a Sevr broadhead deployed beautifully, it entered just behind his rib cage, sailed right through the lungs and exited his neck. He ran about 60 yards and toppled right over and never even twitched.
At this point I was outta daily tags but was kinda sad to climb down considering everything that had transpired in the last two hours.
The Lord absolutely blessed me this day. I woulda been happy not even harvesting anything given how amazing the deer woods were today but I was also blessed with two amazing animals one of which I donated to Hunters for the Hungry. It’s moments like these that make me appreciate this amazing creation we are blessed to share. The woods were alive and thriving and I got to see a front row seat.