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Early season doe harvest

Hoytmania

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
11,518
167
Gods Country
I want to start this thread of with this picture.



The reason I want to start this thread with this picture is because it was taken after the hunt. As I was walking back to the Jeep I noticed this plume of smoke, my smoker was still smoking. That is how fast this hunt happened.

I came home from work and did some fine tuning on my bow (not sure it really helped) ate dinner and decided to head to the woods since it was supposed to be raining throughout the day tomorrow. Went to a property that I call "The Bowl". This was the first sit at this property this year. Last year was my first time hunting this property and it was not a very productive property. I say that because I was still learning the lay of the land and where and when the deer move. Well I adjusted my setup from last year and I believe it paid off TOO say the least.

To start things off this property adjoins a property that the farmer allows anyone and everyone who asks to hunt. As I am approaching the intersetion for me to turn to head to my property I see a guy getting out of a cavalier to head into hunt. I pull off to ask a few questions to see what I can find out. Needless to say this turned out to be quite a education that I will have to start another thread to discuss.

After chatting with the land owner for a few minutes while smoking up I start my trek back to the stand. I honestly was hoping to just see deer during this sit because of the lack of action from last year. My setup is on a inside corner of a very smal block of woods (maybe 1 acre) and a bean field. The woods goes into a swamp so it creates a sort of pinch point going into the bean field. I get into the stand an get settled in, preparing to just watch deer move through the beans in the distance. I have been sitting for no longer than 5 minutes at the max and I turn over my right shoulder to look back into the small block of woods and I see two yearlings at about 30 yards. My first thought in my head is "Where did you come from and where is Momma?" Once I realize that they have no clue I was there I thought I would stand up and get my self prepared just in case Mooma shows. As I stand and look over my left shoulder I realize Momma is right behind me at 20 yards. I slowly reach to get my bow from the hanger trying not to let her know that I am there. She start to move to a shooting lane as I come to full draw. I decided not to try and stop her. As she enters the shoting lane I pull the trigger on the release and the arrow flies.

At this point in the story I wish I could say that I double lunged her and she went 20 yds. and droped. This is not the case and where it gets really interesting. First off I want to clarify "I DID NOT SHOOT HER IN THE ASS!!!!!!! Now that I have that out of the way, It went right into the paunch. It couldn't have been a more perfect gut shot, and I knew it as soon as it hit her. This is where the story gets to be really crazy. She runs about 20 yds. and stops. As she is standing there I get the binos out to try and find exactly where I hit her. Knowing what I just did I figured after a few seconds of standing there I would see her walk off to probably never see her again. As I watched her for a few good minutes and seeing she is just standing there panting with her tongue hanging out. I see that there is a small window of opportunity to get another arrow in her vitals (and the window was very small). I get the range finder out and range her at 47 yds. So figuring that I can't do much more worse beings she is already gut shot I get a arrow out of the quiver and get it nocked. Get to full draw and let it fly. The sound I heard next was not what I was expecting. THWACK!!!!! The sound of a G5 Montec hitting a tree that is about 2" in diameter at about 30 yds. and 15' foot in the air. The yearlings at this point take off and want nothing else to do with this neck of the woods, but momma is still standing there, not moved an inch, panting with tongue hanging out. So what do I do. Grab another arrow out of the quiver as the same small window of oppotunity is still there. Get to full draw settle the pin a little further to the right. RELEASE and THWACK!!!!! Another fuggin arrow and broadhead stuck into a 2" diameter tree 15" in the air. FUGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!


At this point I watch the doe walk about 10 yds. and lay down. I am now thinking that I am going to be stuck here for 7-8 hours waiting on this doe to die because me getting out of the stand will just jump her and I will never see her agian. As I watched through the binos I could tell she was hurting bad. She got up once more and moved about 5 yds. and layed down behind a log. At this point with no more broadheads in my quiver (I know very sad to say) I decided to get down out of the stand, find the arrow that I origanaly shot her with and try and stalk up on her for a final shot. This process took a little bit as I was in the mind set that she could get up and run 500 yds. at any time. Carefully and slowly stepping through the woods I find the arrow and sure enough smell like nothing but gut. All the while looking to make sure she hasnt moved very far. I could see leaves movng behind the log but couldn't really see her, and was only 10 yds. away. By the time I got into position to put another arrow in her, I was at 5 yds. and could tell she wasn't breathing any more. At this point I started back to the Jeep to bring it back so I could get her out of there, and that is when I saw my Jeep still smoking.

I honestly wouldn't believe it if I wouldn't have seen it. A deer die in less than a hlaf hour from a gut shot wound, but it happened.

 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,745
274
North Carolina
Wow, that's a heck of an evening hunt for you Steve... Glad it worked out for you..... She looks like a good size momma..... That's funny how the smoker was still puffing as you got back too the Jeep!!!!! :smiley_coolpeace:
 

Milo

Tatonka guide.
8,184
157
Good lord Hoyt your in the lead for the most expensive kill... Wayne's jealousrotflmao
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
I gotta say, Steve... I got a good laugh out of that buddy. Great story! I'm really glad that it all worked out for you man. Congrats!
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
Well, it is better than shooting her in the butt. lmao

I love the fact we can share our highlights and our lowlights on here. What you posted is reality sometimes when hunting. However, as an ethical sportsman, you did everything you could to make up for the gut shot. I give you much respect for this!