October 20th 2007

Friday, October 19th, I managed to get out of work on time to head to the golf course for a couple hours of hunting. I went all the way back to the backside of the course, as close as I could get to where I missed that buck opening day. I spooked about 10-15 deer walking in. I set up next to a wide open trail that the grounds crew uses to drive there carts on. The deer I spooked were on it when I spooked them, so I knew they were using it. I didn't see anything after I got set up.

Saturday, October 20th, 2007

I went back to the golf course for the morning hunt. I set up on the edge of a hardwood creek bottom surrounded by pines. There was a field to the east of me and the course to the west. I figured I could catch some deer feeding back along the edge headed to the thicker parts of the pine trees. I was doing a can bleat/light rattling/grunt calling sequence about once every half hour. About 8:30 I saw two fawns feeding up to my stand. They milled around at 18yds for about 5 minutes before suddenly a doe appeared. She continued to feed as the fawns bedded down. I managed to draw my bow as she fed behind the top of an arched over cedar tree. As she stepped into the clear I calculated for the quartering towards me shot and let the arrow fly. My follow through allowed me to watch my bright Lumenock disappear into the side of the doe. All three ran about 40yds and stopped. I was waiting for the doe to drop, but instead she wandered off all hunched up. I let them go and waited about 20min before I got down. I found my arrow easily, I could see it from my stand. Plus, it's hard to miss that Lumenock glowing, even in bright sunlight. The arrow was almost clean, but had some guts on it. I knew the angle I had would go through the guts, so I wasn't too concerned. Just to be safe I climbed back up in the tree and continued to hunt. My next calling sequence was met with a explosion of twigs snapping and leaves rustling. I stood and readied to shoot a nice buck. Turning my attention towards the field I saw breath floating throught the air. I folled it back to the source only to find a doe and two fawns coming in. I let them walk, I had enough on my plate as it was, I was only going to shoot if it was a mature buck. To make that much work for myself I need to have sufficient justification, like the rare opportunity of shooting a nice buck. After about an hour I listened to advice I heard Stan Potts give after he arrowed his buck of a lifetime, "when in doubt, back out". I was in no rush, it was failry cool out and it wouldn't hurt to give her some more time. Dead deer don't go anywhere, so it is a win-win situation in my eyes. When I climbed down, I went over to where she stoppoed at 40yds. There was plenty of blood on the ground and when I looked in the direction that they went I saw the two fawns feeding, but no doe. I assumed she was dead, but just in case I left quietly. I took that opportunity to bring my climber back to my truck and get a drink, call friends to see how they did. By 10:55 I was ready to go back in. I walked right up to where I stood when I spotted the fawns earlier. They were still there. Now I just had to decide if I was going to spook them off and risk that doe getting up, or if I was going to just sit and observe some more and make a judgement based on what I saw. I sat on the ground and knocked an arrow, just in case. Usuing my binoculars I was panning the woods, looking for signs of the doe. I was being generous apparently, because when I put the glasses down, I saw a brown object through the brush right in front of me. I stood and saw it was the doe. Normal routine ensued, and within minutes I had started my 25 minute drag back to the truck. I didn't get to unt the afternoon, because I was getting a tour of a 200 acre farm I just got permission for.

Monday, October 22, 2007
I am sitting in my climber right now, out at CRM 6. I am at the junction of cedar run, an old mill race and a 4 wheeler trail. This spot has traditionally been a good spot, and I guess it's never a bad sign when you can see mulitple rotten old stands from where you are! They must have been there for a good reason at some time. I rushed out of work and rode home with Larry, and I forgot my binoculars in my truck. I have a great view out into this big grassy (brown in this drought) field.
I know I'm going to wish I had them at some point tonight. I'll fill you in when I am done tonight.
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