I drove up state on Friday night to get ready for Saturday morning's opener. The forecast for opening morning was lows 40's and no winds. (I like a little wind).
Rise and no shine was at 4:45 am. I could see my breath. Based on my goal of testing out the new rig on the first deer to cross my path and based on the fact that the trail cam card being full at the site where an apple tree stands 10 yards from an Oak raining down acorns on the edge of a corn field, I headed for that stand. The woods breaks downward pretty quick from the edge of the field. Even though Im in a 15 foot ladder stand, a few feet from the stand Its more like being 20 feet up. Here is a brief video of my view from the stand I took shortly after sunup.
I wasnt in the stand long before the first acorn hit me in the head. There was a constant shower of acorns. I recent started wearing hearing aids. I cant believe all the sounds I was missing. It was great to hear everything again. The acorns, the crows, the small rodents feasting on the nuts, the geese and cows in the distance. It was pretty sweet.
It was still too dark to shoot when the new hearing aids picks up the distinct cruncha-cruncha-cruncha of a deer walking through oak leaves. Below me was a lone deer looking for a morning snack. I watched (and heard) the doe crunching acorns like they were going out of style. She was like a vacuum cleaner. I would have thought the apples would have been better but Im not a deer. After 15 minutes and no other deer showing up and more than enough daylight I clipped on and got ready. By now the deer was directly beneath me and slightly quartering away.
Bend at the waist, Draw, kisser in the corner of the mouth, nose on the string, line up the peep and since the deer in only 6 feet from the base of the tree, I place the 20 yard pin on the horizon line of the deer's side just behind the near side front leg hoping to exit the the far side leg. Finger on the release and squeeze. As expected, the lighted nock disappeared just above where I aimed, through the loin and through the off side leg.
Ive never heard this sound from a deer before but on impact, it woofed like a bear that gets hit with an arrow. It was a barking woof and and a mule kick and then it was off to the races and straight into the corn field. The doe ran straight down a row that allowed me to watch the entire departure. It lasted less than 10 seconds. The rear legs kept getting wider and wider apart and then the crash and all was quiet.
I sat in the ladder and enjoyed the sights and sounds and the sunrise. After 10 minutes I pulled out the camera and shot the video you just watched above. Then I shot this video as I killed time before climbing down.
I climbed down to inspect the arrow and even though I knew where the doe laid, I still tracked her. The corn made the blood show up pretty well.
The far side leg.
After testing out the new over-the-phone deer registration (which is sweet) It was time to skin and get on ice. Through the near side loin and out the far side leg.
I put up another stand in a location that I will use later in the season and then headed back to the apple tree for the afternoon hunt looking for another doe. They showed up but were skittish (probably doe to my taking a deer there in the morning.
A doe and two spotted fawns showed up. A few other loan does came in but did not present a shot opportunity.
Here is a video of some of the deer that showed up.
On Sunday morning I sat in a different location about 300 yards from the apple tree. The first deer to show up was a small spike. He got a pass. Then the doe with the spotted fawns came by. No shots were taken. Then it was time to butcher and fry it up with veggies from the garden. All in all it was a good opening weekend.
Rise and no shine was at 4:45 am. I could see my breath. Based on my goal of testing out the new rig on the first deer to cross my path and based on the fact that the trail cam card being full at the site where an apple tree stands 10 yards from an Oak raining down acorns on the edge of a corn field, I headed for that stand. The woods breaks downward pretty quick from the edge of the field. Even though Im in a 15 foot ladder stand, a few feet from the stand Its more like being 20 feet up. Here is a brief video of my view from the stand I took shortly after sunup.
I wasnt in the stand long before the first acorn hit me in the head. There was a constant shower of acorns. I recent started wearing hearing aids. I cant believe all the sounds I was missing. It was great to hear everything again. The acorns, the crows, the small rodents feasting on the nuts, the geese and cows in the distance. It was pretty sweet.
It was still too dark to shoot when the new hearing aids picks up the distinct cruncha-cruncha-cruncha of a deer walking through oak leaves. Below me was a lone deer looking for a morning snack. I watched (and heard) the doe crunching acorns like they were going out of style. She was like a vacuum cleaner. I would have thought the apples would have been better but Im not a deer. After 15 minutes and no other deer showing up and more than enough daylight I clipped on and got ready. By now the deer was directly beneath me and slightly quartering away.
Bend at the waist, Draw, kisser in the corner of the mouth, nose on the string, line up the peep and since the deer in only 6 feet from the base of the tree, I place the 20 yard pin on the horizon line of the deer's side just behind the near side front leg hoping to exit the the far side leg. Finger on the release and squeeze. As expected, the lighted nock disappeared just above where I aimed, through the loin and through the off side leg.
Ive never heard this sound from a deer before but on impact, it woofed like a bear that gets hit with an arrow. It was a barking woof and and a mule kick and then it was off to the races and straight into the corn field. The doe ran straight down a row that allowed me to watch the entire departure. It lasted less than 10 seconds. The rear legs kept getting wider and wider apart and then the crash and all was quiet.
I sat in the ladder and enjoyed the sights and sounds and the sunrise. After 10 minutes I pulled out the camera and shot the video you just watched above. Then I shot this video as I killed time before climbing down.
I climbed down to inspect the arrow and even though I knew where the doe laid, I still tracked her. The corn made the blood show up pretty well.
The far side leg.
After testing out the new over-the-phone deer registration (which is sweet) It was time to skin and get on ice. Through the near side loin and out the far side leg.
I put up another stand in a location that I will use later in the season and then headed back to the apple tree for the afternoon hunt looking for another doe. They showed up but were skittish (probably doe to my taking a deer there in the morning.
A doe and two spotted fawns showed up. A few other loan does came in but did not present a shot opportunity.
Here is a video of some of the deer that showed up.
On Sunday morning I sat in a different location about 300 yards from the apple tree. The first deer to show up was a small spike. He got a pass. Then the doe with the spotted fawns came by. No shots were taken. Then it was time to butcher and fry it up with veggies from the garden. All in all it was a good opening weekend.
