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Backyard doves and a doe

kwyeewyk

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Since I've been feeding hogs on my place the last couple years more and more doves have been hanging around, so this year working from home more I've had a chance to get after them a bit. Took a few tries to figure out how to get in a good shooting position because they seem to know if they fly towards the neighbors I can't shoot at them. Figured out some good ambush spots up in a draw where they fly in and out and I can shoot freely and started doing pretty good. Was busy today with lots of meetings and didn't get much for breaks so hadn't gone after them. When my last call ended I looked out the window to see if any were flying around and low and behold 2 muley does and 2 fawns right in the back yard. I watched them for a bit and decided the fawns were probably twins of one of the does since they were staying with her and the other was more off by herself. These aren't lawn ornament type deer that would let me walk up and shoot them, just regular wild deer that happened into the yard in the daytime.

So I decided to try for the lone doe. At this point I figured I'd wait until the late season to hunt since the smoke is so bad here, but I couldn't resist. I slipped out the door with my bow and worked behind some brush to close in on them. Got about 20 yards and was waiting for a good shot when they started to get spooky looking at something, I figured a neighbor dog or something. I drew and aimed and loosed and arrow, she jumped the string a bit and I got her a little further back than I hoped. I then realized they were watching my wife drive in the driveway a couple hundred yards away was what spooked them. She wound up making it up over the first hill and over a couple ridges and went and lay about mid slope of a ~1000' steep sand/rocky slope. I trailed behind watching her hoping she'd go down, but she made it about 800 yards total. I probably pushed her a little but wanted to make sure I saw where she went since I wasn't sure how good I hit her and the little blood trail I could find was very difficult in the dry sandy soil. I knew I couldn't get to her for a follow up shot so I sat and watched. After about an hour I could tell she was dying, she started having trouble holding her head up and and tried to stand but couldn't. When she stopped moving for a while I slowly closed in on her and when I got to her she was dead. Wish I'd have made a better shot but could have been worse.

She's my first mule deer doe, first archery deer since 2011. Breaking her down on the steep sandy slope half in the dark was a major pain and not my cleanest job, but at least it was a short pack to get her back and cleaned up. Took the neck and head to simulate packing a buck, all told with her on the bone and heart and liver (hit), with my bow, day pack gear and 2 liters of water my pack weight was 112lbs. A good break in for the Horn Hunter pack, did it's job nicely. The smoke made the short haul awful though, glad it wasn't any further. Fresh meat tomorrow! And more shooting, don't want a bad shot on an elk!


20200914_211330.jpg
 
Sounds like fun. I have a bunch of doves at my place also but I'm usually busy doing other things in the yard when I see them flying around.
 
Since I've been feeding hogs on my place the last couple years more and more doves have been hanging around, so this year working from home more I've had a chance to get after them a bit. Took a few tries to figure out how to get in a good shooting position because they seem to know if they fly towards the neighbors I can't shoot at them. Figured out some good ambush spots up in a draw where they fly in and out and I can shoot freely and started doing pretty good. Was busy today with lots of meetings and didn't get much for breaks so hadn't gone after them. When my last call ended I looked out the window to see if any were flying around and low and behold 2 muley does and 2 fawns right in the back yard. I watched them for a bit and decided the fawns were probably twins of one of the does since they were staying with her and the other was more off by herself. These aren't lawn ornament type deer that would let me walk up and shoot them, just regular wild deer that happened into the yard in the daytime.

So I decided to try for the lone doe. At this point I figured I'd wait until the late season to hunt since the smoke is so bad here, but I couldn't resist. I slipped out the door with my bow and worked behind some brush to close in on them. Got about 20 yards and was waiting for a good shot when they started to get spooky looking at something, I figured a neighbor dog or something. I drew and aimed and loosed and arrow, she jumped the string a bit and I got her a little further back than I hoped. I then realized they were watching my wife drive in the driveway a couple hundred yards away was what spooked them. She wound up making it up over the first hill and over a couple ridges and went and lay about mid slope of a ~1000' steep sand/rocky slope. I trailed behind watching her hoping she'd go down, but she made it about 800 yards total. I probably pushed her a little but wanted to make sure I saw where she went since I wasn't sure how good I hit her and the little blood trail I could find was very difficult in the dry sandy soil. I knew I couldn't get to her for a follow up shot so I sat and watched. After about an hour I could tell she was dying, she started having trouble holding her head up and and tried to stand but couldn't. When she stopped moving for a while I slowly closed in on her and when I got to her she was dead. Wish I'd have made a better shot but could have been worse.

She's my first mule deer doe, first archery deer since 2011. Breaking her down on the steep sandy slope half in the dark was a major pain and not my cleanest job, but at least it was a short pack to get her back and cleaned up. Took the neck and head to simulate packing a buck, all told with her on the bone and heart and liver (hit), with my bow, day pack gear and 2 liters of water my pack weight was 112lbs. A good break in for the Horn Hunter pack, did it's job nicely. The smoke made the short haul awful though, glad it wasn't any further. Fresh meat tomorrow! And more shooting, don't want a bad shot on an elk!


View attachment 153934
No Deer in our yard, Javelina once in a while.
I have been harvesting my share of Doves over the past few weeks.
On Sat. I managed a double-neck shot on two Eurasian Doves with my Pellet gun.
I have to be quick about it because the Roadrunners think a downed Dove is fair game. 💥 TWO BIRDS 1 STONE !.jpg20200827_090715.jpg
 
No Deer in our yard, Javelina once in a while.
I have been harvesting my share of Doves over the past few weeks.
On Sat. I managed a double-neck shot on two Eurasian Doves with my Pellet gun.
I have to be quick about it because the Roadrunners think a downed Dove is fair game. 💥 View attachment 153935View attachment 153936
He looks like he'll eat your toe if you give him a chance!
 
They know where the meat comes from, so no worries about my toes.
When they hear the sound of the gun they come running, it's a Roadrunner dinner bell!
Dove season ended today here in Az. so it's Eurasian Doves from here on out... 💥
 
They know where the meat comes from, so no worries about my toes.
When they hear the sound of the gun they come running, it's a Roadrunner dinner bell!
Dove season ended today here in Az. so it's Eurasian Doves from here on out... 💥
I guess I never realized road runners eat other birds.
 
I guess I never realized road runners eat other birds.
Roadrunners will eat anything smaller than themselves, including Rattlesnakes.
The Roadrunners around here are exclusively carnivores.
I have read studies that suggest they will eat fruits, seeds, etc. if nothing else is available.
We raise White Doves for weddings and celebrations,20200823_093824-1.jpg20200629_093319-1 (1).jpg and I will throw the seeds at
the Roadrunners want nothing to do with it. Lizards and birds are their #1 food source.
 
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