AKal
Member
Been bow hunting for quite some time now in a pressured area of Minnesota (the deer look for you up down and all around), but never had much opportunity to take a shot. I took a few year break and decided to try it again this year so have been shooting every night this summer to practice. Last night I went out and I have been bound and determined to get one while hunting on the ground no with no blind (why not make things more difficult right?!). So I was hunkered down in a mildly sparse brush pile and after a few hours I hear a few deer making there way to the edge of the field. I assume a very awkward squat/crouch position and hold that for approx. 35 minutes. 2 does finally show themselves and get almost to a position for a shot. Wouldn’t you no it the wind shifts right towards them and the lead doe definitely catches wind of me. She comes on a string right to me to investigate the scent. she makes it within 3 yards of me with only a patch of brush 2′ thick between me and her. She doesn’t like whatever she was seeing I assumed it was me and quickly walked off back into the woods and the other doe follows and I can hear another deer that is never Identified leave as well. So as I am still in the awkward squat, I stand to regain feeling in my lower legs that now feel like I just dead lifted more weight than I could ever handle. As I am standing up here the 3 does come again right down the field edge, I return to my squat and questioned if it was a worth while cause. Lead doe makes her way almost to my shooting lane skylined on the hill in the field at 25 yards. I draw back she takes 2 more steps I slowly stand out of my brush bunker and get my pin on her. I let the arrow fly and here the thwap of a target hit. She takes off slightly low and like there is a match lighting her tail end on fire and the other two confused, follow her. Beings it was getting to be dark I unfortunately could not see my arrow fly or where it hit. In my excitement of hitting my first deer I wait 10 minutes and venture out into the field to look for blood or my arrow. No dice on either. I start down the trail looking for blood and 15 minutes later a lone deer goes crashing through the brush not 50 yds from my brush pile blind, hops the fence onto state land and goes quiet. I remember then the huge rule of give them time before looking. I back out and return 3 1/2 hrs later to look. find blood and start to track. Bright red it was and drops every 2′-5′ for awhile. Then find a 8″ diameter circle of heavy blood in approximately the location I believe my doe came running out of when I jumped her. At 11:30 I called it a night and will be back out this afternoon to see if I can find her. Not the way I planned my first archery deer was go. Will supply updates as this progresses.
