THAT'S RIGHT YOU READ IT HERE: WORST HUNTER EVER STRIKES AGAIN!
It's with a sad heart that I write this entry today. While this morning started out wonderfully enough things change as time progressed. I took the opportunity to go rifle hunting in the big woods this morning. Hoping that I could harvest a deer and be home by lunch and go to work for the later half of the day.
I programmed the coffee pot, my wife prepared my clothes and I packed my lunch last night so I could hit the ground running this morning. Coffee brewed, alarm clock rang. I was up, ate breakfast and on the road by 5:24am. I was going by myself so there was no need to hurry. I had planned on using my good friend's sweet spot, (he has taken 8 deer out of that spot). I pulled up to the gate and no one else was there I had the whole woods to myself. It was still a bit dark but by the time I got everything situated the sun started rising. It is about a mile to the sweet spot from the gate so when I got down there I could see without my headlamp. I stowed my deer hauler and went to find "the spot". I missed it. But I found a spot that was sort of open and set up my stool. I was next to a brook so hearing anything was out of the question. I had a good view across the brook and up and down my side of it so I felt good about things. Then I started questioning myself and my spot. Then I reassured myself that I was good. I had some decent woods behind me so I tried to check there every now and again. Which was a wise thing. I happened to look back and saw a buck coming my way. He was digging his nose in the ground as he came so I had a chance to get up and turn around without him seeing me. I found him in my rifle sight, he lifted his head and BOOM!!!! He jumped and did a kick like a rodeo horse! Then he staggered around a little while. I thought about shooting him again. (note to self shoot 2x if needed) He got behind a big try and I could see him swaying back and forth, back and forth he looked like he was going to fall over any second.....Then he gets a second breath and bounds off boing, boing, boing.............
So I 'm thinking AWESOME I FINALLY SMOKED A BUCK!!!!!! I take my time gathering stuff together. Not too much. He did not fall over so I was thinking I may have to put another bullet in him. I go to where he was standing..Blood! Yeah! I follow as far as it goes, basically to his bounding spot. I see some footprints ahead but no blood..... Long story short! For over three hours I roam the woods making half circles out from the last blood spot, busting through thickets and underbrush, every once in awhile I smell the musky, wet dog smell that deer have and it turns out to be a scrape. Then another scrape more foot prints, no blood.
I finally had to give-up. I was so discouraged I felt like crying. We see deer on the side of the road all the time and feel no remorse but I inflicted a mortal wound and was unable to harvest the bounty of the hunt! It is an interesting emotional whirlwind.
So, yes, I am officially the worst hunter ever! It surprises me how much I enjoy hunting even though I have little to no return on investment. I spend hours and dollars on an activity that can bring dividends. Other activities like golf, you invest time and money and there is no reward. Sure your skills get better but unless you go pro there is only time and money spent. At least with hunting the reward of a harvested animal puts food on the table. Yet, alas, I am no good; if this were another activity and I failed this miserably I would hang it up and move on, yet...I am looking forward to this weekend and going out again..To The Hunt!
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
ANT MAN
YEAH IT"S SOMETHING TO MARVEL ABOUT
Time is slipping by for primitive weapons season, only a few more days until the start of rifle season here and I still have not let an arrow fly on a deer!
Fortunately I have been allowed to hunt on a 1000 acre plantation this year, which is a good thing since the other area has been sold! This new area is awesome the owner has several stands set up around the farm but doesn't always use them. Case in point: last night, (my first time there) the owner was unable to meet me to show me around so he guided me, via cellphone,to a stand that is under an oak that he saw a big doe at the night before. After driving there (1 hr 20) I find the stand right where he said it would be. Let me back up just a little during my drive through areas I have never been before I see 3 deer on the side of the road one a young buck , so it is obvious this area has deer to spare.
Anyway I get to the stand, nothing special 15' ladder stand, it has a piece of camo material wrapped around for concealment. So I climb up and see there are 2 foam seats which is nice it is a "buddy" stand. In between the two cushions there is a pile of leaves and some ants on the seats. No biggie, I wipe the ants from the seats and reach in and grab a handful of leaves to start clearing them away, did I mention there were ants?! Good. Well not too good....who knew fire ants would make a home out of a bunch of leaves fifteen feet in the air!!!! Not me! Fortunately I had gloves on so I only suffered a couple hundred bites rather than thousands! Needless to say it did not take long to figure out a different way to clean out the ants. All I had was an arrow! But it worked I got all the leaves and debris out of the stand and threw the seat cushions to the ground. Then after a heavy dousing of Dead down wind evolve 3d scent killer most of the ants were either dead or leaving quickly. But I still have plenty crawling on my gloves and shirt. Thankfully it was still early and all the noise and motion wasn't scaring the deer off. I finally settle in I was able to use my brandy new range finder and ranged a few landmarks 22yds, 27yds, 29yds feeling good, feeling confident, but I wasn't about to sit and lean back against the tree still too many ants.
Not sure if you've ever gotten into a mess of fire ants but for me they always tend to go under my watch band and bite. Or in this case under the strap of my release. So now I sit here typing this feeling the bites on both wrists!
Back to the hunt.....I wound up standing on the seat of the stand which worked out good it got my bow above the rifle rest/shooting rail and the seat area was actually larger than the floor section so I could turn easier.
My host said that he saw a 150# doe the evening before right at dark under the big oak. I am ready....I am waiting.....Just as the sun settles past the treetops...BOOM....off goes a muzzle loader in the distance. Awesome!..deer are moving! Boom goes another I am feeling good! Sun keeps dropping no deer, sun drops some more..no deer..then I hear something I have only heard people do on video..a grunt! Man how cool is that, mind you it is in the woods behind me I am pinned against the tree and my grunt call is in my zippered shut backpack. I was settled in but not quite set up as normal to have access to all my items there were no hooks in the tree and I did not have any on hand...(insert sad face). So I waited and listened another grunt..then another..wait that last one was my stomach growling. Sun drops some more no deer, I see donkeys up the hill though. Finally at exactly 7:30pm out pops a doe. There is some light left but not much, she is too far away and facing in such a way that there is no shot. She moves closer, she is at a fence post that I have ranged at 25yds!!!! It is so dark now that when she turns her head I can't tell if she is looking at me or away. I think about raising my bow...its now or never my red sight pin isn't even glowing its so dark (yep that is my 25yd pin). I'm ready, I'm gonna do it, nope says she....snort, wheeeze, hop, bound and she gone! Maybe next time! In a few days I will have the Marlin .30/.30 lever action with me and that too far for bow shot will be a plink.
A beautiful day none the less. I started out hunting my stand in 55 degree weather in the morning and ended at a great farm with lots of possibilities. I even went to work for a couple of hours in the midst of it all.
Time is slipping by for primitive weapons season, only a few more days until the start of rifle season here and I still have not let an arrow fly on a deer!
Fortunately I have been allowed to hunt on a 1000 acre plantation this year, which is a good thing since the other area has been sold! This new area is awesome the owner has several stands set up around the farm but doesn't always use them. Case in point: last night, (my first time there) the owner was unable to meet me to show me around so he guided me, via cellphone,to a stand that is under an oak that he saw a big doe at the night before. After driving there (1 hr 20) I find the stand right where he said it would be. Let me back up just a little during my drive through areas I have never been before I see 3 deer on the side of the road one a young buck , so it is obvious this area has deer to spare.
Anyway I get to the stand, nothing special 15' ladder stand, it has a piece of camo material wrapped around for concealment. So I climb up and see there are 2 foam seats which is nice it is a "buddy" stand. In between the two cushions there is a pile of leaves and some ants on the seats. No biggie, I wipe the ants from the seats and reach in and grab a handful of leaves to start clearing them away, did I mention there were ants?! Good. Well not too good....who knew fire ants would make a home out of a bunch of leaves fifteen feet in the air!!!! Not me! Fortunately I had gloves on so I only suffered a couple hundred bites rather than thousands! Needless to say it did not take long to figure out a different way to clean out the ants. All I had was an arrow! But it worked I got all the leaves and debris out of the stand and threw the seat cushions to the ground. Then after a heavy dousing of Dead down wind evolve 3d scent killer most of the ants were either dead or leaving quickly. But I still have plenty crawling on my gloves and shirt. Thankfully it was still early and all the noise and motion wasn't scaring the deer off. I finally settle in I was able to use my brandy new range finder and ranged a few landmarks 22yds, 27yds, 29yds feeling good, feeling confident, but I wasn't about to sit and lean back against the tree still too many ants.
Not sure if you've ever gotten into a mess of fire ants but for me they always tend to go under my watch band and bite. Or in this case under the strap of my release. So now I sit here typing this feeling the bites on both wrists!
Back to the hunt.....I wound up standing on the seat of the stand which worked out good it got my bow above the rifle rest/shooting rail and the seat area was actually larger than the floor section so I could turn easier.
My host said that he saw a 150# doe the evening before right at dark under the big oak. I am ready....I am waiting.....Just as the sun settles past the treetops...BOOM....off goes a muzzle loader in the distance. Awesome!..deer are moving! Boom goes another I am feeling good! Sun keeps dropping no deer, sun drops some more..no deer..then I hear something I have only heard people do on video..a grunt! Man how cool is that, mind you it is in the woods behind me I am pinned against the tree and my grunt call is in my zippered shut backpack. I was settled in but not quite set up as normal to have access to all my items there were no hooks in the tree and I did not have any on hand...(insert sad face). So I waited and listened another grunt..then another..wait that last one was my stomach growling. Sun drops some more no deer, I see donkeys up the hill though. Finally at exactly 7:30pm out pops a doe. There is some light left but not much, she is too far away and facing in such a way that there is no shot. She moves closer, she is at a fence post that I have ranged at 25yds!!!! It is so dark now that when she turns her head I can't tell if she is looking at me or away. I think about raising my bow...its now or never my red sight pin isn't even glowing its so dark (yep that is my 25yd pin). I'm ready, I'm gonna do it, nope says she....snort, wheeeze, hop, bound and she gone! Maybe next time! In a few days I will have the Marlin .30/.30 lever action with me and that too far for bow shot will be a plink.
A beautiful day none the less. I started out hunting my stand in 55 degree weather in the morning and ended at a great farm with lots of possibilities. I even went to work for a couple of hours in the midst of it all.
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