--2011 Official Deer Thread--

[Kirk Freeman]

M4, as you no doubt know, it happens. BUT on the bright side you recovered the animal.

Good for you, sir!

 

[HICKMAN]

Productive morning, a combo of some Tinks 69 and grunt brought one in right behind me. Couldn't see because of having to stare directly into the sun, but sounded like it walked in on the trail we cut out to come in on. Probably 15 yards behind me, blowing and stomping before finally taking off back up the hill. I sat still, not wanting to spook whatever it was.

About an hour later 6 does come up the creek bed, heading for the upper fields. Good set for gun season tomorrow, but 50 yards and limbs in my way. About 20 mins later, a little spike came up the same trail.

Was a good morning in the woods, I learned a lot.

 

[M4Madness]

Probably 15 yards behind me, blowing and stomping before finally taking off back up the hill. I sat still, not wanting to spook whatever it was.

More than likely, the blowing and stomping was because of your presence.

Good luck tomorrow. I hope you get the buck of which you've been dreaming.

 

[M4Madness]

M4, as you no doubt know, it happens. BUT on the bright side you recovered the animal.

Good for you, sir!

Thanks. As for the recovery, yes, it was quite difficult. The deer dropped at the shot in the exact same manner as a spine shot -- just collapsed to the ground. As I retrieved a second arrow from the quiver, she rolled down the hill into a brushy draw where I had no clear shot. I must have just shocked her spine, as the paralysis started to wear off before I could get down. She thrashed around and rolled over onto her back, as I was maneuvering my climber down the tree. By the time I reached the brush where she had lain, she was gone.

I went and rounded up my brother and a couple of his friends, and we took up the bloodtrail in the dark. Bleeding was sporadic -- profuse at times, weaker at others. After a few hundred yards, we saw her bedded down ahead in the woods, and she managed to get up and run again. I made the decision to keep pursuing her instead of backing off, due to the location of the wound. We needed to keep her up and bleeding.

As one can guess, blood was minimal for a good distance from where she had bedded, and at times we couldn't find any. The guys with me were excellent when it came to finding small specks of blood (I'm color deficient and can't see deer blood unless it is copious.) I told them that once she slowed down, we'd find great blood again -- if we could persist long enough to reach it. They sorted it all out, and we were on great blood again. After a short while, I spotted her lying on her side up ahead.

 

[HICKMAN]

More than likely, the blowing and stomping was because of your presence.

Good luck tomorrow. I hope you get the buck of which you've been dreaming.

lesson I learned from that was if you hear them walking in, get up and be ready to shoot. I was sitting still hoping it would walk by so I could get a downhill/away shot.

Hoping to get out tomorrow, that'll depend on the BNL game tonight... and I have to rest up for Crane's gun hunt on Sunday.

 

[thoroughbred]

To M4, I applaud your effort to recover your deer, sounds like it was awfully difficult.

 

[M4Madness]

To M4, I applaud your effort to recover your deer, sounds like it was awfully difficult.

Thanks. It was quite an undertaking and spanned three properties. It even started to rain some while we were on the trail. We ended up so far from the shot location when we found the doe that we had no idea which direction we were facing in the dark. Luckily my brother had a smart phone with GPS, and we were able to find a road and call someone to drive around to pick us up.

 

[Kase]

Well how did everyone do this morning?

I had a small six point walk about ten yards from me, but that was the excitement of my morning.

I also had a dog walk up about 20 yards from me and start barking at me for about 10 minutes straight I've never been so close to shooting a dog in my life

 

[Lock n Load]

My bro-in-law taked my son and I into hunting a new area this morning, I dont like going in cold but....

I had a huge buck come to w/in 3-4 feet of a tree I was sitting up against, he stopped, looked back saw me snorted and ran off, quicker than it takes to read this, it was very windy so by the time I heard the leaves rustle he was next to me like a ghost..... I barely raised my Redhawk and was getting my off hand up when he snorted and ran off.

A minute later another hunter walked up on the other side and passed w/out even knowing I was there. He didnt realize that he jumped the buck. It was still before daylight, to dark to shoot once the buck ran..... this will haunt me for quite a while.... he was huge, antlers and body.

I was hoping that he would run over my sons way, but he didnt. Ill see if he is back tomorrow......

 

[HICKMAN]

I slept like a dog!

Resting up and doing my homework for tomorrows military refuge hunt at Crane.

 

[Indianajeff]

I was in my stand at 6 am, did not see 1 deer. That is VERY odd for the farm property I hunt, oh well, it's only the first day.

 

[windingwinds]

The shots fired were way down this year. My brother-in-law shot a 8 pointer at about 7:50 a.m. He weighed 250#, before being gutted. It was almost peaceful and the kids are having a great time.

 

[coltaceguy]

Hunting in switzerland cty did not see one deer but had a buck snort at me at 6am
Very odd for me to see nothing

 

[Hoosierdood]

Saw one forkhorn that another hunter spooked. Nothing else. Didn't hear nearly as many shots as usual on opening day. It was fairly windy, so the deer may not have been moving as much as usual.

 

[coltaceguy]

Saw one forkhorn that another hunter spooked. Nothing else. Didn't hear nearly as many shots as usual on opening day. It was fairly windy, so the deer may not have been moving as much as usual.

Yea I hear not as many shots today but last night stayed out till dark scouting and heard tons of gunfire seemed a tad fishy to me we also heard some 3rd burst machinegun fire last night

 

[selinoid44]

Pats 10 pt

My buddy Pat shot this fine 10 pt this morning.

 

[M4Madness]

I slept like a dog!

Me too. First morning I've been able to sleep-in in over 6 weeks.

 

[Kveldulf]

I was out in the woods at about 6:30 this morning. I heard 13 shots by 8 AM, and nothing afterward. I haven't seen a single deer all day; either those other guys are terrible shots and scared them all away or they killed all the deer with my name on them.

 

[rkesar]

I hunted Hoosier National Forest and saw 3 does, I shot at one but missed because I hit a small tree, we counted a little over 100 shots today

 

[firehawk1]

Heard 5 shots other than mine this morning. First one was at 6:55 am.

Took this buck at 8:15 am with a Ruger 77/44 shooting Hornadys LeveRevolution ammo.

Sorry about the tongue hanging out, tacky I know. Forgot my glasses and didn't notice it in the cell phones screen when I took the picture.