A Deerhunt In Progress - 2005

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December 21 - Slow Start, Fast Finish

To The Morning Hunt GO...

AFTERNOON HUNT: 
I was 15 minutes later than 2:00 getting to the Ridge area. Before stepping into the open and walking to the stand I peered through some tree limbs to check out the area ahead. It was clear and I hurried toward the Double Bull Matrix 360. 

On the way some turkeys stepped into the lane about 40 yards ahead ... and  scattered in a frenzy. 

For several years I've hunted down hill by the river, probably 80-100 yards from my blind on the ridge. By the river almost all the turkey activity was early, after they came down from the roosts, and late afternoon when they were going to the roost. But from hunting on the ridge above the river I now see and hear turkeys moving during the day. What a difference a few yards make.

Since I'm having such good luck with the HotTrails I decided to try the Persimmon scented ones. Below left is  a picture of them. Because I spooked the wild turkeys I got in the blind double fast. Then I lit the HotTrails candle and hung the lantern it on a cedar branch that I could reach from inside the blind. Here's a pic of it. 

Between 4:30 and 5:00 I heard occasional wild turkey talk in the direction of the river.

Later I saw deer colored movement from the left. A big boss doe was walking down the lane. I got my camera on her and took her pic through the blind's mesh. The pic below is when she smelt the persimmon scented candle.

The doe stepped forward and looked just past the blind, at the source of the smell. I took her pic and then noticed 2 more deer were now visible several yards behind her  Now it was BowTech Time. 

Carefully I placed my camera in the (quiet) dirt spot I had cleared out for it and just as quietly got the bow in position and hooked the release (Jim Dandy Flathead) on my string loop.

The doe was still standing behind the scraggly bush you see in the photo above. I want to point out that she was not spooky, I think she was wanting to scarf down some persimmons but just couldn't see any. The other deer walked past her and she took a couple of steps, stopped, and looked all around.

Good deal, she was in the clear. I drew and put my top pin where it should go, held it a couple of seconds and touched the Flathead's trigger. The arrow hit perfect and the doe went into high gear, racing and crashing loudly through the trees at the edge of the lane. I looked at my watch, it was 5:24.

Down by the river I heard wild turkeys flying up.

Just before dark I slipped over to where the last crash had been. She was not there!

I looked downhill toward the river and saw lots of turkey silhouettes in the trees. I didn't want to go downhill and risk spooking any off the roost. Realistically, it was in the high 30's, the doe would certainly be be ok and I could easily pick up the trail in the daylight. 

And there are few things more enjoyable than "being there" when dozens of wild turkeys wake up a hundred yards from you. I returned to the house feeling very good about things.