Self Bow Hunting Adventure

It was seven thirty in the morning when I made it to the ridge at the top of the hill just off the snowmobile’s entrance to the woods. I set up with some new mesh blind material I just received and gave a grunt with the primos grunt call. This will be the first year I've tried using a deer call. I've always managed without it, but it was time to try something different.

Three days ago I seen a very nice buck in this spot. I was still-hunting the ridge when he just appeared as I stood watching down the ridge, reminiscing in my mind of the many times I've stood on this ridge and how glad I was for the chance to be there today. The sun was shining and the weather was reasonable and I was in the woods hunting. He caught me by surprise, as they usually do.

I assume he was bedded there, maybe even letting me walk by, but got nervous when I stopped for a time longer than he liked. I had probably stood there for five minutes or so when he appeared. He was obviously outside bow range, so all I could do was watch and admire. It would have been a fairly routine shot with my rifle (if there really is such a thing as routine shot when your heart is trying to leap from your chest) but we're bow hunting today, so the buck wins.

The following evening I was sitting in the lower gulley. The lower gully is a long stretch of woods, swamp and hilly rocky land that follows a stream for several hundred yards. It varies in width from thirty to a sixty yards or so. This year, the south side and where it stops at the end is surrounded by corn and with a working hay field to It's North side. The west is pasture and more woods. This section of woods on the west side is outside the area I have permission to hunt. 

It's been a favorite hunting spot of mine since I was a kid, so I know it quite well.

The hayfield is about three hundred yards across to the top woodlot which holds the ridge I mentioned.

Sitting in the gully I can see the edge of the upper woods. Just before dark, four nice buck fed along the wood's edge. Each carried a respectable set of antlers, with one being of trophy size for this area. I've made that shot across that very field with a rifle before. But today I had a wooden bow I made a few years ago. I gave this selfbow the name of “the hickory stick”  because it was made from a single piece of hickory. I also had some home made poplar arrows, all I could do was gaze at the spectacle and dream.

The next day I came back to the spot on the ridge where I had originally seen the first buck I mentioned. To get to the ridge I decided to hit below the ridge coming in at the center and circling east, then head back west toward the spot I was looking for.

I spotted a doe on the ridge, bedded looking west, just laying there chewing her cud. I failed at an attempt to circle her. She either heard me coming or caught my scent. I never seen her again.

So I continue down the ridge and looped back like I had originally intended. It seemed today there was nothing to see but a few very busy squirrels and an occasional blue jay hell bent on announcing my arrival. 

I found two blow downs side by side and jumped between them. I sat my pack and quiver beside me. The front blow down was just about chest high as I sat on my seat, leaning against the back tree.

I sat for a while, maybe and hour or so. I was sitting with my head down (not sleeping although the thought had crossed my mind). I slowly raised my head, and there, about ten yards in front of me was a whitetail deer. Yes, the exact query I was after.. She looked at me, then looked away. It was at this point I realized I had not taken an arrow out of my quiver. The way my quiver was setting, I couldn't get an arrow out of the side, and raising it from the top meant the movement would be above the log and in sight of the deer. I started lifting the arrow, very slowly, then when she'd look my way I became a statue, when she looked away, I raised the arrow more. The idea was to become part of nature. I am meant to be there, there is nothing out of the ordinary. I'm not sure she bought it, but I was obviously not of to much concern for her.

Finally the arrow is out of the quiver and on the string. At this point she's fifteen to twenty yards away. Still a very doable shot, but I need to draw, and she's walking. The fifteen to twenty yards quickly became twenty to twenty five, then twenty five to thirty. I had to smile as I booted myself in the behind. Missing this shot was my mistakes. First I forgot to remove the arrow from the quiver when I sat down, and I never do that! Second, I sat with my head down, not paying attention and let that deer walk right past me almost close enough to throw a stone at. But that's part of the hunting experience right? After fifty years doing it, it's these experiences you'll remember, right along with the times it all falls together perfect.

And this brings us back to today. I parked the truck and planned to walked the ridge again. I added some doe lure to my boots, and climbed the three hundred yards to the woods. Then I still hunted to the ridge. Here I set up again. Today I'm trying out the new camo mesh that just arrived yesterday to help hide myself. I do not like tree stands and I like to sit at the spur of the moment. It's not perfect, but time will tell if it works. I'm hoping it works well with my DIY portable seat.

I understand a deer can sense a change in scenery, so prompt to blinds are not the best idea, but I'll make do for now.

After about two hours sitting there a see a deer walking by. As it get closer I see it's a spike, but he's walking on a trail that's about fifty yards away. I once again I try a grunt from my primos grunt call. He stops, but really doesn't want any part of it.

I had the wind in my favor, but I guess I just wasn't convincing enough. He eventually turned and walked away.
As I sat there I decided to try the rattle bag. My research says early hunting the rattle should be light. Early in the season buck are not yet territorial so the sparring is light and not aggressive. I've read mixed reviews on the rattle bag, so I probably should grab a set of antlers to try as well. I rattled lightly every fifteen minutes or so for about an hour. This morning it produced nothing. Maybe later!

The rest of the morning was uneventful, I still hunted back to the truck and went home for lunch. Coming back in the afternoon I once again climbed the hill across the hay field and stopped at the edge of the woods to catch my breath. This is why they say hunting can be a physical activity. It was definitely a workout coming up that hill.

I still hunted up the side and down the ridge again. This afternoon my plan was to sit in some blow downs. This spot is a natural made blind caused from two trees fallen to form a sort of “T” shaped area covered with branches and brush. The trees were just about chest high so I could stand and watch.

I quietly walked up and stood watching. I have seen deer travel by this spot so I was somewhat hopeful I would have some action. After a few minutes I leaned slightly over the top blowdown and there sitting on the other side was a man. He was dressed in army fatigues with a green army looking cap. He had a M-1 carbine across his lap and sat quietly looking down the ridge. I can’t tell you for sure what he was sitting on, may a stool or a bucket or something about that height.

I was so startled I fell backwards and it took two or three steps to catch myself from falling. I’m not sure what exactly I had just seen, but it took a minute to make sure I hadn’t actually fallen asleep and having a dream.

I slowly and cautiously looked over the top of the blowdown again. On the other side was your normal layer of autumn leaves, a mixture of oak, ash and maple from the surrounding trees. Nowhere in sight was there any soldier looking fellow and no mist of an  aberration.  Ow I know what you’re thinking!  O I didn’t have a liquid lunch and no I wasn’t suffering from exhaustion from the hike up.

I have gone back to the same location several times in hopes of seeing my friend again, but he not not reappeared. Unfortunately I can no longer hunt that area of woods, so I guess I’ll never know exactly who might be hunting that area.

I’ll still be traipsing though wood somewhere looking for whitetail and whatever else happens to pop up. If it wasn’t an adventure, it probably wouldn’t be worth the time, but there always seems to an adventure just over the next blowdown!