Zen Moments with Zem 2015

[Zem18]

12-19

Woke up at 635 am after hitting snooze about 3 times. When I walked out to the kitchen and saw this white stuff out the window of the front door, I went into scramble mode. I was dressed, ate breakfast, and out the door before 7am and made it to the 100acre spot by 7:20. Was great to have about an inch and a half of snow so you could see a long ways.

I stood overlooking a small depression next to a field until about 9am. I decided to still hunt as the wind blew and would mask some of the crunch. I got about 20 yards into the depression and see two deer out in the field trotting towards the woods over 100 yards away from me. Then I see two more standing off to my left in the field as well. It's posted so I just watched as they ran at angle away from me to the North. I settled in for the next half hour and scanned the woods in the direction the deer went but they never appeared. I continued to still hunt around the property for the next 3 hours and never cut a track and didn't see anything.

As I was driving home, I drove by the field corner where I had seen the doe run by and they were back out in the corner. I should have stayed put but my boots were made for walking.

I went to my in laws and walked the neighbors 29 acres. Tons of tracks and sign but not even a flag. I did see about 25 to 30 turkey under the crab apple tree. One would fly to the top of the tree and flap it's wings to make the apples drop and the rest would fight for the apples. Then another would fly up. It was funny to watch.

Heading back to the 100 acre woods in the morning for some doe redemption. My plan is to fill one more tag and donate the deer to some less fortunate people at work. I have Tuesday off as well to try and get this done.

[The_Real_TCIII]

Holy crap I just previewed my whole story and tried to correct a mispelled word and lost the whole thing, WTF!!!!

OK trying again

Had a deer come in to my right just after 8am this morning as the wind had died down for a short stint. He looked to be headed on a 4 wheeler trail that runs past my stand about 15 yards away but then dropped into the woods at over 40 yards away and was headed to the field. He gets to the field and peeks out and then heads into it and walks along the edge towards the crabapple tree where my trail camera is. Walks right past the cam ( Didnt take his picture either, POS camera) and freshens a scrape under the tree. He then proceeds through some Autumn Olive into a scrub field and into a thicket off to my left. I see him sniffing his way through the thicket and is going to come out towards me.

He comes out and hits the 4 wheeler trail and turns to come straight by my stand. I draw as he goes behind a few trees and when he hits the 20 to 25 yard mark he stops quartering away slightly back towards the deep woods. I settle the pin and squeeze and as I watch my arrow headed to him, he turns hard right and I hit him in the hind leg. He immediately jumps up and then hits the ground in the middle of the trail. I am fumbling to nock another arrow and he tries to get up, dragging his backend and scampers into the thicket. I watch and listen and he does not go back into the scrub field so he only has one way out of the thicket.

I sat close to 2 hours and had to check for blood and an arrow (which I was pretty sure was still in him) I got to the hit site and found some blood, not alot, and then another decent spot of blood. At that point I went back to my stand for another 1.5 hours or so. I know what is on the other side of this 60 yard long thicket, so I decided to head along the 4 wheeler trail that goes along the thicket. I could not get in there unless I was on all fours and wasnt leaving my pack and bow behind. When I got to the end of the thicket, it opens up into a mowed area around two ponds on the neighbors property. I decided to walk along the edge of the thicket to llok for blood or other sign that he made it out of there. I come across the run he took through the thicket and come out into the mowed area as there was decent blood. I scanned the open mowed area and the two ponds and did not see anything. So my eyes to the ground, I start to follow the blood trail out of the thicket. I take ten steps and up pops the buck in a 5x5 patch of Goldenrod I had just walked within 10 feet of as I entered the mowed area.

He is standing with his hind end facing me and he is looking back over his shoulder at me but not moving. I come to full draw and start to slide to my left to try and get him broadside to me so I can finish him off. He doesnt like this and starts to walk away but is limping bad and I see his insides hanging out beneath him. I follow him to close the distance and he gets about 25 yards away and beds down in a briar patch with one opening. I get to within 15 yards and send an arrow into the opening at his vitals and the arrow hits the mark but does not penetrate as I thought it would. My focus changes and I see there were twigs and branches between us and that is why it did not penetrate good. When I hit him, he got up and walked 10 feet and jumped straight into the small upper pond and started to swim away from me. I nock another arrow and run to the levee between the two ponds to get into position to end this as he steps out on the other side. Well he makes it to the opposite side and will not get out of the water. I walk up to within 5 feet of him and send an arrow through both lungs and it was over. He kicked 2 times to get away from shore and turned over right smack dab in the middle of the pond. It was finally over for him and me. I had to sit for a second as I thought I was going to have a heartattack.

I went and knocked on the neighbors door and asked him if the row boat was sea worthy but it leaks like a collander he said. At that point I headed home ( 3minutes away) and got my chest waders and my neighbors pool cleaning pole. My buddy came up to help fish him out and video me, all the while making smartass comments in the background. Only had to get wet up to my knees in the waders but that water was chilly. I got ahold of his antlers and pulled him onto the levee between the two ponds and here he is.

An 8pt with a busted brow tine.

And a side view

Once we drug him up to the woods to field dress him I inspected the intial hit. When he turned hard right, I hit him through the left hind leg, slicing his underbelly, and hitting the inside thigh of his right hind leg. When he jumped and then fell straight to the ground, he had a compound fracture to his right rear leg and that is why he was dragging his back end as he went into the thicket. I was extremely lucky today to have recovered this deer and things could have gone much worse. I am happy that I got on the trail when I did so I could end the suffering and enjoy this beautiful deer. Fnally some good luck came my way.

Here is one last view of him hanging in the shop before we process him.

Just re read this and noticed that you put your gravel guards on, now that's attention to detail!

[fasteddie]

Great story .... Congrats !  Glad you didn't run out of arrows . 

[Zem18]

Lol, force of habit to hook those babies on the bottom lace! Too bad I haven't used then for fishing in about 6 + years.

[Zem18]

12-20-15

My buddy cancelled on me last night so we didn't go to his club for the morning. I called another buddy and him and his dad were heading to the 100 acre woods, so I asked what time should I meet them as I wanted to get a crack at the doe I saw yesterday. They were meeting early to shoot the $h!t at like 630am. I told them I'd be there by 7am.

I rolled around the corner and my lights hit them in the face and it was 7:01. I got out and we chatted for a few as I got the rest of my gear out. Then a clue other guys pulled up so we decided to see where everyone was headed and make a plan for some pushes. We were going.g to sit for a bit and then a few would move to certain areas to see if we could get some moving. It was almost shooting time so we headed to our spots. I walked approximately 50 yards and headed down an old logging road, just like yesterday. It was extra crunchy this morning so I was going as slow as I could.

As I rounded a corner, I could see down into a small flat at the bottom of the hill. I scanned it back and forth for a minute and did not see anything so I kept moving forward. I took 5 steps and looked straight down to the bottom and just to the right of the logging road there is a deer staring up at me. I get it in the scope and it is not huge, but will be a great eating deer for some guys I know at work. I try to settle the crosshairs on her but I am shaking like a beech leaf on a windy day. I took a few deep breaths and tried again. Man I was all hyped up for some reason and could not get steady. If I moved to the closest tree, the deer would bolt. She turned her head away from me and I dropped to one knee.

Now she turned to look back up at me after I had knelt down. I was able to take a few more breaths and get the crosshairs settled and I squeezed. As the smoke cleared, I saw her tip over, and another deer that had been behind her, behind a tree, darted off towards my buddy and his dad. I wasn't in the woods 10 minutes and it was over. Was nice to see some deer moving through the woods naturally this year during gun season rather than chasing ones that have been pushed and pressured.

I have a few guys at work that love venison and do not hunt. They also don't have a lot so I have been looking for a larger deer to split amongst them. I decided it was now or never this morning and wanted to get them something, so size didn't matter.

This was the first deer I have gotten with my muzzleloader since I bought it over 5 years ago. I only use it during the late season about 2 or 3 days a year. I have missed a few with it as well. I was pretty happy with the shot as well. It was 60 to 70 yards downhill. I held a tad high at mid body. Bullet hit right where I aimed, mid body and just under the backstroke so no meat was ruined. Turned out it wasn't a she, but a he, a button buck. Was a little disappointed for about a minute.

I reloaded and answered the texts on my phone from my buddy. Then I started field dressing. I made the initial cut up to the sternum and I hear footsteps crunching close by. I turn to look and there is another small doe, or button, only 20 yards away staring me down. It walked parallel to me up above and when it got behind some trees I grabbed my ML. I scoped her and it was super small and had a very light colored coat. I just watched it trot off and then run off after looking back to check out her friend I had down. Was a neat experience in the woods this morning and to me that experience is what keeps me heading back out there.

Sorry for the long read.

Had to edit to add pics

Edited December 21, 2015 by Zem18

[Zem18]

12-22-15

Woke up and made my daughter's lunch and then had breakfast. Wasn't in a huge hurry as it was raining pretty steady. I went to the in laws to hit the honey hole across the street. I skirted it on Saturday afternoon as not to disturb it, in hopes that today it would produce. My FIL was going to meet me down there so I headed in a little after 8am.

I still hunted my way in and ended up bumping 2 bedded deer on the edge of a briar thicket. They headed right into the hemlock where I was heading. I continued slowly and about 150yds later I came to a small creek bed. I took a step and up jumped a single deer on the other side about 30yds out. It stopped behind a group of trees and then bolted. Continued to work my way around, stopping and scanning.

My FIL finally texted me at 11:15 and said he was coming down and to watch the area as he bumps deer in there coming in. I watched and only saw him. We pushed a few sections together trying to get something moving but to no avail. He went up the hill the way I entered to hunt that section and I stayed low. At 1:15 I was soaked through my coat and sweatshirt so I headed to the house to dry out.

Clothes in dryer, so I went to the shop and deboned a hind quarter, and trimmed up the backstroke from the button on Sunday. Then went back out at 2:30 as the sun came out.

Headed in the way my FIL did at 11. Got down to a nice spot and decided to stand and wait for natural movement. Never happened. At 4:15, I made a big circle and headed out. Almost made it to the road and up jumped a deer and took off down the hill. Must've came down after I entered the woods and was standing below.

Was a great day in the woods even though I am all soggy and all my gear as well. Fired the ML and then cleaned it up tonight. It is back in the cabinet until next fall.

I hope everyone enjoys Christmas and New Years with family and friends.