2013 Deer Hunting Part 2

Thanksgiving Day.  It seemed kind of vulgar to go hunting on Thanksgiving, but it was kind of a slow day.  I had read half a book and watched a movie I had been wanting to see for a while.  My Dinner with Andre was referenced in the TV show Community and I felt a compulsion to watch it.  The movie really is just a conversation between two people in a New York Restaurant.  It was terrible.  The best part of it was about half way through when I got up to check my email.  I can't fathom how this movie gets the positive reviews on IMDB and Amazon.

While hunting was on my mind, I wasn't sure until I started to get ready that I was actually going to go.  It was cool but not cold and windier than I would have liked.  I was partially going hunting because I wanted to, but partially because I thought I should.  I bundled up and grabbed everything I thought I needed and headed out the door.  I kept shifting back and forth as to whether I should abandon my spot of the entire hunting season and sit in the ravine, or stay true to what I new was at least an OK location.  In the end, I chose to stay in the same stand I had been in the previous week, qualifying that I would sit in the ravine on Friday.  Well past the half-way point to Mike's, I realized I had not brought my hunting knives.  Oh well, I won't need them anyways.

Getting set up in the daylight was easy and in short order I was nestled in my treestand.  Slightly protected by the wind, I was quite comfortable.  My mind wandered around but wasn't fixated on anything except that this hunting season was feeling a little futile.  Still, I was enjoying the time in the woods.  Mike had emailed and said he was out but that his family holiday would be later in the weekend.

Not much was moving, not even the squirrels and I was looking forward to heading home as dark approached.  No doubt Thanksgiving turkey and stuffing will taste great.  Right around sundown I heard the unmistakable footsteps behind me and to the right (northwest) and snuck a look back to see a doe.  She jolted her head up towards me and stared - busted - but then she continued meandering on her intended path unconcerned.  She was headed on a trajectory towards a very good location for me.  As she continued closer, my brain said was asking, "Should I shoot?  It will make Thanksgiving dinner late?  There are no hunting knives!"

I didn't rush the shot but let her walk into the crosshairs.  -BOOM-
She ran downhill a short stretch in a manner that told me she was hit hard and just over the ridge.  I thought I could see her, but in the shadows of near dark it was hard to tell.  After a few minutes, I got out of the treestand and walked in her direction.  As I did, I saw a white butt bounding away on the opposite ridge.  *&^%$%^&**&^%

Nope, much like my antelope a few months earlier, that was another animal.  My doe had died within a very few short seconds.  I packed up my stuff and headed to my truck; now what?
I dug around in my glovebox and found a small bottle opener/corkscrew/pen knife.  Yes, I field dressed her with it.  It wasn't easy since it was also very dull.  Surprisingly, it was a very clean job since the shot was good and the small crappy knife made me work very deliberately.

Dragging her back to the truck was exhausting and sweaty work.  After the short stretch downhill, the straight stretch between the ravines was painful.  That final long steep hill toward Mike's house was a monumental effort.  I tried using my truck tow strap around her arms to make it easier, but it didn't work well.  It was beyond pitch black by the time I made it to the top of the hill and had her in the truck bed.

Indiana has a nice online check-in system which made that task very easy on Thanksgiving night.
To some, this might be "just a doe."  But, I've been in a whitetail drought the last couple years.  Even without that, I couldn't be happier.

It was quite dark, cold and late by the time she was hung in the pole barn.  Not all of Thanksgiving dinner was cold, but it would definitely be a Thanksgiving to remember.

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Belated note:  I had noticed a wound on the deer hind quarter.  While skinning her, I had ruled out my initial though of it as a previous grazing bullet wound from another hunter.  While cutting the meat off, the disc in the picture below fell out.  I am shooting Winchester XP3 slugs and the disc is part of the Winchester Area Multiplier Sabot.  It must have hit her at an oblique angle and slid just under the skin.  Probably a one in a million chance, but interesting all the same.

2013 Deer Hunting

For the last few years, deer season approaches with a mix of enthusiasm and anxiety.  There is enthusiasm since any hunting, even if it is deer hunting only a few miles away from home on "heavily hunted" private land is a great way to spend time.  The anxiety comes because part of the reason I like hunting away from home is the adventure I don't get in deer hunting.  I was looking forward to the 2013 year more than the last few.

Opening morning came, I was awake in plenty of time, but still paranoid that I'd miss the get-up time so I continually watched the clock.  A quick shower and packing the last few things in the truck and I was out the door to Mike's.
The morning was warm by mid-November status and breezy.  I carefully walked to my stand location and put up my climber.  I was slightly sweaty by the time I was nestled in so it was about a half an hour later when I went to put on my hat and gloves that I realized my gloves had fallen out somewhere.  As it got light, I peered around the woods floor as I was watching for deer and spotted a distinctive colored shape that was my gloves.  No worries, hand tucked in my coat worked well enough in the warm temperatures.  My gloves are of the cheap fleece type but I was very happy not to lose them since I haven't found others that are so versatile - warm but very breathable.

As things got lighter, fast-paced feet could be heard as I watched a red fox come into view and vanish behind me.  This was followed very shortly by a coyote.  Odd, most canines will go out of the way to kill other canines.  There is no love lost in the dog world.
Opening morning usually has significant shooting, with a peak between around 8:30 and 9:00.  While there was some shooting, there was probably less than usual which was atypical given the warm temperatures.  The rest of the morning passed slowly with nothing else to watch except a few squirrels and the rustling of the leaves in the persistent moderate wind.  My stand was a new spot for opening morning about 100 yards from where I usually sit.  For the last few years, I had consistently seen deer "on the ledge" and so had high hopes.  But, the deer decided not to cooperate.

Around noon, I got down from the tree for just enough time to grab my gloves and stretch my legs.  My sciatic nerve would be screaming as it is by evening.  Unfortunately, the rest of the day passed with very little to see.  That is a lot of time alone with my thoughts.  This is a far cry different from a few years ago when I specifically didn't shoot any of the 15 or so deer I saw just to see how many I could see on opening day.  It is almost like the reduction in deer sightings is becoming a trend?

Evening came with more wind and with heavy cloud cover, I was out of the tree near the end of legal shooting time.  Sunday was to come with a forecast of much rain and a threat of severe weather.

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Sunday did come with much rain.  As I woke up, the sound of wind and rain was prominent.  A quick check of the radar on my phone revealed a lot of rain with a couple hours more likely.  I couldn't sleep so got up anyway.
After reading magazines for a while I got up and checked the weather again.  It was still raining although lightly and the wind was considerable.  Morning hunting was basically over and there was a very rare High Risk of Severe Weather.  This area has moderate risk a few times a year, High Risk is rare enough to take seriously.  The evening hunt was in doubt as well:

Most of Sunday afternoon was ok weather, but the storm was approaching and there was considerable violent weather to the west.  I think the estimate was that Indiana and Illinois saw over 40 tornadoes.
The day away from hunting allowed me to catch up on my weekend chores including hanging my bear rug on the wall headed to the basement.  I shot this bear in 2011; my taxidermist doesn't get great points for being prompt but he is a good guy and does great work.

As evening approached, the rain came down in buckets with very high winds.  This was not a day to be in a tree stand or even in the woods surrounded by trees.

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I was out the door again very early Monday.  As I walked to my stand, I could hear coyotes yipping just to the west.  This was followed by a significant amount of coyote howling shortly after getting comfortable in my climber.  I love the sound of coyotes - it is magic if there ever was such a thing.
At first light I heard fast footsteps to the south as a coyote then came int view and stood on a log right next to my stand.  He was there for a short bit before walking directly underneath me.  I moved to watch him and he either heard or smelled me and took off running the way he came.  All I can say is that with all the coyote sightings, I really have to follow through on some predator hunting later this season!

A little later on in the morning, I heard Mike's neighbor shoot.  He almost always sits in the same area so I'm pretty sure it was him.  Hearing his 4-wheeler a few minutes later suggests he was successful in connecting.
I went home for lunch as the wind picked up again.  It was nearly as windy as Sunday.  I was surprised with the amount of shooting.  Usually, after opening weekend, things calm down very quickly but perhaps since Sunday was a bust for most of us there were more people in the field.
Monday night came and went with little of interest.  The wind wasn't helpful in that hearing anything with all the blowing was very difficult.

Tuesday started as a perfect but cold morning.  I love hunting early mornings and watching the world wake up.  It was very still (too still) and it seemed the kind of morning that couldn't be interrupted by gunshots.  True, there were a few, but none very close and very few of them.

After lunch at home again, I went out again on Tuesday afternoon.  Around 4:45 I heard leaves crunching that distinctively were not squirrels.  A few seconds later, a buck walked up and over the ledge, right in front of me.  This was what was supposed to happen on opening morning as he took the same path as many deer I have seen over the last few years.  I was kind of wedged in my treestand because of the cold, but managed to get my arms out and my gun up as the buck's head went behind a tree.  Rather than continuing on, he took a turn to the south and started to move quickly.  Shooting that direction wasn't terribly easy since I'm right-handed and was wearing tons of clothes due to the very cold temperatures.  I managed to get the gun back on him but majorly rushed the shot, cleanly shooting over his back.  With a single shot slug gun, there isn't much time for a second opportunity but almost got a second slug back in the gun before he trotted off to the south.  He wasn't running in panic mode, and while reloading, his body language wasn't really one of fear, more confusion about what might have just happened.  I guess that is how far I missed him.  It was a bit disappointing to see him walk out of my evening.
Last year, I overthought a shot to the point of losing the opportunity.  This year I rushed it and missed.  Hunting is a lot like life in general - there are a lot of lessons to learn, some of them many, many times.

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I was reinvigorated on Wednesday due to the close encounter with the buck the evening before.  However, there was no more deer seen on Wednesday.  All that time on the stand gives me lots of opportunity to rethink where I'm sitting and I'm convinced I'm in a decent spot.  I'm only about 100 yards away from my previous "usual" spot and consistently over the last eight years I've seen deer on the runs in and around where I'm sitting.  "Do not overthink this, every year is different."
I had contemplated moving, but wanted to give this stand some more time, especially after the deer on Tuesday so I stayed put for the evening.  Wednesday evening was one of those perfect evenings where just as it gets dark, everything stops.  No wind.  Even the squirrels seem like they are trying to be quiet (for a squirrel).  If it wouldn't have been for the combine to the southeast, it would have been one of those rare serene times I think everybody craves, but can only be found when completely alone.

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Thursday morning came with more rain.  It wasn't supposed to rain, but it was.  A quick check of the radar showed it likely wasn't going to last very long so I got ready - a bit slower than usual.  For the last several days, I've been watching It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia on TV.  I don't pay for TV, so seeing this on broadcast is pretty surprising, especially at 5 AM.  I guess the network people don't expect too many kids to be channel surfing at that hour on a school morning.  It is a funny show, if a bit irreverent.
It rained most of my drive to Mike's house but stopped around the time I got there.  I got ready and was in my slightly damp climber treestand well before light.  Luckily the temperature was pretty nice since the wetness would have made things difficult otherwise.  With the low clouds, it took forever to get light but as it got light three does could be seen walking near the south edge of the property.  I watched them, hoping they would head the few hundred yards toward me but they continued east.  I tried grunting at them with my grunt call, but as is usual (especially for does) they ignored it.  I'm always surprised that I can move in my stand and freak a deer out, but that silly grunt call has no effect - positive or negative.

More and heavier rain was predicted for tonight and I'm ready to not spend most of my day in the treestand.  I'm headed to work Friday, but would definitely take the treestand over that.  I decided to not hunt the afternoon and get a few things done.

Only four deer in 5 days.  It is easy to get discouraged, but I've been swimming in deer other years and I know I'm very fortunate to be able to hunt on Mike's land.
However, there is an activation energy to going out.  That energy is lowered if the weather is good and I'm able to hunt without being disturbed or in a new and exciting area.  Most importantly, that energy is lowered when I'm seeing animals.  The weather has been pretty reasonable, typical for November.  I've never had people walk around me while hunting at Mikes, and have only rarely heard anybody and then only Mike's neighbors hunting.  I've never had my tree stand messed with which is very nice.  But, without seeing more deer, it is getting a bit hard to go out every morning and night.
My license is still good for a while.  I know I have the option to go back out...if I have the energy...

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Friday Note:  On my way into work, I saw 2 does crossing the road.  About 5 miles further on, I cruelly saw a gorgeously symetrical 10-point which required a panic stop to not hit.  Yeah, the are still out there.