Opening day in Virginia

[Ranger B]

As I posted earlier I've had a bad case of buck fever so I could not wait to get on the road.  Thursday night I packed all my stuff up in the truck and after work Friday I hit I-66 west for Warren County, VA.  Two days before the season opened a classmate said that he heard me talking about hunting and he had some land in Warren County.  He said, you're welcome to hunt on it.  There are a lot of deer but I do have a small price.  Yes, he wanted the first deer and I was more than happy to agree to his terms.  I hit the road and made it with about an hour of daylight left to scout a place to put my stand.  Pics below.

[Ranger B]

I quickly looked for sign.  After about 15 minutes I found this trail and some droppings so I picked a tree and hung my stand then eased out trying not to touch anything.

[Ranger B]

It was hard to sleep.  I was so excited to get back in the woods.  I missed last season due to being deployed.  I got up and 5:00 and was in the stand by 5:45. It had been very windy the evening prior but it was perfectly still and calm when I got in the tree.  It began getting daylight about 6:10 and the squirrels brought the forest to life.  There were fox squirrels everywhere.  I've never seen so many fox squirrels.  By 8:05 I had not seen a deer and began wondering if there were many on his land or not.  A fox squirrel worked his way towards me and I started to reach for a blunt. 
"No Jimmy, it's too early to go shooting at them critters."
"But it's opening day and I don't even know if there are any deer on this land.  Let's get some meat down."
"No it's too early!"
"Well....if you're going to shoot at him it's too late to change arrows. Them two bladers are easy to sharpen. Just shoot him with a broadhead. Heck, he's big anyway."
  "Okay, you talked me into it."

The old boy jumped up on a log and came at me. Then he hopped off of it and went to digging for an acorn.  I drew and let loose with an arrow. POW. Direct hit.  He began squealing and flipping so I reached for a blunt to hammer him with and finish him off.  I looked back at the quiver and WHOA what is that?  Two deer had watched the whole thing unfold.  Dadgumit!  I quickly put another broadhead on and watched the two deer walk up the ridge. Then I saw more movement. There were 3 more behind the first two.  They were about 50 yards away and in a file.  They continued up the ridge.

In the mean time old Foxy was flipping around so I turned to address him and saw that he was climbing a tree and my arrow was on the ground.  In about 30 seconds he had gnawed completely through my arrow and was now up in a tree.  You have to be kidding me.
"I told you not to shoot that squirrel."

[Ranger B]

I turned back around wondering if it was over for the day now.  The answer was enroute.  At 8:20 I saw movement to my front.  It was  a deer coming straight at me.  I got into position.  It was a mature doe.  She worked her way around and I saw that I was going to get about an 18 yard shot broadside.  I was ready to draw.  She stepped into the clearing and stopped I released and the arrow flew like a dart.  Pow.  She jumped up into the air and I saw the arrow disappear into her.  "You hit her low." 
"Yes, but I think it's a heart shot."
"No, it looked a little low."
"Well, look at my arrow laying there on the ground! It's covered in blood and the feathers are red."
"Focus on the deer. Hey, she stopped."
"Yep, and she's laying down."

She went about 30 yards and immediately lay down.  I got my binos up and saw her.  But her head was up and no blood in the mouth.  No lungs, but a clean pass through and she's down. 

"She'll die right there."
"Yes, I think you're right."

[Ranger B]

She lay there for about 5 minutes and then she got up.  I got the binos on her.  Her right side was completely red.  She went about 5 yards. 
"She's back down."
"Yes, and now she is facing you."
"Can you see her?"
"Yes, I see her right side and that is the exit wound side.  Her whole shoulder is red, but no blood in her mouth. Hey, she looks like she is closing her eyes.  Now her head is laying down."
"Well, that's it for sure.  She's down for good.  Well, you're back in the game Ranger B."

[sailordad]

congrats and nice story RangerB
i know what ya mean about them fox squirrels
it was opening day here for fall turkey
so i was out in the woods before sun up,i must have seen 100 diferant fox squirrels today
some of them were real toads too
but i did resist the temptation to shoot them,i hate eating squirrel  
sounds like you had a good time,well other than that squirrel eating your arrow  

[Ranger B]

Crunch, crunch, crunch, came the sounds.  It was behind me.  I eased around to see a doe and her fawn.  Fawn was looking good size.  I figured it could make it on its own now.  Let that girl come on around here and I'll have a doe for me and a doe for my friend.  She stopped suddenly.  She was downwind of me and I knew it.  I heard her stomp.  For the next 20 min. she tried to find me but to no avail.  Finally, she took junior and left.  
"Hey, check on your doe.  Is she dead yet?"
"Let me look in the binos.  Hey, she just got up.  She's walking down that draw."
"Are you kidding?"
"No, how can that be?"
"I told you that you hit her low!"

[Ranger B]

"Let's leave her for a while."
"How long do you think?"
"How about 3 hours?"
"Okay, so at 1120 we'll get down and go look for her."
"Sounds good."

1120...

I got down and gather everything up then went over to look at my arrow.

[Ranger B]

"Oh yes, you had to get her good.  Look at all this blood."
"Yep, that's a good sign."

I followed the blood for about 75 yards.  It was everywhere and then......nowhere.

"Where did the blood trail go?"
"Hmmm, I don't know but she's headed down to that creek so let's move up and see if we can pick it back up.  Here I'll mark where the last blood was."
"Good idea. Hey, there she is."

Suddenly, as if she had not been shot and had simply been bedded the doe sprang up and hopped down the draw. 


"Okay, let's back out of here and let this deer alone."
"Okay.  It's 1145 so let's set up on the other end of the property, go eat a sandwich and then climb back up in a tree."
"Sounds good."

[Ranger B]

I found another trail and set up on it.  I then went and ate a sandwich and by 1:45 I was back in the tree watching fox squirrels burry nuts.
At 2:15 I saw movement.  It was two does coming straight at me.  I set up and waited on them, but they stopped short and tortured me for over an hour before going back across the ridge to where I had been hunting that morning.  I sat there until 5:00.  It was 2 hours until dark. 
"Let's got find that doe.  She's had 9 hours now."
"Sounds good."

I went back to the last sight of blood and the search began.  Not another drop of blood to be found.  I went to the creek and walked it for a half mile - nothing.  I did circles and I climbed trees.  This is all I found.

[Ranger B]

The only think I can figure out is that I hit her in the brisket but that sure is a bloody arrow for a brisket hit.  I've never shot through one like that and them go very far at all.  Well, it's 8:37 now and I'm down two arrows but no meat on the table.  I hate losing them but I'm not sure how to explain this one.  Anyway, I will head back out there next Thr. and camp.  I can hunt Thr evening, Fri and Sat.

[leapingbare]

Sorry to hear about the lost deer. Sounds likea grate hunt and seems like you got a hot spot!
I lost one last year it suxs

[Postman]

Sorry you lost that VA doe, ranger B

Good luck on the rest of the hunt and thanks for your service from the folks down the road in Shannandower county

[mullet]

 Man,, after reading this I was waiting for the Glory find. That is strange after so much time and blood.

Sounds like your hunt was like mine, but I'm not gonna hijack your thread.

[Pappy]

Looks like beautiful country,to bad about the shots but strange things happen sometimes.  Hang in there like I am sure you will. 
   Pappy