All week I was deep in thought about how close I was to that last deer and how I could have had a shot at a even bigger buck if I had not made the mistakes I made. I played out the following weekend over and over. How would the weather be? How would the wind effect my hunt, how can set myself up for success. I barely shaft tuned again determined to get the straightest arrow possible. I corrected my form and dropped my spine and tip weight. I fletched Easton 1916 31" arrows with red turkey feathers and tipped with 125 grain points. I ordered a pack of VPA 3 blades to compliment my new arrow but by Wednesday USPS had lost my package and I was certain it wasn't coming in time for the weekend. Would USPS be the reason I don't get my first deer this weekend? In a scramble I scouted the box stores looking for a proper weight fixed blade and found the NAP meat seeker heads at 100 grains. I figured it was going to have to work so I picked up and sharpened them to perfection. Several test shots from my chair with field points, a bare shaft and a broad head and I felt more confident than ever with my shot. From mild and rainy to colder than it had been all year and parky cloudy with a wind out of the N/NE the weekend finally arrived. I arrived early Sat about 11 a.m and I was 6th and final hunter to enter the property. The other 5 had entered very early in the morning and they were all on the way out when I arrived. They had come from the opposite end of the property than I was hunting and I was relieved. I pack up and immediately realized I left my chair at home where I was practicing but I let that negative thought slide right out of my mind. I hiked back to my spot staying west of the trail this time and moving ever slower as I neared the spot. I found the correct draw and there was very fresh scat in the trail running out of it.
The brush was very thick and it was hard to nice though quietly but I must have spent an hour moving only 1 or 2 steps at a time. Each time. I stopped I surveyed the spot I wanted to hunt and thought about how I would set my self up. I seen the spot I had envisioned all week I second guessed the spot but this time I just followed my gut and cleared out a spot from twigs and leaves. I used a camo net with some leaves tossed on it draped over a dead log in stacked aross the draw to build a blind.
The chair would have been nice as the draw was soaking wet from recent rain all week and I was having a hard time finding a comfortable spot. I started to wish I used the branch for the blind as a chair. I was more nervous about blowing it for my self. Hunting is fun but I really want to put meat in my freezer for my family. I was settled into my spot by 2.
3:10 I hear tons of crashing behind me. I turn and see 2 does and a fork buck chasing them full out through the thick brush behind me. This tells me they are moving a touch early and the pre rut activities are on. But today those were the only deer I seen. I did see a fox, a turkey, lots of squirrels, wood peckers, blue jays.
The last hour I sat bow in hand, arrow nocked, fingers on the string. I was going to be ready this time but wrong place wrong time. I think that fresh scat was the sign that the timing of weather and rain had them moving differently. The 4 large white oaks had plenty of acorns on the ground still but things are changing in the woods every second. Something I noticed today was how the cool weather sparked a frenzy in the woods and there were times that noise in the woods slowed to a dead quite and made me realize just how busy the woods were. It came in waves from birds in the afternoon to squirrels in the evening.
Some things to add, this spot was very slow early season but over the last few weekends it's really picked up. Morning to night there were 10 people in the woods today. Since last weekend there were 15 people. This is a 280 lot so that is a lot. Although I have good Intel in this spot I think Mom moving back to the less pressured area I normally hunt. There are only 2 weekends left until fire arm season starts so I think I'll get back to these woods post fire arm season.
