dpk23
12-01-2007, 08:53 AM
Since everyone loves the stories.....a long time ago in a galaxy....wait, that's not right. Thursday eve, left work early to get in the woods by 4. sure enough I saw a doe in the field 200 yards from the house that I was going to hunt once I got to my house (the field is clearly visible from the house. The field is a prime feed locationand I love awatching the deer through the binocs). Got changed and decided to give the doe time to clear out by taking the "scenic" route through the woods. I wasn't in the woods 2 minutes an not being quite as silent as I can when I bumped a small doe. 45 yards. Put the bead on her and decided to pass. To early and too small. (A subplot to this story is that I promised my neighbor a doe last year and failed to deliver, I'm picky about the size of what I shoot, so I told my wife early this year that he WAS getting one even if we didn't.....second subplot, I'd been getting frustrated since I had some "close calls" but nothing to show and my wife told me Wed. night not to worry that she KNEW I was going to get one Thursday. When she uses that voice to tell me such things they just come true. She needs to do that with a lottery ticket.....). 20 yards later I bump another small one, close enough to shoot but I quickly passed and moved on only to realize that there was a shooter about 10 yards beyond the little one. She moved off fast and I lost out. Got to the spot and the doe that was up there just watched me hunker down behind the tree. Then 10 minutes later she walked across my sight line. Too small. 2 more came up from behind me. Too small. It was getting 4:40-ish and I saw some does back to the west but they weren't moving my way and were 170 yards off. Didn't watch them real close and the next thing I know they were RIGHT in front of me. Safety came off but those 2 were small. The 3rd one wasn't. Gun up, bead on, safe shot. Aimed a little high to give some drop, 45 yards est....squeeze! She dropped. The 2 small does behind her froze and I could have taken either of them as well. They took moment then took off. The girl I downed flopped a bit. But calmed down in 5 or so. I emptied the gun and set it against the tree to let her expire were I shot her. She didn't. After 15 she was still kicking. Chambered a round and walked over. I hit her high. No drop on the slug. I apologized to her for my incompetence, quickly. Safety off and I put a round through both lungs to end her suffering quickly. I said a little prayer as she expired.
The neighbor has his deer and I feel much better about my skills. The doe was the largest at the butcher that night, by far, so I feel pretty good about it even though she isn't the largest doe I have ever taken. She was the 9th doe of 11 I saw in the hour and 15 minutes I was on the hunt. Patience paid off....now maybe some gun practice is in order.....
Link to pic below.
http://www.ohiosportsman.com/photopost/data/544/medium/100_3488.JPG
The neighbor has his deer and I feel much better about my skills. The doe was the largest at the butcher that night, by far, so I feel pretty good about it even though she isn't the largest doe I have ever taken. She was the 9th doe of 11 I saw in the hour and 15 minutes I was on the hunt. Patience paid off....now maybe some gun practice is in order.....
Link to pic below.
http://www.ohiosportsman.com/photopost/data/544/medium/100_3488.JPG