how bout a story?

[TDietz]

I first wrote this for a traditional archery site I used to frequent back in 2010, Guru had hunted with his son and father on their homestead in NY

 

Yeah, that thread by Guru a couple weeks ago when he hunted during gun season on his folks property kinda struck a cord with me. So, I decided to go back home myself this year on NJ's gun opener, back to where I grew up,back to where I built my first treestand at age 12, in 1968. Back to the place where I killed my first buck a year later. Back home.

Unlike Guru, I had to hunt solo, Dad's been gone for 4 years now, and my little guy is livin' large out in Wyoming. At least Mom is still there, living in her dream house they bought in 1950.

I had been scheduled to work today, but the boss told me to take the day off and that we'd start the new job Wed. Cool. I had been daydreaming about taking my recurve and hunting Turkey Hill on the 6-day firearm opener, and now I could. 

It was forecasted to be in the 20's with a high of 34 today, not bad, except the wind. 20-30 mph with gusts to 40. Perfect. Mom's place sits in a little hole with a brook running through it.

I went there Sat. and checked it out.Not much sign anywhere. The spot up by the "holes" was where I was thinking I'd go. But. Man, down there on the "flat", close to where I had my original treestand, was talking to me. So I slept on it.We go over there every Sunday for dinner anyway, I'd set the stand up then.

The guy they bought the place from had planted a bunch of Norway spruce way back when. Perfect for a bowhunter to stand in in late fall. This is the one I picked out, it's about 50 yards from my first one. 

 

 

See that opening to the right of the spruces closest to the road? Well, there used to be a maple tree there, that's were my old treestand used to be. My first buck came through the opening between the spruces, and dropped with a load of 00buck in the neck at ten yards.

 

Back to the present. I get in my stand well before daybreak, listen to the wind blowin' and reminice of opening days gone past. I think I finally figured out how to keep my feet warm. 2 pairs of wool socks, Schnee's warmest pacs, hand warmer packs on top of the boot toes which are now inside boot blankets. And I can still move around on the old Lone Wolf silently. I'm here for a day long sit.

It's just getting light enough to see and I decide to hang up the bow, move my pack down to one of the screw-in steps and take down my pull-up rope in case one comes in behind me. I sit back down- there's a deer out in front of me about 40 yards, ease up the binos, doe.

After a kind of disappointing fall bow season, I had decided that the first buck I get a chance at today is going down. Well, she's acting a bit jumpy, wind is swirling, I had just been making some movements/noise, who knows, maybe some other hunter bumped her out. She walks out of sight to my left. 

A minute later, here comes 2 fawns. And a buck. Adreniline pours into my blood, I swear, as I get older, and that happens, my heart feels like it's going to blow! 

So, they're all feeding, doing deer stuff, the buttonbuck is pretending to spar with the antlered buck, and they just keep heading my way.

They get to about 15 yards, the edge of the spruces to my left, no shot, and kind of hang up.Here comes the doe. Right in behind me. Hits my track and trails me right to my tree. But she keeps right on going. A couple minutes later the fawns leave the buck and join the doe. They all know something's up, but they aren't sure what it is.

He's still at 15 yards, blocked by branches, he takes a couple steps closer, stops. Then he jumps! runs a couple steps, stops at 10 yards. No shot. Here he comes, I start drawing back...

 

Anyhow, back to the story. I hear the arrow hit him and he mule kicks and is gone. Behind me and out of sight in a split second. I send a little prayer after him, please don't die in the middle of the road, or go across the road and die in Ken's yard. Just stay away from the road!!

Well, so much for being in it for the long haul,the all day sit. Clock said 6:52.It was a dark morning, snow flurrying, even darker under those conifers. And my eyes aren't as sharp as they used to be. I couldn't be sure where I hit him. It didn't crack, so it wasn't a shouder blade. Looked like it was behind the shoulder, but my arrow wasn't sticking out of the ground. I don't know. But, I was thinking he was dead. Then the first shot of the day rang out, right where he was heading. damn

The doe and 2 fawns had jumped a bit, but they were still right out in front of me within 50 yards. The doe was intent on finding me, the buttonbuck could care less about anything except maybe finding acorns, and the doe fawn was totally captivated by something out in front of her that I couldn't see. Maybe another deer, maybe another buck, maybe another big buck,...hey, I have another buck tag (the blood lust was taking over), so I nocked another arrow.

But, nothing showed, the doe fawn relaxed and they all went up on Mom's lawn hoping her flowers would bloom again soon I guess.

At 8:00 I decided to get down and see what I could find.

First jump

 

He stopped at 30 yards, 2 holes in him anyhow, no arrow.

Right after that he turned away from the road, whew, but the blood flow was slowing down. Time for some breakfast with Mom. Do a couple chores. Kill some time.

​

[TDietz]

He didn't want to go up hill and he was heading for the brook, good. Blood was sparse. But, now I knew what the doe fawn was looking at. He was out in front of me the whole time.

Looks like he went down, jambed the broadhead in the dirt and broke the arrow.

 

He was bedded here.

100 yards out in front of me.If I had glassed this area I would have seen him! Propably got up when I walked out, my attention was due south, he went east.

And now he just went off the property. This could get ugly.

 

All right, he's heading right for this house.


Hold on, do you see what I see?
How bout now?


Holy shhh shed.
 

[TDietz]

So I just saundered on down there, grabbed an antler and got 'eem the heck outta there!




Great day. First one with a bow during gun season almost 41 years to the day of my first.

And the coolest thing of all, look how he resembles the first.


You big buck hunters will get a chuckle out of this next pic,shows what's on the back of the plaque, proves that I've always been into it, way before "horn porn". The mind of a 13 year old in 1969.


Then, just to keep the mojo going, I gutted him with a knife I made from my Grandfathers meat cleaver, going to be gift to my cousin Ben.


Hope you all enjoyed the story.
 

[TDietz]

I told you that story because I got an email from my cousin Ben today, and well here he is, Arizona boy now, in his 70's, Viet Nam vet

 

[Nomad]

Great story I knew when I saw all those little dots of blood spread out over a wide area that you were going to find him!  Congrats!

[Haskell_Hunter]

Great story and great photos!  Congrats!

[Blend No 27]

Thanks for posting. I enjoyed that

[Tarhunt]

I miss living on Turkey Hill Road. It was the best place to grow up!

[B B]

That was awesome to read thanks for sharing!

[Thunderchicken]

Great Story!!   :up:  

[not on the rug]

Great story. Congrats!

 

Thats a nice little knife too. Nice work

[Devil Horns]

That was a great read. Thanks for sharing. Congrats on the buck!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[vdep217]

...

[kanigie]

very much enjoyed, thanks

[1957Buck]

Great Story well written and photoed