Yet another got-my-deer-this-year story.

Prof Young · November 26, 2018, 11:35 PM

So the places I hunt have, it seems to me, a lot of deer. Have a very comfortable tree stand at the edge of an open field. Have even planted some apple trees there to attract future deer. I have a trail camera down by those apple trees. Went to hunt there first day of gun season in IL. I'm a lazy hunter and waited to do the afternoon/evening hunt. Pulled the chip out of the trail camera, climbed into the stand, clipped in and settled. Looked at the pics on the trail cam. NOTHING. For three weeks it appears that only maybe once a deer visited the area. So I'm thinking, that this till be a nothing hunt. Well I got into the stand at about 2:00. By 3:00 I was field dressing a nice doe. Apparently the deer come along the edge of the field and my camera was a bit into the field where the apple trees are. LIFE IS GOOD!

PROF YOUNG.

Colorado Redneck · November 28, 2018, 10:10 PM

Nice! A successful hunt brings a smile every time.

musicmatty · December 5, 2018, 09:02 PM

Congratulations and truly a great ending! I guess the lesson here is…A camera will never give you a 360° view-

)

Pathfinder45 · December 6, 2018, 12:33 AM

At this point, I am successful at hunting if I even get to go hunting...
You know, it's a different sort of a game: There you are, and you are out to kill a deer. Yet it is very unlikely that your life depends on you making that kill; think about that.
Now consider this: Your Quarry is also playing this game with you, but the stakes are higher for him; he's all in and, while you are just trying to entertain yourself, his life is on the line. Those of you that strictly hunt at long range may be taking an animal completely unawares, that never knew what hit him as you gut him out.
But if you have a few of the kind of deep-woods encounters I'm thinking about, it's a whole 'nuther thing: There you are in an older clear-cut, partially re-grown with pole thickets and brush. You've got a buck in there, in this pole-thicket island with clearings all around.... It's a couple of hours before dark.... He's been snorting at you from 15 yards away in a thicket so dense that you cant even see him. He knows you are gonna kill him, if you can, though he plans otherwise.... You kinda have him trapped, because it's a thicket that's isolated from the big timber by at least 35 yards or so.... If he makes a break for it, you've got him and he knows it. If you go in after him, he'll make a break for it to the big timber and get away, and you both know it! But he's a smart Son-of-a-Buck, and knows he's just gotta keep his nerve, as he snorts at you again, this time maybe just ten yards away, and you still can't see him. So you move around the perimeter of the thicket, never losing sight of the gap between the timber and the thicket, 'cuz that's where he's gonna make a break for it if he get's a chance....
He's movin' around in there and I'm movin' around outside, both of us trying to out manoeuver the other, and it was challenging to keep him trapped, even if he was untouchable. At last, there was a change in fortune... the sun went down; it got too dark to shoot, so I spoke out loud to him, "You win, Buddy; I salute you, and I'll never forget you.". Others might have cursed him, but I'd rather bless him. I went home to my dinner and he went on to sire more of his kind. I don't know what football games I might have missed and couldn't care less.
So who won? I think we both did. I've forgotten how many deer I've killed over the years; certainly not nearly as many as some of the folks here. But I consider that one of my more successful hunts.
West-slope, Oregon Cascades, Mt. Hood National Forest, Land of Volcanoes and big timber.

FrankenMauser · December 6, 2018, 11:28 AM

Congrats.

November 26, 2018, 11:35 PM	#1
Prof Young Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2007 Location: Illinois - down state Posts: 2,404	Yet another got-my-deer-this-year story. So the places I hunt have, it seems to me, a lot of deer. Have a very comfortable tree stand at the edge of an open field. Have even planted some apple trees there to attract future deer. I have a trail camera down by those apple trees. Went to hunt there first day of gun season in IL. I'm a lazy hunter and waited to do the afternoon/evening hunt. Pulled the chip out of the trail camera, climbed into the stand, clipped in and settled. Looked at the pics on the trail cam. NOTHING. For three weeks it appears that only maybe once a deer visited the area. So I'm thinking, that this till be a nothing hunt. Well I got into the stand at about 2:00. By 3:00 I was field dressing a nice doe. Apparently the deer come along the edge of the field and my camera was a bit into the field where the apple trees are. LIFE IS GOOD! PROF YOUNG.

December 5, 2018, 09:02 PM	#3
musicmatty Senior Member Join Date: September 30, 2009 Location: Eastcoast Posts: 346	Congratulations and truly a great ending! I guess the lesson here is…A camera will never give you a 360° view-)

December 6, 2018, 12:33 AM	#4
Pathfinder45 Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2008 Posts: 3,224	About hunting and being successful at it..... At this point, I am successful at hunting if I even get to go hunting... You know, it's a different sort of a game: There you are, and you are out to kill a deer. Yet it is very unlikely that your life depends on you making that kill; think about that. Now consider this: Your Quarry is also playing this game with you, but the stakes are higher for him; he's all in and, while you are just trying to entertain yourself, his life is on the line. Those of you that strictly hunt at long range may be taking an animal completely unawares, that never knew what hit him as you gut him out. But if you have a few of the kind of deep-woods encounters I'm thinking about, it's a whole 'nuther thing: There you are in an older clear-cut, partially re-grown with pole thickets and brush. You've got a buck in there, in this pole-thicket island with clearings all around.... It's a couple of hours before dark.... He's been snorting at you from 15 yards away in a thicket so dense that you cant even see him. He knows you are gonna kill him, if you can, though he plans otherwise.... You kinda have him trapped, because it's a thicket that's isolated from the big timber by at least 35 yards or so.... If he makes a break for it, you've got him and he knows it. If you go in after him, he'll make a break for it to the big timber and get away, and you both know it! But he's a smart Son-of-a-Buck, and knows he's just gotta keep his nerve, as he snorts at you again, this time maybe just ten yards away, and you still can't see him. So you move around the perimeter of the thicket, never losing sight of the gap between the timber and the thicket, 'cuz that's where he's gonna make a break for it if he get's a chance.... He's movin' around in there and I'm movin' around outside, both of us trying to out manoeuver the other, and it was challenging to keep him trapped, even if he was untouchable. At last, there was a change in fortune... the sun went down; it got too dark to shoot, so I spoke out loud to him, "You win, Buddy; I salute you, and I'll never forget you.". Others might have cursed him, but I'd rather bless him. I went home to my dinner and he went on to sire more of his kind. I don't know what football games I might have missed and couldn't care less. So who won? I think we both did. I've forgotten how many deer I've killed over the years; certainly not nearly as many as some of the folks here. But I consider that one of my more successful hunts. West-slope, Oregon Cascades, Mt. Hood National Forest, Land of Volcanoes and big timber.

December 6, 2018, 11:28 AM	#5
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	Congrats. __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

November 28, 2018, 10:10 PM	#2
Colorado Redneck Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2008 Location: Northeast Colorado Posts: 1,993	Nice! A successful hunt brings a smile every time.