Day 10 - OCT 10 = SUCCESS

Finally.  Finally after 10 straight days of hunting, the good Lord put a second deer within range.  I did not bungle this opportunity.  Read on for the full story...

Re-Phil showed up at 4:30.  We parked on the MJBT and walked in through Jenkins' standing corn.  This first picture is me in the S stand on Jenkins.  The truck is parked at the wood line ALL THE WAY in the back of the picture.  Yes it was quite a hike through standing corn...

In S stand facing E.  The truck is parked at the trees in the background.

It was 54 degrees F.  And if you thought the wind was bad yesterday, you ain't seen nothing yet.  Today was a steady 16 mph "breeze" with gusts in excess of 32 mph.  Today, however, I found a stand out of the wind.  Originally we thought we could park on the golf course and walk in from the W, as it's closer.  Seems there were golfers on the course - those idiots are dumber than we hunters.  Who could golf in weather like that???

I watched a squirrel bury nuts for a while, but nothing else was moving.  Three deer, mama and two yearlings, were headed S down the corn field - just as I thought they would.  But, they spooked about 20 yards N of me and ran into the woods.  The yearlings were all over - running, jumping, playing - but mama stood her ground, 30 yards N and behind a tree.

After what seemed like FOREVER, but was probably less than 2 minutes, she stepped out from behind the tree onto a trail and stood broadside.  Looking at the next picture, I shot over the leaves and between the two small trees in the middle of the picture.  One yearling is still there, sniffing my bolt (arrow).  Center of frame.  Blow up picture to full size and you can make her out.


From stand facing NW.  Deer was in exact middle of shot.  Yearling still in there somewhere.


My shot was exact, entering on the deer's left side and passing completely through her chest cavity.  Upon our post-mortem, I crushed a rib going in, took out both lungs, and missed the ribs on the opposite side.
I watched her run due W, stop and stand for a moment.  She snorted and then ran off.  I lost her as she headed SW.  I texted Re-Phil and told him to come help me.  It was 7:02 when I sent the text.

Interesting that one yearling stayed right with me and the other ran off.  I was able to re-cock my crossbow and load another bolt without her spooking - yes, all while sitting in the stand.  But, by the time I got into position to take another shot, she was out of range.

I headed to where I shot big mama, but did not see my bolt.  I then headed to where she stopped and found this...

A good sign when tracking deer.

I followed tracks and blood to the property line on the S.  She jumped the fence and then headed W again - and that's where she expired.  Total distance traveled is close to 100 yards.  Blood found after about 40 yards.  I sent the following picture to a few family members, friends, and hunting buddies.

Deer recovered.

From there, I drug her back to the fence.  Re-Phil helped me get her over the fence.  And then we drug her about 10 more yards to the golf course.  All told, we only had to haul her 20 yards.

We left her on Hole #4, right S of the green and walked to the club house.  We borrowed a Deer Track Golf Course golf cart and drove back out to Hole #4.  We loaded the deer and drove back to the club house.  Course owner Ken hauled us back to the truck and we transferred her to my truck once we drove back to the course.  A few pictures...

Loaded deer on Hole #4.

Now this, THIS is how to haul deer from the woods!

We gutted her at Dad's burn pile and hung her in the barn overnight (getting down to 29 F tonight).  As I washed the blood from the truck, I heard my dogs barking at the burn pile.  So I drove on back there.  Sure enough, the coyotes had already found the gut pile - one hour after leaving it there.  Amazing.

The plan is to haul her up to Simpson's in Young America on Thursday and have her processed.
Kathy already texted asking "Fresh Deer Steaks for lunch on Sat?"

This will feed the tribe a meal or two.
I have to work late on Thursday, Day 11 of hunting will not come until Friday.  Taking a day off, I guess.
Wednesday is supposed to be Date Night for me and mama.  I brought home pizza last night.  Not much of a date if you ask her...

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