Deer TRACKING - Day 2 - OCT 02 2013

So while the rest of us (who aren't retired) had to work on Wednesday, Nick took the whole day off and went hunting.  He stopped by the house to pick up his gear and hit the field about 7:20 am.  He jumped one walking in to his stand.

He was at the corner on N at the W stand and there was a doe feeding in the corn.  He had the patience to nock an arrow, draw and shoot without spooking her.  10 yards broadside.  As she ran off, Nick could see the arrow sticking out of both sides of her body.  He texted me.

I did not take the time to reply, but instead just called him.  I told him to stop, sit, and listen.  He claimed that was tough because the squirrels were working the walnuts something fierce.  After 30 minutes of waiting, I told him to start tracking.

He could print track her through the cornfield for about 40 yards where she turned and went into the woods. There, he found blood - always a good sign.  My phone went off about 8:40 - and what I hoped it to see was a photo of a dead deer.  Instead I saw this, with the below caption...

And so the tracking begins

Not exactly what I had wanted.  Nick tracked for about 3 hours, but found NOTHING other than the first sign.  He asked for suggestions.  I told him to put an arrow in the ground so the location could be found again and back out.  I would leave after my meetings and help him.

Jump ahead to about 2:30 and Nick and I are back at his arrow.  He showed me the leaf above.  We could print track her for about 3 steps from there - her general direction was NE.  No other blood what-so-ever.

We fanned out and worked 4 clover-leaf patterns in the cardinal directions - me on the outside longer loop and Nick on the inner loop.  We hoped by cutting for sign this way we could come across blood or a DB (dead body).  After another 2 hours and NOTHING else, we called it.  She had to have gone across the property and made the corn opposite the woods.  

By this time, it's 77 degrees and she's been gone 8 hours.  It sucks to lose an animal like that, but as the Outlaw Jose Wales (Clint Eastwood) said, "The buzzards gotta eat, same as the worm."  Well coyotes, buzzards and worms - enjoy.  I would have much rather had that doe on the grill for dinner than give her to you, but that's bow hunting.

So, the tribe is still starving.  More hunting come this week-end, as work is getting in the way...

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