First Day of Deer Hunting - 29 OCT

Well, season opened on October 1st.  It's been quite warm and I've been busy, but those are just excuses for not getting out.  Alex and I finally got out tonight.

I picked up Alex at 4:15pm.  I went to Marshall's bottoms and Alex sat in the East stand on Neal's (since the W stand straps are all broken).  Alex jumped a 6-pt buck with a doe in the fence row walking in.  I saw one large deer (buck? doe?  too far to tell) at the far end of the bottoms.  It never came by.

It was 45F when we went out, but with the wind, it felt like 35.  I stalked the bottoms until about 6:30 pm.  I walked back to the truck as Alex texted me that he had fired his crossbow.  Upon confirming blood on the arrow, I drove back to help him track.

We tracked E to where the doe jumped the fence heading S.  We walked S to the Neal / Marshall line and found blood crossing onto Marshall.  Alex left his crossbow there as it was getting dark, and we tracked E again.  We found 2 spots of blood in the last half mile.

My speculation is that he hit the tenderloin (under the spine, but above the vitals) and that is why we lost the trail about a mile into tracking.  She will probably live.  One thing for certain, she never lost enough blood to die.

Oh well, it was still an awesome night to be out.

Good sign upon entering Marshall's bottom ground.  Rub on the tree.
I found two more rubs, and at least 5 scrapes during my walk.

Waiting on Alex to confirm blood.  Enjoying a Sun King Octoberfest and
listening to FGL's Smooth.  Right on!

Sun setting as we track on our first day of deer hunting 2017

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