2001 Archery Season
Well this year is a little different for me. Let me explain… This year I am all by myself. No one could seem to get off work to come hunting with me, but that doesn’t stop me from my yearly journey to my favorite place to hunt in the mountains of Pennsylvania. I have 7 days off, and I decide to camp out all week. Just me and my bow, a buck and doe tag in my pocket. (Watch out Deer!)
Unfortunately this year’s first week falls under a full moon phase. I knew that deer activity would be a lot less that normal. But, since once again my pre-season scouting has located the presence of many good deer in the area I tried to keep a good attitude despite the moon phase.
The first morning on stand produces no deer sightings (big surprise!). However I did see 2 different flocks of turkey come through. At 10:30am I go back to camp for a afternoon nap, hoping to see something this evening. Back on stand by 3:00pm, I spend the next 4 ½ hours watching loads of chipmunks and squirrels but no deer any where I sight. Ok, now I am telling myself as I walk back to camp that, even a bad day of hunting is still better than a good day of work. It doesn’t seem to help much! Lol…
The next morning I am back on stand. It was very still and quite cool. As I waited for first light I cant help but think about my hunting buddy Bill. I am in the same tree that he shot his first buck with a bow the year before. Bill passed away this past year after finally losing his fight with cancer. He will truly be missed by all who knew him. The next 45 minutes passed quickly. I am not expecting to see to see much more than I did the day before but here I am. At first light a spike buck walks under my stand at 10 yards, keep walking I think to myself. Cool ! Finally deer activity….
An hour after daylight I am alerted by the sound of running hoofs across the field in front of me. I looked up to see 2 deer running right at me. By the time I stood up and grabbed my bow they stopped at about 40 yards, just on the other side of a huge hemlock tree. Its seems they were chasing each other. I see horns on one of the deer right away, but cant make out any on the other deer until they started to sparring with one another. I got out my binoculars and could then make out spikes the smaller of the two. As I stood there watching these deer I heard more deer running across the field. They joined the other 2 scrub bucks. Now there are 3 bucks and one doe at 40 yards from me. I wish I would have had a camera because for the next 20 minutes these deer chased each other in circles, back and forth, over and over again. They ran out across the field and back 2 more times before calming down and starting to feed on acorns. During all the excitement of watching these deer play with each other 2 more deer appear from somewhere.
A 4 point and another doe. Now there are 4 scrub bucks and 2 does just on the other side of the big hemlock tree, a spike, 3 point 4 point and 6 point. The 4 point was the biggest of them all.
They all started to walk single file back out into the field, never coming closer than 30 yards and a shot never presented itself. Out comes the grunt tube. The six point out about 70 yards stops and looks back in my direction. Another toot on the call and he turns and heads straight for me. He comes in without stopping, right under me. No shot yet, he is still quartering toward me. After 5 minutes of trying to hold my frosty breathe back he turns around and walk back toward the field. I am already drawn back by the time he reaches 15 yards, I grunt at him with my voice and at 20 yards he stops. The arrow enters high just behind his left shoulder and exits though his brisket. He went all of 60 yards. Meanwhile the other deer are still in the field. Man, What a morning!
Its now November 2nd and I am back in Lycoming County. After turning down a lot of does because I was waiting for a buck, it’s now time to put some meat in the freezer. It just so happens that November 2nd is my birthday. After hunting all morning and not seeing anything except turkeys, which I couldn’t get a shot at anyway. I made my way back to the truck to drive up to an overlook so that I could call home on my cellular phone. After talking to my wife and letting her know that I was still alive I drove down the road toward another spot when out ran a huge doe across in front of the truck. She stopped 30 yards into the woods and looked at me. I drove up the road a little ways and stalked her. When I finally saw her she had not moved and I was able to make a perfect double lung shot. She went 25 yards and fell over. I was quite happy that I was able to take a very big doe at 11:30 am on my 33rd birthday. Happy Birthday To Me! J
Now I have one doe tag left for York County that I plan on filling before that season ends.
So far this season has been another one I will remember forever. Not only because of the deer I have harvested but because I have had a very close encounter with a black bear and numerous sightings of turkey, also an owl attacked me one morning. But these stories will all be told another time.
Till the next story, shoot straight and keep them in the Ten Ring,
10 Point (Time To Go Bow hunting!)
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