2003 Deer Hunting Journal-Well, this is year three for my online hunting journals. If you're reading this, thanks. For my part, I'm sure enjoying putting it all together... almost as much as I'm enjoying the hunts that make it up. I suppose the original intent, to collect data and identify trends (such as weather patterns and moon phases) has kind of gone by the wayside. Most of the time, the weather during the CA deer seasons is pretty much identical anyway. |
This season promises to be a busy one for hunting. First and foremost, I managed to draw an X3-A tag for California. That'll put me in some prime mule deer habitat. I've been working with a friend on a 7000 acre ranch in that zone, and that's where we'll be hunting. That hunt begins on October 4. The X zone hunt overlaps another major hunt, a Colorado elk trip that begins on October 11. I'm planning to leave directly from the X zone hunt to make the Colorado trip. That means I need to score early in X zone, in order to have time to drive to CO without marathon driving. Finally, I chose an Archery Only tag for my second CA deer tag. This gives me access to the A zone, B zone, and all D zones, both during archery and rifle season. Essentially this means I could potentially hunt from July 16 through the first week of November. As a surprise, I also got the opportunity to go to South Carolina for the deer opener to bowhunt deer and hogs at the Bostick Plantation. So here goes! |
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09/17 - As I pulled in to hunt this evening, I couldn't help but imagine that big 4x4 coming back for a repeat performance. I spent the afternoon shooting at my Delta target in the backyard, trying to drill in that simple rule... aim small, miss small. Pick a spot, not the whole animal! I set up in the same spot, choosing a different tree with a little more clear area, in case the deer came across like they had the previous night. I got comfortable and sat daydreaming about missing that big deer, and hoping I hadn't completely run him off the property. At around sunset, I caught movement across the neighboring pasture. A huge oak tree stood alone on the hillside, and under it I could see at least one deer browsing. The binoculars showed that it was a big doe. I glassed the area and made out several more deer, all does, in the same general spot. I watched them for a while, then turned my attention to the other trails. Ten minutes or so later, I glanced back out into the pasture just in time to see the four-by disappearing into the woods about 100 yards away. A forkie and what appeared to be a three-pointer stood grazing for a moment before they joined him. My heartbeat quickened as I watched the trail coming to the fence. Certainly they'd be coming right in, and I'd have a chance for redemption. But it was not to be. Darkness settled in, and I had to go. Two more nights! 09/18 - I had to take Mim horseback riding this evening, before I could hunt. As a result, I didn't get geared up until almost 1900. Sunset would be at 1915, which gave me 45 minutes really to hunt. As I stepped over the hill to go to the trail, I spotted two does feeding in the pasture just above the trailhead. I couldn't believe they were already out! A few more steps and I heard movement down the hill to my left. I stoop and look through the low-hanging oak branches and spot a deer. It's a doe, browsing under the oaks. I look around for other deer, but don't see anything. I can't hunt here on this side of the canyon, so I have to go down the trail. The hill drops into a gully, and the trail goes out around the head of the gully, then loops back and uphill to the meadows on the other side of the canyon. I have to at least get onto the trail before I can set up. How to do it without spooking the deer, though? I decide the heck with it. It's only a doe, but if I keep waiting more deer are going to show up. I head on down hill toward the trail. One of the does bounces out of the pasture and into the woods. A moment later, I hear the deer down in the hill break and run as well. Oh well, I need to get in there. As I round the bend onto the trail, I catch movement less than 10 yards away. I'm staring eye to eye with a tall-racked 4x3! There's nothing I can do as he turns and trots down into the gully. Thinking quickly, I expect the buck to cross the gully and use the escape trail I'd hunted the last two nights. I jog down the trail, in hopes of heading him off. My hunch proves to be right, but unfortunately I didn't get there quickly enough. The buck and I hit the clearing at the same moment, about 30 yards apart. I immediately drop into a crouch, and the buck freezes. He's looking dead at me, but not running off. We stare at one another for several moments. It feels like an eternity, and my back is aching from the strain of remaining crouched. I'm not sure how much longer I can stay put, when the buck takes a tentative step toward me. Then he takes a couple more, until he has crept to within 20 yards.... bow range! I can't shoot though, or even move, because he's still looking dead at me. I'm aching, and not sure if I can hold out. But finally, something across the canyon attracts his attention and he turns partially away from me. I'm able to get a knee down and take some of the strain off my back before he looks at me again. He then looks across the canyon once more and turns, nearly broadside. I try to stealthily bring the bow up, and actually manage to get it halfway drawn before he sees me and trots away blowing. I loose the half-drawn arrow into the ground and sit down heavily. Once again, I think I know where the deer is going to go. Another trail drops down off the hillside into the gully, and then follows the gully down canyon for about 200 yards before coming back out into the lower pasture where a saddle crosses over the high ridge. My bet is that the buck will parallel that trail until he gets to that saddle, then try to cross over into the neighboring pasture. I take off downtrail, but this time I'm not as observant as I should be. About 100 yards from the crossing, I see the buck standing partially in the brush looking at me again. This time he's not curious at all. He tucks tail and dives into the brush. I hear him crashing away for several seconds. I'm disgusted with myself, but decide to follow the trail anyway and see what else has been moving. There is a ton of good sign, and I think that this might be a good place to hunt tomorrow evening, especially since I've already caused such a ruckus down at the other end of the canyon. I turn to stalk back out and catch movement on the hilltop above. Two does are grazing over the rim and out of sight. I wait until they're gone and start to go up trail behind them. Just then, another deer emerges on the hilltop. This one is a forkie with high antlers, similar to the 4x3 I'd just chased. He's about 40 yards away, well out of range for my recurve. I wait for him to follow the does over the rise, then begin the stalk. I stalk along a riding trail, and the ground is exceptionally quiet. I can feel a fairly steady breeze in my face. This is looking good. The forkie certainly isn't as nice as that 4x4, but I'll be happy with him. All I have to do is top this rise, and he'll be there. I'm sure I'll make good on the shot. But he's not there. Neither are the does. It's as if the ground has swallowed them. I glass carefully, in case they've bedded in the tall grass, but they simply have disappeared. And the clock ticks down to the last minute. One more hunt. |
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