DEERHUNTINGREPORTS2001

Nov. 12, 2001

Went out to Clark Co. today. Set up in a big pile of logs and brush that the dozer pushed up when the pond was made. Did not see anything this morning. In the evening I had a doe come up on my right and walk behind me. I could not get turned to shoot. She got wind of me and spooked and ran off.

Nov. 13, 2001

Did not see anything this morning out in Clark Co. Went out to Beavercreek Twp. in Greene this afternoon and stood in the brushy fencerow between the picked bean field and the strip of weeds that runs between the bean field and the woods. I wanted to see if the deer were going to the beanfield to eat instead of the cornfields. I have not seen any in the cornfield since it has been picked. Well instead of the deer coming out of the woods, they somehow came up behind me from the picked bean field and went through the fencerow 20 yards away from me. I did not hear or see them until they were in the weed field. When I moved to bring my bow up they busted me. They were the same doe and yearlings that I have now seen 3 times and still I couldn't get a shot at the doe!

Nov. 14, 2001

Went back out to Beavercreek Twp. this morning. As I stepped into the back picked corn field two deer busted me. Made it to my stand and tied my bow on the string and started climbing the latter stick. About half way up the tree I caught movement about 50 yards south of me. It was a deer! I cautiously continued to climb up. I managed to make it to the stand, about 20-22 ft. up and pulled up my bow. I knocked and arrow and the deer came closer. It was a doe. She stayed behind the honeysuckle and brush and never gave me a shot.

With not much going on the rest of the morning I told myself that I would hang in there until 11:00. At 11:00 I stood up and prepared to climb down. I fastened my fanny back and got the rope and as I was tying it to the bow I notice movement to the south again! It was a doe, or so I thought. I unhooked the rope and knocked an arrow. She was working her way through the honeysuckle and brush from left to right about 35 yards out. I grunted a few times and she would stop. She finally turned my way and when she was about 15 yards out and to my right I took a shot.

She dropped her head and walked off! I thought I missed. I waited a few minutes and climbed down to retrieve my arrow. When I found it, it was covered with blood! I found the blood trail and followed it for about 20 yards. I then decided to let her go for a few hours. I went home and called Craig and he met me out at the land. We followed the blood trail about 40 more yards from where I last spotted blood earlier and there it was. It turns out that it was a button buck.

I don't like shooting button bucks but it is hard to tell one from a doe. I have passed on a half dozen or more bucks that were much larger in size but had small racks. Oh well, sometimes you take what you get. I still have one more tag to fill. I will be after a buck only from now on. Craig and I are headed to Hocking Co. tomorrow, maybe I'll get lucky down there?