My plan was to harvest a good doe - a managment deer to reduce our heard - and for some meat for a friend that really wanted it.
I Hunted on the edge of a cornfield we planted - the wind was perfect (out of the EAST - in front of the approaching storm). Several deer came through the apples towards the corn - including a 4 point that I passed on. I had a camera in the apples and as luck would have it - the 4 point was photogenic.
A little while later, several other deer came in. Shots were tough to judge, lots of brush -and I really didn't want to shoot a fawn, so I let them come to the Corn where I hoped I could tell better their size.
Here's a picture from my stand this evening.
As dusk was approaching - I saw the flash go off on my camera well down the hill,several times. Each time another deer would make its way up towards the corn. I was a little worried that they wouldn't get there in time, but all at once they started to pop into the corn. I was sizing up deer and decided on doe, almost ready to squeeze off the shot -then I noticed a similar sized deer moving though the corn on 3 legs. I couldn't judge the injury, but decided that this was the deer I should take, and made the shot. The TC went off without incident, and the deer made a "pronghorn jump" and then ran under my stand and down the hill back into the thicket. I could see it was getting lower and lower to the ground as it ran - and I felt good about the shot.
As it turned out, this deer also got its picture taken -
The deer had a "club foot" - with two large ***** balls -(lovely) - no wonder he was on three legs. And yes..... he was a buck, that had dropped his horns. Not the "management doe" I had hoped for, but I don't feel bad about taking this young buck, he likely would have had a VERY rough winter.
Thanks for reading the story - A good end for a Great Season for me.
FH
NY Blackpowder Success!
Al
