Yesterday after noon, i headed back to Lacreek Refuge. Last evening i sat down where deer had a beaten path through the brush. Wanderlust overcame me, and when i looked back where i had been, 3 deer came out of the marsh headed for the alfalfa, sunflowers, and corn.
Last night i listened to the world series on the radio, and then couldn't sleep right away. This morning instead of wakening at 5, i didn't rouse till 6. No breakfast found me arriving late where i hoped to ambush a deer. Wandering out there, i had a long shot at 3 deer, but didn't want to try it standing free, so i crawled under the fence, and when i did, them deer ran off. I walked further out to a good ambush, but didn't see any deer at all, so headed back to the truck. Then i saw deer so i had to move fast back to the ambush spot that had a bunch of dead cotton wood to hide behind.
Three deer were headed kinda right toward me, but they were going to miss me by 200 yard when the reached the bush, so it seemed. When they were at what i figured to be 150 yard they stopped, and the big doe was perfectly broad side. I had a real good rest on a fallen tree, and took the shot aimed at the very top of the chest. I heard the bullet hit, and saw the deer run like a lung shot deer. I was sure i hit it good. I reloaded, and wandered out there. I didn't find it, and when i saw some other deer coming toward me, i found another ambush spot and waited, thinking i must not have hit the first one i shot at. Them deer never came, and thinking about it, i was again convinced i had hit the deer with the first shot.
Leaving the ambush spot i again looked for the deer. A way off in the distance i saw perhaps 75 deer or more all around. The gps was showing my tracks, and i set out to do a grid search for that deer, i thought i had hit. I walked right to it. The 260g Nosler had hit it perfect in both lung, but it ran a very long way with no working lung. I gut it, marked it, and headed back to the truck to get my cart.
As i walked back to the truck i saw this other hunter walking the fence line. I thought it was funny this other fella was even later for the hunt than i was. As that fella got closer, i realized he was pulling a cart, and didn't have a rifle. I thought oops, this fella thinks his partner killed a deer, and is coming out to help him. I was wondering what to say, when he arrived, and it was Chet coming out to help me with my deer. Evidently Chet was in a tree i walked right by, and watched me stumble around out there. He also could see deer all over, beyond me, that i couldn't see. When he saw me finally find my deer, and start to gut it, he hoofed it back to his truck, got his cart, and headed back. We hauled the deer to where, i could drive my truck, and Chet helped me load it, and off he went. What a nice person Chet is.
The picture of my home away from home, i took this morning, just before i hooked up and headed out. Note the hind hooves of the deer showing at the back of the truck.
Hunting Lacreek Refuge part 2
