I had previously posted this in Off Season, but figured it was more appropriate in here..
Bow season started Oct 1, but I didn't get out till the afternoon of the 3rd. I had my stand already in place and previously scouted, so I new there were deer in the area.(at least an 8 pt and several does) I got to my stand at 3 pm and my buddy who owns the property had pushed down the dead tree that was between my stand and the small pond I was hunting. I just new I would get busted when the deer showed up, but hoped my canopy and cover cloth would conceal my movement and I had my new necklace on. 4 pm-nothing, 5 pm-nothing, I was just thinking to move my stand further back for better cover. Then a doe showed up to drink with another doe w/fawn and another doe. Well I figured I would just watch and wait, enjoying the moment, my buck must be along soon. They drink and 2 does lay down in the grass 20 yds from me. Then 3 more does and a fawn showed. Now I have 6 does and 2 fawns and it is 6 pm, just one hour of daylight left and no buck. 4 of the does have wandered out of bow range to eat acorns and one of the two is getting up to join them. She is about 15 yds from me and I draw on her, get her sighted in and she turns tail to me. I hold all of 30 seconds that seems like 30 minutes and let off. The last one is getting up now and she is bigger than the other and heads this direction following the others. She stops in the same place and I draw on her and release. A little higher than I would have liked, and not a pass through, but a good hit in the heart. I watch and listen, see her for about 50 yds and then hear her crash in the brush. Knowing the hit was good and hearing her hit the dirt, I only waited about 30 minutes before I went to look for her. I found her against a tree 25 yds further up the trail and only had about a 25 yrd drag to the road on the other side. She weighed in at 99 lbs dressed. When I get to the house, my wife tells me that when she was there at 5 pm she and my buddies wife thought they could hear me coming up in the woods behind the house (200 yards to my right). It turns out that my buck was there rubbing off his velvet. She actually spotted him and wondered what the strange noise was.... None-the-less, I am well pleased with my first kill of the season.
CD, Thanks for the help!!
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The best of luck in all your hunting endeavors!!!
God Bless,
Dave