GrayDawg

I was in my stand & all situated by 5:50am. Closed my eyes & tried to "cat nap" for 5-10 minutes and simply catch up on some rest. I don't really sleep, just rest my eyes- it helps me hear better.

Around 7:20, I decide to rattle for about 5 seconds. Nothing serious, just trying to simulate two skippers lightly tangling. Within 5 minutes, I hear- then see movement on the ridge in front of me about 60 yards out. There's lots of brush & stuff in between so I couldn't even tell if it was a buck or a doe! I see it moving away, so I soft grunt 2-3 times..... it comes back! Now I see it's a doe- a big doe. She disappears in the brush off to my right (still on the ridge), I can hear footsteps- but I lose sight of her.

I wait about 10 minutes and decide to punt- I hit the doe bleat hoping I can tap her maternal instincts. Now- all of a sudden, I hear movement right in front of me- I hear movement on the top of the ridge.... I hear movement to my right in the brush at the bottom of the ridge........ it was like I rang the freakin' dinner bell!

Six does (a friggin' herd) are all milling around, about 25-30 yards from my tree. Three of them are in the wide open, the other three are moving amongst the safety of the young, soft pines. Two of the does step into an intersection 25 yards dead nuts to the right of my stand. One of them is looking right at me so I can't stand. Her fawn is feeding and could care less, but momma is eyeballing me sumpin' fierce. As she turns to feed, I begin to stand. At the same time, 2 of the 3 does in the pines decide to come running down the ridge to browse the acorns. This scares the piss out of the momma and she dives for cover into the soft pines with her fawn in tow.

I'm pissed at this point, so I hit the doe bleat one more time. Three of them finally come out about 5-10 minutes later. I'm already standing and come to full draw. One of the big does goes broadside at 25 yards- she's ever-so-slightly quartering to me. I put the red-dot right behind her shoulder & drop the string. My G5 Striker-tipped, Easton Axis FMJ hits a tad back- hitting her near-side lung as well as her liver. She bolts into the brush, the rest of the does scatter & then I hear a crash. That was at 8:04 this morning.

I waited 45 minutes & she was right where I thought she'd be- about halfway up the ridgline in the soft pines.



My son & I had loin chops & tips from the grill this afternoon for lunch.......

Rob

V8Ranger

Sounds like a great hunt, I bet you where in heaven being surrounded by deer. WTG, congrats

ryncam16

Nice looking deer great story. she looks like a pretty old doe

HOGHUNTINGUNLIMITED

Nice doe

my7pointmonster

I really like that picture, I dont know why really, but something about it just appeals to me, Great story...

At the risk of sounding like an idiot, What is a "punt"?

Ryan.

arrow2512

GRAY-Nice looking doe you got there and nice story to go with it .Again congrats on the deer you got hope you get a nice buck to go with it .

GrayDawg

Ryan
Thanks, not a bad picture for one taken with my phone!
When I said "I decided to punt", it means I decided to do something out of the norm in this situation (for me anyways), as I almost felt as if things were coming unraveled & I needed toattempt a desperate measure.

My modis operandi when bowhunting whitetails in general,is to usually make as little noise as possible and let things develop and have the deer just do their thing. If I've done my homework properly all spring & summer,then I'm already in the right spot. I'm typically not over-aggressive with my calling/rattling.

MN/Kyle

Congrats, great hunt, great picture.

Gotta love the fall colors.

Greg / MO

Congratulations!!! Gotta love mornings like that when you're covered up in deer!

jim1966

Nice doe. Congrats.