About four years ago I started trying a ground blind for the first time since about 1975 when we were allowed to take to the trees. I had a few places I thought would work on the farm I hunt. I've sat them maybe 10-15% of my time out. I've had a few 20 yard encounters, but never any shots. That changed yesterday. I sat a blind near an historically great tree stand area (until it flooded) It's in a fence row facing a small plot of corn. According to my phone I was settled in at five to seven. It was really warm for October. Almost 70* already. This in turn made it foggy. I LOVE hunting in the fog. There seems to be a calming effect on deer and they also seems to get caught further out than normal when it burns off.
I'm sitting there soaking it in when out of the blue I hear sniffing sounds, RIGHT THERE! By right there I mean just the other side of the fence I am behind. I look and there it is a deer only 6-8 feet from me.
I grab my bow, point it, and start to align myself for a shot. I am just a tad out of alignment so I turn. As I do my lower limb brushes my leafy suit. I hear it, and so does the deer. It locks on to me. I freeze at about 2" draw. Don't make eye contact! I'm looking right into the tree I'm behind keeping track of the deer in my peripheral vision and praying I don't get the shakes holding my bow.
After a minute or so the deer decides I'm nothing. It drops its head and keeps feeding. It goes behind the tree and I let down and arrange for it popping out the other side.
The deer comes into view again. It can't be more than 12 feet from me. I start to draw and get flummoxed as I can't really see anything of my riser or arrow to aim due to the fog and barely past dawn. It's so close I must have let instinct take over. I drew but don't remember anchoring (if I did) and let it fly.
I hear that old familiar thwack! and the hollow pumpkin sound we all love. It takes off into the corn and a couple seconds later I hear the unmistakable crash. It is 7:20.
I call my brother on the radio and he says "I heard it crash." Yeah so did I. I wait about fifteen minutes and check the hit site. Can't find hair or blood. Admiral Doubt started setting in. I go back to the blind and wait.
At the half hour mark I go out again. Still no hair or blood, I am getting concerned. I back up for a wider view and almost step on my arrow. Red from stem to stern. ;-) I start off into the corn hoping blood will show. Still no sign. I head off towards where the crash was. I know. I'm violating all of the good tracking rules. I start looking down the corn rows. There are a couple large areas that the corn didn't take. I stop and scan the edges. THERE IT IS!
I go up and check out my kill. Probably one of the most perfect kill shots I ever made. I am slightly bummed out to see what I thought was a doe was a small spike. 2" x 4" Still and all a great morning from a ground blind.
Post season addition. Because I burned my unrestricted tag I had buttons to 6 pointers under me ALL season. Does and bigger bucks stayed the required 40 yards out.
We are ready for some serious cold now so we can hit the hard water. Camp has been shutdown for the year.
Pic is my son's doe on the meat pole.
I make no apologies either for enjoying time in the woods with a rifle. My son likes gun hunting too. To us, it is all about being in the woods and making memories.
