Hunt For Does

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Hunt for Does by Jon Nystrom

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I was in disbelief at what I had seen! Why was I so blessed to be part of such a hunt? I think back to when it all began. A friend had hunted this area a year before and told me about all the deer he had seen. It sounded like he was exaggerating just a little bit about the number of deer. My friend had told me the general area of where he had been hunting so I decided to do some scouting before the season opened.

The area had several oak ridges running north to south with a swamp to the east and residential area to the west. I found an area on the south side on an Oak Ridge with a dried up slough containing fresh short grass bordering it. The enormous trails crossing the Oak Ridge converged into the slough. I found a tree that looked perfect so I marked the trail in so I could find it later when the season started. I called my friend and he offered to scout it again with me. So the next weekend we went in together and go figure, I practically picked the same tree he had sat in the year before. They say great minds think the same. It must be true especially for bowhunters!

September 22 couldn't come soon enough! At dawn I slipped in with my tree stand and climbing rails made by Rapid Rails. If you haven't ever seen this setup for a treestand and climbing steps you just have to take a look at them. I can literally get into my treestand in less than 5 minutes ready to hunt without making any noise and hardly breaking a sweat. It is one of the best setups around.

Unfortunately because the wind was from the west instead of the north like I had thought, I had to move 40 yards to the east. I was convinced the deer would wind me if I was in the tree I had originally picked. I was sitting in my treestand for five minutes minding my own business eating an apple to cover my breath scent. I probably take the scent thing to more of an extreme than a lot bowhunters but it has paid off. All of a sudden I heard deer running behind me. I slipped my half-eaten apple in my pocket and stood up just in time to have the 2 does stop under my treestand. They were acting nervous and I think it was because I put some fox urine out to mask my scent below my treestand. I don't think they like that. Another missed opportunity and I have 4 doe tags to fill!

I had intended to quit hunting around 9:30 am, but that never happened. What happened in the next few hours was nothing short of a fantastic hunt. From the point I saw my first two deer at sun up, I had a deer within view the whole time until 11:00 am. A total of 17 deer, all does and some fawns paraded by me just out of shooting range. I was overwhelmed at the numbers of deer I was seeing. I was glad I was playing the wind but I was too far away for a good shot.

At the end of my hunt I took my Rapid Rail setup and moved them to the tree I had originally picked out. In just five minutes my tree stand was up. Every deer I saw went right by that tree. I needed to get closer to them. I have always wanted to go Caribou hunting because of all the video I have seen where the caribou are running all around you. I think this hunt gave me a little taste of what caribou hunting would be like.

Unfortunately because of other obligations I was not able to return until the next night. I was running late but I did take a minute to take a quick shower. I slipped into my scent lock suite and walked the 600 yards to my tree stand. Of course there was a doe and two fawns feeding in the slough behind the tree. They saw me and bolted but I was thankful they didn't snort. I hate that when it happens.

I was in my tree stand at 5:00 pm. By 5:20pm my first two deer approached right down the trail I thought the deer would come. The first doe walked into my shooting lane 5 yards away. I don't like to take shots that are literally straight down but she was standing broadside so I decided to take her. I released my arrow with a trusted Rocket Broadhead for a pass through shot. The deer bounded off toward the swamp. I was praying she wouldn't reach the cattails. Unfortunately my prayers would not be answered. I looked at where she was standing and could clearly see my arrow with my Rocket Broadhead sticking in the ground. I have every confidence in Rocket broadheads and I felt I would find her.

I started the painful customary thirty minute wait before tracking her but it stretched out to forty five minutes because just a few moments after I shot the doe other deer started filtering out of the swamp. They were surrounding me and for the first time in my long career as a bow hunter I realized "I am going to need more arrows! ". Finally I quietly climbed out of my tree stand. I looked at my arrow and it was covered with blood. The trail was easy to follow and I got to within 10 yards of the swamp. The blood trail stopped and I looked to the swamp with a painful feeling that somehow I messed up. In that instant I saw two deer standing there looking at me. Why was my bow still in my tree? The two does took off into the swamp and started their snort song to notify every deer within a 5000-mile radius that there was a bow hunter in the woods. I thought that maybe one of those deer was the deer I had shot so I went to where they were standing hoping to find blood. Those deer looked pretty healthy so I was really getting nervous about this whole situation. I was in the tall grass and not seeing any blood. I turned around to return to the last blood sign and there my doe lay. I don't know what those other two deer were doing standing over that doe but I was delighted to find her. She had run approximately 80 yards. My Rocket broadhead had performed as I expected and produced another kill shot.

I decided to leave her there and climb back up into my tree stand even though deer in the area were put on high alert. I wasn't in my tree stand ten minutes and deer started to appear. I saw thirteen deer total that night. At dusk I could see a large doe fifty yards out. I kept trying to coax her in under my breath. If she didn't come in the next couple of minutes it would be too late. Suddenly I heard a trig snap and looked below my treestand. There stood another doe. She walked up into my shooting lane to almost the exact spot the first doe stood. I drew back and released sending another Rocket Broadhead on it's way to do my deed. This doe ran to the west towards the residential area. Now I was praying that she wouldn't leave my sight.

This time my prayers were answered. I heard her gurgle and she dropped. The chorus of deer snorts around me started again as I climbed out of my stand. At this point I had one arrow left and I was starting to fear all of these deer. It seemed I was surrounded. I shook the feeling quickly and walked over to my arrow. Again the Rocket broadheads had done their job. This time I didn't need to follow any blood trail. I walked the twenty yards to the doe and dragged her to my tree. I then retrieved the other doe. Now I was wondering how I was going to get those deer out of the timber by myself.

I knew of another bowhunter hunting north of me. I started the walk out and met him on the trail. He had also shot a big doe and was looking for help. Now we had three deer in the timber. It was looking like a long night. I drove to a location where I knew of other bowhunters close by and two volunteered to help. Now that is more like it!

We were out of the woods by 10:00pm with three deer, four hunters, my Rapid Rails and trusted Rocket broadheads. In hunting one morning and evening I saw 30 deer. Even though none were bucks, I had a thrilling hunt that will stay with me forever. Who says September hunts can't be fun. I have two doe tags left and after I am done processing these two deer I just may go back and see if there are any deer left. I think there are a few.

And this time, I think I will bring enough arrows loaded with some of those Rocket Broadheads!

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