A Weekend Full of Hunting/the Dirty Duo/Feeding Wild Dogs..

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Friday afternoon found meself sitting in stand location # 8 a great evening for a hunt. I saw 4 doe although they came out right at dusk. The only one that was a taker sat 20yrds to the west of me in too think a place to get a good shot off. I waited till dark then came down and out.


Saturday morning I was sitting in stand #3 @ 5:30 am, a great set up in a natural funnel between a corn field, a large grass area, and a bean field. This area is actually sunken, like a snowboarders bowl. If you were walking on the edge of the woods you could look in, there could be a buck right in front of you and you couldn't tell unless you actually walked in 10yrds and looked down. I get set up, settle in, waiting for twilight to come. Around 6:45am a barred owl comes in to check me out...and I mean close. He buzzes me a couple times before I get another arrow out of me quiver to swat at his suicidal ass. WTF....I've heard of hunger but I'm the one on top the fucking food chain in these woods, and I'll bat your ass right out of the air:) This went on for about 10mins I would stand up and spot him with my light, and he just fly around to another tree. Crazy shit I tell ya:) Not long after that the construction workers for the new Ankeny Water Plant started to come too work. Shit could it get any worse? Now I have trucks driving by, I new they worked in the area just didn't think they worked the weekends. I didn't see any deer within shooting range but I did spot a few coming in from the corn, and running across the grass field. None of them were bucks.

Out of the stand at 8:45am and heading too the Dirty Duo so I could help out at the transition area. Was a great day for the race and lots of mates showed up for the second annual running of the Duo. Hung out and watched till everybody was done. Home bound after a couple drinks at Sully's with Hanser, Sammy, Crash and Anker.

Sunday morning I thought I would hunt stand #5, same area as #3 just 150yrds north. Set up early to a perfect morning. One little basket buck came in to bed at 35yrds around 7:10am the little fucker hung out for 2.5hrs before moving on so I could get down. I saw no other deer this morning.



Monday evening I went too stand #6, didn't really get set up in the area I wanted too so I was pissy to say thee least. I thought about coming down at 4pm, the wind was blowing a good 30mph, my tree was swaying me almost to sleep....just not a good afternoon. But that changed real fast, all the action started at 4:15pm. I first saw a couple doe's feeding in the thickets that I had wanted to set up in. Shortly after them came a couple bucks on the same trail...they were little ones but none the less its always good to see deer:) At 4:45 a couple more doe's came out and were heading out towards my stand. The biggest doe was heading straight into a 40yrd shooting lane and I was going to take the shot. The hard part was timing the swaying of my tree...40yrds is no easy shot, add the tree movement and I need a little luck to help me out:) I shot her at 4:57pm, the shot was perfect.....but at 40yrds it's tough to tell exact arrow placement as everything happens so fast, its getting darker out, making it tough to see so I kinda second guessed my shot thinking I may have hit her a little high. I waited 15mins before getting down and going to look for a blood trail. Upon getting down too the ground, I was dicking around with my stand when I looked over to see a nice buck just 30yrds away not even paying any attention to me and all my movement....damn it! Too dark to get a good shot off....oh well...let him pass and I go look for blood. My litte LED light just wasn't enough light...I couldn't find any blood with it being so dark....so I decided to leave (as we hunters do every now and then) and come back in the morning and pick up the trail to find her. The only risk in doing this are the Coyotes...in the 9yrs I've been hunting this public ground I've only seen one. I felt confident nothing would happen:) I get back on Tuesday morning and easily find the blood and half of my arrow.


Marking the area of blood with the busted arrow, I happen too look up and 60yrds away stands a very nice buck... the biggest I've seen this year in this area. I'll tell ya straight up I'm not much into stalk hunting....I really don't like to shot from the ground as my judgement of yardage is ALWAYS off. But hey he's fucking huge and I can come back to finding the doe:) Stalk is ON....I crept up 20yrds closer and crouched behind a good size tree....holy shit he's turned and heading straight towards me......I wait for him to be blocked by the tree and draw.....once again every time I'm on the ground and think everything is perfect something fucks it up. He's not emurged to the other side yet...WTF....my arm is starting to get the shakes from holding the bow string back......I decide to peak....he's turned.....something has spooked him....shit.....I quickly possition myself to the other side of the tree and try a shot as he's walking away and I can't hold my draw any longer.....fuck.....right over his back.....damn it:) He just walked away like nothing happened which is a good sign he'll be back:) I get up and go too try and find my arrow....yeah right.....shooting from the ground rarely do you find your arrow when you miss as its way the fuck out there:( Not 20yrds from the tree I spot what I suspect is my doe.....tore up by coyotes...son of a bitch.....but once again thats the risk you take leaving your food out all night in the woods.


While looking for my arrow I hear some commotion near by....I look to see and all be damned here comes wilely fucking coyotee back for some more of my doe.....I quickly knock an arrow thinking I'll get a shot......he's at 20yrds not even paying attention to me.....but he's covered by low shrubs....I can't get a clean shot....then he just turns and walks away.....good thing or I'd a been flying his tail from my hitch:) Back at the doe, not being able to find my arrow from shooting at the buck. I pull whats left of my busted arrow out, retrieve my broadhead and walk out of the woods a little pissed, a little disappionted, but hey its bow hunting and thats the way it goes:)
I found a good tree in the spot where the big boy was shot at....calling it stand #9 and hunting there tonight:)

No that isn't me, just a photo of me new climbing tree stand, hence why I can have so many stand locations:)


Peace