My hunting season has ended.

[cynthialee]

Deer 3 Cyndi 0
Third year in a row I got skunked.

No venison in my freezer this year.
I did get to hone my sneak up on deer skills. My shoulder the rifle without drawing deer attention skills are well polished. I have the quiet hammer cock down to a science with the Hawken.
I counted coup on no less than 10 deer. 5 today. One doe I could have shot her almost every day of the season, snuck up on her a few times just for the practice.
This evening I had a large number of deer pass no more than 15 yards from my impromptu blind. One I am sure was an antlered doe. Huge beast, probably the largest deer I have seen this year {excepting the mule deer doe I saw a few days ago} with a fawn puppy dogging it but this critter had a pair of tiny spike antlers smaller than what one would typically see on a spike buck. Also it was way too large to be a buck and not have a rack.

I was able to get out every day at least 2-6 hours, and only 2 of those days did I not see any deer at all.
Every day I did see deer I was close enough in most cases I could have shot them with a pistol and been sure of a kill. So I am definitely getting better at the sneaking around and stalking parts. Now if I could just nail down the finding a legal buck part of the equation I'll be in business!

 

[BrownBear]

Every day I did see deer I was close enough in most cases I could have shot them with a pistol and been sure of a kill. So I am definitely getting better at the sneaking around and stalking parts. Now if I could just nail down the finding a legal buck part of the equation I'll be in business!

Sounds like a great season and lots of fun. Congratulations, even without venison in the freezer! :hatsoff:

 

[Britsmoothy]

We'll done Cynthia. You was outside and your heart was a pumping lady no doubt a few times :hatsoff:

B.

 

[jamesthomas]

Oh well, At least you had deer to see, try going the season and not seeing hide nor hair of one. Down here the deer will go nocturnal about a week after the season opens and the only time you will (maybe) see one is late in the evening about 30min. till the sun down.

 

[Patocazador]

Personally, I can sit in the woods almost any day I want to but I really like eating venison.
I'm glad you enjoyed your hunt but an empty freezer is a bummer.

I would have had a tough time not shooting an antlered doe if I saw one with legal antlers. Certainly is much rarer than a spike buck.

At least now you know where not to hunt for next year unless you can hunt during the rut.

 

[longcruise]

I too did catch and release deer hunting this year! Let a few know that I coulda had them but left them to ponder their new life lessons.

 

[cynthialee]

I too did catch and release deer hunting this year! Let a few know that I coulda had them but left them to ponder their new life lessons.

It is kinda fun isn't it?
I always talk smack to them after I know I could have had them and tell them they need to smarten up.
Funny thing is they often will just stand there staring at you the entire time you are talking to them.

The antlered doe was not legal...4 point or better in my game management unit. And even if she was legal, I wouldn't shoot a deer that is raising a fawn. Now if there was no fawn in the picture and it was legal to shoot any antlered ...BANG!

 

[cynthialee]

Joke told to me today:
I understand beer nuts are up to $1.50 whereas deer nuts are under a buck.

 

[silly goose]

A long time ago I used to "play" with deer that I didn't want to shoot. Then I learned that I was spooking deer that were observing my "play" from a distance. No better decoy than a live deer, leave them be, and keep your eyes open.

 

[robinsroost]

Cynthia, That is why they call it hunting, not shooting, because nothing is guaranteed. I guess I am lucky because the limit on does, in my county, is three per day. Still, I wouldn't take more than one, that's all my wife and I can eat, til' next season. My problem, this year, will likely be the ability to go, due to my health. I won't have to go far, I own 27 acres of woods, out my back door, that are full of deer, wild turkeys, squirrels and quail. Keep yer powder dry......Robin

 

[Spikebuck]

And even if she was legal, I wouldn't shoot a deer that is raising a fawn. Now if there was no fawn in the picture and it was legal to shoot any antlered ...BANG!

First, congratulations on a good effort and what is really a good hunt. If you're seeing deer and enjoying it, it's a good hunt!

Regarding "raising a fawn"...they are done raising the fawn and those fawns are perfectly fine without mama this time of year. When the rut starts and she's going into heat, she'll kick the fawn out anyway and it will be on its own until after the rut is over and the "doe group" joins up again. That said, you may still choose to pass on does with fawns and that is a personal choice, but passing or not won't have an impact on the fawn.

 

[cynthialee]

huh,
Thanks Spikebuck. That does change the equation for me in the grand scheme of things.

 

[Brokennock]

Sounds like a great season to me. Seeing and getting closes to deer means your doing something right, not your fault does are no-shoot in your area, and it's always enjoyable. I also don't "play" with them, no sense educating them.
Can you get out after small game for the rest of the fall? It's still good practice and you can still stalk deer if you see them. Plus, while you're out you can be scouting for next deer season.

 

[cynthialee]

Today I remember to fire and clean my Hawken.
Fired perfectly on the hammer drop and hit my target.

 

[necchi]

huh,
Thanks Spikebuck. That does change the equation for me in the grand scheme of things.

I was going to say that earlier but Spikebuck said it so much better.
It is a personal call of course. But many bow hunters have watched Mama Deer kicking said "fawn" in the head in early September trying to keep it away from the now dry and sore teats. Some of those fawns can be very persistent and get some pretty solid hits before they get the hint that the free dinner is over.
They do fine on their own from that point forward.
Really.

 

[Roguedog]

I agree, fawns this time of year typically have good size and do just fine without mama. As for me, I'm more sentimental these days and will usually let the doe and her self sufficient fawn go without shooting. Now, if I really needed the meat that would be a different story. But this time of year I don't sweat it. I know I'm probably going to kill a few deer with my muzzeleloader later in the season. For the record, I don't think any less of someone just because they don't make the same decisions I do. Many times doing things differently from me is a very good thing!

Jeff

 

[Idaho Ron]

Here in Idaho we can only get one tag. A guy can buy a second unused nonresident tag for 200 dollars but I don't. We have a little different thing going on here. We have a migration that can push deer up to and over 100 miles. Fawns kind of need mom to show them the way out of the high country but they do follow others I am sure. In my opinion I would rather my self shoot a yearling doe than a small buck. But that also changes with the hunt area. Some of our areas are over hunted and young bucks are all there is. So Cynthia I will say do what feels right to you. If you take a doe it will be fine. Especially if it is your first. To get better you have to get-r-done. Sounds like you had fun. If you shoot a fat doe for the table no one here will look down on you. Ron

 

[PaulN/KS]

A fat doe is better eatin' than any old rutting buck.
Better luck next year. :hatsoff:

 

[Grumpa]

You had a good season, lots of time afield, and seeing game.
Nothing wrong with shooting a doe. Mighty good eating. I have antlers in the cellar, but I've never found a good recipe for them.
Here in PA, I usually get 3 antlerless tags, mostly so I can hunt in different Wildlife Management Units. Sometimes go for years without seeing a legal buck, then run the risk of losing it while your counting points to satisfy the stupid legal requirements. And I live in Allegheny County, where we have the biggest bucks in the state - but they camp out in people's yards, mere feet from the house. My daughter gets 4 big buck in her yard regularly, no more than 20
feet from the house. Been pricing silencers lately. :haha: :slap: Enough of my ranting.

 

[Patocazador]

I started killing does when our old hunting lease was issued 100 doe tags and we were "told" to fill them by the local LEO. We shot all kinds of anterless deer, some of which turned out to be bucks with 1" tall antler bases and that's it. These bucks were usually 2 1/2 or older. The yearling non-spotted fawns were all over the place 2 months later doing just fine and each succeeding year there were still a bunch of does. It didn't hurt the herd at all and helped intensify the rut so we saw better trophy bucks too.