I went out yesterday hoping to get a good eating doe for the freezer and canning. I had gotten a buck during Illinois first firearm season but like to get two deer a year to allow us to eat plenty , put some up, and share with friends. I decided to hunt a spot on our land that has been good over the years for second season. I am the 7th generation on this land and have hunted it for many years. What looks like a patch of scrub timber and fields is a living thing to me. It gives us food, entertainment, and spiritual nutrition. I got the climber strapped on and secured and waited for daylight. Here is the view from the stand.
The turkey that roost in our woods began the morning discussion about who was going to fly down first and check for coyotes. Turkey politics involves a lot of discussion and takes a while so it was pretty noisy. Mrs. Thumbcocker had gotten me a set of electronic hearing protectors because my right ear is still ringing after shooting the buck the weekend before Thanksgiving. I turned around to see if eh noise behind me was a squirrel or a deer. Around 7:00 I heard steps in the leave to my left. The electronic muffs help with sound but you can't always tell which direction it is coming from. 4 does came up the draw to my left. One stopped facing toward me. I could tell that she was a mature doe. I wasn't able to use anything for a rest so I shot from a sitting position with a two handed hold. I was holding on her chest but the sights crept up a little just as I started the squeeze. I had a very good sight picture so I went ahead and followed through. She dropped at the shot. Another doe turned broadside and I could have shot her but we had all the meat we needed for the year. I yelled at the second doe to leave and started down the tree. When I got to the doe I shot she was still alive, the shot had taken her in the center of neck above the chest. I shot her again in the heart and talked to her to help her die as best I could. Here she is.
If you wonder why we call them longheads this kind of explains it.
I was by myself so I made one trip to where the edge of the field meets the woods carrying my climbing stand, heavy coat, and possibles bag. I drug her out in stages. I had to go up and down two hills and across a small dry creek. Not complaining I'm a big boy and knew what I was signing up for when I dropped the hammer. I drug her out in 4 pulls and then went to get the truck. I loaded her and took her in to the processor.
The shot was 48 yards according to the rangefinder standing next to her and ranging the tree I was in. The load was the same one I have used the last several years NOE Ranchdog 265RNFP cast of WDWW and loaded over 22.0 0f 296. Starline brass and Russian primers. Lube was Ben's red. Nothing especially exciting or fancy just a proven load that works. I have never chronoaphed the load and don't really care what speed it is going.
My 2017 deer season is done. We will can a bunch of stew meat, have plenty of steaks and backstrap, and plenty to share with friends. Definitely a good year.
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ammohead
I had to laugh about the turkeys. Yesterday morning, once it got light, I shifted in the stand and I got reprimanded from 15 feet over my head and then she shook the tree blasting out to fly 100 yards and start calling assembly.
