Doe # 2 down

[DaveHawk]

Put Doe # 2 down this morning in Va. 7 yard shot she went 35 yards. These deer were picking me up walk around the lake and through the woods so I tricked them up with a short canoe trip which took me to with in 40 yards of my stand.
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc291/DHHawk/CIMG0213.jpg
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc291/DHHawk/CIMG0214.jpg

[ncboman]

congrats.

looks like you're still dry. :D

[My buddy]

Good work Dave.

I especially like the deer legs reaching skyward in the canoe photo.:)

As long as I've known you I think this is the longest it's taken you to fill a second tag. I think most years it has happened within the first week. You waiting for a big one?

I also like how your bow is still cocked. To me it just shows that you never stop hunting, even after success.

That bottom photo for some reason it looks like you're using the space shuttle for a hunting vehicle.

BTW, you look a little thinner and in better shape, you been working out?

[DaveHawk]

4 or 5 miles on the tread mill and walking allot at the farm. But I think that will stop. LOL
I saw a fresh rut that was not there last week so next weekend I will be back down there.
I'm just taking it slow. Enjoying the hunt and getting a fix on a different part of the farm.
When ML season comes I am looking to take a few from this 20 Buck Wheat field and then for shot gun the owner wants me to remove a mess of doe's. Been seeing 50-60 deer coming in late to this field. So he is going to plant Buck Wheat in a back field which is about 20 acres that the deer come to much earlier.

I've had the opportunity to take the unexpected shot before.

[GF.]

You really gotta stop risking those long shots, Dave..... :D

So straighten me out here... were they crossing your trail in to the stand and then detouring around you? Pretty sneaky to come in across the water like that. Save a heap o' trouble on the drag out, too, I'd imagine.

Sure wish I had my old canoe out here. I think it's been sleeping under the same tree for 12 years now, right where I left it behind my folks' place. I figure as long as it's not doing anybody any good in the mountains, I could turn it into my duck boat out here and maybe get the shotgun out of its case again - not that it's much of a waterfowler.... Perfectly good little 20ga. Ruger O/U skeet gun, though. Nice to have in the grouse woods, but we don't have any grouse in CT any more because the damn deer ate all the groundcover and all the bird food :mad:

[Bushman]

Congrats Dave, do you need to case your crossbow in a vehicle? They are pretty strict about that kind of thing in WI. A buddy of mine got hooked by the warden for having the zipper on his case a couple of inches open on an unloaded gun in his car! Amazing how laws vary from state to state.

[dave-t.]

Cool hunt, and nice scenery Dave.

It is fun to figure out where they are busting you and get a solid fix on a solution. Great job.

[DaveHawk]

here is the Lake and a description of the area. From the beach to the other side and straight up the hill to the green dot. The deer walk horizontal to the lake. The area to the left of the stand is now about 10 years of over growth from clear cutting so it's thick un huntable. This is the bedding area. I'm about 30 yards from the main exit of the bedding area and at the jointing trail to the pines. The other green dots are stand sights that we have taken deer with ML's BTW this is awesome for turkey, Big one's have been taken from the fields and hard woods. Whats really nice Is I am the only hunters beside the owner when he is in Town.
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc291/DHHawk/grovsfarm-1.jpg

[ncboman]

Nothing wakes you up like getting on the water first thing. :cool:

[GF.]

Man..... If it's a choice between a 100-yard paddle or three times the distance over land, you'd never have caught me walking in in the first place :D

I like taking the most direct route possible to get to a stand, because I'm always concerned about how much ruckus I raise and how much scent I lay down. But given your tendency to fill tags, having a passenger in the canoe on the way out just seems a lot more sensible than a quarter-mile drag no matter how easy the walk in or out.

I don't mind working for 'em, but it's only fun doing it 'the hard way' up to the time when you punch the tag. After that, I get in touch with my inner couch-potato pretty quickly :D:D:D:D:D

[DaveHawk]

GF I have been wanting to put the canoe to work for the past 2 years. After I walked in 3 times this year and I though I didn't leave a scent trail but every time the deer would enter the area they knew something was up even with the wind to there backs. This last time they had no clue so I know even being totally clean walking in rubber boots and not touching anything to leave scent was not working with these deer. Only after the shot did they realize the score but still had no clue where I was. The big Mama came back heading to the bedding area but stayed clear of the area I shot the doe in.

I put my son Jake there on Saturday afternoon and I'll paddle to the bedding area about 350 yards down the lake.

[dave-t.]

You have some good looking stand locations on that property Dave.

[Twanger]

That's cool Davehawk.
I've been wanting to paddle to an island in the middle of the Potomac you can hunt on for a lot of years but have just never done it.

[GF.]

What are you waiting for, man? Just imagine the peace and quiet you might find there!

[DaveHawk]

GF one cold morning years back in Early Jan, buddy and I went out on the river to ML hunt. Andy is 6'6" 280 then and in the front. I told him to watch for rocks but just about then as we were angling up across the river Rock ! Yep we went over. I tried my best to keep from going in but to my surprise the water was only about 2'5" deep. We righted the canoe and went home LOL. Just about the only time I ever went in like that.

Walt I'll do a river hunt with you one day.

[Twanger]

Walt I'll do a river hunt with you one day.
careful Dave - I just might hold you to that. It might make a good muzzleloader hunt!

[GF.]

Oh, now there's a great plan..... Wait 'til the water's cold enough to kill ya real quick! :rolleyes:


You're some kind o' glutton for punishment, aren't you, Walt? :D:D:D:D:D

[DaveHawk]

It gets cold GF. I'll let Walt take the front. LOL

GF hunting the islands is great fun. You do stalks cause the largest island is 3 miles by 500 yards.