First Day / First Deer

I'm lucky enough to say I got my first deer on the first day of the early doe season.  I hope this is a sign of how good of a year it is going to be.  My early success may be due to the time I put in watching trail cams and putting out bait, or it may be due to my lucky picture that Chad made me back in the day (I shared this picture with all of you in an earlier post), but I'm sure it was by the grace of God that I got to harvest this beautiful deer.

I got home from work on Thursday, Sept. 15 and hurried to get out in the woods.  I got to my stand around 4:30 pm, which I thought was plenty early, but the deer were already there.  All I heard was deer running and snorting as I entered the woods behind my house.  As any hunter knows this is a very disheartening feeling.

Since I was there so early I had hope they would come back or others would show up, and they did.  I had a fawn come around and hang out for about 45 minutes on the bait pile and then around 7:50 pm the rest of the crew showed up.  There was one deer that was considerably larger than the rest and this is the one I had my sights on.

I attempted to draw my bow and at the exact time the trail cam flashed and the deer spooked (see picture below).  I was in full draw thinking that I had lost my opportunity, but thankfully the deered turned right back toward the bait pile, and while I held my bow at full draw for what seemed like five minutes, the doe presented me with a 20 yard shot that I couldn't pass up.

I let the arrow fly and everything went beautifully.  The luminock lit up the poorly lit woods and flew right where it needed to.  I instantly got out of my stand, knowing I had a good hit on the deer, and went to get my tracking partner, Rogue.  Thanks to Rogues Keen senses and phanominal tracking skills we found the deer about 60 yards away in the creek bottom. 

Thanks to Rogue, Burt Coyote Lumincok, Muzzy bad to the bone Broadheads, Carbon Express Arrows, and Hoyt Ultra Tech.