First sit of the season

[McKenzie]

Saturday was the first day of the season that I was able to get away from the family and into the woods. I got up early and was set up in my climber by 6 am. I was quiet getting in and I had a good feeling about the day. I hunt on public access property and I was set up in the same tree that I have had success in the last couple years. It was quiet in the forest other than the echoing blasts of waterfowl hunters unloading on incoming flocks of geese and ducks nearby. The blasts continued from first light until about 8:30. From the number of shots I heard I assume they only stopped because they had reached their limit.

Once the shooting stopped the forest was still for what seemed like hours but in reality was only about 30 minutes. The silence broken by the sound of a snapped twig behind me. I slowly turned my head and standing on one of the access trails 15 yards from me were 3 does and a fork buck. They had big bodies and looked very healthy. I didn't want to move because they were facing my direction, but I wasn't sure if they would continue my way or take the trail. I decided to wait to see what they would do before I made any attempts to put the sights on them. Sure enough the lead doe started walking my way. She took 3 strides towards my shooting lane. She was now 10 yards away. My heart started to race as the anticipation of the trigger pull was building. I could feel it was going to work out perfectly... Then she perked her head up and in an instant she turned and bound back in the direction they came from, with the other deer right behind her. My heart sank. I didn't know what had happened. Did they get my scent? Did I make a subtle movement? Could they hear my heart beating out of my chest? All of these questioned ran through my head over the next 60 seconds as I sat in the tree, blankly starring in the direction where they disappeared... Then I saw him, slowly walking along the same trail that the deer were on when I first noticed them, completely oblivious to the scenario that had just transpired a minute earlier. It was another hunter. He walked by me completely unaware of my presence. Normally I would make a gesture to another hunter who has crossed my path, just to make them aware of my presence, but I was still in shock about the whole situation. And then 30 minutes later he walked past me once again and left on the same trail he came on. He wasn't moving slow enough to be still hunting yet he didn't have enough time to set up anywhere. It was almost like he was just out for a hike with his cross bow.

And that is the downside to hunting on public access property. Hopefully my next sit in a couple weeks will have a different outcome.

[ride.lift.shoot]

I too hunt public, and that can be frustrating. Whenever I see a hiker, hunter, or dog walker I always try to remember they could have just as easily bumped a deer towards me, as they may have bumped one away. That's an easy thought to process when you don't have a deer in front of you, obviously your case is a little different.