On my way up to the stand, I noted two new scrapes. I had previously made one near my stand. I was encouraged by this new activity despite the site work above. So I sat up in my tree for about four hours, before I took a break for a bite to eat. I slowing walked back down to my house. Less than a tenth of a mile I think. I spent about a half hour, tending to my dog, and getting a snack. Then I returned to my stand, noting fresh deer skat along the way. I knew they (the deer of course) where there, presumably watching my every move. I could just sense it. As I got closer, I heard the very disappointing sound of a chainsaw. The chainsaw was not above me, but closer to my stand! I thought surely I'd been discovered and the oak was being cut right then. Thankfully, the logger was not at my stand, but well below. Nevertheless, I decided this day of hunting was a wash. So, I took my stand down. First the stand, then the climbing sticks. The logger, drove his skidder up near me when he noticed me. He told me he did not see my stand. I said, "I guess it was a good stand then". He told me not to be discouraged by the noise and his presence there. He explained that he was a hunter also, that the noise and smells of heavy equipment would be good cover for m. I just thought to myself, "whatever". I thanked him, and lugged the stand back toward home. I left the climbing sticks there, planning to drive up later and pick them up. By now it was after 3:00 p.m. I made my down the hill to an area just above my house. I set my stand down, and looked around for a new place to hang it. I decided to leave the stand there, and hang it again the next day. In the mean time, I set the stand down, and found a place to take a ground spot.
I had given maybe one call - no commercial calls, just me sqawking through my hands. About half an hour later. I hear that familiar sound. The funny thing about deer is, if you're in thick cover, you don't actually see them until they are right there in front of you. The doe came into view from north to south, broadside. I watched, took note of the perfect shot, but decided I wanted to wait for the buck that must be following. The doe came to a halt suddenly, catching my scent I assume. She turned around, and took a couple of leaps before stopping. The turned to the north, and sniffed the breeze which was in my favor at that point. Well, you know what they say about curiosity killing the cat? This time, curiosity was about to kill the deer. I had decided when I began this hunting thing, I would hunt only for bucks. Today, was different. The logger had said, "you can't eat horns" when I shared my interest in bucks. So I would take a shot at this doe, if she put herself in my sights. After a dance of stamping front feet, then moving, stamping, and once again placing her broadside to my crosshairs......pow! I was surprised to find no hesitation whatsoever in pulling the trigger. I had wondered if I would actually dare to kill a deer. Now, the second the muzzle flash was over, I knew I had made a good shot in the kill zone. But she didn't drop, she ran off though on a definite tack to the left, like it would not be long. I waited but a few minutes after collecting my things. I checked the spot where she had been. The blood was there, good. I could follow the blood trail, and find her. I had to find her, to make sure. I thought about how ashamed I would feel if I just left the deer out there dead or alive. Darkness was coming very fast now, and I would need to get more light to find her. I looked around until it was just pointless.
Back to the house. I decided to put Evvy(my lab) on a long line, and search for the doe. We followed the blood trail, with some good arterial blood spatter, eventually becoming just a drop here and there. The wind was still blowing hard, and Evvy had some trouble tracking when we got to close to the rim of a shallow ridge leading down to my house. But Evvy eventually did find the deer. I just stood and looked at it for a moment. I did that. Should I feel bad, good, exhilarated? Evvy growled at the dead deer lying there with a single shot, nearly perfectly placed. I supposed my first thought was, "how am I going to get this out of here?" With darkness all around, I knew the coyotes would come soon. I decided to try an field dress the deer there. I started, but I was making a mess of the deer without better light. So I decided to pull out my drag. I never imagined how hard that would be. This deer weighed as much as I do. At first I wasn't even sure how to put the drag on to the deer, and what about the head and neck? No clue, but I knew the head would be dragging on the ground. So it tightened this contraption on to the deer, and put the straps over my shoulders. Took a step, and fell right back on my rear end! Heavier than I thought. I started listing off the wish list of things that would really come in handy right now: an ATV, a deer cart, another person, better light, and a cold diet coke. But alas, none of those things were there, just me and Evvy. While Evvy was helpful at finding the deer, she was a horror while I dragged it foot by foot. Evvy pulled the deer's tail, as if we were playing "tug", her favorite game. I began to feel exasperated, but I would not be defeated by this challenge, and it WAS a challenge. I lost track of time, because I knew I would be out there until the job was done, period. I pulled, fell, pulled over stones and logs, stopped to breath. Then I heard them, the coyotes had arrived. I shone my flashlight into the darkness behind us, and saw the eye-shine. They were scurrying back and forth across the path. I decided we really had to hustle now. I was exhausted, every muscle in my body ached.
It felt like my black belt test in Tae Kwon Do, all over again. I just kept thinking, "just a little further, then she'll slide right down the hill to my footbridge, and into the yard." Little did I know Evvy had been lapping the blood coming from the deer. I had no idea how much she had consumed.
At last into the yard. I put everything down, and brought Evvy inside. Then I got a work light and hung it on my porch railing, shining directly down on the deer. I donned my rubber fishing bibs, muck boots, and shoulder length cleaning gloves. Oh and the wonderful "White Tail" skinning knife my sister got me following one of our B.O.W. weekends. I felt a bit macabre, kneeling out there in the dark under a work light, the woods were alive with creatures watching.
What a mess! I didn't find out until the next day on the way to the game check-in, that I was supposed to leave the heart, lungs, and liver in the carcass. The deer would weight nearly 20 pounds less. Oh well. I knew she weighed as much as I, but no more than that. I saved the heart, which by the way, I missed, and put it in the fridge for anyone who enjoys that part. I took my deer tag and covered it with clear shipping tape, so it would hold up in weather. I tied the tag on to the deer's ear. I rinsed out the carcass, and resolved to lift it into my truck bed. Fat chance! There was just no way I could lift the awkward, ungainly weight. I set it back down on the ground, and prayed the coyotes wouldn't come into the yard. I had taken the guts, and placed them back into the woods, hoping the coyotes, etc. would just go for that and not my deer.
I gave the deer an expression of gratitude, for her life. She was still lactating, there was a babe in the woods looking for her. I was alittle sad. On the other hand, her little one should be old enough to make it on his own by now. I pray that is so.
I left my bloody stuff outside to rinse later. I was drenched in sweat, thirsty, and hungry. I rattled off the next few tasks, as if running on autopilot: back inside, take a shower, go to bed, I would not do one other thing. Except there was Evvy. All the blood, and whatever else she ate, came up again, and again, on my carpet. I would still not be defeated, after all I had the next day off right? I cleaned up the smelly mess, and took Evvy back outside should she need to expel anything more. All she wanted to do was go back into the woods. I wouldn't have any of that. Back inside. I left all my hunting gear there on the kitchen floor, showered, brushed my teeth and went directly to bed. What a day, a day of challenges, and a supreme accomplishment for me - single handedly. I felt proud, the aches and pains would go away in a few days. The memory will last a life time.
This is me, and my doe the following morning. I hung the deer later with the help of my neighbor. She looked much larger hanging up.
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