End of Year Hunt...

[HuntnCarve]

I went down to my Ol Buddy Dave's place two days ago to do a little doe hunting.  A small group of us headed to the property where I had got my buck back in the Fall.   I set up in a ladder stand that over looked a wooded funnel that drops down to the river. 
Dave and his nephew pushed a section of woods towards us standers.  It was not long before I saw a group of doe's approaching (8 in the bunch).  They initially stuck to the ridge just out of range.  But then turned and came right at me, stopping at the brush pile (20 yards away) seen in the photo.



I had the crossbow up and was watching them through the scope, when a big doe skirted out to the side and stopped quartering towards me.  I placed the crosshair on the front of her chest and touched off the shot.  My Excalibur Matrix 405 launches bolts at over 400 Fps, so the bolt plowed completely through her in a millisecond.  Her and another doe, wheeled around and head directly down the hill side away from me.  The rest of the group took off up the ridge.
In the meantime, quick thinking Dave,  having finished the drive, hopped up into the ladder stand I had taken my buck from in the general direction the six doe's had gone.  Minutes later his nephew Dan working the ridge line, pushed the group Dave's way.  Dan hollered up to me my doe was laying dead down on the hillside 60 yards below me.  He continued on, now angling up towards Dave.
Later on I learned that Dave had a Pie bald 6 pt and two doe walk right under him.  His buck tag having already been filled previously in the season, he could only wait until one of the doe's presented him with a shot.  That came a few seconds later, when he drilled a big doe. 
Here's a photo of that outcome.  Ol Dave busy at work...



Here's a photo of me with my doe. 



It was a great way to end the 2014 Hunting year!

Post note:

Later that afternoon Dave and I (now drivers) pushed a section of thick woods towards three of our hunters.  Without a word of a lie, I literally watched 30 deer moving out in front of Dave and me, headed right towards our standers.  I saw at least three nice bucks in the group.  At the end of the drive one of our fellows managed to take a 7pt, and a doe out of the drive.  An unbelievable day to say the least!

HuntnCarve
Dave

[JohnP]

Sounds like a fun day and a lot of good venison. 

[Okanagan]

Enjoyed the story and pics.  Wish I could join you. I'd be glad to merely be a driver.  What beautiful country to hunt.

Makes me hungry enough to go fix some venison breakfast steaks with eggs. 

[HuntnCarve]

John/ Clyde, it was a really good day spent with some dear friends.  Wish you could have joined us.  I got to admit, I feel the aches and pains from dragging out deer.   I told young Dan  that he was a God send once again, helping me drag that doe out from a blow down to dress out.  He helped me last year, dragging my buck 1/4 mile.  I've known him since birth, and watched him grow up into a fine young man.  - I know you fellas know the feeling of watching youngsters grow up with a love for the outdoors.  It truly warms the heart as the years roll by oh so quickly...

I ended up trying something new with the odds and ends of this deers butchering.  I made 10 Lbs of loose venison sausage, pressing it into 1/4Lb  patties.  My daughter fried up a test patty.  Wow!  It was really good.  If I get a chance to fill another tag, I believe I'll make up some more.

[Hawks Feather]

The thought of having to drag a deer out is what is keeping me out of the woods right now.  Congrats on the day's hunting.  Looks like a good time.

Jerry

[riverboss]

Heck any more just dragging my self out of the woods is a chore! Congrats on the doe and teaching that young man how to provide for himself.

[FinsnFur]

Friends, decent weather, good hunting and meat on the ground. Nuff said

Congrats on the nice doe How many spotters/shooters did ya have when the 30 deer got pushed out?

[HuntnCarve]

Jim, there were 3 standers, all with bows.  Dave and I did the driving.  It was a good day to be a driver, as the temps were on the low side. 

[coyote101]

Congratulations Dave.  Looks like it was another great day in the woods. 

Pat

[FOsteology]

Nice way to end the year!

[possumal]

Quality time outdoors with friends is good stuff, especially when you gather up that much venison too. 

[Dave]

It was fun and thrown together at the last minute.  I told Dave to come down around 9 am and we'd be done by 2.  We went til almost dark (about 4 pm), and then Dave had to deal with his doe - skin and quarter it - before heading home.  My day wasn't quite over as I had to head back out to help Jeff retrieve robo-buck (that's a whole nother story).

Now I didn't tell him this beforehand, but my son, Dante, and his friend restored the 12 foot johnboat pictured below.  Jeff, who is 6'4" and goes about 250 was unknowingly taking her on her maiden voyage (I honestly forgot about the boys doing anything to it as it was a quick solution when we figured the 16' canoe was too big for the back of the pick up truck).  Anyway, I elected to stay ashore ready to call water-rescue.    

We slipped the boat into the small, 1/4 acre pond, and I listened to him cut his way through the thin film of ice that had formed on the pond since late afternoon.  This is the only pic I got with my phone as he was trying to drag it back to shore.



It was a long assed day.
And yes, the boat was water tight!!  Good job, boys!

Oh yeah, I'd also like to just say thanks to HnC for shooting straight.   

[Okanagan]

Wow!  That pic, in the dark, in the water in an ice breaker boat says a LOT.

Sounds like a fun hunt but exhausting and cold.  Getting game usually makes a longer day out of it than planned!

[FinsnFur]

Hey ya got the deer back  Nicely done