Well, I spent the first week with the gang hunting in our usual spot between Brockville and Smiths Falls. We hunted hard, and didn't see a frikken thing!
I was distraught to say the least. We always pull deer out of there??
Day 1
I decided to hunt close to home. (South of Ottawa) I've never hunted there before so I checked the regs...no rifles, CRAP! Me with no slugs either. So I took the bow out. I was hunting on a trail/cart path - public access property. I found a suitable spot and did some calling. After my first few grunts, I get a response from a buck about 200 yards back in some harwood bush. He came crashing through the bush like it was the main event!! Grunting all the way!! Never in my life have I heard anything like it!! He ended up coming out on the trail and walking right towards me. He got within 60 yards and got a "bad feeling". He sensed/smelled my presense. I had no shot with the compound so I just watched him prance off into the woods.
After the first week of nothing, this was a welcome experience, nonetheless I had to go to C-Tire and pick up some slugs, and then book a couple more days off. DONE!!
Day 2 : I head out for an evening hunt, same spot but this time I'm armed with some firepower. I give out my enormous grunts and play the waiting game. 10 minutes go by and one walks out on the trail!! It's a doe! D'OH!!! Me with no doe tag. &$#@%?! So, I watch her walk around and then dissolve into the forest. Hey....at least I'm seeing some animals!!
Day 3 : The Main Event. 6am, I've got the quad parked, my face painted, and my scent stabelized. Off I go down my trail, same spot obviously...why change a good thing. It's cold, there's snow and tracks on the trail.
I sit in my spot, wait for about an hour and give out a couple grunts. About 10 min later, I'm getting too cold. JUST about to get up and THEN, 80 yards off I see a small tree top going berzerk! "There's a buck over there...oooh...and he's randy!!" I stay put and wait. Not a minute later he comes walking right across the trail. (About 80 yards) I have no shot as I had a brush pile in front of me, and just didn't feel comfortable. So I wait. He continues into the woods and out of site. Not a minute later, directly behind me "CRASH!!" WTF?? I get up and look around the tree I'm sitting against and there he is...60 yards away and scappin to beat hell with a buck of equal size!! This is too much!! I could have walked up to them and they wouldn't have known/cared or paid attention for that matter. I decided to watch them, which I did, for about 2 minutes.
Finally they get in a spot where I have a shot and there's no obstructions. I take my shot (at the winning animal). Shoulder...he goes down immediately. Ya...so does the other one because their antlers are locked!!! I walk right up to them and the one is going ape$hit trying to get untangled. I'm thinking to myself, "how the hell am I going to unhook these things??" I wait and he manages to bust loose and takes off. Mind you, he only went about 40 yards and stopped, turned around and just watched me for a while.
I'm not sure if he was just overly curious as to what had just happed, or if he felt thankful that I helped him out of the losing battle and he was free to go get a poke at the doe that was standing about 150 yards from us in a field!!
To date, this has been the most exciting adventure in all my days hunting...I had to share it!!
I was distraught to say the least. We always pull deer out of there??
Day 1
I decided to hunt close to home. (South of Ottawa) I've never hunted there before so I checked the regs...no rifles, CRAP! Me with no slugs either. So I took the bow out. I was hunting on a trail/cart path - public access property. I found a suitable spot and did some calling. After my first few grunts, I get a response from a buck about 200 yards back in some harwood bush. He came crashing through the bush like it was the main event!! Grunting all the way!! Never in my life have I heard anything like it!! He ended up coming out on the trail and walking right towards me. He got within 60 yards and got a "bad feeling". He sensed/smelled my presense. I had no shot with the compound so I just watched him prance off into the woods.
After the first week of nothing, this was a welcome experience, nonetheless I had to go to C-Tire and pick up some slugs, and then book a couple more days off. DONE!!
Day 2 : I head out for an evening hunt, same spot but this time I'm armed with some firepower. I give out my enormous grunts and play the waiting game. 10 minutes go by and one walks out on the trail!! It's a doe! D'OH!!! Me with no doe tag. &$#@%?! So, I watch her walk around and then dissolve into the forest. Hey....at least I'm seeing some animals!!
Day 3 : The Main Event. 6am, I've got the quad parked, my face painted, and my scent stabelized. Off I go down my trail, same spot obviously...why change a good thing. It's cold, there's snow and tracks on the trail.
I sit in my spot, wait for about an hour and give out a couple grunts. About 10 min later, I'm getting too cold. JUST about to get up and THEN, 80 yards off I see a small tree top going berzerk! "There's a buck over there...oooh...and he's randy!!" I stay put and wait. Not a minute later he comes walking right across the trail. (About 80 yards) I have no shot as I had a brush pile in front of me, and just didn't feel comfortable. So I wait. He continues into the woods and out of site. Not a minute later, directly behind me "CRASH!!" WTF?? I get up and look around the tree I'm sitting against and there he is...60 yards away and scappin to beat hell with a buck of equal size!! This is too much!! I could have walked up to them and they wouldn't have known/cared or paid attention for that matter. I decided to watch them, which I did, for about 2 minutes.
Finally they get in a spot where I have a shot and there's no obstructions. I take my shot (at the winning animal). Shoulder...he goes down immediately. Ya...so does the other one because their antlers are locked!!! I walk right up to them and the one is going ape$hit trying to get untangled. I'm thinking to myself, "how the hell am I going to unhook these things??" I wait and he manages to bust loose and takes off. Mind you, he only went about 40 yards and stopped, turned around and just watched me for a while.
I'm not sure if he was just overly curious as to what had just happed, or if he felt thankful that I helped him out of the losing battle and he was free to go get a poke at the doe that was standing about 150 yards from us in a field!!
To date, this has been the most exciting adventure in all my days hunting...I had to share it!!
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