Work hasn't afforded much hunting this fall, but this week something even worse happened to get my mind off work. We lost a deer friend. We took some time for his family, also deer friends. Yesterday I needed to get outside. I wanted to check on those islands in the marsh. At 1pm I jumped in the canoe and paddled to the third lake back in a 20mph wind.
The area across the lake from me was opened to archery hunting last year, but has been a county park for the last 10 or so years, so I know the trails and lay of the land well, but only recently have I begun to unravel the marsh. These cattails are expansive and I have not figured out all the ways through. I have found some very deep spots in those cattails though during some failed attempts to navigate.
So I was out to try to get on these islands again.
here is a couple pics from a summer trip
with a WSW wind I came around to the north side of the first. Slinking through the cattails on the humps with my paddle in one hand and my xbow in the other. When I got on the first one, I thought to myself these deer have never been approached this way. Being the impatient hunter I am this was a "scouting "mission with a drawn xbow, I was after deer after all this effort. I crept along when the wind gusted . Finally I started to see trails, beds, then a gut pile and two treestands. Someone or more had been in here already. So I studied the area carefully and got back in the canoe.
On the way back I wanted to check on the other island, scout it and head back.
Here is a pic of this island this summer
I thought I was making too much noise, but I just wanted to access this island and check for activity. So I just had my paddle in my hands to assist in the somewhat short 30 to 40 yard test run. With about 5 yards of cattails left I look across the island and a buck is taking a poop. I ducked down and started saying oh poop, oh poop, (only I wans't saying poop) I got back to the canoe as quickly as I could changing my paddle for my xbow. Now trying to pull the cross bow back in the marsh was fun. I found a bog, put both hands on the string and almost fell over to my left as the bog sank. caught myself in the cattails and tried it again. With Xbow drawn I started back through. The buck was still there but seemed like he saw something was up. Now it looked like 2 or 3 deer moving away from me a little. I started thinking I blew it(which I eventually did) when all of a sudden 20 yds in front of me is a doe feeding my way. I pulled up and put it on her, I had a small opening right behind her ear. I squeezed off and narrowly missed. She hopped 15 yds to my left and gave me a better shot but cocking the xbow again couldnt be done where I was pinned.
She eventually got nervous and took the whole island with her about 4 or 5 deer on this island. Here is a pics of the tiny island from the way back
Not all hunts end with game. And so far this was my most exciting and is the only real adventure I have to share this year. I left with a smile on my face, as the few times out this year all I have been seeing is unreal hunting pressure in the park, so I finally dove into where I thought the deer might be. But even in there there was some presence. Found a treestand right in the middle of that little island.
Now I just need to figure out when I am going back.
