I’d like to fill one more doe tag. Technically it’s an antlerless tag but make no mistake, it’s an adult doe I’m after. As much as I enjoy late season archery hunting, I figure the easiest way to ensure I get that tag filled is to sneak out in the middle of the week during gun season. Of course, that can be easier said than done.
My top priority is to not push bucks off the property that have taken up refuge there due to all the gunfire on neighboring properties. Not all of them make it and I’ve already learned of a couple smaller bucks that were shot. I rarely hunt with a gun at Horseshoe Hills, but when I do it’s typically in the middle of the week when hunting pressure is low in the area. I also opt for “fringe” spots that give me a reasonable chance of seeing and the possibility of shooting one without upsetting the entire place. That was my plan last night.
It was cold with temperatures hovering just below freezing with an occasional light breeze. There was about three inches of snow blanketing the ground and powdery snow blowing off the trees when the wind was stiff enough. Not a bad night to be in the woods, but inconsistent wind direction is what did me in. I got a picture of a nice-sized adult doe that was in the Homestead area in the morning and I surmised that she bedded down close by. I set up accordingly for the forecast southwest wind but encountered shifting winds from southwest to southeast. Naturally, it was blowing southeast around 4:00 p.m. when I heard the old doe snort at me just out of sight.
I figure the evening would have gone exactly as planned had I the benefit of the forecasted wind, but losing to a deer’s nose combined with unpredictable wind direction is nothing new. Instead of filling my tag with plenty of light to spare for dealing with a downed deer I found myself shivering by the end of the hunt with nothing more than one final snort by the doe to show for it. While the gun can be the great equalizer, it’s still not easy to tag a wary whitetail that’s been under heavy pressure.
I’m not sure if I’ll get back out or not before the close of the gun season. If the right opportunity arises I will likely give it a go. What I look forward to more is the end of firearms season and the promise of the normalcy in the woods that will follow. I may not have filled a doe tag last night but I also didn’t disturb the woods and chase bucks into harms way. At least half the mission was accomplished.