Had a huge success this year! Hunted a new area in the Washington late season, close to home but not an area I’ve hunted before. Blue tongue and the dry hot summer hit the herds hard in my usually area so I went to a any whitetail area that didn’t have blue tongue cases. I had guided guys into the area for moose and bear, finding more sign of both and even having a couple encounters with wolves(love to hear them howl but the one that snuck in to my doe bleats and got to 40 yards before I saw him had me a bit too “excited”) After a lot of still hunting and basically wandering about I found a spot with a lot of tracks converging to walk down into a drainage and decided to set up on the hill above the next day. There was a downed log at a guessed 18 yards up the hill and if I tucked into the snow and laid on my back I’d be completely hidden. Figuring in the -10f degree weather I’d hear a deer approaching and could sit up into a crunch position and shoot with the bow flat. I took a couple practice shots and it would work!
The next morning was bitterly cold, no wind though and the stars were shining bright. As I crested the ridge to drop into my ambush spot I looked behind me to see the sky starting to burst in the golden yellow glow of warmth and I contemplated sitting on this side to watch the sky light up. I often get lost in enjoying nature and the view and my hunting “success” is quite poor compared to others who are truly filling freezers. But this year was different. I had half a salmon, a couple halibut filets, a dozen grouse and a few rabbits in the freezer. No bear, elk, beef, pork or chicken! I knew if I stuck to my plan that would change though! It was a good trail, the moon was right for animal movement in the late morning, and the weather was due to get even colder in the following days. I crept down the hill using the trees to ping pong along in the darkness. I’ve found myself enjoying carrying a limited kit with myself and this morning I was as minimal as it gets. Winter clothes, knife, multi tool, phone(no watch/too cold for the camera) and bow. I was only a mile from the car so I figured I could hike back if I needed anything else.
Laying in my snowy hide I was really debating my drive to stick to my plan. After a couple hours though the cold gave way to the warm numb feeling. I was watching the tree tops as the sun started working it’s way down the trunks. Suddenly a crunch directed my gaze to directly below me where a big doe was just stepping out from under a some small pine trees. I started sitting up slowly, watching only the does eyes as she cautiously would take a step, pause, smell, take a step. Clearly she knew this trail convergence was a dangerous spot. Once I was sitting up high enough I drew back and zoned in on the vitals but she caught the movement and started staring right through me. My muscles were frozen and holding a crunch and my 58# bow had me extremely grateful for adrenaline! She flicked her ears and then did a head bob and my brain instantly realized she was confused and couldn’t identify what was above her, I figured it would give me the second for the arrow to arrive before she moved. I relaxed my hand, horrible back tension, terrible follow through, and the arrow drove right through the high lung! I nicked the spine at the shot angle plus just the poor shot and she dropped so I sprung up and put another in her to be sure.
WHAT A RUSH! The plan had worked exactly as I had intended and now I could enjoy the rewards of it. I began processing and setting aside the heart, liver, caul fat, when I realized- I didn’t have my pack or anything! Luckily I had looked up Kiwi style packout before, late night YouTube wandering, and I must say! Those guys are genius! I wrapped the organs in my snow camo and threw on my deerpack and made the fun hike out enjoying the glorious morning that was underway.
Bow used was my 1975 howatt hunter with carbon arrows and cutthroat broadheads. The knife I carried was my lucky benchmade steep country. Very different set up than my Osage bow, obsidian pointed ocean spray arrows but in such cold I dunno how the Osage would preform and while I enjoy hunting primitively, I wanted to stack my odds in my favor. Thanks for reading and happy hunting!
