Christian’s VT Archery Doe

I was on my way to an evening meeting when I noticed my cell phone light up with a call from Christian. I knew he was out hunting and if he was calling me during prime time it could only mean one thing… After hanging up I could help but notice I was driving a little faster and all seemed right in the world. There is just something about a successful hunt that gets me excited, even if his deer weighed more (alot more) than mine. Here now is the story in his own words: 

“I arrived home from work to a warm and sunny afternoon the day after a strong front moved through.  Quickly, I changed into my hunting clothes, said goodbye to the family and started my walk to the stand.  I was excited to hunt this location and had just moved my ladder stand to this spot this past Saturday to take advantage of deer activity centered around a persimmon tree in a thick swamp along a creek. I fought my way through the briars and alders and climbed into my stand at 4:30.  The sun was on me and the warm breeze was putting me to sleep but I was brought back to alertness by the telltale sound of deer walking.  The wind was all wrong for this hunt.  It was blowing down the valley from the north and carrying my scent right to where this deer was coming from.  She knew something was not right from the moment she stepped into range.  I first saw her at 30 yards walking head on to me.  I froze,  I couldn’t move.  She was acting squirrely the way deer do when they are trying to decide if they should evacuate to the next county.  It seemed like a long time, but was probably 3 to 5 minutes that she cautiously came closer to me….trying to get to the persimmon tree on the other side of me.  She came to 25 yards and stopped, looked right up at me and began the stomp and head-bob.  I remained motionless barely daring to breathe.  I watched as a mosquito settled onto my bow hand and had its fill as I tried to get this deer to forget about me.  She finally decided she’d had enough of me, pinned her ears back and turned to leave.   This was my chance.   As she turned, I drew.   She stopped mid-turn and broadside to me for the first time long enough for the pin to settle and the arrow to find its mark.  She took off on a dead run and I found her about 40 yards from where she had been standing.  I had been in my stand asking for blessing on this hunt as the freezer was low on everything.  Not much later, I was standing, admiring this doe and giving thanks.  She weighed in at 117 lbs.”

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