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Sam posting that it was his birthday today in the LFTS thread, and it being my birthday as well, got me thinking of birthdays gone by. In fact, one of my best hunting memories/stories begins on my birthday in 1985......
Actually, some important details begin in late October of 1985. I had stopped by to say hi to some neighbors up in the NeLP. They were in the process of feeding deer when I arrived. Sure enough in a matter of minutes the deer started to show. One huge doe in particular was the first to show. Nel laughs out in a near giddy fashion "Ooooh.... that's Gutsy! She is always the first to show and gets her fill before she allows the other deer to join in"! She continued "We have had more good times watching her antics than any deer we've ever seen around here"! You could spot Gutsy from a mile away by the monster Roman type hook in her nose. To THIS DAY, I have never seen anything like it on any other deer.
Fast forward now to December 18th, 1985... my birthday! My family had a get together for me. After the party, since I was deerless, I had decided to head back up to the NeLP to see if I could arrow one for the freezer. I think I left around 11:30 PM or so. Just past Rose City on M-33 I see a cop car on the right (north bound) side of the road with a spotlight shining on a hit by car doe. I stop behind to take a look at the deer and the officer yells from the south bound side "Hey! Do you want that deer"? "HECK YES"! I yell back. He says he will write me up a permit as soon as he is finished taking the details from the driver that hit the deer. SWEET! One of my best birthday presents ever! The big doe didn't have a mark on her, and there was zero venison loss!
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So I take care of the deer when I arrive at the cabin, and head out to the woods the morning of the 19th without any sleep! I climb a tree, tie a rope around a limb for a seat and am finally bow hunting again. In very short order I see movement and spot deer off on the distance. Suddenly, I hear a crunch and notice a nice doe that will cross within 15 yards! I raise my bow, draw and anchor my pin behind her shoulder with her completely unaware of my presence. I swear I was already beginning to relax my fingers to let the arrow fly for this chip shot. The deer turns her head, and somehow I see that gosh darn ROMAN NOSE! "GUTSY".. I say to myself. I stayed anchored for a few more seconds, but just couldn't do it! I let down and told her she was lucky that I already had one hanging....
THE REST OF THE STORY
The story resurfaces to impact my 1986 season as well.
I took a doe in early October and was up hunting the rut in mid November. For the record, the doe that year was only my 4th deer ever since I had taken my first deer in 1983; all archery deer. I believe it was November 13th and I venture out 1/2 mile or so to a new spot I had found on state land. Same as earlier in the year... I climb a tree and make myself an uncomfortable seat by crisscrossing a length of rope between some branches. Right around happy hour, I see movement and spot a doe making her way to me from the thicket. As soon as she comes into view I spot that ROMAN NOSE! "Gutsy" I say to myself with a smile! It was the first encounter I had with her since I drew on her almost a year ago. I was happy to see her, and happy that she had survived another year. I remember thinking "Hey lady! Where are your fawns"? "The least you could do is add a couple more with your incredible genes"! Sure enough, as she passes within 15 yards I spot motion on the same trail coming out of the thicket! Smiling again expecting to see fawns, I think "Here they come"! Nope... I almost fell out of my tree when I noticed the deer was sporting a rack. Mind you, I hadn't taken many deer at the time and had never taken a racked buck from the NeLP woodlands! The buck stays on the same trail and crosses at 15 yards. I draw the trusty Darton SL-50, anchor the pin below midline, and relax my fingers. The Game Getter 2016 arrow tipped with a Wasp 4-blade finds it mark and the deer is mine!!!
I tip my hat and say "Thanks Gutsy"! We're even"!
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Actually, some important details begin in late October of 1985. I had stopped by to say hi to some neighbors up in the NeLP. They were in the process of feeding deer when I arrived. Sure enough in a matter of minutes the deer started to show. One huge doe in particular was the first to show. Nel laughs out in a near giddy fashion "Ooooh.... that's Gutsy! She is always the first to show and gets her fill before she allows the other deer to join in"! She continued "We have had more good times watching her antics than any deer we've ever seen around here"! You could spot Gutsy from a mile away by the monster Roman type hook in her nose. To THIS DAY, I have never seen anything like it on any other deer.
Fast forward now to December 18th, 1985... my birthday! My family had a get together for me. After the party, since I was deerless, I had decided to head back up to the NeLP to see if I could arrow one for the freezer. I think I left around 11:30 PM or so. Just past Rose City on M-33 I see a cop car on the right (north bound) side of the road with a spotlight shining on a hit by car doe. I stop behind to take a look at the deer and the officer yells from the south bound side "Hey! Do you want that deer"? "HECK YES"! I yell back. He says he will write me up a permit as soon as he is finished taking the details from the driver that hit the deer. SWEET! One of my best birthday presents ever! The big doe didn't have a mark on her, and there was zero venison loss!
So I take care of the deer when I arrive at the cabin, and head out to the woods the morning of the 19th without any sleep! I climb a tree, tie a rope around a limb for a seat and am finally bow hunting again. In very short order I see movement and spot deer off on the distance. Suddenly, I hear a crunch and notice a nice doe that will cross within 15 yards! I raise my bow, draw and anchor my pin behind her shoulder with her completely unaware of my presence. I swear I was already beginning to relax my fingers to let the arrow fly for this chip shot. The deer turns her head, and somehow I see that gosh darn ROMAN NOSE! "GUTSY".. I say to myself. I stayed anchored for a few more seconds, but just couldn't do it! I let down and told her she was lucky that I already had one hanging....
THE REST OF THE STORY
The story resurfaces to impact my 1986 season as well.
I took a doe in early October and was up hunting the rut in mid November. For the record, the doe that year was only my 4th deer ever since I had taken my first deer in 1983; all archery deer. I believe it was November 13th and I venture out 1/2 mile or so to a new spot I had found on state land. Same as earlier in the year... I climb a tree and make myself an uncomfortable seat by crisscrossing a length of rope between some branches. Right around happy hour, I see movement and spot a doe making her way to me from the thicket. As soon as she comes into view I spot that ROMAN NOSE! "Gutsy" I say to myself with a smile! It was the first encounter I had with her since I drew on her almost a year ago. I was happy to see her, and happy that she had survived another year. I remember thinking "Hey lady! Where are your fawns"? "The least you could do is add a couple more with your incredible genes"! Sure enough, as she passes within 15 yards I spot motion on the same trail coming out of the thicket! Smiling again expecting to see fawns, I think "Here they come"! Nope... I almost fell out of my tree when I noticed the deer was sporting a rack. Mind you, I hadn't taken many deer at the time and had never taken a racked buck from the NeLP woodlands! The buck stays on the same trail and crosses at 15 yards. I draw the trusty Darton SL-50, anchor the pin below midline, and relax my fingers. The Game Getter 2016 arrow tipped with a Wasp 4-blade finds it mark and the deer is mine!!!
I tip my hat and say "Thanks Gutsy"! We're even"!
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