This season has not gone as I have planned. I did happen to get a deer earlier during a modern doe hunt. Our muzzleloader season came and went with no opportunities for me. I was glad that I was going to be home for the rifle opener. I have access to a small piece of private land that I am saving more for my wife.
Most of my efforts have been centered on a small 128 acre WMA that is a few minutes from the house. Arkansas has a state wide limit of 6 deer. No more than 2 bucks but you can kill up to 6 does depending on your zone. There is not, however, a daily limit.
The WMA I am hunting has a limit of:
Six deer, no more than two bucks, which may include
• Two bucks with archery, muzzleloader or modern gun
• Six does with archery,
• Four does with muzzleloader and modern gun combined.
I went out Saturday morning (opening day of rifle) and was the first one there. Before I could get out of the parking lot there were two other vehicles there. I know another showed up after I left. As the sun came up, I could hear WW3 all around me. Every 20 minutes or so I would hear a volley of shots from all directions (primarily on private) lasting about 5 minutes. After a little while I hear some running through the woods to my right. Sure enough a doe and fawn come zipping through at about 80 yards. The fawn stopped in an opening and gave me a shot. I hate shooting free hand. I pulled on the shot and they ran off. They did stop one more time in view. This time I got a shot on the doe. I got down and looked for blood. Nothing! I missed twice. I went and got back in the stand again. I still felt it was too early to walk out and not risk getting shot. This time I only climbed up about 7 or 8 feet. I had been 20+ feet. About 5 minutes later I hear something behind me. I turned to see a deer coming directly to me. I was ready, but saw that it was an illegal spike. All I could do was watch as he walked off. I was in no camo, just blue jeans and bright orange. Who needs camo? Went again Sunday afternoon, but it was a bust.
Fast forward to Monday. I was working late on the upcoming Wednesday night so I had some time. Once the wife got home from picking the kids up from school I loaded up the stand and rifle and headed out. I had the place all to myself. I made it to the place I had sat Saturday, and decided to go a little further. I went about another hundred yards or two. I found a nice tree at a pinch point. To the north is a beaver pond and to the south are open bottoms. Wind was swirling to NE and NW. A little after 5 I hear a stomp from downwind. I look up to see a deer running away. About 15 minutes later I just happen to look up and see the outline of a deer. I picked up the rifle and looked at the deer at 50 yards and noticed it was a doe. She took about 2 steps and was in an opening. Boom, the deer stumbled and then wobbly went about 10 yards and fell over. I was pumped. I had racked another shell before she fell. I was getting prepared to get down when I see movement out at about 80 yards. I see another deer. I watched as the deer was walking toward the downed deer. I could tell this was a doe as well. She was looking the downed deer over from a distance. She gave me a broad side and BOOM. Bang Flop. Then it dawned on me. I was almost a half mile from the truck and now had to drag 2 deer out with no help. Bummer! The first deer turned out to be a fawn doe. The second was a 1.5 year old doe. Not the mother. I pulled both deer up to the tree my stand was in. I then walked my stand and rifle out to the truck. Then the work began. I walked back in to the deer. I decided to grab both deer and began pulling. After a hundred yards, I set the little one down and decided to do it one at a time. I drug the big one out almost all the way to the truck. I left her sitting in the woods about 100 yards from the truck. Didn't want anyone stealing her while I went back to get the other. I went back to the other and hooked the drag to it. She was much easier to drag than the first deer. I drug her to the truck and loaded her. I then got the bigger doe and loaded her up as well. I was hot and tired. My blue jeans (I just don't see much need in camo when you look like a huge glowing pumpkin) were muddy and wet and my shirt was soaked. Finally after an hour and a half since shooting, I was on the way home. I got them skinned and put on ice. Then I got cleaned up.
