I know the title sounds like an expensive out of state hunt, but it was just a bunch of country folk sitting on hay bales. We spent today in Texarkana spending some of our Christmas money on home improvement items. My wife has not got to hunt yet this year. I made sure we got back home in time to hunt today. Back at home, I have a cousin about 5 miles up the road that has a horse pasture. They have a pipe feeder in one of the fields next to the woods. The deer come out all the time, even when everyone is outside carrying on and being loud. Well we showed up at my cousins about 5 pm and there were 6 deer already at the feeder. My cousin was sitting by the hay bales below her house. The deer left the feeder as she came back up to the house. My wife and I went with my cousin and our 3 and 7 yr olds down to the bales. It is about 130 yards from the bales to the feeder and the bales are on the edge of the yard. My daughters were carrying on and jumping around. We kept trying to hush them, but my cousin said not to worry. Well after about 15 minutes a doe and her 2 fawns came strolling out into the field. My wife got ready as the deer was walking toward us. As soon as the deer turned broad side I told her to shoot. My cousin said to let the fawns come out too. After a brief pause we told the girls to cover their ears. The Savage Axis 7mm 08 barked. The doe reared up and then we heard another bark. My cousins hubby was watching from the house and popped one of the fawns. Since the fawns were fair game I was drawing down on one, but it took off. We all went out to the feeder and began the blood trailing. My wife's deer was easy. Unfortunately we weren't able to find the fawn. We followed decent liver blood into the deepest thicket, but after finding single drops ever 40 feet, the blood ran out.
I enjoyed sitting around the hay bales for the short time and then telling stories while we cleaned it. I was surprised my two girls were perfectly fine watching mom shoot a deer. I now know that I can take the bigger one hunting. I know she will enjoy it.
On another note, there were 2 fetus' in the doe. One male and one female. They were 83 mm long. When I get back to work Monday I am going to age them to determine when the does was bred. My guess is between November 15th and 25th. Cant wait to find out the date of conception. The doe was 4 years old.
