They drag easier in the snow :)

[BLACKJACK]

Got off work early on Friday because it was a north wind, been waiting for it, I have a stand in the woods that I've been wanting to hunt the last several weeks, it needs a N/NE wind, but seems like whenever I had the time to hunt, the wind was out of the south. I was excited when I settled into my stand at about 3:30, I thought this is it, last hunt of the year on my best stand. It was quiet in the woods, we'd had about 2 inches of snow the day before. By 4:50 I was bumming, no deer in sight. Then I saw some movement, first a doe and two fawns from the west, two does and two fawns from the north, checking the heads for antlers, nope, all does.

They hung up at about 35 yards, not wanting to come up the trail, thru my funnel. I had done some serious trimming in this area with my chain saw in early September when I had put up my stand, had piled brush to the north so they would have to come the trail and by my stand at about 15 yards, and what did they do? They decided to go around my brush piles to the north, making it about a 25 yard shot!!! Fine, I still had a good opening, I let the first three deer go by, then when a big doe went behind a brush pile, I drew back - and all heck broke loose!!!

The first three took off like a shot, they must have heard my bow pull back (or saw me). The big doe I wanted hung up behind the brush, her two fawns were in the open but had small trees in front of their vitals, so there I am, holding my bow, drawn back, looking thru my peep site, waiting for one of them to move into an opening, wondering how long I could hold it!!! Then the last deer in line, a big doe, moved up into an opening, and I took the shot. She ran forward in an arc, gimping a bit, was out of sight at about 40 yards, but I didn't see her emerge from the brush, up the hill, with the snow on the ground I should have saw her - then I thought I heard her gasping a couple of big breaths. Waited about 15 minutes, it was getting dark, I needed to get down. Walked up to where I last saw her, found a nice blood trail, went about another 15 yards, and found her piled up next to a tree!!!!

The arrow had went in behind the shoulder, maybe a little far back, but it angled forward and actually broke the far side leg. Found the arrow right beside her. She was big, after checking the entry wound, I looked at her head to see if I had shot a buck that had already dropped its horns, nope.

Walked home, got the wife and truck, came back and gutted her, and drug her up the hill to the truck, about 80 yards. She DID drag easier in the snow. Also, I used a 'deer drag' that I had gotten many years ago, its actually a double shoulder harness with a rope on it, it worked pretty good, easier on the arms and hands, most of the pulling was done with my legs.

Nice end to the season!!!!

[Andrew Erickson]

Congrats! nice way to end the season and a great story as well

[Scott M]

Congrats Blackjack, thanks for sharing. Sounds like a fun way to end the season.

[certified jumbo]

congrats, i'm jealous.

[Scoot]

Good work!

[paceman]

Way to go Blackjack!

[sticknstring]

Can't think of a better way to end the season - 'grats!

[Archerysniper]

Congrats on a last minute deer,it makes the season even sweeter in my book.