Bow wimp

[Gobble Doc]

Today started out great.  I got a turkey in the cooler by 8:30.    With most of the day left I decided to move over to the adjacent GMU and try my luck for a white tail.  I read the regs multiple times and convinced myself that indeed you could take "any deer" with bow.  Having never deer hunted before I figured the odds were extremely low to get a deer on my first deer out ever.  But the thought of getting both a turkey and my first deer in the same day sounded epic.  After getting into a good spot I see a doe and I'm down wind.  Eventually I get to within about 40 yards but that was outside my comfort zone for a good shot so I didn't take a shot.  Then after sitting a couple hours I decided to move position.  As I was walking up and over a hill I walk right up on a doe at 20 yards.  OK, this is it.  I pull back and watch the deer just stand there broadside and looking at me.  All the time in the world to get the bow in just the right position.  Then the second deer (small juvenile) standing there is also looking at me.  I just couldn't bring myself to squeeze off the shot.  Even if it was a legal shot I just couldn't do it with the small one standing there.  Eventually I let off the arrow and both deer wandered off.  I think I am going to have to go in search of a buck and try this again.  I'm a wimp. 

[BOWHUNTER45]

Turkey ?  I see no turkey 

[Gobble Doc]

I put the turkey pic under the turkey forum.  Since I used lead on the bird I didn't want to contaminate the bow forum with a picture of contraband game taken with a gun.   

[BOWHUNTER45]

 

[Bigtine96]

That's a great story, I'm the same way I've passed many doe when I was younger. Getting close like that it just as exciting as squeezing off a shot.

[DBHAWTHORNE]

If I don't have a buck I want by the end of the season then I always take a doe..preferably one without a fawn.. But ultimately meat is going in the freezer.. One way or another

[pendoreilleadventures]

If I don't have a buck I want by the end of the season then I always take a doe..preferably one without a fawn.. But ultimately meat is going in the freezer.. One way or another

Exactly

Sent from my C6750 using Tapatalk

[BlacktailBowhunter]

This time of year, the fawns are with momma for social reasons only. They can survive without their mom just fine on their own.

My wife had the same concern if a doe with young ones showed up, so I did some research and found that after something like 10 weeks they can survive without their mother.

Here is the verbage and article link:
http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=585094&mode=2

At what age can a fawn live on its own?  If an archer harvests a doe, and the doe is with a fawn, what are the chances of the fawn living on its own?  Would another doe take it under its wing, ever?

Fawns are functionally weaned by the time they are 10 weeks old.  They will still nurse if allowed up until they are 5 or 6 months old.  However, this is not necessary for their survival.  After 10 weeks of age, fawns are perfectly capable of obtaining food on their own by grazing and browsing.  Deer do learn feeding behavior so the longer a doe and fawn are together, the more the fawn learns.  By the time archery season rolls around, fawns are self sufficient and they remain with their mother for purely social reasons.  Orphaned fawns are rarely adopted but there is no need of this in the fall anyway.

[The scout]

thats interesting,i always wondered that

[Jonathan_S]

Should have smacked her 

"Fawns" this time of year are not fawns.  They're just young deer and a lot of them reach sexual maturity around this time I believe.

[Gobble Doc]

Thanks for the info about fawns.  Live and learn.

I had an interesting next morning after I decided to pass on the doe.

I arrived on Sunday morning really early and positioned myself in the same spot.  Watched the sun come up over the mountains at about 15 degrees out.  First thing I saw was a yote but it was at about 60 yards and just watched me.  After another 30 minutes another doe started down the hill.  Cool.  It was alone this time so in my mind it was game on.  Over the next 30 minutes the doe closed into about 50 yard and was on a good trajectory in my direction.  I sat and waited.  Next thing I hear is the snap of a twig over my right shoulder.  Hmmm?   I turn slowly around and there is a big buck!  I don't know if it was 3 or 4 points on each side as I was too excited to count.  Buck was at 20 yards max.  How in the heck was I going to turn around to take a shot?  Anxiety was setting in.  I knew that RadSav could pull off a ninja shot but not me.   As I sat still the buck started to walk forward and my only hope was that he was going behind a small scrub pine with his head down.  His head disappeared and so I drew back.  Next problem was that his head never emerged from behind the bush as he stopped walking forward.  Eventually the buck snorted and turned around and dodged back to about 30 yards.  I went ahead and took the shot but my arrow hit a twig.  Buck gone.  I figured 2 possible shots in 2 days for my first deer outing wasn't too bad.  I am replaying the missed buck opportunity over and over in my mind.  I think I should maybe have just sat still longer but then I think he would have seen my anyway.  Who knows.  More off season archery practice is going to happen. 

[BlacktailBowhunter]

We tend to act a bit to quick. It sounds like you need a tree stand in that very spot.