Urban deer hunting

[Soonerlongbow]

Not sure my area counts as truly "urban", but it is a housing area adjacent to the state WMA land. It's definitely a rural area, just not out totally in the boondocks (can definitely see the boondocks from here though). Nevertheless, it is interesting to hunt in and around these areas. It provides unique encounters with wildlife.

Take tonight for instance, I was in a field that is sandwiched between the housing addition and the lake, the State mowed a swath about 20yds wide around the perimeter with a boundary of 15yds left uncut next to the fence row.

Round 10min before sunset 3 does come out to the north of me and fed at the entrance to the field. They disappeared as if they went back around the corner to the east (back towards the lake). Around the time they disappeared, a small fork horn and big doe came out at the opposite end straight down wind. Another fun thing is these deer are used to human scent and you can sometimes use it to your advantage. Well, unfortunately the doe went one way and the forky went to the east out of sight.

I had tucked myself up in some sumac and decided that I should probably stand up slowly to see if they had gone into the tall grass in the middle of field. After scanning the field from north to south and back again I heard neighborhood cat making small meows. When I started looking for the cat I seen them: not 3 but FIVE does almost directly behind me with a house behind them negating any shot opportunities.

They definitely knew I was there and decided to come out in the cut strip to see what I was. And that's when it happened: I whiffed a 20yd shot at the lead doe. After they all blew out of the area and I retrieved my clean arrow I noticed that to the south end was that forked horn and another small buck.

Oh well, better luck next time.

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[rastaman]

An awesome encounter nonetheless! Better luck next time!

[Soonerlongbow]

Thanks! This is a really nice place, it's also the same field that I rattled my first buck into (last year). He came in, seen the deke and did a beautiful stiff legged walk in at super close range. This was the moment I found out that my bow string had stretched and my brace height wasn't what it was supposed to be. I got 4-5" of penetration in the shoulder and nothing in the freezer. When I nocked another arrow I noticed my short 3" fletching was touching my shelf. Still haven't gotten a new string for that now yet so the Diamondback is going to sit in the corner this year most likely.

Just left for work so it'll be another 2 weeks before I can go again, which puts me in some of the rut.