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Opening day in Virginia
Ranger B:
As I posted earlier I've had a bad case of buck fever so I could not wait to get on the road. Thursday night I packed all my stuff up in the truck and after work Friday I hit I-66 west for Warren County, VA. Two days before the season opened a classmate said that he heard me talking about hunting and he had some land in Warren County. He said, you're welcome to hunt on it. There are a lot of deer but I do have a small price. Yes, he wanted the first deer and I was more than happy to agree to his terms. I hit the road and made it with about an hour of daylight left to scout a place to put my stand. Pics below.
Ranger B:
I quickly looked for sign. After about 15 minutes I found this trail and some droppings so I picked a tree and hung my stand then eased out trying not to touch anything.
Ranger B:
It was hard to sleep. I was so excited to get back in the woods. I missed last season due to being deployed. I got up and 5:00 and was in the stand by 5:45. It had been very windy the evening prior but it was perfectly still and calm when I got in the tree. It began getting daylight about 6:10 and the squirrels brought the forest to life. There were fox squirrels everywhere. I've never seen so many fox squirrels. By 8:05 I had not seen a deer and began wondering if there were many on his land or not. A fox squirrel worked his way towards me and I started to reach for a blunt.
"No Jimmy, it's too early to go shooting at them critters."
"But it's opening day and I don't even know if there are any deer on this land. Let's get some meat down."
"No it's too early!"
"Well....if you're going to shoot at him it's too late to change arrows. Them two bladers are easy to sharpen. Just shoot him with a broadhead. Heck, he's big anyway."
;D ;D ;D "Okay, you talked me into it."
The old boy jumped up on a log and came at me. Then he hopped off of it and went to digging for an acorn. I drew and let loose with an arrow. POW. Direct hit. He began squealing and flipping so I reached for a blunt to hammer him with and finish him off. I looked back at the quiver and WHOA what is that? Two deer had watched the whole thing unfold. Dadgumit! I quickly put another broadhead on and watched the two deer walk up the ridge. Then I saw more movement. There were 3 more behind the first two. They were about 50 yards away and in a file. They continued up the ridge.
In the mean time old Foxy was flipping around so I turned to address him and saw that he was climbing a tree and my arrow was on the ground. In about 30 seconds he had gnawed completely through my arrow and was now up in a tree. You have to be kidding me.
"I told you not to shoot that squirrel."
Ranger B:
I turned back around wondering if it was over for the day now. The answer was enroute. At 8:20 I saw movement to my front. It was a deer coming straight at me. I got into position. It was a mature doe. She worked her way around and I saw that I was going to get about an 18 yard shot broadside. I was ready to draw. She stepped into the clearing and stopped I released and the arrow flew like a dart. Pow. She jumped up into the air and I saw the arrow disappear into her. "You hit her low."
"Yes, but I think it's a heart shot."
"No, it looked a little low."
"Well, look at my arrow laying there on the ground! It's covered in blood and the feathers are red."
"Focus on the deer. Hey, she stopped."
"Yep, and she's laying down."
She went about 30 yards and immediately lay down. I got my binos up and saw her. But her head was up and no blood in the mouth. No lungs, but a clean pass through and she's down.
"She'll die right there."
"Yes, I think you're right."
Ranger B:
She lay there for about 5 minutes and then she got up. I got the binos on her. Her right side was completely red. She went about 5 yards.
"She's back down."
"Yes, and now she is facing you."
"Can you see her?"
"Yes, I see her right side and that is the exit wound side. Her whole shoulder is red, but no blood in her mouth. Hey, she looks like she is closing her eyes. Now her head is laying down."
"Well, that's it for sure. She's down for good. Well, you're back in the game Ranger B."
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