Every thanksgiving we try to take the whole week off to spend time at the deer camp. This year was extra special because it was our 8 year old Maddie’s turn to shoot her first deer. She hunted one weekend in October, but the deer didn’t stand still long enough to get a shot with her bow. Plan was that my wife would bow hunt in the morning then guide Maddie in the afternoon.
The females put it on the males! I will let the pictures do most of the talking.
Saturday morning my wife Jennifer started the weekend off with a great shot on a nice 10 point.
#1 hanging
My luck was not as good. I attempted to shoot a doe at 15 yards and things did not go as planned. I guess I shot off the arrow off the shelf or knocked it below my loop. I shot 3 Foot over her back. I shot when I got back to camp and bow was dead on. It was dark and I forgot a cap light. Lesson learned. Always take a light of some sort.
Steve Stolle, Steve Ingle and Sandy Ingle were in camp as well. They didn’t have any luck Saturday morning. Well I think Sandy had a mishap like me. I’ll Let Steve tell that story.
The rest of the day was spent replacing batteries in the golf cart and replacing a tent on the plat form at the Penthouse Stand.
This is the view.
Saturday afternoon was all about Maddie get her a deer. Not long after they got set up a herd of Axis doe showed up. She tried to single one out, but they moved around too much. Not the ideal situation for 8 year old and her crossbow.
They walked off and then the young hunter had nature call. It ended the hunt. We all know how that goes
Saturday evening was spent around the campfire and The Ingle’s grilled up awesome meal of elk backstrap that was bow killed by Steve a few months ago. Wish I had pictures.
Sunday morning found us all back in the blinds. Well minus Brother Steve. He decided to sleep in.
I was back in the camp stand looking for a doe. I was covered up with deer. A few younger bucks were pushing doe around making it impossible to get a shot. Then out walks the muley forked buck that I caught on camera a few weeks ago. I’ve never shot a WT buck at this place in the 5 years that we have owned it. This was about to change. He jumped into the feed pen and checked out the doe eating at the protein feeder first. I was ready at this point. He then made his way over to the corn feeder and looped around perfectly into my shooting lane. I drew, anchored, settled my top pin in the crease and let it fly. Shot looked perfect to me.
First time for me to try a grim reaper and the arrow was covered with blood under the feeder.
I watched the video and had a little concern because the arrow kicked down once it hit him.
It was hard for me to wait 20 minutes to get out. Once I picked up the arrow I was relived , but I didn’t have much of a blood trail. I figured the 2” cut would spilled blood everywhere. I finally started to see drops a blood where I saw him disappear into the trees. 30 more yards and there he was.
#1 and #2 Chilling:
Steve and Sandy has to head home on Sunday. Sandy had another miss hap and just shot over the back of a nice 9 point.
Maddie was back up to bat on Saturday afternoon. Jennifer and her were set up nice and early at East Gap. I had just got set up in the camp stand when I got a gotenna message that Maddie had put in bolt into a nice 3 point. No way I could hunt. I packed up and headed back to camp. The shot was a tad bit back, but the grim reaper did the trick to his liver. He ran 30 yards and killed over. Excitement was in the air.
Picture for Dmo.
I believe she is hooked.
Now we have #1, #2 and #3 chilling. Girls 2 and boys 1.
We spent the rest of the evening around to wood stove having drinks and cooking some axis sloppy joes.
Zeke approved!
Hunting simmered down on Monday and Tuesday. Monday we fixed a water leak and I spent 5 hours of Tuesday underneath my lowboy working on the lights.
I hunted for a little bit in the Hangover blind by the cabin. The doe wanted to eat, but smelled the trailer mechanic.
Tuesday we spent the evening around the wood stove again. Jennifer made some great whitetail chili and I made the desert.
Wednesday we woke up early to pack and head to Thanksgiving in Fayette County.
We first had to take the long route to Boss Game Systems in Bryan to pick up 3 gifts. I have been talking about building blinds, but decided I would not save much after material and all the beer it would take to build them.
Can’t wait to hunt out of these.
We spent the evening and Thanksgiving with our families. Ate too much like always.
We drove back out to camp Thursday evening to meet GJ and Stacy Hafernick. The gifts made it in one piece.
We enjoyed the left over Chili and the warmth of the wood stove.
Friday morning rolls around. Jennifer was back in East Gap and I was at the camp Stand. I had this nice young 8 in front of me the whole hunt.
All the doe kept giving me the slip. Still a good hunt. I once again get a message from my killer wife that she arrowed a doe and thinks it was a good shot. Sure enough the doe ran 40 yards and died right at the road for easy retrieval.
I told it’s about time she starts helping with all this deer skinning
. She agreed but said that I’m still the gutter guy.
No we have the girls 3 and the boys 1. All 4 chilling.
Friday evening was a slow hunt for me. I saw a few deer late before it got dark at the Penthouse. I could hear them all around but they wouldn’t come in to the feeder.
GJ was the only one that fired a shot. He hit the main line. Talk about a gusher.
SDC Water Dept. was called out for this one.
Saturday morning we were pressed for time since we wanted to put up a new blind at EG and make it to town to help fry deer steak. Well it’s not hard to believe. Stacy ran an arrow through another good doe. Congrats to Stacy.
Girls 4 and Boys 1.
Next was the challenge of how we get these blinds in their spots. Here’s how we did it.
I can’t wait to get the other 2 set out.
We then cleaned up and headed to town.
Fried a ton of deer steak.
The girls decided that they killed so many deer compared to the guys that they would stay back and clean up camp. They loaded all the building materials and old furniture on to GJ’s trailer. They did a great job.
Sunday we pointed the truck East with full coolers and tired bodies. Can’t wait to do it all over again.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
The females put it on the males! I will let the pictures do most of the talking.
Saturday morning my wife Jennifer started the weekend off with a great shot on a nice 10 point.
#1 hanging
My luck was not as good. I attempted to shoot a doe at 15 yards and things did not go as planned. I guess I shot off the arrow off the shelf or knocked it below my loop. I shot 3 Foot over her back. I shot when I got back to camp and bow was dead on. It was dark and I forgot a cap light. Lesson learned. Always take a light of some sort.
Steve Stolle, Steve Ingle and Sandy Ingle were in camp as well. They didn’t have any luck Saturday morning. Well I think Sandy had a mishap like me. I’ll Let Steve tell that story.
The rest of the day was spent replacing batteries in the golf cart and replacing a tent on the plat form at the Penthouse Stand.
This is the view.
Saturday afternoon was all about Maddie get her a deer. Not long after they got set up a herd of Axis doe showed up. She tried to single one out, but they moved around too much. Not the ideal situation for 8 year old and her crossbow.
They walked off and then the young hunter had nature call. It ended the hunt. We all know how that goes
Saturday evening was spent around the campfire and The Ingle’s grilled up awesome meal of elk backstrap that was bow killed by Steve a few months ago. Wish I had pictures.
Sunday morning found us all back in the blinds. Well minus Brother Steve. He decided to sleep in.
I was back in the camp stand looking for a doe. I was covered up with deer. A few younger bucks were pushing doe around making it impossible to get a shot. Then out walks the muley forked buck that I caught on camera a few weeks ago. I’ve never shot a WT buck at this place in the 5 years that we have owned it. This was about to change. He jumped into the feed pen and checked out the doe eating at the protein feeder first. I was ready at this point. He then made his way over to the corn feeder and looped around perfectly into my shooting lane. I drew, anchored, settled my top pin in the crease and let it fly. Shot looked perfect to me.
First time for me to try a grim reaper and the arrow was covered with blood under the feeder.
I watched the video and had a little concern because the arrow kicked down once it hit him.
It was hard for me to wait 20 minutes to get out. Once I picked up the arrow I was relived , but I didn’t have much of a blood trail. I figured the 2” cut would spilled blood everywhere. I finally started to see drops a blood where I saw him disappear into the trees. 30 more yards and there he was.
#1 and #2 Chilling:
Steve and Sandy has to head home on Sunday. Sandy had another miss hap and just shot over the back of a nice 9 point.
Maddie was back up to bat on Saturday afternoon. Jennifer and her were set up nice and early at East Gap. I had just got set up in the camp stand when I got a gotenna message that Maddie had put in bolt into a nice 3 point. No way I could hunt. I packed up and headed back to camp. The shot was a tad bit back, but the grim reaper did the trick to his liver. He ran 30 yards and killed over. Excitement was in the air.
Picture for Dmo.
I believe she is hooked.
Now we have #1, #2 and #3 chilling. Girls 2 and boys 1.
We spent the rest of the evening around to wood stove having drinks and cooking some axis sloppy joes.
Zeke approved!
Hunting simmered down on Monday and Tuesday. Monday we fixed a water leak and I spent 5 hours of Tuesday underneath my lowboy working on the lights.
I hunted for a little bit in the Hangover blind by the cabin. The doe wanted to eat, but smelled the trailer mechanic.
Tuesday we spent the evening around the wood stove again. Jennifer made some great whitetail chili and I made the desert.
Wednesday we woke up early to pack and head to Thanksgiving in Fayette County.
We first had to take the long route to Boss Game Systems in Bryan to pick up 3 gifts. I have been talking about building blinds, but decided I would not save much after material and all the beer it would take to build them.
Can’t wait to hunt out of these.
We spent the evening and Thanksgiving with our families. Ate too much like always.
We drove back out to camp Thursday evening to meet GJ and Stacy Hafernick. The gifts made it in one piece.
We enjoyed the left over Chili and the warmth of the wood stove.
Friday morning rolls around. Jennifer was back in East Gap and I was at the camp Stand. I had this nice young 8 in front of me the whole hunt.
All the doe kept giving me the slip. Still a good hunt. I once again get a message from my killer wife that she arrowed a doe and thinks it was a good shot. Sure enough the doe ran 40 yards and died right at the road for easy retrieval.
I told it’s about time she starts helping with all this deer skinning
. She agreed but said that I’m still the gutter guy. No we have the girls 3 and the boys 1. All 4 chilling.
Friday evening was a slow hunt for me. I saw a few deer late before it got dark at the Penthouse. I could hear them all around but they wouldn’t come in to the feeder.
GJ was the only one that fired a shot. He hit the main line. Talk about a gusher.
SDC Water Dept. was called out for this one.
Saturday morning we were pressed for time since we wanted to put up a new blind at EG and make it to town to help fry deer steak. Well it’s not hard to believe. Stacy ran an arrow through another good doe. Congrats to Stacy.
Girls 4 and Boys 1.
Next was the challenge of how we get these blinds in their spots. Here’s how we did it.
I can’t wait to get the other 2 set out.
We then cleaned up and headed to town.
Fried a ton of deer steak.
The girls decided that they killed so many deer compared to the guys that they would stay back and clean up camp. They loaded all the building materials and old furniture on to GJ’s trailer. They did a great job.
Sunday we pointed the truck East with full coolers and tired bodies. Can’t wait to do it all over again.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
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