I call it Urban deer harvesting because its not really a hunt. I live in the hill country and have 3 acres fenced with hog wire and one strain of barbed wire. The ranch I hunted on for 20 + years sold so I am harvesting in my yard. There are a few things that make urban harvesting a challenge. First is that deer worth it. How big is he. How smart is he and how bad do you need the meat. Second you must make a great shot. Not a good shot or an OK shot but a shot that will put him down with in you acreage. I always shoot for a double lung shot. Taking out both lungs and the deer will not go far. You do not want it to run into the left wing tree hugging next door neighbors place. The other challenge is time of day. I only hunt mornings because if I have to track it I do not want to be in someone's front year after dark with a flash light tracking my deer. I have a school and a church down the street. You do not want the deer to run into the street and into a passing car. I have lived in my peace of heaven for 21 years and have taken more then a few deer and thank god only lost one. Season come around and I only see a few does and small bucks. Two weeks ago the rut kicked in and the bucks are running. Then my target bucks shows a nice hill country 9 point but he dose not care about the corn only the girls. Running them all over the place. Then about a week ago I get a pic of him under the feeder. Game on! I get in stand last Saturday morning and he shows. Gets to the feeder starts to eat and a does gets his attention and off he goes. I am bummed. Start climbing down off my stand and he is coming back up the road. I climb back up the stand and try to get ready. He get into my shooting lane puts his head down and a draw. Holding it back because there is something not right he is acting real skiddish. I find my spot and hit the release. What the hell just happened. He jumped the string! Runs off tail in the air. I am at that low a lot of bow hunter experience. Will he be back? Did I queer and set up? I get in stand Sunday morning and he is a no show. All week he is a no show. This Saturday found me back up in stand. Feeder spun and he is a no show. At 8:45 I hear a shot. The neighbor two down from me has a son that has been known to shoot deer out of his bedroom window. Thinking the 9 has been ground checked I get out of the stand and start my list of chores. About 10 :15 I look up to see him jumping the fence. Oh crap here he comes. I slide to my front porch grab my bow and work my way to the other side of the house. He is 35 years away and looking at me. I freeze and he walks to the feeder but the does already cleaned up the corn. I know he will not stick around long. I work my way to the front porch so I have a broad side shot pull back find my spot and hit the trigger. The Spitfire finds its mark blows through him and he takes off running. Now when Urban harvesting this is the moment of truth. He runs down my fence line gets to the street turns left runs the front of my property and tries to jump the fence cant get over it turns and runs into a cider tree then starts to wobble runs down into my swamp and is down. What a rush double lung shot and he only went 70 yards. Went inside grabbed my dog who is now 9 years old and going blind and put her on the bloody arrow even though I knew he was down. she might be going blind but still tracks like a pro hit every drop of blood and was so excided when she found my buck. Thank god I have a nice hill country 9 point and meat in the freezer.
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