N Ga Mountain Bow Season

First hunt of my season.
Around 7:45 I had 3 big does come up 30-40 yards behind me and go over the top of the ridge. Saw them too late to try and get lined up for a shot. I was facing west parallel to the ridge since the last few years in the morning the majority I’ve seen walk toward me parallel to the ridge. They may have come from that direction and walked below 75-80 yards below me invisible in the thick stuff. Then turned and walked along the spur behind me toward the ridge top. I had been hearing noises behind me since just after sunup, and had turned a few times to see it was squirrels. Had been hearing some more noises but it’s always a risk turning and being seen vs waiting to see if they come past you into view... 20-30 minutes after the first three I hear one run behind me and turn in time to see one going over the top of the ridge. Must have seen or smelled me. Around 8:45 I kept hearing what sounded like turkeys scratching around. About ten minutes later I finally saw 4 walk past about 70 yards down the hill. There’s no well-used trail back where they moved through so will take a few more mornings to see if I need to reposition the stand. The ones this morning may have come the direction I was expecting but paralleled the ridge further down the hill. There’s been a beat down trail there for many years and I have another stand covering it about 100 yards away further down and to the west. If I have anyone hunting with me during bow season, having one person in each location is a good way to keep any from sneaking by.

 

My second morning, unlike the first, was dead. Almost no life. Weird, same temperature and weather conditions but didn’t even see any squirrels running around. I had one fox go running past me up the hill at about 20mph like it was late for a meeting.

My third morning (Wednesday) didn’t last too long. At exactly 8:00 I made one of my usual slow turns of the head to scan behind me and saw a deer 40 yards back right at the top of the ridge. It was facing away from me and I thought it had somehow walked right past me... I slowly and quietly stood and turned in the stand, and shouldered my crossbow. When I first spotted it, it had looked like it was about to walk past some heavy brush, and I couldn’t see it when I was positioning. I was looking through the scope and aiming at what would be my only chance at a clear shot as it walked by and got out of range. I’m waiting and waiting and lowered the scope to get a wide angle look and see him now 30 yards away coming straight down the hill toward me... Five pointer, and he would soon be under me so I decided to take the messy shot through the front... Jumped, kicked, and ran 10 yards down the hill before it went down and slid another 10 down the embankment. Glad he didn’t run down into the bottom of the ravine at the side of our property like one did last year. This was an easy drag downhill all the way to the cabin.
Need to go back up in a while and hunt for my arrow. Will probably sit tomorrow out and then try for a doe again on Friday.

 

It varies a lot. Most of the deer up here are very small compared to central and south GA where they have plenty to eat. There are some deer with big racks up here but they are fewer and further between. Most that I’ve killed the past 10-15 years have been similar to this one. Shorter tines, not much mass, and often not symmetrical. i shot one really big buck up here my first year before I had even built the house. That one still bothers me because it would have been my largest deer ever and it got away to die somewhere... Was with my 270, not more than 60 yards. First shot put it on the ground it then it jumped up a couple seconds later and started down the hill toward me, I shot again, it dropped again and then back up and running. It stopped just at the limits of where I could see at the top of the spur that runs off the ridge top and down toward our cabin. I shot a third time and it dropped. I lowered my rifle with a rope and as it hit the dry leaves and made the noise the damn buck got up again and I watched it stumbling over the hill and down toward the ravine... No blood, no guts, no fur and no trail to follow. I couldn’t even find blood any of the places I shot it. I could find all the places it had dropped, kicked around and thrashed, but no fluids... I hunted for it and just cross-crossed all over the side of that hill and into the ravine the rest of the day and the next morning before I had to go home. Checked my rifle zero later and it was perfect. First shot was an easy broadside shot but could have been through some twigs in line of fire. Second shot I would expect to have been bad because it was running. Third shot was lined up and it wasn’t running but also not a perfectly clean shooting lane.
Crazy. zombie deer

 

Took a break yesterday and didn’t go out. Was in my stand this morning at 6:30. A little warmer the next few days. Was only down to 59-60. Looks like they are predicting rain all next week...
Squirrels were out in force. I saw two deer at 9:00. May have been more. They were at the limits of where I could see through the brush and leaves... about 70 or so yards. Only had a few glimpses and they were walking fast and not meandering along eating. Again coming from the other side of the ridge and down the hill. Not the usual pattern from the past 10+ years of parallel to the ridge. Looked to be heading straight down the spur to my cabin. Guess they figured it was safe to hang out under my porch while I’m sitting in the tree.
Will try it again tomorrow but not Sunday since my son will be here again. May be time to reposition the stand. Will see what happens in the morning.

 

I’ve been coming up empty the past few days. Saturday morning was the first trip out since the previous weekend after 5 solid days of rain. I didn’t see anything but squirrels, although they could probably have been sneaking past me through the super dense fog that hung around until after the sun had been way up for a while. The first couple hours I felt like I was sitting in a light rain the condensation was dripping from the trees so heavy. The sound kept me from hearing anything I couldn’t see in the fog...
Wasn’t able to hunt Sunday but made it out again Monday. Warmer than it has been the past couple weeks and higher than the weather prediction. Was just 63 when I headed up the hill at 6:00. Light breeze turned into near 10mph by the time the sun came up. Couldn’t even hear the squirrels running around... Around 9:00 a big coyote came over the ridge to my east and went off along one of the main upper deer trails quickly out of sight. I tried a bleat call repeatedly by with the stiff wind out of the south it wouldn’t have been able to hear it. Around an hour later I saw him trotting back toward me from the East, following the other main deer trail about 50 yards down the hill from me. Still too far and too much wind to hear my call. I had a few iffy shots with my iron sights but it wasn’t making a pause and I was too lazy to feel like going back to clean the muzzleloader... That was my signal to call it and go back to the cabin since it had circled through where the deer would have been coming from.
Tuesday was another bust. Weatherman was wrong again as usual. Didn’t get as cold (only down to 62), and was supposed to be no wind but that was also wrong. Blowing hard with my tree swaying at 6:30. Got nice and calm just after sunup but that only lasted an hour. Then it picked up to what felt like 10+mph. (Weather channel app only showed 2...) Heard some Turkeys about 75 yards off and saw several squirrels but that was it. I never do well on windy days... maybe it’s just me.
Anyway, wasn’t sure I would have shot anyway. Had been debating it with myself all night and all morning. I would have to leave town before the processor had it done and they won’t hold it long. My son has been doing some work up this way on weekends and could have picked it up but he too will not be back for several weeks. Still would like to have seen some. Were more scarce than usual. I did smell what I’m 99% sure was a bear while walking in this morning. I’ve had them right under my tree a few times in the past and that smell is hard to miss. It sure had me on alert and checking around me after every few steps. On my way back out I found a freshly torn-up a rotting log in the area of the earlier smell...
That about does it for my season. Might have a few days to hunt around Christmas but looks like my usual trips to my friend’s farm in S GA is a no-go again this year.

 

Hope you have good luck and see some even if you don’t get a shot.

 

Thanks. Expected to see more... Started out strong but then after a week of rain I had three days of nothing.