How I Came to Believe.
By Paul Dojka
10/27/99
Not to be out done by Greg's buck story here's mine.
Saw three doe by my house driving to Shear's Farm on 10/27/99. I figured this was a good omen as I saw 8 doe going to Greg's stand the day before and saw nothing all that day. I figured the less seen on the road was more for me in the woods. I arrived at 0450 and was at the tree stand by 0515. I was settled in by 0615. The moon was past full but still looked it. It was fairly bright out; the light was filtered through the leaves, which made the ground and vegetation kind of surrealistic. I wasn't quite sure were the vegetation stopped and the ground started. You could see objects (no detail) but the shadows were pitch black. I could look out and see the large tree trunks, their canopy and the lower vegetation almost like in the Star War's movie with those Ewoks. Anyway, this was the first time I was using this location so I didn't have a very good idea of what I'd be looking at past my 25 yard shooting radius that I had walked down earlier in the week. It was pretty warm out when I got to the stand, once I was settled in, the morning wind picked up and the wind-chill fell accordingly, seemed like 30 degrees out.
Around 0700 I could start making out details. At 0718 I heard a deer coming straight at me to my right rear. Sounded like a freight train. It was still to dark to differentiate vegetation and ground but the sun was rising. I saw leaves on bushes shaking sort of reminiscent of a King Gong movie were you can't see him but the trees are shaking. Finally about 10 – 12 yards to my right rear I see the deer. It stopped probably ground scented me; the run it was following goes right by the tree I was in. Anyway it's looking and I' m looking. The deer can't see anything and either can I. I can't tell if it's a buck or doe. It decides to move to its right, moving to my front and stops to check out the area again. This time I think I see antlers, still not sure. I sighted my Tasco Red Dot had a great shot but still not sure. It starts crossing diagonally in front of me. I'm now pretty sure that it's a buck. Right about then he goes out sight. There is a big 2-21/2 ft diameter tree obscuring my view. He then goes into some brush in front and is lost accept for the crunching and shuffling of the leaves as he moves diagonally off to my front left.
At around 0750 I saw a doe; it was about 50 to 65 yards directly to my left, walking away from me and to my rear. Well, I figured I'd try this grunt call I bought on recommendation from Greg. I quote (maybe) "You need one of these." Well I bought it, not really believing that it would do anything and wondering why I " needed" one of these anyway. The doe was slow walking sort of browsing at about 65 yards to my left rear. I gave a couple of doe bleats and it stopped. (Thinking to myself this thing maybe of value after all.) I then did some more bleats with fawn cries. It started to come towards me. I thought, wow this actual may work. I then did some more doe bleats and threw in a couple of yearly buck grunts. It started coming closer. It was about 35 yards out to my left rear. I'm looking real hard at it and I see antlers. I gave a couple more grunts and completely to my amazement he came in. He stopped ten yards to my left front looking for the source of the grunts. He stood broad side for an eternity. I sighted in low. Fired my crossbow and saw the bolt penetrate but not go through. The white fletching was sticking out above his right shoulder. As soon as he was struck, he turned around and cut behind me, to my right then straight back for about 75 yards and then went to my left rear in an arc. I could follow his run by the sound and the small trees that shook when he hit them. After the sound stopped I climbed down to check out the shot. 10 yards, real easy. I spent an hour packing and checking out the shot area, no blood. I hoped that he didn't run into any thick stuff cause I'd never find him. I started to follow his trail at 0845. It was pretty easy, broken branches plus he was following a deer run. I came to a dead fall, figured this was were he turned right. Started walking looking for sign, no joy. Went about 35 – 50 yards still no sign. I was starting to get worried. Then I saw a odd shade/texture of brown behind a large tree up against a dead tree about 15 yards away. Slowly walked up saw that it was the buck, stood back to see if it was alive. No breathing and went in. There was bright red blood from the mouth and no bolt. Saw a blood trail and followed it back to the bolt. The blood trail started when the bolt ripped out. I missed his turn and had gone an additional 5-10 yards before I turned. The bolt entered above the right shoulder about 4 inched from his back. It angled down penetrated both lungs and cut his heart into 2-3 pieces.
I had the deer out of the woods by 1100.
It was a 5 point. Left 4 points and the right one point. Looks like he lost it a while ago, it's rounded over and smooth. He also ripped a small point off the near the base of the right horn. Hind leg to top of back was 40 inches and 74 inches from the base of the tail to the top of the head. According to the Pa. Game Commission "Girth-O-Meter" weight measuring tape the buck weighed between 180 –190 lbs. live. The butcher sort of confirmed it by saying I should get about 100 - 120 lbs. of meat.
I still can't believe that grunt call actually worked. PED 10/27/99
P.S. I shot the buck from the same stand Greg had shot his a couple of weeks ago.