Hunted Monday morning on the university holiday and still hunted across one of my hunting properties. Saw plenty of deer – 11 in fact – but not a single buck. All doe-fawn groups. That sort of blew my mind seeing as how it is supposedly the peak of the rut here in Alabama right now.
Did find some monster rubs though. Not obliterated, but still a pretty serious signpost.
I went back in Monday evening with a mind that if given the opportunity, I would do my part in getting the sex ratio a little closer to balanced. I sat on a green field and right as the sun was dipping below the tree line, deer started coming out.
First, a fawn emerged about 200 yards distant. As I was waiting for a big doe to follow it out, a group of 3 fawns and a single doe walked into the opening about 125 yards away. There was still 30 minutes of shooting light left, so I was going to wait to see if a buck would appear before shooting.
However, a minute or two later, someone let a big gun rip just a couple hundred yards away (sure sounded like it was on our property!). That stirred the deer up enough that they intended to leave the food plot. Just before they could leave, I centered my crosshairs on the shoulder blade of the big doe and let my own gun rip. She dropped right where she stood and never twitched.
Got her dressed out that night and put her on the scales the next day. 83.6 pounds dressed. That’s a big Alabama doe.
Sorry for the “redneck” pose, but I don’t commit that crime often so you’ll have to forgive me. First deer this year with a rifle. Going to harvest another deer hopefully this week so I have enough venison to can at least 7 quarts with the pressure cooker to round out the season.
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