Larry A. Smail's Blog

November 29, 2021 was the third day of Pennsylvania’s annual deer season. I had hunted the first day but only saw five doe. I often hunt only for buck deer on the first day. This year was no different. I didn’t hunt the second day.

This third morning was a beautiful time afield spreading peace and solitude all over. The heavy snow on a calm morning made for a great stress relief. With so much going on I sure utilized the mood.

I sat for a time before beginning to sneak around searching for a deer. This day I had decided if I had an opportunity on a nice size doe I would harvest some meat. As I ventured slowly around, I would see a number of deer feeding or bedded. Some were small and others were not satisfactorily identified.

I came close to a posted border line where I could see across a hollow. The landowner had timbered his property allowing for this opening through the woods. I could see a nice-size deer and I immediately felt the deer was a buck. I scoped the deer and just before he walked among some thicker brush, I could see a decent rack of antlers.

I could not go after this deer because of the posted property, but I knew from experience the deer on that side of the hollow sometimes work down slope and come across the hollow. If it worked, I could possibly see this deer on the property I was hunting. However, this could take an hour or so.

I turned to work my plan when I saw a deer about forty-five yards or so. I scoped and didn’t see any antlers and I could tell by the head the deer was not this year’s fawn. I shot!

The deer took off and I knew I couldn’t have missed so I quickly took up the trail. After about thirty yards I noticed blood. The trail increased until I found the downed deer. It had short “horns” and judging that fact and the size I knew this would have been last year’s deer. Both antlers looked as if they had been broken off about inch above the hair line of the skull.

The drag would be somewhere close to a half a mile. I took my time and rested often. I am not as young as I used to be so I decided taking some time would be the best way to do this task.