You ever heard of deer where people have been hunting the same one for years....and it's so danged lucky that no one is able to kill it? Lol...I think I finally found my "jinx deer".
This one 3 point (that I call "spike" on acount of he has one cow horn spike on one side) is the luckiest s.o.b. that I ever saw.
... the deer is the typical young (kinda dumb) buck and he's careless. But, he is so lucky, he is always on the go following the same three does (and the doe I think is "ready" is smart enough to hug the brush and trees), and so he takes the same route as they do. The first time he was shot at (yes, he's been shot at already....I haven't got to yet, but others have), he just trotted off. A few minutes later, he came right back, but the guy was unable to get a shot.
I saw him the next day in the hardwoods, but I wasn't able to get a shot cause all I had was a head shot, and I had missed a doe the day before, so I didn't want to take that shot without a brace. He was coming out at me.....but , he smelled where that cat had crossed by, and got uneasy and hugged the brush again before disappearing.
The next day, I knew...I just knew....he would cross where I was watching cause that's where those does cross at, but he had got behind me, and there was no way I could get a shot at him cause he was a hollow behind me, and I was partway down the other. (My dad was hunting that one and spotted him but didn't have a shot)(cause it's near a highway, so some spots you just cannot shoot at, and I think those danged does know it)
And today, he was shot at again....(again, I haven't been able to yet), and he was missed again.
I say he is so danged lucky. He crosses the very same spot every day...always before I get there at first light, ...takes the very same route...EVERY DAY..(straight to the hardwoods to feed, then crosses over at 2 different spots on the powerlines)..but, he's always where I can't get to him.
He was hunted today and came to a grunt call..and was lured with the "P" from the doe I shot........
so, I'm still hoping to see him in my scope again. And, I have a feeling I will...lol...but, I just hope he isn't one of those jinx deer...and is just "lucky"

(Jinx deer being the deer no one can kill...and after shooting at it, you just have bad luck after when it comes to hunting......................................anyone ever heard of/saw that? Shoot, I believe..lol...)

[quote=Hands,Nov 30 2004, 02:48 PM]
You ever heard of deer where people have been hunting the same one for years....and it's so danged lucky that no one is able to kill it? Lol...I think I finally found my "jinx deer".

Hands:

I never got to identify deer so well (I usually hunted deer in woods some 100 miles from home). However I did run across a large (in size) buck when I was shooting deer for local neighboring commercial apple orchards under special permit (deer doing more than $500 property damage -and $500 was real money in 1946-7-8)

This buck in spring velvet (it was late May) twice spotted me just as I was bringing up the shotgun (slug) In those days we didn't have rifled slug barrels and the shot (from a single barrel with either no choke or improved choke at most) had to be made within,say, 40 yards at best. What got me was that I fired both times and still, he came back the very next morning. I had school obligations during the week and it was another week before I got back to him. Sure enough! He showed up. He spotted me again. (This buck had a habit I never have ever seen again in a deer. You know how a deer that isn't spooked does have a habit of bringing the head up and slowly swinging it from side to side? {I used to wait until the head swung away from me and bring up the gun} This buck had a way of snapping his head from side to side. He always caught me moving the gun up. To make a long story short, he was shot at by me 4 times. Then he stopped coming. (My father said the buck figured that as a veteran of "D-Day", he didn't want to stretch his luck anymore) I have never forgotten that buck and the head snapping like a snapping turtle. Your story reminded me of him. He was my "jinx".

That is a cool story Gerald. He sounds like he was indeed one smart deer. Makes you wnder what the story is behind that lesson he learned....about how he learned to do that.

Hands:

You raise a question I have always wondered about. The "scientists" tell us that animals are not "intelligent" as we know it. I have been outwitted by deer and foxes,repeatedly. Heck! Ruffed grouse, a bird! for heaven's sake, have outwitted me repeatedly. All jokes aside about my mental capacities, I think that the good Lord has given His creatures some kind of built in "sense" (call it instinct, if you want) that enables them to sense danger. You asked an interesting question. I think the buck got tired of the gunfire. He decided to pick another area where he could pull apples off the trees without some kid blasting away at him! (These commercial apple orchards under three different owners covered , maybe, a thousand acres and I was only one of maybe, three hunters)

Yeah, I head the same thing about their intellegence. But, I don't think they were taking into account that they have natural instincts....instincts that we do not have(lol...or not quite as well). I firmly believe that their sight is better, their sense of hearing, and smell. (But, I also believe we're born top notched at those as well...and we go downhill from day 1)
And....I guess we know that they are equipped with a memory..and a pretty good one to boot.
And the thing that makes me LMAO alot, especially at this time of year....the young dumb bucks....just like today's man, they think with their ****s.

Hands, I have NEVER been so insulted in ALL my life... Sorry, gotta git. The wife's home and the kids are all taking naps... WOOHOO!

LoL....