Ever had a doe that absolutely owns you?? I have one where I hunt that has made me look like i've never hunted deer before this year, even though i've been bow hunting for approx 45 years. She has busted me to where she makes it look easy. I've been switching my sitting area, and she still has me. Tonight, she was showing off and came by with the wind at her back. I saw her coming from quite a ways, and she was about 50 yards away, walking by me that far off. Had a little area between tall brush, and looked right at me. I thought i had a light on my hat. She blew, stomped, and even walked towards me, really getting under my skin. Got to give her credit, she has earned it. Them ol doe's are soooooo smart. My hat's off to her. LOL.

YES!!!!!

Been after one for 5 years now, may end the game this year and break out the 45-70 .

You mean apart from the one I married?

I had a trio of does I followed for three seasons until the property was sold. I affectionately referred to them as “the three sisters”….. two were much younger than the oldest one and she was a BIG girl!!! She was the smartest wiliest deer I have ever seen. 9 months out of the year they were like clockwork….. three months she was the most tenacious animal that ever had four legs. I watched her and watched her and she was always a few steps ahead. I had blinds built ahead of time to try to outwit them and she/they would always back door me and stay just out of bow range. I talked to the guy who bought the property five years after and she and the girls were still around. Made me smile

yep.

yep. It is funny how us hunters are so fixated on bucks but the does are much smarter. After all they teach the bucks. I have one at my cabin that is real old now. She has ruined many of my hunts. She looks thin and limps and I have given her a pass for 3 years now. I tip my hat to her. She now comes to my cabin and eats apples and corn and bird seed my wife feeds her. I will actually hate to see her go.

The blowing and stomping is just putting salt in the wound. After the initial blowing and stomping, she trotted off about 40 yards and gave me a few more, "Your too easy, blows", then trotted on off.8^))

Yes, hunting in WI with a Nam buddy. Had me spotted before I saw her.

I have a big one that has my number. As soon as my back heals up, I'll get her! Once they think they know where you'll be sitting, they'll go around you. That's when you can ambush them!

Joe

I had one years ago. She spotted me in my tree stand. I weighted a week, then hunted that stand again. The next time I saw that doe she spotted me again, that was all I could take. So I shot her. She ate real good. LOL. God Bless, take care.

I had one years ago who hunted me down like it was her job. Uncanny. No matter where on the property. I gave her a pass every time she screwed up and offered a shot, which was rare. The first couple times annoyed the bejeezes outa me, but it morphed into a bit of a game between us and was pretty funny.

I had this one last year. She had my number, and spotted me in several stands. She busted me twice in one week in one stand. I put another stand in a Hemlock tree a short ways away, and she came through a third time watching that empty stand. I had a five yard shot, and could see the look of shock on her face when the arrow went through. She went about 30 yards and stopped. Looked around and went down. When skinning her I noticed her teeth were wore to the gums. So I sent a couple teeth to Deerage.com to get her age. The report I got said she was 11 1/2 years old.

Nice way to look at it baby and Richard. Gotta respect them!

Have a mature Alpha doe in my hunting area running with 11 younger does (was 12). The second she alerts to something, the younger does immediately follow her cue.

In the past I have been burned by older does when I could not determine how she knew I was in the area. You are in their living room and they know when a piece of furniture has been moved, or someone is in, or has been in, the room that is a threat and they don't take things for granted.

The bad is that once an old doe burns your hide or your stand, they will avoid that area, sometimes just out of bow range.

Sounds like we need a whole new scoring system… Measure how ground down the molars are to decide how many points she gets. I think anybody who thinks that a 3 1/2 year-old buck is smarter than a 5 1/2 or 7 1/2 year-old doe is flattering himself.

wow. 11 1/2 years old. at least she didn't die and agonizing death to coyotes or something. I agree Corax. Horns have a way of taking control of hunters.

Yaa those human does can really bust you Baaaaad

Thats how any boafide mature doe killer learns how to outwit an old doe thats seen it all.

Now if you can beat a mature human doe and avoid the busts you have a very good chance at a wise mature deer doe.Excellant training!I think you understand?

Yeah I named her spastic, she met her death after a tree fell and she could get downwind of my stand. Shot her at 14 yds with my Schafer recurve.

Although I am apparently addicted to antlers, I have always believed that getting a mature wise old doe with archery equipment is a highly underrated feat. Enter the Mule...

There's a really big doe on a property I hunt that has ears as big as a mule deer and her white throat patch extends way far down the front of her neck. She's huge! And every time I see her she has several other mature does with her, several yearlings and several fawns. All those hooves coming through the woods makes a bit of noise. The Mule is always walking on high alert with that cautious creep and she busts me effortlessly. I just don't get it. I am sitting low on the ground, brushed in, thermals/wind, sunlight and shadows have all been accounted for, several other deer have come by and didn't see or smell me. And the Mule will spot me, effortlessly, from 50 to 75 yards away!!

It seems impossible to me. She will lock on to me, freeze, never blows, snorts or foot stomps and she will turn course in a deliberate and calculated manner and slowly guide the little herd she has in tow into a well calculated escape. Fills my mind with wonder. I guess I could kill her with a rifle but that seems so disrespectful. And I do have a lot of respect for her.

I believe those old wise does save a lot of deer lives not just from hunters, but other predators, traffic and hard winters. They've got skills!!

I have one that is giving me fits this year. I've had her at three yards and could have taken her, but just couldn't do it due to my aversion to taking does. She is dry, fat, and would probably make excellent table fare. She is also a loudmouth and very smart. We have grandkids and other family coming for Thanksgiving. They will be using rifles. I hope to put someone on to her.

In New Jersey the deer are way to educated. Most does look up in trees where I hunt. And unless in a good ground blind they can spot you before they smell you, and that is saying something. Makes hunting in other states feel like I’m cheating somehow. So I target the oldest and wisest in an effort to dumb the population down a bit……but currently I’m losing that battle.

DEER DON'T COUNT WELL! had a mama doe that was ruining my scrape site. No matter what I tried she know I was there sooooo. I once read about having a buddy going w/ you and leave while you stay in the stand may work. I'm here to tell you it worked.

I do not name deer other than one "Old Eagle Eyes" like others have posted she spotted me no matter where I put my stand and always the first time I sat it.

I had one years ago that would find my track when I left the house and track me to where ever I was hiding. We played that game until muzzle loader season then I set her up by going a totally different way to a stand with the wind from the house to the blind. She came almost to the blind then into the brush but I knew where the runway came out and as soon as she stepped into the open I dumped her. When I skinned her I found three 22 bullets in her. No wonder she didn't like people.

“ When I skinned her I found three 22 bullets in her. No wonder she didn't like people.”

Hell, at that rate, you’re lucky she never got the drop on you!!

Go to this old thread an d scroll down to "The Witch Of The Woods"

https://leatherwall.bowsite.com/TF/lw/thread2.cfm?threadid=204708&category=88#4873110

I couldn’t agree more. A lot of male animals have been saved by a Wiley old female of the species busting the Hunter. It doesn’t mean that bucks don’t or can’t get cagey too at 5 yrs old. But most are not given the chance to get a doctorate at Hunter behavior like a 10 yr old doe has.

I also give a lot of respect to a cagey old female.

I've had an adult doe, probably one of the "matriarch" deer, pick me out, pin me down watching me, and actually came after me trying to figure out who/what I am and would not turn away long enough for me to nock an arrow. After about 20 minutes, she got to within about 5 yards and just stood there, daring me to move, which I would not. After a few more minutes, she got nervous and trotted off, snorting a warning to the others. They all just trotted off like it was no big deal. That was one of the most fun encounters I've had with deer.

Had one of those Doe's that would run to the downwind side of the field I was hunting, snort and blow all over the place. Her fawns would just stand back and watch, like she was teaching them.

Finally took my .308 to her during the late season, no more teaching!

On August 2, 2012 I had a doe broadside me on my motorcycle. I was life flighted to a Pittsburgh hospital and ended up staying in their trauma unit for four days. After I got out of the hospital I was off work for a month and a half and had to do physical therapy. So, I guess there was one doe that had my number.

Many times.

When it happens I set everything aside, except for taking her out of the equation.

Cool thing about that is - Usually, If you are fooling her, you're fooling everything else also.

Bigger a challenge, is not there is.

Rick

A few years back I had a very evil doe that haunted me all year, She would come in blowing and stomping even when upwind. I finally had enough and lobbed an arrow at her. Pin wheeled her with a short recovery. Stepped it off at 42 yards well out of my normal range. She really looked surprised. Sadly her DNA is still in the herd and seems to be multiplying.

IMHO the old matriarch mama doe is the smartest deer in the hood. After raising a bunch of fawns she's a survival machine!

Dana C, Excellent story. I am glad to have discovered your writing and look forward to more of it.

On to the Wise Old Doe... here in The South I have heard her referred to as "Betty" in many camps. She is apparently omnipresent.

I met her AGAIN this year in Mississippi. Looking at me from the moment I saw her until she left after a few emphatic stomps and head bobs.

WHEN I do kill Betty, I am having her mounted. I believe a half full body mount, Front Half. With her facing out from the wall and that front paw raised as if she is about to stomp at me.

Oh Yeah!!!

For sure, and I never did let the air out of her lol

I e got one behind my house… she’s got my number for sure, she know when kids go to school, when we let dogs out, when I’m out… she has us patterned.. I set in a different spot each time, and she has hound dogged me twice, cut my track and followed it until she becomes uncomfortable or sees me..she is training all the others as well.. Bucks just stroll on through…she has been there for 3 years I know of.. I e passed on her in the past years , that was mistake..I’ve been focused on her since October… time to start dumpin corn out and get it done… and as other have said I could get a rifle and just shoot her at 100, and there no shame in that, but she makes me feel dumb, she will slip up, just gotta stay at it.

Floppy Ear, a doe with a weird angled ear from a lion, I suppose, caught me every time but one over the years she lived in "my' playground in the canyon-mountains. She even busted me at about 50 yards, seeing only my head, face camo'd, not moving!

Sure have, and she wrecked enough hunts I decided to hunt just for her. It took a couple subtle stand moves but she came out staring into the trees I wasn't in and I put her in the freezer. Our deer are pretty tuned in but she was on another level.

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