Hat-trick Bowhunting

It is the last week of the early season for roe buck in Denmark. It’s our third day of the short hunting trip. I’ve been so close to a couple of bucks that I could smell them but haven’t been able to close the deal. Swirling winds and some bad luck is enough to alert a roe buck at close range. This morning the weather changed from sun and low winds to rain and high winds. A couple of hours later I spot a buck 300 meters away on the other side of the field. I make a plan to move around and approach the buck from the opposite direction with the wind in my favor. I only make it halfway when I spot another buck 50 meters ahead of me. I wait until the buck steps behind a row of brush before I advance. I count my steps as I walk, 25 steps later I know I’m within range. I slowly peak over the brush, the buck is feeding 17meters away. I hunch down and draw my bow behind cover.

I slowly rise up, aim and release the arrow. I see the arrow disappear behind the shoulder before the roe buck makes a dash into some waist high corn. It takes a few minutes for me to find the arrow sticking in the dirt behind where the roe buck was standing. After collecting my arrow I proceed to make probably my easiest tracking jobs I’ve ever done. The roe buck only made it 20 meters into the corn.

After taking some photos I remember the Buck I originally stalked. I hang my roebuck cleaned in a nearby tree and walk 100 meters to see where the buck was feeding. The buck was gone but I spot something else 200 meters to my right. Another buck! with the mentality of that I have nothing to lose I start making my way towards the buck. I stalk to within 70 meters but that’s as close as I could get. I’m standing in the last bush and its only high grass between me and the buck. But then the buck does something I wasn’t expecting. The buck trots right towards me! Heading straight for the bush I’m hiding in. At five meters he notices that something is wrong and runs 25 meters and stops. I draw my bow and try to find an opening in the leaves. The roe buck finally relaxes and starts to feed. I lower my bow and wait. The roe buck beds down! I range 21 meters. An hour passes. A brown hare is slowly moving towards the buck from behind. The buck doesn’t seem to have noticed the hare which is approaching to within few meters of him. I make myself ready if the buck reacts. All of the sudden the buck notices that something is close to him and jumps up. I draw my bow. The buck stops and looks behind at the hare. I can make out the vitals thru the grass. I aim quickly and the arrow is on its way. The arrow hits a touch high and the buck drops on the spot! An amazing morning to say the least!

For the evening hunt I get relocated to an almost un-hunted area by a joint decision of my dad and uncle. Usually low hunting pressure is a good thing, but this area receives little pressure because it is considered as a place with few roe deer. As my hunting trip is already a full success I look at it as sightseeing as I’ve never hunted there before. I get dropped off and start walking the lumber road into the area I’m heading to. I only make it 100 meters when I see movement on the other side of a small pond. I take my binos and take a closer look. A buck! I range, 35 meters. I try to figure out how to get closer but can’t find a good stalking route. In the meantime the buck slowly walks towards me. I range again 30 meters! That’s my maximum distance to shoot on a Danish roe deer. The buck turns broadside and I let the arrow fly silently to the buck which drops in its tracks again! An unreal feeling sets in as I walk up to my third buck of the day! I clean the buck and hang it in a tree and proceeds into the area now with the bow on my shoulders and the camera in my hands.

Country

Denmark