Every year I get about 10-11 days off around Christmas and NY from my employer. I always like to hunt as much as possible as season is winding down, but last year it was in the 60-70s every day, and this year break started with -10 to -15 wind chill and I don't have clothes for that 
. I hunted on Christmas Eve and saw a couple on my land and I don't hunt on Christmas. I hunted on Monday and saw the same deer on my land, so I decided I am going to public. I got to the boat ramp Tuesday AM and the ramp was covered in snow and ice still. the water was frozen but the ice wasn't that thick. After looking it over I decided to back the boat in and got everything loaded. I headed out behind schedule and with daylight breaking. Found more ice and had to forge through that like Washington on the Delaware and finally made it into the river channel and down to my spot. Issue is it is really shallow right now (more so than normal) so the shallow areas I can get into were frozen with thick ice. I parked way further away than I wanted and made the trek in. I got set up and let things quiet down. Across the cove I hear blue jays going crazy and think it may be deer, but can't see them. The jays quiet down and then I hear what sounds to be someone walking on the ice. I have my back to the water so I stand up as it is super thick behind me and look down the slight hill in time to see a deer walking off the ice into the woods. I think to myself if they go away from me no way I can stalk up on them, but if they come back my way should be an easy shot if I can find an opening. I moved down the hill some to a big cedar and just stood there. I was about to move when i heard leaves rustling so I stayed put. Then I saw the movement. 5 does coming through the woods. I waited for the lead doe to get into a shooting lane at about 30 yds. I give her a "meh" and she just keeps walking. I wait for her to get to the second opening and give her another "meh" and she just kept walking. Finally she is going to be in the third and final opening which is the smallest of the openings. I try it again and of course she takes two extra steps and stops in some thick but what looked like light branches. I feel comfortable punching through it so I shoot. She trots off confused... I was dumbfounded. I am watching her to see if she falls assuming I hit her and she is standing behind an Osage tree (bodock). I glance back and this bigger doe is in the shooting lane and actually vitals exposed. I quickly come up on her and shoot and she dropped right there. The other just trotted down the hill with the other 4 and trotted back across the ice.
I then had to drag her about 600 yds to the boat... I am getting old that is all I will say. it isn't as easy as it used to be.
. I hunted on Christmas Eve and saw a couple on my land and I don't hunt on Christmas. I hunted on Monday and saw the same deer on my land, so I decided I am going to public. I got to the boat ramp Tuesday AM and the ramp was covered in snow and ice still. the water was frozen but the ice wasn't that thick. After looking it over I decided to back the boat in and got everything loaded. I headed out behind schedule and with daylight breaking. Found more ice and had to forge through that like Washington on the Delaware and finally made it into the river channel and down to my spot. Issue is it is really shallow right now (more so than normal) so the shallow areas I can get into were frozen with thick ice. I parked way further away than I wanted and made the trek in. I got set up and let things quiet down. Across the cove I hear blue jays going crazy and think it may be deer, but can't see them. The jays quiet down and then I hear what sounds to be someone walking on the ice. I have my back to the water so I stand up as it is super thick behind me and look down the slight hill in time to see a deer walking off the ice into the woods. I think to myself if they go away from me no way I can stalk up on them, but if they come back my way should be an easy shot if I can find an opening. I moved down the hill some to a big cedar and just stood there. I was about to move when i heard leaves rustling so I stayed put. Then I saw the movement. 5 does coming through the woods. I waited for the lead doe to get into a shooting lane at about 30 yds. I give her a "meh" and she just keeps walking. I wait for her to get to the second opening and give her another "meh" and she just kept walking. Finally she is going to be in the third and final opening which is the smallest of the openings. I try it again and of course she takes two extra steps and stops in some thick but what looked like light branches. I feel comfortable punching through it so I shoot. She trots off confused... I was dumbfounded. I am watching her to see if she falls assuming I hit her and she is standing behind an Osage tree (bodock). I glance back and this bigger doe is in the shooting lane and actually vitals exposed. I quickly come up on her and shoot and she dropped right there. The other just trotted down the hill with the other 4 and trotted back across the ice.I then had to drag her about 600 yds to the boat... I am getting old that is all I will say. it isn't as easy as it used to be.
