An arrow, two deer | Sports

That day, he wandered in the woods in the late afternoon and put his bucket next to a tree. Unlike some hunters who prefer to hunt in trees, Cottrill likes to sit on the ground.

"I've always done that," he says. "I am completely camouflaged. I do not like going in the trees and I like to hunt at ground level. I think it's more of a challenge. "

Cottrill is not a trophy hunter. His family loves venison and he will take two or three deer per year.

"Of course, if a big trophy falls on me, I will certainly take it," he added.

This afternoon, it's a pair of hinds that have entered his area. He watched them carefully and decided that he would take the bigger of the two if the opportunity arose.

"They looked me straight in the eye and I did not move until I lowered my head," he said. "I raised my crossbow and waited until they got closer."

Remarkably, the deer has less than 20 meters and has moved parallel providing the perfect shot. One looked away and the biggest doe that was closest to him looked down.

He aimed at the lungs and let the arrow fly. When he hit, both deer turned and one hit the ground. Cottrill prepared another arrow and waited.

But something did not seem right.

As he watched the dead deer from his seat, he noticed that his arrow was coming out of his neck. He was sure he was aiming for the lungs and that's where the arrow hit.

"I thought it was possible for me to shoot two deer at once, but I ate it a bit," he said.

But when he approached the dead deer, he found the arrow stuck in the neck of the smaller of the two and that the whole arrow was bloody.

"I knew that my arrow had to have crossed the biggest deer and hit the smallest," he said.

Cottrill picked up the bloodstain and found the other doe about 70 meters away.

And yes, it's legal, because he had a license that allowed him to shoot a male and two females.

"I'm told that this happens more often with gun hunters, but it's rare in shootings," said Cottrill. "It was God's favor for me to have these two deer."

He hunts all seasons, but the archery season is his favorite.

"It's so beautiful in the woods during the bow season and peaceful," he says. "Even if I do not see a deer, it's a wonderful way to escape and enjoy nature."

Despite everything, he has not finished hunting and has planned to be in the woods for the opening of the firearms season this weekend.

"My family, including my sons and grandsons, eat a lot of deer," he said. "I turn it into sticks of sausages and snacks. It's good for you. "

Part of the fun in deer hunting, he added, is that you never know what you will see or do.

Including getting two deer with a shot.

Indiana MNR will establish additional disease control stations in northeastern and northwestern Indiana this weekend to sample deer harvested by hunters for chronic debilitating disease ( MDC).

Checkpoints will be open from 09:00 to 18:00. Saturday and Sunday in fishing and fishing areas and partner companies.

MDC sampling involves removing the lymph nodes from the deer's neck just below the head. Any deer harvested in MDC surveillance zones of 1.5 years or more may be tested. Submission of samples for MDC testing is voluntary.

Hunters interested in submitting captured deer outside of the current monitoring areas for CWD screening are now able to submit samples directly to the Purdue Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory for a fee. Hunters may submit lymph nodes or whole heads. More information and a submission form are available on the ADDL website at www.vet.purdue.edu/addl/tests/fees.php?id=303.

CWD is a serious neurological disease that affects white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk and moose. Although it has been associated with deer and elk in captivity in the past, CWD is also found in white-tailed deer on the open in several Midwestern states close to Indiana, including Michigan. , Illinois and Wisconsin. To date, all cervid samples from Indiana have given a negative result to the MDC.