Post by woody1071 on Nov 13, 2011 15:12:49 GMT -5
I took a vacation day for the last day of early archery season. I like to get my last chance in the woods before it gets crazy. The rut was in full swing as you may know.
I was in my stand early and a doe went under me well before daylight but there was enough moonlight to tell what it was. The way she was moving fast was hoping she was being trailed. While it was still dark she came back right underneath me again and moved on.
I was setup about 40 yards from a bedding area to the north of me. The wind was straight west which was decent for where I was. There was a lot of thick stuff between me and the bedding area.
A little after daylight a nice 2.5 year old pushed a doe out. I could hear him grunting before I saw him. I would have shot him if I had the opportunity. Glad I didn't. They dissapeared.
About 10 minutes after sunrise My Deer was coming in on the early does trail. There really was no decision to be made. He was a no doubt shooter. I turned to get my bow off of the hanger and turned back and couldn't see him as he got behind some thick stuff and was actually now off of the early doe's trail. But I could hear him walking. He eventually found her scent again and was taking it right to me. I drew as he was walking to quartering to me. He stopped. At 6 yards. He must have caught some of my movement of me following him with my bow. He looked right up at me and I'm looking at him through my peep behind my pins. He stared at me for about 20 seconds and decided he was going to back out. He took a couple of steps back and turned to walk out. I fixed my 25 yard pin on a spot and he was quartering pretty hard away. I thought this was going to be my best shot so I let it go.
After the shot I saw my fletching half buried to his coat. I was sure that I got at least one lung and maybe heart. I was praying for heart.
He ran off of course. I watched him run as far as I could see him. I heard him come to a walk but I did not hear him go down. Now I was worried that he was going to walk a long way on a one lung wound. I've seen how far they can go like that. Not good.
I could not see any blood from my stand at the shot site or anywhere that I could see where he ran. That was sort of expected since it wasn't a passthrough.
About a minute after I shot I saw a coyote coming from another close by woods. I knocked another arrow, or so I thought. He got to 15 yards and I drew and my arrow fell off. I didn't get it knocked all the way due to some dirt lodged in there apparently from letting my bow down from a stand. He acted like he wanted to come in the woods. I was afraid he was going to get on my bucks bloodtrail so I made some kind of weird noise that spooked him just enough to convince him to go elsewhere.
I waited a half hour and called my friend at work to see what his thoughts were about getting down and looking. The company we work for is pretty flexible and they let him leave to come and help me. How cool is that? He was coming so I waited in the stand until he got there and maybe get a chance at a doe.
I was a nervous wreck. My first archery buck was an 8 point 1.5 year old and I have been passing these guys up ever since. I have never had an opportunity at a deer like this before having only seen one other buck remotely this size this close. I was texting my brothers and wife that I had shot a big one and I thought I made a good shot. Then waiting for my friend to arrive.
During my wait another buck pushing a doe showed up. He was real nice a no doubter as well. I actually could have had a shot at her as I did nock another arrow but I just wasn't ready and she quicly moved out of range before I could get my bow in hand again.
After they were gone I couldn't take it anymore. I got down to confirm how little blood was to be found. Confirmed. I only went about 10 yards out the way he ran and didn't find any. I went and sat at the base of my tree and waited for my friend to show up.
Finally I see him running from the road towards me. He got there and I told him the whole story. We decided to get about 10 yards apart and look for blood along the way that it looked like he ran. Following a deer trail about 40 yards later I pick up blood, then good blood, then it looked like the blood was dumped out from a paint bucket. We started walking as I was saying "This deer is dead!, this deer is dead". 30 yards later my friend spotted him first. "THERE HE IS!". The high fiving and that good friend-handshake-hug commenced. He was awesome! I couldn't believe it. Many years and a lot of time in stand have finally paid off.
During field dressing we found that his one lung was all but gone and the broadhead stuck in his brisket and a knick on his heart. Prayer answered in more than one way. This is the kind of buck I had been praying for. Thank you God! He blessed me with the opportunity to harvest this buck and guided my arrow true.
Well that's my story. Sorry if it's too long for any of you.
I was in my stand early and a doe went under me well before daylight but there was enough moonlight to tell what it was. The way she was moving fast was hoping she was being trailed. While it was still dark she came back right underneath me again and moved on.
I was setup about 40 yards from a bedding area to the north of me. The wind was straight west which was decent for where I was. There was a lot of thick stuff between me and the bedding area.
A little after daylight a nice 2.5 year old pushed a doe out. I could hear him grunting before I saw him. I would have shot him if I had the opportunity. Glad I didn't. They dissapeared.
About 10 minutes after sunrise My Deer was coming in on the early does trail. There really was no decision to be made. He was a no doubt shooter. I turned to get my bow off of the hanger and turned back and couldn't see him as he got behind some thick stuff and was actually now off of the early doe's trail. But I could hear him walking. He eventually found her scent again and was taking it right to me. I drew as he was walking to quartering to me. He stopped. At 6 yards. He must have caught some of my movement of me following him with my bow. He looked right up at me and I'm looking at him through my peep behind my pins. He stared at me for about 20 seconds and decided he was going to back out. He took a couple of steps back and turned to walk out. I fixed my 25 yard pin on a spot and he was quartering pretty hard away. I thought this was going to be my best shot so I let it go.
After the shot I saw my fletching half buried to his coat. I was sure that I got at least one lung and maybe heart. I was praying for heart.
He ran off of course. I watched him run as far as I could see him. I heard him come to a walk but I did not hear him go down. Now I was worried that he was going to walk a long way on a one lung wound. I've seen how far they can go like that. Not good.
I could not see any blood from my stand at the shot site or anywhere that I could see where he ran. That was sort of expected since it wasn't a passthrough.
About a minute after I shot I saw a coyote coming from another close by woods. I knocked another arrow, or so I thought. He got to 15 yards and I drew and my arrow fell off. I didn't get it knocked all the way due to some dirt lodged in there apparently from letting my bow down from a stand. He acted like he wanted to come in the woods. I was afraid he was going to get on my bucks bloodtrail so I made some kind of weird noise that spooked him just enough to convince him to go elsewhere.
I waited a half hour and called my friend at work to see what his thoughts were about getting down and looking. The company we work for is pretty flexible and they let him leave to come and help me. How cool is that? He was coming so I waited in the stand until he got there and maybe get a chance at a doe.
I was a nervous wreck. My first archery buck was an 8 point 1.5 year old and I have been passing these guys up ever since. I have never had an opportunity at a deer like this before having only seen one other buck remotely this size this close. I was texting my brothers and wife that I had shot a big one and I thought I made a good shot. Then waiting for my friend to arrive.
During my wait another buck pushing a doe showed up. He was real nice a no doubter as well. I actually could have had a shot at her as I did nock another arrow but I just wasn't ready and she quicly moved out of range before I could get my bow in hand again.
After they were gone I couldn't take it anymore. I got down to confirm how little blood was to be found. Confirmed. I only went about 10 yards out the way he ran and didn't find any. I went and sat at the base of my tree and waited for my friend to show up.
Finally I see him running from the road towards me. He got there and I told him the whole story. We decided to get about 10 yards apart and look for blood along the way that it looked like he ran. Following a deer trail about 40 yards later I pick up blood, then good blood, then it looked like the blood was dumped out from a paint bucket. We started walking as I was saying "This deer is dead!, this deer is dead". 30 yards later my friend spotted him first. "THERE HE IS!". The high fiving and that good friend-handshake-hug commenced. He was awesome! I couldn't believe it. Many years and a lot of time in stand have finally paid off.
During field dressing we found that his one lung was all but gone and the broadhead stuck in his brisket and a knick on his heart. Prayer answered in more than one way. This is the kind of buck I had been praying for. Thank you God! He blessed me with the opportunity to harvest this buck and guided my arrow true.
Well that's my story. Sorry if it's too long for any of you.
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