I was having a frustrating first season of bowhunting. But everything came together on the evening of November 13th. This guy came in behind a forker at 4:20 PM. Right when I was thinking, hmmmmm tonight just might not be a good night. They came from the last place I expected them to come in. But that seems like norm with deer hunting.
I was sitting in my climber when I heard the leaves behind me rustling and I thought it was a squirrel. When the noise started getting closer I decided to look around my tree and didn't see anything both ways but I had to make sure. So I kept slowly leaning around the tree and my backpack to see a forker coming in at 30 yds. And I slowly took my bow off of the hook to draw on him for some practice holding the pin on a deer. Before I got my bow off the hook I see another buck trailing him 20 yds back and instantly said if he presents me a shot I'm going to take it. In the tree I thought he was a six pointer, but later found out that he is an eight.
He walked in to about 20 yds and I drew on him and he stopped perfectly in the very narrow window through the brush at 15 yds and I let it fly. As he kicked and ran off I knew I made a good shot. No pass through, I hit the opposite shoulder. Found the back 12" of my arrow with nock broken off and the arrow covered in blood 60 yds away. Had some nice blood right away but when he hit the open field running I couldn't find a drop. I hunt on a golf course and he was running on the dark green grass and I couldn't find any blood whatsoever. But I knew what direction he was running.
So I backed out and called a couple buddies to come help me track/body search. Searched for almost 2 hours with nothing and we had to shoot pool, and decided it would be better anyways to go out in the morning with light. Found nothing for the first hour by myself until I saw some buck tracks running right in front of the green. With absolutely no blood on them at all. I was supposed to work, but my boss allowed me to stay out and look for my deer. I called a friend and he came right out and we searched up and down. We were running out of land to search, because he ran towards the river and I just prayed that he didn't jump in the river and float down.
Well I finally found him 20 yds from the river right off of a nice solid deer trail. I was so happy, I was starting to give up hope that I would never find him. I never thought he would be able to make it that far. When I gutted him I confirmed that I hit one lung, I never did look at the other one (mad at myself that I didnt) but he went at least 600 yds from where I shot him.
I know some people like to read the stories about the hunt, and I like telling it.
Can't get pics to upload right now, hopefully soon.
I was sitting in my climber when I heard the leaves behind me rustling and I thought it was a squirrel. When the noise started getting closer I decided to look around my tree and didn't see anything both ways but I had to make sure. So I kept slowly leaning around the tree and my backpack to see a forker coming in at 30 yds. And I slowly took my bow off of the hook to draw on him for some practice holding the pin on a deer. Before I got my bow off the hook I see another buck trailing him 20 yds back and instantly said if he presents me a shot I'm going to take it. In the tree I thought he was a six pointer, but later found out that he is an eight.
He walked in to about 20 yds and I drew on him and he stopped perfectly in the very narrow window through the brush at 15 yds and I let it fly. As he kicked and ran off I knew I made a good shot. No pass through, I hit the opposite shoulder. Found the back 12" of my arrow with nock broken off and the arrow covered in blood 60 yds away. Had some nice blood right away but when he hit the open field running I couldn't find a drop. I hunt on a golf course and he was running on the dark green grass and I couldn't find any blood whatsoever. But I knew what direction he was running.
So I backed out and called a couple buddies to come help me track/body search. Searched for almost 2 hours with nothing and we had to shoot pool, and decided it would be better anyways to go out in the morning with light. Found nothing for the first hour by myself until I saw some buck tracks running right in front of the green. With absolutely no blood on them at all. I was supposed to work, but my boss allowed me to stay out and look for my deer. I called a friend and he came right out and we searched up and down. We were running out of land to search, because he ran towards the river and I just prayed that he didn't jump in the river and float down.
Well I finally found him 20 yds from the river right off of a nice solid deer trail. I was so happy, I was starting to give up hope that I would never find him. I never thought he would be able to make it that far. When I gutted him I confirmed that I hit one lung, I never did look at the other one (mad at myself that I didnt) but he went at least 600 yds from where I shot him.
I know some people like to read the stories about the hunt, and I like telling it.
Can't get pics to upload right now, hopefully soon.