Well, I wore myself out!
1st day, 1st hour of season and I had several deer under my stand.
A big doe, her last years doe and a little button buck were browsing around my stand.
I was trying to do to much, to soon and was moving to quickly while the big doe was 10yrds from the stand.
As I drew back, I realized I had my ball cap on and it was not turned around backwards. So, I let off the draw turned my hat around, and oh yea,,, made sure she was in the video view finder.
When I turned to look back at the big doe,,, she was looking right at me. I froze for a second and she bounded out about 12 more yards and started browsing again after a short while. The button buck took her place in my shooting lane and I could not bring myself to shoot him.
Just then the yearling doe walked over and ran off the little button buck.She was broad side to me and her head was down to the ground as I drew Two Snakes back to anchor. As I drew back the MOJO HOG KILL'N point sent to me by Knife River, I felt real good about the shot opportunity I had, so I released the cane arrow.
My stand is 25' or higher and she was only ten or eleven yrds from the base of the tree. So, I intended to hit her a little high but, not that far back. From the video I can tell it was not a hit to the main vitals I may have got the liver though the penatration was not as deep as expected either.
The doe bolted down the hill and at the time I was very confident in my shot. I held off about 45 minutes until a driving rain ran me down the tree. I was fearing any blood would be washed away and I would have to search instead of track.
A few loose hairs where she stood, but no blood.
It was obvious where she had ran as the ground was soft and wet leaving identifiable tracks off a running deer. About 75 yrds down the hill the woods end and a cow pasture begins. Along a thin ridge and brushy strip of woods that fingers out into the overgrown pasture, ispy the tracks of my deer,,, still no blood or arrow to be found.
As I slipped out in the pasture and along this ridge of brush I saw the tracks of the big doe and button buck flollow in the tracks of my deer. I thought no way they have met back up with this deer.
About that time I look over to the pasture and see a little button buck bound over the first flat in the pasture. At this point I was not sure it was the same button buck, so I ran to the edge of the flat to see it run across the holler. Sure enough there was the big doe the deer I shot and that little button runing for the wood line on the other side of the overgrown pasture. They all stood ten yards from the woodline and looked back cursing me,,, I'm sure.
I decided to back off and look for my arrow or more sign. After trapsing throught he high wet weeds in the pasture, I was soaking wet.
I left for the house to eat and get my tracker (My Wife) to help me look some more. I do not like to give up on anything and I was sure my hit was good enough, I was just pushing her to much.
I slipped in the video of the shot while I was at home. The shot was actualy to far back to hit the boiler room, but it looked like a liver or maybe even a rear lung puncture.
Me and the tracker headed back to the spot where I had last seen the trio standing at the wood line. It was sunny when we left the Jeep, but by the time we got to the spot the wind picked up, the sky turned black and the rain started pouring again.
Seems just right, as far as the way this thread has gone for me. I hunted Sunday morning and saw nothing out of that stand.
I practiced again on Sunday evening and again today after work. I seem to be shooting with confidence. But, I feel like crap for having to abandon the search.
When I view the video, I can see the camera move when I drew back the bow as I went to shoot. I may have felt the camera hit my hip and at 25' up it don't take much to spook ya.
We'll a poor excuse is better than none at all,,,,
Knife River, Sorry that is one point we will never see again. I thought your MOJO on that hog killer would be the ticket. That was the first flint tip I ever shot and the first flint tip I ever shot at a whitetailed deer. THANKS for the experience!
Like I said, I don't like to give up on anything so, bear with me a while longer Gang!
Topic: Home Grown Hunting Equipment for 2006/07 (UPDATE - Nov. 5th, 2006) (Read 49053 times)
