Daily Hunt Pics and Stories 2008

[Mel Amos]

Trying this for the first time.

This is my first buck with trad gear. First was a doe a few weeks before. Here is the story.

I'm hunting on the base I work on in Dahlgren, Va.
Same tree I took the doe from a few week earlier. I noticed the acorns were dropping so the next time I decided to hunt the same spot. Got in the tree about 3pm and saw what I think in the same buck I shot on the edge a a creek that has water in in when the stream rises. I saw him out about 100 yards crossing the creek area. Got out my grunt call and gave it a try. Grunted and watched the buck look back and then proceed on his way. About 45 minutes later I hear something coming from the direction I saw the buck disappear from. I first saw him and my heart started beating and I was shaking. He proceeded to tease me at about 20 yards munching on acorns. I wasn't comfortable taking that shot plus there was a fresh scrape 10 yards in front of me that I thought he might come to.

I watched him for 15 or so minutes then he decided to head down towards me. First, I thought he was going to go to my left then he switched at the last minute and went right past my stand at about 8 yards. I was nervous and picked a spot behind his front shoulder. As I released and saw the arrow hit I was disappointed I had hit him too far back. I immediately said to my self that I was not going to push him, but would leave him all night.

Arrived and started my search a first light. I found my arrow about 5 minutes after I started searching. I was feeling a little bit better because the arrow had some blood and most importantly no gut!

I started making a circle around the spot and found him within 5 minutes he was only 60 yards from where I had shot him.

I was using a 56" Mojo Stik 49# @ 26" draw. I was and am the happiest guy out there. I've been trying to take a deer with trad gear for 4 years.

Forgot to mention that the day I shot the doe I saw 5 different bucks and I think this was one of them.

Further investigation showed liver hit.

 

[Chris Surtees]

Congrats on a fine buck      

[turkey351]

Great job your in the right spot,,,zipperman

[JoeM]

Great deer Mel Congrats on a well earned trophy.  Joe

[bowhunterfrompast]

Mel congrats  

[draco]

Yesterday my brother in law hunted a tri-pod that I had put up at the corner of a big hay field. He shoots the other kind of bow and always leaves early because he can no longer see through his peep. He call to say he had seen a large buck coming in as he was leaving and did not think the buck had seen him. I knew if the buck would repeat I would have 15 or more minutes of light more than the B in L would have had and might have a chance at him.

He came out about the same time as yesterday and I was able to take him. He was one of two nice bucks I had seen there earlier.

I killed a spike and a doe earlier so I still have one doe tag left. I may just be able to tag out as I have a week left.

 

[Chris Surtees]

[Mel Amos]

Draco,

Beautiful buck!  

Mel

[Swamp Pygmy]

nice high rack. Looks young too, you must have good genetics around there.

[draco]

You can't tell from the pictures but his main beams are long to the front. That's what I was looking at and he lo oked big from the side.

[bowhunterfrompast]

Draco..congrats  

[Aeronut]

I finally filled my tag yesterday.  I missed a gimme shot at a big ten pointer around a month ago, he was a very large deer and was actually farther away than I estimated.

I went afield yesterday afternoon with my newly made curly Hickory bow that I just finished less than a week ago.  A west wind was blowing so I headed for a big Cottonwood blowdown that I could watch a couple of trails from.

Just before dark a group of does and yearlings (seven in all) moved into the area and milled around, crossing back and forth across a small drainage.  After about 30 minutes I finally got a clear shot at one of the does at about 20 yards.

I was shooting a bamboo shaft with a 145gr Snuffer and a homemade luminock.  It was really weird to watch the green tracer hit the doe.  I got complete penetration but no pass through.  I watched the luminock disappear as the doe trotted off.

After a wait I got out my lights and GPS and started looking for a blood trail.  I scanned the area in hopes of spotting the green glow of my luminock but it was nowhere in sight.  At 7:30 I finally left the woods because of a dwindling blood trail and starvation.  I hadn't eaten since breakfast and was starting to get the shakes.

Fast forward to this morning.  We have an enormous population of coyotes around here so I was pretty much certain that I would find nothing
but leftovers.  I left the truck and headed for my last GPS fix which wound up less than 100 yards from the road.  While walking in I was scanning the woods and saw a small bunch of deer run off ahead of me.  I stopped to watch them and see if maybe there was a wounded deer with them and spotted the doe laying about 50 yards away.  I had walked within 50 feet of her last night but never saw her.  It was pitch black last night.

The back of the arrow was still in her but I haven't found the Snuffer.  I am thinking that she stopped to pull the arrow and maybe pulled it back inside of her.  It was 22* this morning and she was fairly well frozen so I didn't even field dress her, I just loaded her and took her to the meat locker.

 

Just behind me in this picture is where I saw the deer this morning.
 

On the way home I took the back roads and spotted this feller alongside the Neosho River.  Good ending to the morning.

 

Equipment used:
62"  54#@28" hybrid longbow that I just finished making.  Maple core, Curly Hickory lams (from Kennym), and .050 glass.  Osage, Walnut, & Hickory riser.
Homemade bamboo shaft with homemade luminock and 145gr Snuffer dressed in turkey feather fletching.

Dennis

Update:
The meat locker just called (3pm) and said the meat had spoiled overnight and didn't recommend eating it.  I was hoping the cold overnight temps had saved the meat but it just wasn't so.

[Frenchymanny]

Congratulations! Nice doe, fantastic bow

F-Manny

[BMN]

Great job Dennis. Didn't take long to break in that new bow! Congrats.

Bill

[kennym]

YEAH!! New bow broke in!!          

[WoodsyDave]

Contratulations Dennis........... that was a big doe.  Too bad she spoiled.

You remember we talked about shooting armadillos. I may just take you up on that offer for a guided "dillo hunt" at your place.  We went on a rabbit hunt a few days ago here (about 10 of us stick n string shooters).  Didn't get any but I took a shot at a staub about 40 yards away and drilled it.  I was feeling real good about myself until yesterday morning when I missed a cayote at 15yds.  Gee Wiz!!!

Anyway, still want to drill a dillo!

later ... -Dave

[Aeronut]

We do a lot work around our lake and used to see bunches of them before the flood.  There are a few starting to show up again and I'll holler if we start seeing a number of them around.

Dennis

[twosheds]

Good job Dennis. You must have done good on the bow. congrats pal, Tripper

[bowhunterfrompast]

Dennis..congrats  

[KentuckyTJ]

PSA III Black Widow, Gold tip 3555 with 100 grain brass inserts and Magnus Stinger head. Complete pass through she ran about 60 yards and I saw her tump over. She was 3.5 years old and had two 1-1/2" long fetuses in her and was bred around Nov. 6th.

More fetus info:
 http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=068864