I finally checked my email from Mohillbilly and found out I owe you all a story:
So there I was, guys, with nothing but a stone axe and a loincloth; perched in a tree waiting for something to come by....Okay, so that's not exactly how it went down but I bet I do have your attention now. Anyway....This is the REAL story.
I was hunting with a friend of mine on some private ground he has access to up near Warsaw, MO. Saturday morning shooting light arrived with me in my climbing stand about 15 yards into the woods off the edge of a field. I spotted this buck as he entered the field about 35 yards to my right. When I noticed his headgear I had to look away to keep from getting over-excited. I figured he would feed along the tree line and give me a broadside shot in short order. Of course, the deer had other plans and started feeding my direction but towards the middle of the field. When he was straight out in front of me, but 40 yards away, I knew I had to do something quick so I grunted to him. He threw up his head, looked around, and then went back to feeding. So then I went to Plan B and bleated to him with my can call - same response. By now he was past me and I realized I was going to have to turn it up a notch to get his interest so I really layed into the grunt call. That did the trick! He turned, started doing his own grunting, and headed back towards me. I got my bow ready for what was to come and tried to wait patiently. Then, for no reason, I saw him turn again and head away from me. Disappointed, but not upset, I sat back down and figured, well, I at least had a good story to tell. And that's when I heard him grunting again; this time no more than 20 yards away. He had circled around and was looking for me! When he finally cleared some brush and gave me the shot I, at first, wasn't going to take it because I thought he was out too far. But then I did a double-take and said, "Hell, I can make that shot". So I drew my longbow and let him have it. When I saw a foot of my arrow sticking out just behind his ribs my first thought was, "Man, I hit him good" and my second thought was, "Man, there's gonna be no blood trail because the broadhead is buried in the off-shoulder". What I didn't realize was that he was quartered away more than I thought and my arrow traversed his entire goody cavity which was why I guess the arrow didn't go all the way through. Anyway...I guessed where he had run to since I had no blood and I didn't see him leave the field and I, fortunately, guessed well. I found blood on the first deer trail I walked and he was piled up about 75 yards after that.
The hole you see in the picture is the exit wound from a 175 grain Ace Super Express broadhead. I love that broadhead and it was mounted on a homemade laminated birch arrow with a total arrow weight of 775 grains. I shoot a takedown Thunder Stick Mag which is 55# @ 28".
Good hunting!
Darren Haverstick
PS. MoHillbilly, see you on Kodiak Island in 3 WEEKS!!!