Sure does to this one! Got 'er did with a very special bow this evening. Long story short, I've been in a slump. Shot clean over 3 deer in 3 days...I'm convinced they are on meth and chasing it with Red Bull. Taking shots at what I thought were at least semi-relaxed deer, they ducked the arrow like it was a magic act...then explode out of there.
Went to a spot where two of the three misses have occurred. Place is rotton with deer, and I was determined...I might shoot under one, but I wasn't about to watch my arrow fly over again. I'd even added an extra set of silencers to the bow today to try and get it quieter. It helped...some...
Ok I lied. It's not going to be a short story.
10 minutes after 5, deer start coming out of the woods to the long, fairly narrow green field I'm hunting. I'm steadily telling myself "SHOOT LOW!". One of the mature does give me a shot. I pick my spot in the pocket behind her leg at the bottom of her chest and shoot. Got her! HEART SHOT....I think? She didn't duck, but rather whirled. Silencers must have helped because a couple of the others hesitated a couple of seconds before busting out of there.
Ok, now the hard part. Waiting. I was sure (I think?) it was a good shot, but it sounded weird. Not the "bomp" I've always heard...that good hollow sound. This was more like a "shnick"...like a cutting sound, but not hollow. Oh well, somehow I dodged the ribs...I think?
30 minutes went by unusually quick. I was about to gather up my stuff and...dang...deer start coming out of the woods again! 4 or 6, including a couple of bucks (big bodies, not much for antlers). One young doe comes over almost to the spot where I'd just shot her companion. She meanders around for a while. Nervous and curious. The mature deer just mosey on, never stopped or offered a shot (I could have killed a buck legally). I watched the young doe, then a second one, for a while. They wandered off, I gave it a while, now it's been an hour. Can't stand it anymore. Gotta' look.
I go to the spot. Nothing. Tracks everywhere, no way to pick out one set. I start criss-crossing the field looking for blood. Nada. Nothing. Zilch. Crap! Did I hit her leg?
I get to the end of the field, was thinking about calling a buddy of mine who is part (about 3/4) bloodhound and I see my nock off in the woods a little ways. Hot dog! At least there's my arrow...and maybe a clue as to where that deer went. I got closer...crap...it's just the arrow. I was dang near on top of it before I saw it was still planted in the deer, and she was DRT (Dead Right There). Never did find a drop of blood...but she'd only gone maybe 100 yds, and covered that distance in a few seconds and crashed in a full run.
Honestly the shot looked awful. Was NOT where I thought...she'd spun when I dropped the string, hit her WAY back...behind the rib cage..but she didn't go far, so I was happy. Maybe she saw my face and I uglied her to death?
Now, to get to the point of the post heading. Like I said, I was using a very special bow. It was gifted to me by Lenny Pierce, son of Mr. Jerry Pierce. Mr. Jerry didn't make this particular bow, but it was made on his press, with his woods, about a year after his passing. It was sold at the 2000 PBS Auction.
Lenny is a good friend, and gave me this bow several years ago with one condition. I had to try and kill something with it.
Well...I procrastinated. It's short...56" or 58". I draw 31" on it. It's light. 35@28, or a whopping 40.5@31. I'd never shot that light other than a couple of shots for fun...much less hunted with that light a draw weight. I hadn't hunted with it because I hadn't taken the time to get arrows matched to it, and wasn't comfortable half-a-ing it. I know that's the word on the street, that we bowhunters don't have to worry about stuff like that...but I do.
This year was going to be the year. Bought the right arrows (500 spine GT, still took a 200 grain point to get them to fly perfect), tinkered and tinkered and tinkered until I was satisfied...except it was still noisier than I liked. Proceeded to cleanly miss 3 deer...they ducked the arrow every time...ARRGGGHHHH!!!!! Well...the only way you'll never miss is if you never shoot at one...that's my story and I'm sticking to it. At least I'm seeing deer.
Ok, back to the point. Pulling a measly 40.5# at best. Deer is on meth and chasing it with Red Bull. Spun like a top when I dropped the string. Hit her way far back. Had to do a redneck autopsy when I skinned her, just to see why she went down so fast. I did notice the arrow was buried up probably 18" in her, but it didn't penetrate the far side.
THIS is why it's idiotic to hunt with anything other than well tuned arrows (besides the fact that a broadhead can take a wobbly arrow way off course...they aren't like shooting field points...but you have to actually shoot broadheads to know that). I hit gut. I knew that due to the entry wound. I hit liver. I figured as much because she went down so fast. I hit lungs. Wow...good penetration for that light weight. Oh, but I'm not finished. I hit heart also...in and out. Holy crap! No wonder she went down so hard and fast!
On top of that, just a while ago while I was putting my bloody arrow away, I noticed something. The point on my Ace broadhead is bent (and these are tough heads). WHAT???? I hit the off-side shoulder, after penetrating gut, liver, lungs, and heart hard enough to bend the tip of my broadhead! Pulling 40.5#! Oh yeah, shot distance was under 20 yds...probably 16 or 17.
THAT is why bow hunters tune their gear. Based on actually shooting deer. Almost forgot...she weighed 100# on the money on my digital scale. Not the biggest, but a mature MS whitetail doe.
I have pictures if someone wants to post them. I can text them to you from my phone. I'm computer illiterate when it comes to that stuff.
Chad
Topic: Does Tuning Really Matter to a Bow Hunter? (Read 4230 times)
