The "Moose Antler buck" & the good, bad & then the ugly..."

[Keefer]

Well I haven't posted yet but what a learning experience I got this past weekend after 40 + years of bow hunting.
     On Saturday morning I was in my Huntmore 360 seat that 7 years ago a P.M. to Mike Mitten convinced me to get one on my birthday and I have had so much fun in this chair since He told me about how it kept his Dad comfortable so I asked the Mrs. for one and she got me one.
 Thank you Mike for that P.M. back then.
     Now to my story on Saturday starting with excitement being the good,then not having much confidence on my arrow placement to what took place later.


     Please forgive me on my story cause I am not the best but need to tell it for closer on this hunt.
     I was sitting in a blow down with a big enough root ball to cover my left side and near a deer trail that was less then 12 yards away or so.
 I shoot sitting down and always face on a slight angle to what I think will be my shot side and give myself some room to turn in my Huntmore chair for a shot if one presented itself.
 Well one did on Sat. morning at 10:30 a.m and I need help trying to make my story readable by others cause I don't know how to do a paragraph type reading so before I really start this story and before my good friend 1/4 Away steps in can someone tell me what to do here? Please?

[Red Beastmaster]

Hit your Return or Enter key twice to create a paragraph break.

[ChuckC]

Don't worry about perfection in WHERE to make the paragraph, just make the spaces so you have only maybe 5-7 lines of test at a time.  It just makes it easier to read.  Thank you for caring.

On with the story... my coffee is getting cold !

[Keefer]

O.k everyone I have sent texts to a few friends and trying not to upset anyone in my grammar but I am missing a few nuts and bolts from not listening to the teachers in school and I got through on a thin thread and regret it so tell your kids to "Pay attention" or they will end up like me lol...

[Keefer]

Heck I may just have to keep making short threads like this so everyone can read it and make it super long and make you all wait to Thanks Giving day or Christmas lol.    :rolleyes:          
 If you drink coffee go get a pot on and start sipping!                

[Keefer]

Here go's and hope you can sort of place yourself in my situation and what took place on Saturday the 11th of November as I sat in my Huntmore chair enjoying the brisk cold morning with hardly no wind .
   I was looking to my left through a small opening of a small holly tree at a trail that was just about 7 yards quartering on a slight angle like as if you were looking at 12:00 there was a trail say at 8:00 o'clock merging in a trail directly at 12:00.
 As I was looking I got my first image of a Roman nose and then a face and then the Biggest set of all sorts of antlers I ever seen while sitting on the ground.
   I was saying to myself "Dear God Please" let my arrow be true to it's mark and if it's your will let me have a shot at this deer?

[KAZ]

Bring it Keefer  

[1/4 away]

You're doing good brother. Keep it coming.

[Keefer]

Well as I prepared on the shot if he kept moving as he was on a slow walk it would give me a 12 yard broadside shot at his entire body once he stepped from behind a small holly and as he moved I drew my RER Arroyo 50# @28" Static limb recurve that carried my 2016 Easton Legacy with a Zwicky Delta broad-head and total weight of 538 grains !
 
   As I drew he came to a complete stop before exiting from the holly and his next few steps would give me the shot we dream about and practice for.
      My shooting arm started to feel the weight and to many that isn't much to hold but to me I had a repaired severed right hand that was reattached with 8 pins and two operations from a log splitting accident that happened in 1985 and my fingers were starting to feel the pressure on my string so I started to relax the bow a bit and he began his move with a pick up in his walk.
   
  So I regained my draw and did a mouth Urrrp to stop him cause I cant hit nothing moving unless I'm lucky and he came to a halt.
 He looked my way then to a scrape just about 20 yards in front of him.
  I picked a spot and had the broad head touching the back of the shelf and let it launch to it's intended target and I saw the buck kick to the side and bolted out towards the scrape and I hurried and grabbed another arrow and also grabbed my grunt tube and made a doe grunt and he actually came to a halt and turned near the scrape and looked my way and back at the spot I shot at him .

  I'm thinking did I miss him and was that a jump from the string?
  This bow is so quiet I started having doubts if I even hit him cause I lost track of my arrow and thought it looked a bit back but wasn't sure now?
   So I had limbs from another holly in the way and he wasn't coming back so he turned and headed out to where I lost sight to my right side due to small holly's and just small pines etc.
  I did another doe grunt and not sure how many minutes after my last sighting maybe 5 maybe 10 but I got a glimpse of a buck past the scrape moving around what I thought was about 65/80 yards but hard to see cause I don't where my glass's mainly for reading and driving.
 
  I just took it as could be another buck cause at that same time I had another on that main trail back about 60 yards throwing dirt 30 feet and had his antlers in a holly yanking limbs and making a racket.
 So I twisted so hard instead of turning my huntmore looking at him I felt a very sharp charlie horse come in my stomach under my ribs on my left side and a burn like I tore my insides and as I turned to watch the buck I just shot at I took notice of where that buck if it was indeed him going around as to circle back.
  I saw him one last time through the trees and brush etc. then he was gone.

[Keefer]

Sorry I needed to go make certain my daughter is o.k. and give her some meds.
   
 Now I gave this 30 minutes for things to settle down and I was calm but the chill in the air was making me cough and shiver a bit but I had my Asbell wool vest on that 1/4 away Fred sent me a few years back as a gift God Bless him and a Asbell pullover and my Asbell haversack was there as well laying on the ground .
 O.k. that was a commercial for the Asbell's and Mrs. T for all her hard work keeping us equip for our time in the outdoors!      
 Now back to the story and the "Bad" part of this hunt .
 I got up out of my seat and went over to where I took the shot on the buck and there was a spot where he kicked and peeled out of there with dirt sort of thrown to his left side but I just figured the arrow scared him and the way he responded to stopping at the doe grunt I did that it could possibly of been an under the belly miss so I searched in the dark area for some blood,hair,arrow or even something that looked like a gut shot and I saw nothing and went to the scrape he hung by and saw nothing.
  By this time I went a little further saw no blood and decided to go find my arrow where he stood to see if it was back further since I pretty much considered it as a miss.
 After several times looking at where he stood and my spot where I sat I did a straight like and searched about 20/30 feet possibly more pass where he stood on that shot and just saw my fetching sticking out from some leaves.
 The arrow wasn't buried in the ground but just tucked under the leaves as if someone lay the leaves on top ever so gently!
   So I looked at my arrow and it looked clean other then some leaf residue so I smelled it and took it back to my seat and looked it over and over and stuck it in my quiver.
   
 I replayed the scenario  over and over and over and finally just said "STOP" you missed and that's it. No sign no nothing so hang it up and continue hunting.
 I remember I thanked God for the deer sighting and getting that shot and how much I enjoyed the image of his antlers that had so many and just something I never saw before but life is full of lessons and I just started thinking I need to practice more and enjoy the time I do have in God's creation and not dwell on a missed shot.

  Or was it?   :confused:

[Stumpkiller]

Misses happen.  Kudos for finding the arrow and doing what you could to verify a miss.

One thing - you mention the broadhead hitting the shelf at full draw?  That would distract me and kill my shot.  I'd have to start over.

Have you practiced with the broadhead tipped arrows to know where they hit vs. field points?

[Keefer]

Now this will be my last part of the story and 1/4 Away will step in "If" he got his chores done and didn't fall asleep waiting for me to tell this adventure into what happened later and that is the Ugly of the heading to this story!
  Well I couldn't get back to the woods to hunt until Tuesday morning and as I replayed the image of Saturday's situation I was hoping that this buck was alive and bedded down and would return and possibly give me another shot at him but our Lord had my day mapped out already and started this day with sending me clues or what I always call a "God Wink" and when I am done I'll tell you all "If" you don't believe me He has sent me quite a few in my life and after looking back and thinking I thought that was a "God Wink" and He just brought it to my attention and I smile at Him and say "Thank You Father"!
  As I just got set back in my Huntmore seat and turned out my head lamp I settled in and with in several minutes I hear this growling like two coyotes or Fox's ,coons whatever fighting over a bone. Then about 5 or 10 minutes later I hear Antlers clash hard and a twist and separate and that started to make me wonder" Is God" sending me a message to go search my last sighting in a brier patch just around the the direction I'm facing and where I last saw that Buck I shot at on Saturday?
 
     Well I thought I wonder if that was a buck that did a "pecking" order to a dead buck on the ground where I last saw that buck and what if he is dead and the growling came from that direction?
  I decided that why go around to a known bedding area and spread scent and disturb my morning hunt so I let it go!
 Well I decided to try a doe grunt and call and with in a few minutes I hear this URRRP respond  just to my far right and behind to much brush to see so I did a lower one and saw some legs moving in the shadows and a spike walked and did the licking branch and smelled the big scrape and came in to present me a shot but I decided for some reason to just let it see tomorrow and just sit and see what else happens today!
   
    As the morning showed a few more deer I did take notice of a deer leaving that area I last saw the buck on Saturday and I just thought it looked 65/80 yards and kept my eye on that area the rest of the morning.
  Now I packed my lunch and headed out to take a break and to get back in by 1:00 and after a quick meal and a bottle of water I decide to settle back in my Huntmore for the afternoon hunt.
  Just around 1:15 or so I see shadows moving from the sky on the ground and I started to look straight up and see a few Eagles,osprey if I am looking right and then buzzards.
 The buzzards are always cruising that area checking the wind currents and then I see some circle from me to the last sighting I saw that buck on Sat.
 I thought is God telling me to go check but I thought why my arrow looked clean and why disturb a bedding area?
 So He sent more buzzards and I watched to see if any landed but just couldn't tell but then a few perched in a Big old Oak and I figured they are just roosting.
 So about 2:00 I see two go from limb to limb and drop out of sight so I think to myself why not go and do a quick circle and see if you see any birds fly up from the briers and it could be that deer !
 So finally after all the clues I was getting I decided to just do a quick 15 minute search and as I grabbed my bow and headed to where I was sure I last saw the Buck on Saturday I saw a few buzzards lift up and some perched in trees and some back in the air.
 I kept my eye on the spot and as I neared the entrance area to those Briers I see what I first thought was two bucks locked up but it was a Big bodied buck.
 As I came closer my eyes noticed the antlers were those of the buck I shot at and the Roman nose was him.
 I went up lay down my bow and noticed a hole just about 5 or 6 " high off the belly but what looked to me as at the beginning of the rib cage!

  He was starting to stink and with rain on Monday early morning as he laid on wet ground and I remember as I knelt down I apologized I didn't just come over there Saturday but I thought I missed him.
 I thought of all the wasted meat and how our youngest Daughter Darci who just turned 6 asked me Saturday morning at 4:25 a.m. to pray before I left in my truck for a deer!
 Now here is the "God Wink"
 Before I walked out and got a little Blessing hug and kiss from our early bird daughter who was the only one up she reminded me once more to pray in my truck before I left.
 I said how about I ask for a and as most men would I asked for a "18 point " buck then quickly said or a 12 or any deer sighting will be good and I actually did take my hat off in my truck and asked God to just bless my day and I prayed for other things as well!
 So to finish this story I apologize if this story was hard to read or wasn't worded right but I'll make the corrections as I re-read them and I learned a valuable lesson even when we think we may have missed a deer totally to not give up and just because a deer may act normal after a shot don't assume it's a miss.
 They are tough animals and sometimes you get a "Clean" pass through and may not get evidence of a hit but I look back and had several clues and didn't realize it.
 As I questioned myself about the hit I rolled him over and sure enough there was a slice on the opposite side and confirmed i did get a pass through and why my arrow just tucked under the leaves .

 
 Now if you will Fred do your thing!

[1/4 away]

Here's a couple of pics of Keefers buck....

 

 

Holy cow, that’s a great buck! It sucks that the meat could not be used, but I’m glad you at least recovered the horns, and they did not turn into a rat chew toy!

I had a similar occurance on a doe I shot earlier this season. I saw a great shot when I shot her. I got out and found an arrow with nearly nothing on it, and really began to doubt what I thought I had seen. I found her about 60yds away, deader than a hammer, with a double lung passthru shot. Sometimes, weird stuff just happens!!!

Bisch

[Keefer]

Thank you Fred and I am sorry for the pics but I have better ones on a digital camera and just need to have them put on our P/C . The first one I took on my i phone and it was the last picture cause my data was at its limit on pictures so next day my friend took the one with me.
 Now the "God Wink" was when Darci made certain I prayed and I said How about a Big 18 point and by my surprise he has 10 points on the left side and 8 on the right!      

Just a side note: if you can see that standing brier and look at the thorn pointing to the bucks chest a bit under (maybe 6") my puff ball  you can see the entrance hole and mind you something was starting to eat on him.

[Ragin Bull]

Congratulations on a fine looking buck. Hunting has highs and lows and valuable lessons learned. Sometimes things don't go as we plan. Still glad to hear that you found him.

[South MS Bowhunter]

Wow what a buck!  I had a similar situation happen on a doe only that i'm sure she survived.  

I had shot late on an evening hunt and heard the sound of a hit Thuddd!  After waiting a few minutes I began to pack up my gear in the dark and all of a sudden heard a blow, not good I thought and waited a little longer.

Long story short, my arrow at the site the deer was standing appeared to be clean, no blood, or smell.

I made the assumption with the evidence and the deer blowing that I missed      

   
Later at home I decided to clean the dirt from the broad head and re-sharpen, that when I put my reading glasses on and seen white and brown deer hair mixed in the dirt on the blades.

And one fletching had a faint pink line on its very top edge with a greasy coating.

I had overlooked these clues due to not putting my glasses on and with the other signs showing miss.

It pays to play out all your gut instincts and the winks from God    

[DanielB89]

Keefer,

I love the humble spirit you have!  It's crazy how hind sight is 20-20.  I know the feeling of losing an animal well.  It isn't one I like.  I have also had a similar situation with an arrow passing through and being COMPLETELY clean! It doesn't always add up to what happened, but at least you have some closure.

[KAZ]

Wow Keefer, that's an incredible buck there.    

Thank you for bringing the entire story to us.  

Despite our best efforts, sometimes we fall short of the ideal. Praise God, that in His Divine wisdom & sovereign power you were blessed with this recovery & amazing gift...  

Happy that you recovered him and found closure. I think we all can grow/learn from your story.  

[Keefer]

John,
 Something I did when I resharpened my Zwicky was take it and examine once I was home with a LED headlamp that is on a eye glass frame with 6 different lenses you can snap in place to look closely and I should of left that arrow alone until I got home and examined but at lunch time I took a paper towel with water on it to see if any pink or what felt like a grease residue would show up but only one spot on that arrow kept the water off like bees wax was smeared but I still took the reactions of that buck as a "Miss" and just sort of shrugged it off.
When I got home and did that I wiped my feathers as well but they looked good.
  Is there anything other then a liver shot that won't give a better clue as a hit?
 I'm just curious cause when I opened up the entrance hole it was full of blood but his belly wasn't bloated so I took it as a vent hole letting the gas's out and bloat flies were coming out as well and I was about to lose my groceries in my belly but I was trying to look for another clue as to what did I hit?