One week after carpal tunnel release surgery on my draw hand, I eased into shooting my bow. By October 20 I was 17 days post- op and shooting daily. I grunted this buck in Wednesday eve to 25 yards with no shot. Thursday morning I was up at 2am and shooting in my basement by 3am. Hunting the same stand, I was buckled in an hour early. A very still, quiet morning with almost no wind, bird or squirrel activity. Finally behind me a faint sound of a walking deer. Only legs were visible, then a big body and finally the rack of the heavy beamed 10 pointer from the night before. He stops broadside and looks at my tree for 15 seconds, but finally looks foward and I put my huge 66" recurve between the multi trunked elm tree and point my arrow in his direction. He continues walking and stops again, with a few calming words, my arrow is drawn, anchored and released, striking the 4th rib from the back and angles towards the far shoulder. Tail tucked, he runs away level backed and then turns 90 degrees to run broadside with the bright orange fletch and wrap protruding. About 45 seconds later I hear two large exhales?
Confident, but leaving no doubt, I sneak out and wait five hours. I guessed the blood would be sparse, but it was non existant. Luckily I found him just beyond my last visual, only 12 minutes after taking the track.
Happy and thankful, I can sleep tomorrow and enjoy some extra coffee.