A late bloomer's first trad deer!

[Kapellmeister]

I didn't grow up in a hunting family... was kind of a "city kid"... but I always dreamed of living in the country (like Timmy on "Lassie") - on a farm or a ranch.  I spent most of my life with music (becoming fairly accomplished on keyboard instruments) and computers (working for the world's largest IT company)... yep, a music & computer geek!  It wasn't until I was 45 years old that I started hunting and got my first deer with a compound bow.  I was hooked!  Over the ensuing years, I took quite a few deer with the wheel bow, CF rifles, and flintlock.  Always being one to enjoy "upping" the challenge, I started shooting a longbow a couple of years ago.  Being a musician, I think I've developed a mindset to know how to practice and I've been shooting my bow just about everyday for the past two years... going so far as to shovel a path in the snow to my target... and even taking my bow, arrows and target on vacation to the Outer Banks, NC with me!

Last year, I had a great disappointment with not being able to recover a deer, prompting me to "pack it in" for the rest of the season.  Well, this year I'm 57 years old and not getting any younger... arthritis is trying to get the best of me, I had cataract surgery on both eyes a few months ago... I'm wearing out!  Well, I was more determined than ever this year...

So, yesterday...

[KodiakMag]

[Pon]

  yes! continue please

[2treks]

I just got in from hunting and now I am  

[Mudd]

You really didn't need to give your age as you gave yourself away with the "Timmy and Lassie" comment...lol

I can hardly wait to hear the rest of your story and hopefully with pictures.

God bless,Mudd

[rolltidehunter]

????????

[wingnut]

Dang I hope the old fellow didn't keel over telling the story.  LOL

Mike

[Kapellmeister]

Originally posted by wingnut:
Dang I hope the old fellow didn't keel over telling the story.  LOL

Mike

  I had to take a nap!

[Mudd]

Originally posted by Kapellmeister:
 

quote:Originally posted by wingnut:
Dang I hope the old fellow didn't keel over telling the story.  LOL

Mike

   

[Kapellmeister]

Let me back up a bit...

When scouting around last month in some property adjoining my church, I found a nice deer trail following the edge of the woods in from a field by only around 10 yards.  Just in few yards further, a bank went down into a creek.  Then, a few weeks ago, I went over to the woods after a morning service (around noon) just to take a peek... and kicked up a doe just on the other side of the creek... hmm... good bedding area.

Last week, I went in for a morning hunt and got in the woods much later than I wanted... around 9am.  I had just gotten to my spot but I noticed that the brace height of my H. Hill "half Breed" looked a tad lower than I like (6.5").  I took the string off and was giving it a few twists when... a doe trotted by at around 10 yards!  She seemed to realize that something was amiss and stopped broadside at around 15 yds.  You can imagine how stupid it felt to be standing there with my bow in one hand and the string in the other!      

Well... getting back to yesterday...

I thought I'd try the spot in the evening and got to my stand at 4pm.  It was pretty warm and I was glad to have a Thermacell with me. (Those things really work!)

As time passed, I saw a groundhog about 50 yds away... then I saw another one... and yet another at around 20 yds!  Since I had an arrow with a field tip backed with an adder point in my quiver, I nocked it and took a practice shot at the groundhog... well, he didn't even flinch when the arrow stuck in the tree next to him.   :rolleyes:  

A few minutes later, I look straight in from of me, and there's another 'chuck about 12 feet up a tree!  I couldn't resist trying another and... missed again!  At that point, I'm thinking that I'm glad a deer is a bigger target than a groundhog!      

Be back... I need another nap!  

[straitera]

Great intro!! Impossible to wreck from there. Good stuff K-meister! Figure this will be a good one.

[Kapellmeister]

Well, only an hour had passed since being on stand... but it was plenty of time to be humiliated by two groundhogs!

Fifteen more minutes and.. out of nowhere... a deer is coming toward me from my left.  It happens so quickly... time seems to stand still.  Looked like a mature doe to me... quartering toward me... not the best shot but getting really close!

One thing I love about hunting is "invading their world", totally unoticed, in a close encounter!

The only thing going through my mind was a mantra picked up on TradGang... "pick a spot".  I guess I was also trying to think 3-dimensionally of the deer's vitals from this vantage point.  When the deer got around 7 yards from me, I focused over the front shoulder, drew back my #55 at 28", and let my arrow fly.  Surprisingly, the 29.25" arrow looked like it only penetrated about half way but it sure seemed like it was enough to take a lung out!

Unexpectedly to me, the deer took off out of the woods and into the 150 yard long, wide open field.  It left my field of view at around 75 yards but I thought that it would probably expire in that last 75 yards of high grass.

A minute or two later, two young'uns caught up and also looked a little perplexed as to why mama ran out into the field.  But they followed.  I regained my composure and retrieved the two arrows stuck in nearby trees.    

About 40 minutes later, when I made my way across the field, and searched all through the tall grass... and didn't find a deer... or any blood... I started feeling a little disheartened.  I started questioning my shot... oh, no...

[Apex Predator]

Gene, you're killing me here buddy!  Get on with it!  

[dirtguy]

[straitera]

With Marty here G. I'll give you old no problem. Just wondering if I need to send someone over the check for Rigor?

[RM81]

We need to add a little smiley face guy falling asleep.  Can't wait to hear the rest.

[Kapellmeister]

I started to pray... Dear Lord, thank you for providing for us and for directing this deer into my path... please help me find it!  In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

No sooner had I finished praying when... there it was!... a spot of blood on a leaf at the edge of the woods on the other side of the field!  A little further into the woods and another spot!  Then another! And another! I'm on to something!  50 yards into the woods, there she was... taking a bath in the creek!  The Woodsman Elite 200 gr. broadhead had gone through the shoulder blade(!), through one lung and into the stomach.  The GT Trad 35/55 arrow had broken in two places... half the arrow was laying in the creek next to the deer and the front two pieces were inside her.  I'm guessing that it took a while for the blood to start coming out through the scapula... but when it did... it bled heavily.

   

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!      

And thanks to all you TradGang'ers for the shared knowledge and the encouragement you provide!

Hmm... come to think of it, I'm feelin' a little sleepy ...zzzzzzzzz

congratts!  

[KSdan]

sDg- yes!  Congrats!  Pretty amazing what a trad bow can do- even on a shoulder blade!

[Bob Palmer]

Good Job!!!!