"The Broadhead" does it again...a hunt with Cade!

[Guru]

A morning beyond words...

Last year was the first year of a goal I set to kill a deer while Cade was along with me in a treestand. Last year 3 hunts came up with only a buck in on us when it was too dark to shoot.

I so wanted him to see a deer in it's own world, doing what deer do.Expereience the "coolness" of being in a deers world.  Deer being deer, not just seeing them on the side of the road.

With baseball yesterday on opening day, this morning we planned to hunt both morning and evening.  I prayed we'd at least some deer.

We hunted the same double set that I put up last year. A ladder for him, I step off the ladder onto a strap-on stand a couple feet higher.

We were in, up, and set a good 45 mins. before first light. Almost immediately I heard a deer behind us on the hill in the leaves and crunching acorns. But it was still way too dark to even think about shooting. As it walked by after a while at 10yds., I could just barely see thru my binoculars that it was a doe.

I hoped that that wouldn't be our only deer of the morning.

As it was getting to be time to even think about shooting, I picked up my bow and drew it a couple times to loosen up...mistake!

I immediately heard a deer start stomping up behind us again where the earlier deer had com from. Thirty seconds later it trotted off...Dang-it!

Again I hoped that wouldn't be the last deer of the day.

Twenty minuted later I caught a glimps of a deer about 80yrs away, but it was hard to tell which way it was headed before it was out of sight.
It was so quick, cade never got the chance to even see it.

But our wait for another deer was short lived, I spotted a doe not 5 mins. later about 70yds. away feeding on acorns.

This one I got the chance to point out to Cade and he quickly was watching it with his binoculars. Soon we could see another behind the first one, and minutes later they started, though very slowly, heading our way!

Cade was excitedly whipering updates to me..."they're coming daddy, there coming"!

"Here they come daddy"!!

As they got to about 40yds., I could see 2 more deer coming behind them....this was awesome for me knowing Cade was finally getting to not only experience deer in their world, doing what they do....But was also starting to experience the building excitement of an impending shot opportunity!

The 2nd deer in line was bigger than the first, I whispered to Cade that I was going to try for the second one...

The first doe passed right by broadside at about 15yds., but I knew that as she moved past us, she'd be getting downwind right about the time the second doe would get to my shooting lane....this was going to be close!

Seconds later the 2nd doe was 15yds, broadside and I started to draw...

The lane was thin, and she was walking at a good clip, so I made a very quiet mouth grunt...she stopped....

[Big Ed]

DUDE!!!!

[wv lungbuster]

[Yellow Dog]

Love it, I'm sure this is going to be good  

[gregg dudley]

Come on, man!  Been anxious to hear the "rest of the story" since your text this am.  I should have known not to be in a hurry!    

[BEN]

   

[Claym]

     

[Huntrdfk]

Awesome!!!!! So happy for both you and Cade!  Can't wait for the rest of the story......


David

[Guru]

... I was shooting "Timex", my old reliable #62 Kempf Kwyk Styk, a Vapor Carbonwood 4000, and the arrow was tipped with the same Chris Surtees 1 1/4" 250gr.VPA that I'd killed the 2 gobblers with this spring, and 2 weeks ago had killed a fall turkey.

The arrow disappeared thru her side, but a little further back than expected...but not bad...

Then I heard an intense whisper..."did you get her?"

I looked down at my very wide-eyed boy! I told him I had put the arrow right thru her.

He never saw the arrow, but he thought he heard it hit something.

She ran off about 30yds and stopped...I whispered to Cade to keep watching her.

I honestly thought she was going to go down right in the thicket in front of us. She walked ahead and out of sight, but we could still hear a deer moving around. But since we couldn't see anything, we didn't know if she was still on her feet, or one of the other deer had run in there at the shot as well.

Seconds later I could hear what i thought was a deer walking up the hill in front of us. But again, not sure if it was "our" deer.

Then I took the time to find the arrow that I figured was stuck in the ground. A quick search with the bino's and bingo!  There it was, totally drenched with blood and blood all around it on the ground!
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Then we both kinda let our excitement come out, I was shaking pretty bad...Cade was whispering a mile a minute! Unbelievable time for us!
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I was confident that she wouldn't be far, but probably needed to give her a little time.

As we waited two deer came off the hill, a button and a doe, but they were downwind and right where the doe had stood....I watched the button buck repeatedly sniff the ground, so I looked around him on the ground...blood all over.  I just knew she'd be right there in the thicket...we waited about 45 minutes and it was time to at least check out to see if she was close by...
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Our set up, the ladder and the hang-on...
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The arrow...
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Chris' well used broadhead...
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Start of the trail...
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[Mudd]

       

[tarponnut]

Good story......

[Shedrock]

More! More!  

[Duckbutt]

Good Lord Curt!....let us take a breath on keeping up with the broadhead stories.       This had to be an unmatched moment in life.

[Guru]

About 40yds from the start...
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At about 50yds. I was surprised that she wasn't right there, it became apparent that the deer we heard moving walking up the hill was in fact her. Blood was heavy where she'd stopped, but quickly slowed down as she moved up the hill...hmmmm  

My stomach was starting to knot up as the blood trail got leaner. We were still only about 70yds into the trail, and it was hard to hold Cade back, but I told him if she wasn't down on the top of this little hill...we'd have to stop for a while.

I expained to him the importance of giving time in a situation like this...

As we topped the hill, we couldn't see the bloodtrail continue...it was definately time to sit down....I hated this feeling!

I knew the deer was dead someplace close, I mean I saw the arrow hit and immediatly thought "back edge of lung and liver". But with a high enterance, and the exit being where it was, it wasn't hard to things to shift around on the lower hole stopping blood from coming out.
I explained all this to Cade while we sat and had a drink and snack.

Time well spent with Cade...story time.....
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Keeping mom updated...
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Cade kept telling me he had a feeling she was just over the hill, in fact he said it several times. I told him I knew she was close, we just needed to find her.

About 45mins. later I decided it was time to slowly, and quietly continue.

As we packed up our gear, I saw a spike pop out from behind the rocks in front of us not 15yds away...whispered to Cade and we watched as this little guy came in to about 10yds. before smelling us a coming un-glued...how cool for Cade!

I looked over the hill, din't at first see any blood, but could see in the leaves and soft dirt, where a deer had gone down the hill...showed the tracks to Cade and followed not 10yds. and saw a drop of blood!

Kept on about 5yds. further and saw more blood...another 10yds and more blood....

Stomach in a knot, and on edge with every step ...I looked ahead...

As I scanned over a small outcropping in front of us, about 50yds. away, I saw what looked like something white!

I stopped and whispered to Cade that I think I might see her and I picked up my binoculars. I took a step to the side and focused ........a white belly!!!
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Cade was right, she was just over the hill about 70yds away from us the whole time as we sat...what a releif, and what an unforgettable time for both of us!

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[longrifle]

Nice job dad,and having your son there to watch and taste  it all with you.

[Guru]

Chris' VPA has now been on three different arrows, with three different bows and has taken three turkeys and now a deer...
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The best of times...
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This is how the drag started...
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Not far into it...
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I've tried my best to put this into words, but I know I've failed....there's just no way to do it...

Thanks again my friend...
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[Stump73]

I know that feeling way to well. Congrats!

[superkodiak]

fantastic!

[jcar315]

Awesome!
What great father / son time.
   

[stujay]

Nice!