Knowing when you should call in sick to work....

[dave19113]

Monday night I was checking the weather for the following day to see if it was going to be a good hunting day or not.

Tempatures in the mid 50's all day and winds out of the north was all I needed to hear.

A quick call into work and I was all set.

I was quick to get out also because I recieved my new  BJ Buffalo Bow that I was dying to use.

 


 

I was able to get in right before sunrise and there was not another soul in the area I hunt. I figured because this saturday starts muzzleloader season. The range right up the road was booming away with people sighting in their muzzleloaders.

I always hunt from the ground. So I started my slow walk and stalk. Almost immediatly I heard a buck about 60 yards away plodding through the woods. The wind was in my face and I attempted the stalk. Dried twigs ended that stalk quick and off went the buck bounding away and over a far hill. Oh, well no worries, the day was still so early and just being out here is what it is all about.

.....to be continued

[KodiakMag]

     

[Big Ed]

[dave19113]

About 3 hours in I appoach an area of the woods that opened up into a large field with high grass. A perfect bedding area. Plus about 50 yards to the east is a stream that I have scouted earlier. It was riddled with deer tracks walking up and down its edges.

The wind started to gust a lil, directly in my face so I was good to go. I began to hear some leaves crunch so I froze and began to scan the tree line. The tree line was heavy pines and I could not see in. But I figured if there were deer in there they could not see out either. The problem was I was in the middle of the trail, far away from cover. I waited about 5 minutes without hearing any more movement.

I began to move to my right to start toward cover. Right then and there a spike buck walked out. There was a water funnel along the edge of the trail due to the fact that the trail began an up hill grade. Years of rain had cut out the two foot deep channel in the trail edge. The buck had his front legs in it and I think obscured his view a little bit.

I thought this is it, at only 15 yards, Im busted. But lucky for me I wasnt. He looked in my direction then looked up wind and began to edge out onto the trail and head up the trail edge. The more I looked at him I could not get over why his body was on the big side and that his muzzle looked a little older.

Not that I look at antler size, I just did not want to shoot a 1 1/2 year old. I like to give them a chance to grow. The more I viewed him I saw that he just had bad genetics for antler size. That was OK for me.

As the buck quartered away the light came on. I picked a spot behind his left shoulder. The buck quartered hard away so I set my spot a little farther back so as to drive my arrow foward into the heart/lung area. Solid anchor and away went my arrow. I watched my arrow bury and disapear into his body followed by that loud "SMACK" of a solid hit..........

[dave19113]

My heart was pumping so I just sat down and relaxed a little bit. I knew I hit him solid but as he ran I could not hear him fall. I waited 20 minutes and just marked the area where I last saw him. As I waited to go in I figured I might as well look at the shot site. At first I could not find blood. I did not understand what happened. I knew my shot was good and I saw it dissapear.

Well in all my excitement I miss marked were he went in. A look about 5 yards to the north started mt blood train. The blood was bright red and looked to be pumping out of both sides.

And then I came across this....

   

My 2018 28" Easton Trad arrow with a 250 gr RW Concorde....The arrows blood had the tell tale bubbles in it so I knew I punched the lungs...

[dave19113]

The blood trail only went about 40 yards before I fould my deer piled up.


 


 

I was so relieved.... Even though I knew I put a good shot on him I still worry. It started back with my 1st deer shot 20 plus years ago; until I find my deer I get stressed.

[dave19113]

With almost 2 miles back to my Jeep, I knew I had a long trek back.

From arrow release until I found my buck was only 45 minutes total. And then the real work started.....


But its all worth it with sruff like this......


 

 

[dirtguy]

Great Story!
           

[Doc Nock]

Makes that long walk /drag out worth it doesn't it? Nothing like making meat for the winter to give a man that sense of inner peace that all is well...

Nicely done and on the ground, stalking or still hunting is doubly rewarding! Excellent!  

[Margly]

Congratulations  

[Horne Shooter]

Great Stuff!  Thanks for the pictures and the story.

[KentuckyTJ]

Great hunt and from the ground. Congrats.

[centaur]

Love hunting them from the ground! Way to go!

[caleb7mm]

awesome! I did the same thing yesterday (called in). But I missed my shot by an inch!  

enjoy all that meat!!

[Gen273]

Great Post, congrats!!!

[DannyBows]

Well Done! Thanks for taking us along.

[Mick]

Fantastic!  Thanks for taking us along on your hunt!  

[tracker1]

Good job way to break in that new buffalo.

[Duker]

You got my heart pumping just reading this Dave:::Straight shooting and good eating  

[amicus]

Good job. Thanks for the story.

Gilbert