Today was a good day in the woods, bitter sweet but all things happen for a reason. I was in my stand an hour before sun up. The squirrels had me on edge, I had seen bucks running does already when not hunting, so I was on edge more so.
Well the sky starts to lighten, and it is that magic hour, I hear something moving to my north east. That puts it to my left and behind me in the cedars (my stand faces south). There really is not a right wind for the deer come at me from all directions in this stand location, and of course it is blowing to the east.
Head pops out of the cedars, and at first I can make it out for it is just a little dark. But my brain figures it out a deer, and it has bone on its head. It move out and is headed behind my stand. It moves behind a tree I stand and turn to my right for I can get a shot off it continues, he is a good deer. Big bodied but has a small 8 pointer. He hits my shooting lane at about 10yrds and just starts to trot. He is in and out of the first before I can think.
He turns and heads west, I mouth grunt and he stops about 15yrds quartering away. I draw and see a limb, squat to ensure my arrow will clear it. At this point I make a mistake I don't reselect my spot on him I want the arrow to go, I rush the shot. I shoot at a deer verses a hair on the deer. The arrow flies over his back and I think between his antlers. He bounds off about 10 more yards, stops facing north. He is behind some brush and out of range anyway.
He turns and heads south, and out of my life. Ok great morning, just settle down and if I get another chance I know what I must do.
Well I proceed to drop 3 of my arrows from my tree stand. After the third I decided to just get down and call it a morning. I had to pick up my nephew from preschool any way. On the way out I see a buck cruising an open, I am almost back to my truck, and he is on private property. Plus he is only a young buck.
Well I hit my stand a little later then I had planned. It was a little after 3pm but still not bad. Other then I jumped a deer in the cedars with 60yrds of my stand. Ok the squirrels have my head on a swivel. I try to rattle a little. My neighbor happens to be the game warden for my area. He was called at just this morning because 2 bucks were stuck together. Long story short he had to break antlers to get them apart. Thus my trying a rattling a bit. I have still never had it work.
Ok shooting light is almost gone. I hear a grunt coming from my east. A doe appears and she steps 10yrds away, and stops broad side. she is not looking behind her and is on the small side so I think, mom has run her off so she could do be doe stuff with big bucks. I shoot at her and miss, don't know how just over her back. She runs off about 40yrds behind me and then turns and comes back. I get another arrow ready. Then I hear that grunt. I turn 180 facing south. A split second passes and a wide rack is all I see coming round the corner. He stops looks at the doe behind me. He is about 25yrds out. Oh I hope he follows her path. He starts to move then stops and looks at her again and grunts. then he move into the same lane 10yrds and stops quartering slightly towards me. I draw burning lasers into a dark spot behind his shoulder raise my bow, drawing, anchor and release.
My ears tell me it is a hit. My eye tell me he is hit hard. His tail is down and his is full speed. Down the draw and out of sight. Oh was that a crash. Now I begin to shake, bad. I have to get out of the stand, for I might fall. I go and find the arrow I missed the doe with.
The one shot at the buck is nowhere to be found. There is not blood either, no hair. Oh that sinking feeling sets in. I round up my stuff head out. Call my wife tell her to tell my son to get flashlights ready. I get home change and we are back in. No blood. Crap, I know I heard him crash, but there is no blood.
Then my son who is only 10yrds to my left says there he is dad. Sure enough 50yrds from my stand he lays.
It was a lucky shot. I hit him high and way back but just under the spine. There were only a few spots of blood in the ground where he lay.
Equipment, Bow long bow Osage I made, arrows sourwood Pat B sent me and I turned them into arrows, heads I cut out and made. Oh this is my first trad year ever, with the first bow and arrows I have made. This is also my biggest buck ever! He has 10 points 22" inside spread.
This is the only part of the arrow I found it was in him. I will look for the rest later.
I will get more pick up tomorrow, when I have some better light.
Good luck to the rest of you, and happy hunting.
Topic: My first trad year, what a roller coaster, ride! (Read 855 times)
