We check the other cameras and find out a big 8pt has been coming to another stand fairly regularly as well.
(he is the huge bodied deer in the back)
we decide I will hunt the 12pt and Mike will hunt the 8pt. We set up camp and jump in the bed for the 2.5 hrs till its time to hunt. Even though I've been up since 5am the privious day I find it very hard to sleep. When we wake up mike suggests we hunt the big 12pt together. I guess we both felt like something special was about to happen and sharing it would only make it better.
Now this is South TX and we hunt feeders. I remember thinking that this would make it too easy when I first moved here from our hometown in MS 12 years ago. We only bowhunt oak trees, trails and food plots there. I was wrong. deer are much more agitated and alert when they come to feeders than they are around natural food sources. Makes it very hard to kill them with a stickbow. Anyway... we head to the blind and get there 45 min before daybreak as it is overcast and dawn comes slow. The blind is 6'x6' so there is plenty of room for both of us. It has three 2'tall x 1'wide shooting windows. The feeder spins before daylight and it seems like forever before we can see at all. I finally spot the first deer of the day about 20 min later. Does and yearlings.A little while later my Mike, who is looking out of the opposite window from me says "I see a Buck." I look and it a young 8pt i've seen several times before. I explain this to him and return to my window. He says "There is a great big buck right behind him!" I look out the window...its him! The deer is on a little sendero that will take him behind the blind and directly downwind at about 10yds. My heart sank as he continued toward our scent cone. He stopped within what had to be a few feet of busting us. Just then the 8pt jumped into the 3ft hog panel feed pen that we use to keep the cows and hogs away from the feed. The big deer did a 180 and headed along the edge of the pen and then jumped in. At this point I slowly opened the window to the blind while I prayed it wouldn't make any sound. It didnt so I very slowly backed to the other side of the blind where I could draw the bow without the arrow sticking out of the window. This narrowed my field of view to a small area right under the feeder. The 8pt was feeding directly in my shot window. My brother was giving me the ply-by-play in a low whisper as he watched out of another window. "He is walking directly towards us at 15yds." "He is headed towards the feeder." "You should be able to see him any second!" Just then the 8pt assumed a submissive posture and disappeared from my view. Suddenly he was there...quartering away and looking away at less than 10 yds! This is closer than I have ever been to a deer this big! I couldn't ask for a better shot but I'm overcome with anxiety that he may hear or see me when I draw. Suddenly the bow is drawn and he is still there! I overcome the incredible urge to release the arrow prematurely. I snug into anchor and pick a spot. Without another consious thought the arrow is on its way. It hits the spot but I remember thinking the penetration looks poor. It has been my experience that I usually underestimate penetration when the arrow stays in the animal.This is the case here as well. The deer bolts directly away but he doesnt appear terribly hurt or allarmed. All of this is happening in super slow motion...at least to me in my adreniline charged state. He jumps over the hog panel pen and when his front hooves hit the ground his knees buckel. His chest and belly skid along the ground for a few feet and he runs hard to regain his feet. All of this is happening less than 10 yds from where I shot him. He slows to a fast trot and stops 50yds from the shot. He stumbles sideways a few steps and colapses. The whole thing took 6-8 seconds. I remember saying "He's down!"
Topic: Had a Great Hunt in South Texas (Read 1815 times)
