She stepped out of the foilage hole and moved into a bonifide shooting lane 8 yards away. Now she was perfectly broadside and I could see her eye-lashes. She was looking straight ahead which is the direction I come from when walking to the stand.
I was about to go back to plan A and let her walk through and wait for the last deer. However, I feared she might spook up ahead. She wouldn't cross my trail because I had walked in on the opposite side of the fence. Had I known there were 4-5 cows about 150 yards out front and headed our way, I would have been very concerned. The fawns were still trailing and moving and stopping, making very slow progress about 10 yards behind the doe.
The doe turned away from me slightly and put her head down to nibble forbs with her head down between the boles of three small trees. This was it. She was looking away, her vitals were exposed, and the shot was close. I knew the fawns were behind and could see me draw if they were looking up. However, I figured it would take only 2-3 seconds to execute this move.
I smoothly drew, pretending I was on my basement range. I just had to make a chip shot right over the pool table into my Glendale Full-Rut Buck.
Sure enough as I drew I heard something from the fawns. The doe looked their way. But it was too late. The Hycurve had already bucked a bit and the MFX was gone.
Up until now time had seemed to crawl and my thoughts and decisions were able to keep up with the action. When that arrow hit the Sentinel doe the fast forward button was slammed down!
The arrow hit her a couple inches forward of my aiming point which would be a bit high from the downward and quarterning away angle. However, I could see just the fletching entering high in the ribs, behind the scapula and angled down toward the deer's off-shoulder.
She dashed off the way she had been headed. I watched her run and then turn about 45 degrees to the right and away from me when she was about 20 yards out. She was running hard and she disappeared into cover about 50 yards away. I couldn't hear her. I was vaguely aware of the fawns making their exit. I didn't realize at least one of them had gone to the same place the doe disappeared but from above her instead of on her trail and below her.
I hadn't been very nervous. I got a bit nervous now but I thought the shot had been very good.
I waited about 5 minutes, listenting and watching. Then I sent a text to my son who lives only 150 yards from where I parked my truck. I let him know I had shot a doe, I thought the Sentinel doe. I told him the shot looked good. He wanted to come to me and I told him just to wait.
While I waited and watched a smaller deer (one of the fawns?)came from where I thought the doe had gone. This lone deer was hurridly moving in that funny high-knee gait they have when hustling but not running. I took this as a good sign. I figured this deer had gone to the doe and been there when she dropped. Now this deer was moving away, only slightly spooked.
The shot occurred at 8:22 or so. I quietly lowered my quiver and bow and climbed down at 8:38 AM. I went to the place where the doe received the arrow. I admit being pretty impatient at the spot of the shot. I didn't find hair, blood, or the arrow. Then I crept towards where she had run. I found blood about 15 yards out, right before she had made the right turn. had I not found good blood right there I would have called my son and waited for help.
I thought I knew where she had gone so I left the trail and looped around in front. I was careful to stay off her exit trail. When I reached the top of the ridge (just 50 yards further) there she laid. I whispered a quiet thanks to God. She had scuffed out a large area in the leaves and was quite dead. There was no arrow.
I called my son and then began back-trailing the doe to look for the arrow.
Here is a picture of the blood trail and the doe. The blood trail was awesome! From the Doe to the spot where she had turned, where I found first blood, the blood sign was profuse and unbroken. I'm not claiming the Helix was the key to this blood trail but I was sure very satisfied.
I have a funny and sort of stupid (on me) conclusion.
Topic: Sentinel Doe Becomes Jerky (Read 790 times)
