The 'SOLANA GAMES' have begun!!!

[Terry Green]

A little flock of finches spooked all 3....and they scattered....lucky for me, not so lucky for grandma...

She made a loop to her left and came walking right back in closer and completely broadside....this was it.

I took a slow deep breath through my mouth, yes, they can hear you breath through your nose if its still like it was......picked a spot on the ground 2 inches low of her body line, and 2 inches behind her elbow that was forward.  I don't remember drawing or releasing....just her ducking right into the arrow for what looked like a double lung.  A TX double lung, which I will show later.

She laid over so far the arrow didn't even pass completely through....and I knew why...

I have to say, I've never seen a deer run as fast as she did, cept maybe for that B'day Buck I shot a few years ago at Solana out of the Killin Tree...

I watched her turn on the after burners and she was at full speed in 30 yards, the next 70 she was FLAT OUT till she rounded a lone cedar in the open flat way right of me.  She rounded that cedar so fast her back end got loose and she almost lost it......or was it the lethality of the hit?...

[Guru]

Little did I know that T was in the same situation....

It was time to try for one of these does. I took a chance and checked one last time with my bino's to make sure I was in fact looking at a doe, I didn't want to shoot a BB!

Like Terry said, shooting these does is not an easy task, they are wired beyong belief!

With every shot opp you have to think distance, angle, height, and "mood" of the deer. Figure where you have to "pick your spot" and then execute a perfect shot.

After that all bets are off and the deer determines the outcome.

With the nearest doe partially hidden behind the trunk nearest to my right side. I had to take a chance and shift my feet a bit.

I "oozed" my feet around and leaned out as far as I could to get her chest into view...

At this angle and distance(about 12yds), I looked at the bottom of her bodyline right behind her near leg....drew... and released...

[Terry Green]

I reloaded and sat still for a few moments...then had a good look around....no other deer were in sight.

I couldn't stand it...I text Curt about 'my brewing'...

"I couldn't stand it any longer....I just drilled a doe"

Seconds later, I got a text back...."I was just about to text you the same thing!!!"

[Doc Nock]

Karma, T! Karma... about your stand and who had "your back"... chills up my spine reading that!  

I had a buddy lived in Tx...he always said he had to shoot a good bit BELOW--- especially on doe

He did tell of one "Exception".  He had one doe come in, broadside, squat to pee and he rememberred wondering if they drop when they're already squated to pee, held low, shot and she didn't drop!      

he concluded that must be the only situation where they don't!

[Guru]

She dropped right into the arrow and it hit half way up and very tight to her shoulder!

I heard it kinda "crunch" when it hit and she was off in that low, hard death run!

I watched her run out into the field, she stopped, I saw her tail flippin', heard a weird sound, and she went down!

Chris' VPA had done it again! As usual, the first thing I did was try to locate it on the ground. I couldn't see it!

Now the stress I always feel till I find it again...

We figured out later that I'd actually shot before Terry, but held out for a while savoring the feeling that never gets old.

When I got his text...I couldn't help but think how cool it was to be in two different stands but going thru the same thing almost simultaineous!

The sun set on another memorable Solana evening hunt...I love this place!
•  

[Terry Green]

Wow....what a text back....Curt and I were running the same script!!!

Just as the night started taking over, I got down and shortly looked for blood at the impact spot, but gave that up knowing it would be tuff to find blood on barren ground from a doe that was nothing more than a bottle rocket....so, I eyeballed that lone cedar and spotted several prickly pair patches she probably ran by....this turned out to be just the ticket because I could see a deep trail running by several....

     

   

   

Then ahead, I saw my reflective wrap...which lead me further.....

   

Yep, just as I thought....abundant bubbles, and a dirt covered broadhead.  You see, the doe ducked and laid over so far the arrow didn't exit because it stuck in the ground.....like I said, I'll show proof in a bit...

   

[Guru]

It got dark and I nocked another arrow knowing it would be a while before I was picked up. I promised the crew that I wouldn't try to climb down out of this tree without them there, just in case.

There's always a chance for hogs to come in after dark so I sat in solitude and waited...

Probably a half hour later I could hear David's truck rattling in the distance and getting closer. Soon I could see lights as well.

I packed up my gear and lowered my bow just as they were pulling up.

I climbed down and they(Don, Michael, David) asked  about where the doe was. I told them they'd just drove past her out in the field!

 My main concern now was recovering my arrow, more specifically, Chris' VPA!

There was no need to follow the bloodtrail except for the fact that we needed to find the arrow. Michael took the lead and 20yds into the trail he found my arrow...intact!!!!

We headed right out into the field where David had already drove up on my doe...

Chris' 1 1/4" VPA had once again done an outstanding job. Arrow entered here...
•      

And came out half way between the "elbow" and knee of the opposite leg. That's how steep the angle of the shot was!

One very happy hunter and guide...
•      

We loaded her up and were off to pick up Rob, and then Terry...

[Terry Green]

Once I'd gathered sufficient evidence from my arrow, I just continued on to that cedar, and found her blood track rounding it and a straight line to the next cedar about 15 yards away.  From there she hurdled a prickly pear patch and left more evidence...at this point I just stood.

 My gut feeling was she wasn't more than 30 yards away based on the distance and the double lung assurance, but I just stood wanting Davids young dogs to work the trail, AND to fend off the pack of yotes that were howling 100 yards ahead.

[Terry Green]

When I heard the rattle of David's diesel....I slowly walked just off the blood trail back to my stand and arrived just as the truck did.

When ever David sees me out of my stand, he knows.....it's tracking time....

I told the crew what had happened and what I was supposedly sure of....and sure enough, she had bounded over two more prickly pear patches and was stone dead....

Here's the unfolding....also with Curt's Cap, and my freshly bloodied Black Widow PCH....

     

Curt and I with our dearest TX friend David Shepperd.....    

[Guru]

Hard to explain why...but "things" like this seem to happen when Terry and I get together...

When I got the text that he'd killed a doe wearing my hat,I knew it was no longer "mine". There was no doubt, it was his now...

Not a better feeling in the world to share all this with a truck full of good buddies and one overseeing everything from above!

A picture I will forever cherish...
•    

[Terry Green]

Here's evidence of not only how the deer in TX  react, but why my arrow didn't get a complete pass through and stobbed the earth.

Remember, this shot was from a tree stand.....


ENTRANCE......

   

  EXIT.....

     

I've even seen the exit wound HIGHER than the entrance on more than one occasion.

[Bowhunter4life]

Way to go Curt and Terry!  Great shots and short trails are not as easy to come by as you guys make it look!  Congrats to both of you, well all three of you... I think Chris was there also...

[Guru]

Just a heads up...Don Wilson (DW) has been away for the last few days and I hope will share his strories and pix when he gets a chance....he's got some good one's!

Both stories and pix    

Congrats Terry and Curt!!!! That was an awesome write up of an awesome evenings hunt!

Terry, I have shot more than several deer down here that left a higher exit hole than entry hole. Sometimes it is mind boggling how much they can move in the small amount of time from release to impact.

Congrats again, guys!

Bisch

[Terry Green]

Curt is right....things just seem to 'happen' when we are together.....hard to explain.

Now, some of the group didn't even know of these similarities and parallels until they read this, as this was the last evening, and I'm sure with all that was going one, some didn't have a clue.  Just as we heard things here we'd missed in camp as well.

Even being there doesn't always reveled all that took place, and much is learned here after the fact.

There's more to this hunt than meets the eye.....trust me.....and that's for a later time.

Can't believe how fast these hunts go by, and how fast and hard I miss the ranch and the folks that run the show.....

We'll be back......    

[Mike Gerardi]

Yes awesome...Congrats to everyone so far. Great thread. Seems to be alot of good mojo at that ranch. Terry that pic of  Chris' memorial with your stand location in the back round gave me goose bumps.

[kennym]

Great job guys!!          

[Bowhunter4life]

Hey T, was that a trusty Delta 4-blade on the end of the arrow for your Doe?  Left a good trail to follow.

As always Curt, Chris's VPA left a great trail too!

[Cookus]

Nice does Terry & Curt!   Congratulations and great shooting!

[Terry Green]

Jeff...my PCH didn't like my regular Trads....don't know why....only bow I own that didn't like them....so, I tried the Trad Lites....perfect.

Being that that bow is lighter than all my other bows at 58#s, I also dropped a little head weight.  Along with a lighter head, and the lighter shaft, I kept the same speed I was use to for TX with one of the Steel Force 150 grain 4 blades.  Didn't want to worry about where I aimed due to a different speed than I was use to.

I had some heavier lites in my quiver for the larger hogs in case they showed.