I setup in a cedar patch next to my folks corn field yesterday morning. As I walked in well before light I bumped a whitetail doe that was bedded in the cedars. She hopped up and went about 20 yards and stopped, looking at me. I was tucked up against a cedar and I just froze. She hadn't winded me and she looked for about 5 minutes and then started feeding on corn. I waited until she was behind a cedar and I quietly climbed my tripod stand that is set in the top of a cedar tree. As the sun was rising she came back in to the cedar patch and bedded. With the light, I saw a buck feeding on the corn. I couldn't tell how big he was because I forgot my bino's but, he looked tall. A few minutes later, two more does came in and bedded. I gave a tending grunt on the call and in a few seconds I heard ugh, ugh, ugh, comming through the cedars and out steps Bambi sporting the "all new for 2012" 9" brow tines and I think based on brow tines alone, SHOOTER! He was walking directly toward my stand and was acting like he wanted to go behind my tree, that would have been downwind. I was getting nervous about that and leaning forward to try to make a shot before he winded me if he went that way. Then he turned to scent check the does and that put him broadside at 6 yards, that is in range for me! As I started to draw, a doe jumped up and went flying to the corn field. The buck started to trot after her, straight away from me. I was thinking No Shot! No Shot! and then at about 20 yards he quarted slightly. My mind was running several thoughts simultaneously, "Difficult shot", "He may come back", "Wish he was at 6 yards broadside", "He won't come back", I can make that shot"! I settled on "He won't come back and I can make that shot!" I can't say that I picked a spot(I was not "burning a hole" in the exact spot) but, I did look where I wanted the arrow to go and that is all I thought about. I watched the arrow fly, heard the mellon thud and as he exploded off I thought I saw the fletch too far forward for a quartering away shot. For an hour and five minutes I sat on the stand, a mixture of emotions, I felt good about the shot but, the fletch looked too far forward. Why did I not get a pass through? I have shot clean through 3 elk with that setup. After the wait, I quietly climbed down and steeled myself for what might lie ahead. The hit was in blue stem grass about knee high so, I checked the field edge and quickly found heavy tracks to the dew claws and blood. Not tons of blood but, steady blood. I felt a little better. I backed up on the tracks and linded them up. I thought before I start tracking across the corn field I should look down a few rows. About 10 rows over and 50 yards down I saw a sight that relieved my sole!
He went 78 yards from the hit. Thanks to Herb Meland for making me a Pronghorn, Juan Gonzalez for making the string, Mike Horton of the Nocking Point for the arrows, advice and moral support! I am impressed with the Eclipse broadheads. Thanks to the deer for being there when I really needed him!
Topic: ALL HAIL THE LONGBOW, SHARP STICK AND LADY LUCK (Read 1384 times)
