I have hunted with Faith every day since our season started on the 13th. I found out two days ago that the 20 acres I've hunted for years is now up for sale, and has sold for all intents and purposes, but closing will be next year, so I can hunt out this season. I have sat mornings and evenings.
So far, before yesterday, I had only seen two deer with Faith in hand. Yesterday I climbed a moderate sized oak on my father's land in Rockingham County. It borders Virginia. If you heard in the news, it's near where the coal ash pond spilled into the Dan River. Anyway, I climbed the oak with my new Ol Man climber. It's a great stand and super lightweight compared to the steel one I had been using. I climbed only about 15 feet up and got settled around 4pm. At about 6:30 I saw coming up the ridge a small buck. My dad had said he'd seen a pair of small bucks hanging around and asked I not shoot them. He wanted to see, if they survived the season, if they'd stay nearby until next year. He wanted to see what they'd become in one year's time. The little buck came by to my right and came within about 20 yards or so, but never came closer. He moved on.
More time passed and it was getting closer to sunset. My vision begins to sorely suffer as darkness comes. I guess all those years staring at an in-car computer at night in my past profession took its toll, as has aging. I had resolved my fate to not seeing anything this sitting. After the buck passed and things were looking like they were I sat back down. I had misjudged the tree size and set my climber too small. Both the platform and seat sections were tilted back towards the trunk of the tree. I was leaning back. It was unstable feeling, but, it was securely locked in, so no wiggle in it helped me decide to leave it when I first got situated. I hadn't been sat down for 10 minutes after the buck passed by when I heard two distinct footsteps behind me. I peered slowly over my right shoulder and here she came. I confirmed it wasn't the small buck, or his twin, and then the heart began its thing. Racing. When first seeing a deer that may potentially become a harvest opportunity, my heart takes off. It takes about two or three minutes to settle down and then I'm good until just before deciding to shoot. She came right down the trail I had sat watching. She meandered around but was so close I did not have a chance to stand back up. She fed around. And she stared at the blob connected to the tree. She seemed confused, or curious, but never spooked. She was cautious and as she fed. She always checked on the blob in the tree. I figured she was too wary and I'd have to let her pass. I've shot at alert deer before. I have been eight yards from a feeding doe with head down and she ducked a perfectly placed arrow. I need to make sure of the shot, if taken. I waited for her to settle. After about 10 more minutes of cat and mouse stare downs, she did. While seated and waiting for a good shot opportunity she fed semi-nervously, as all good deer do. Always looking up and around. Off in the distance some guys were playing horseshoe. My father's land is surrounded by farms and houses. Noises are a regular part of this area. The deer seem used to it somewhat, but each sound they hear gets acknowledgement and inspection. An acorn fell on a tin roof nearby. The ring it made sent her off about five yards. She was now situated far enough away for me to attempt to stand up. I did. As I did, the mesh seat on the Ol Man creaked like my bones do at times. 230lbs causing nylon to slide on aluminum has to make some sound, right? Ironically, as alert as she had been, she never looked up at the sound. She was about 15 yards away. I got into my stance and was at the ready. As if a string brought her back, she meandered around and came to within 10 yards of the tree I had climbed and she was on my right side. Perfect for a lefty. She continued browsing. I waited for her to turn her head away. She finally did. With her head to the ground and away she was broadside with her left side to me. Remember how I told you about my heart's reaction to seeing deer and then how it reacts to the decision to shoot? Well, the race was on again and seemed acutely audible. I raised Faith, drew, and as I hit anchor the arrow was gone and through her in an instant. I got a glimpse of arrow flight but never saw it hit her it was gone so fast. I heard hair cut, but not bones hit. I immediately thought DOUBLE LUNG! She never reacted until after the arrow was through her and deep into the ground. She sprang into flight and dashed downhill still in my view. She ran heartily down the swag and up the opposite hill and turned to loop back downhill to her right. At the bottom of the swag once more she turned again to go uphill and as she crested the hillside I saw her running broadside to me, right to left. As she topped the hillcrest and went out of sight I heard what I thought was a crash and then maybe some possible thrashing. Was she already down? My ears told me yes, my disbelief at the quickness of the shot sequence and run told me maybe.
I climbed down as quickly as I could, determined to find the arrow to confirm the hit. It "looked" like it was a double lung. Entry high. Exit midway. Daylight was dimming the woods now. I went to where she stood and didn't see my arrow. I got worried. Had I missed? I didn't think so. I kept looking. Nearly buried in leaves at a slight angle into the ground I saw the brightly redded fletching. LUNG! I made my way back to my truck to get the necessary gear for a good tracking. I figured the time it took me to get the gear for recovery it would give her the time she needed. I went back to the arrow and tried finding a blood trail. I did find a sparse one, but seeing as I saw her crest the nearby hill, I went to there to try to pick it up. About 80 yards from the treestand at the hillcrest where I last saw her I found no blood, but it was not necessary. Just over the hill in a small patch of sapling poplars, as if enshrined, she lie still in the middle of them. I thanked God for the clean shot, quick kill, and success of having a little Faith. And I thanked her.
She was down in roughly 10 seconds after the shot. The high entry and mid level exit allowed for her body to encase most of the blood loss. Upon examination afterwards, I was able to confirm the double lung pass through. No ribs were hit. The broadhead was vertical on entry and exit, and it missed ribs on both sides.
Bob Sarrels and his son make a mighty fine bow. Thank you Sarrels Archery. And thank you to all who make the Hope and Faith journeys possible each year.
Topic: Hope and Faith Sarrels of 2014 (Read 11496 times)
