Old Tom and Old Tom appear to be a winning combo! Finally blood in WV! (Pics added)

[TJK68]

Well, it is a couple weeks in to our season and still had not connected. Saw some deer but not as many as what I usually do, but no good opportunities.  Last night I got into the stand around 5pm with my Miller Old Tom to hunt for the last couple of hours after work. The weather man was calling for rain and it had cooled off slightly, I thought the deer might move. I got up in what we call the "Corner Stand" because it is in the back corner of my pasture. The stand is located about 25 yards back in the woods on the edge of some thick brush, they come by it on the way into the field of the evening. I had saw nothing but 500 Squirrels, it seemed they were everywhere. Dark was approaching fast, when I heard something coming off the mountain to my left. It was going to be dark soon, and this sure sounded like a deer coming my way....

[Lin Rhea]

   

[TJK68]

I was already standing, so I eased my hand over and picked up Old Tom. I kept listening, as I could tell the foot steps were getting closer. Depending on how the deer came in I would have either about an 8 yard shot or a shot at about 15 yards. The foot steps were closing the distance to me, I put my fingers on the string and took a little tension. I was thinking not much time left before it will be to dark to shoot. Then I saw movement....

[TJK68]

Sure enough I made out the body of a deer coming through the under brush, and some small Hemlock. The deer went in behind some brush and stopped for a minute. When it came out it was on the trail that would give me the 15 yard, slightly quartering shot. Getting darker by the second, the deer had committed,  just a few more steps is all I would need.

[centaur]

   

[VictoryHunter]

[TJK68]

As the deer walked down the trail, I could make out horns, not big horns but horns none the less. At this point, with no meat in the freezer I was not being picky. He came on down and I could see it was a nice fat Spike buck. He was almost ready to give me a shot when he stops behind a couple small trees, he stood there a minute and stepped out. At 15 yards I picked a spot, came to anchor he was slightly quartering from me, the arrow was away and in a split second so was the Buck...

[TJK68]

The shot felt good, good anchor, clean release. I sat and listened, I could here him up on the hill at about 50 yards then all was quiet. I sat in my stand as the final bit of daylight vanished. I sat for 20 minutes before getting down to walk to the spot where he was standing. I eased down out of the stand got my light out and slowly walked over to the spot. I had gotten a pass through, I picked my arrow up and it had good blood on it. I took a couple steps and saw this on the ground.

 

[TJK68]

I wanted to give him a little bit so I walked back down to the house where my nephew and my hunting buddy Mark were waiting on me. We ate dinner and about a half hour later went looking for the deer. We took up the blood trail and had gone about 50 yards, I shined my light ahead and saw the deer laying, but to my surprise he had not expired. He laid there and looked at me but did not move. We backed off and gave him another 30 minutes and went back. Once again he was laying there looking at me, but this time he got up. He started walking up the hill, I saw blood on his side from the exit wound, it looked good as far as where it exited. I eased up the hill, a little in time to catch a glimpse of him going under a fence. I found his bloody bed, he was hurt bad. I knew they were calling for rain but I did not want to push him. I marked the spot and told my hunting buddies we were going to leave him till daylight, as it was cooling off he should be fine as long as the rain held off.

[TJK68]

My nephew had to work, but at daylight Mark and myself were standing at the last spot we had marked for blood. I was lucky so far the rain had held off. We picked up the blood trail, crossed a logging road and up the hill. We had tracked him about 75 yards, and lost the trail. I had walked about 10 yards looking for blood, nothing not a drop. Mark stayed at the last blood, I told him to look behind him to see if he could find anything, he took about 5 steps on up the hill, then said yep here is blood. I started to walk towards him when he looked to his left, and said here he is. The little Buck was laying in a small sink hole behind a log. Like I said not a big one but good eating and good times with friends and family. We took a couple pics and field dressed him. I put my drag rope on him and as I drug him down the hill 75 yards to the logging road it finally started to rain. I really am liking the Old Tom. Hope you enjoyed it and thanks to everyone for sharing your knowledge and stories.
Tom

   

[southernwoody]

The suspense is killing me let's see a pic! Where at in WV I'm from Charleston.

[southernwoody]

Beat me to it by one minute haha

[Lin Rhea]

Good story and very good job of handling the situation. Congratulations.

[TJK68]

Princeton area.
Tom

[JMG]

Great story as well as a great job on recovery of your spiker Tom!!      

[Hawkeye]

So what did the "autopsy" show?  Did your arrow go through where you were guessing?

Good job, and congrats.

[TJK68]

Close, I was back a couple inches farther than I would have liked. Caught the liver and clipped a lung.
Tom

[DEATHMASTER]

Nice story and great eats. Congratulations!!!

[Jayrod]

Way to stick with it congrats!!

[Spitz2]

congrats !
I like read somme stories like this !