Back from Chincoteague...pics and story of the bull with 9 lives. I'm getting there!

[threeunder]

Well Wednesday was an early morning.  Up early to pack the truck for the 12 hr drive home.  Then on to Refuge for sign in and the drive up.

We were both filled with anticipation as we walked our way across the soft white sand.  Fresh tracks from the night's creatures were everywhere.  Maybe we hadn't screwed it up too badly looking for the bull from yesterday.  The wind was out of the NNW.  Game on!

As I mentioned before, I was beginning to realize that I had not chosen a great stand location.  I needed to be closer to the Myrtle thicket.  It was then that I saw a block of Myrtle off to itself sitting right in front of an extra large Myrtle bush that stuck out from the edge considerably.

That was it!  The ultimate pinch point in a field.
I sat my Waldrop Pacseat back into the lone clump and looked to my right (I'm a southpaw).  A perfect shooting lane Max distance of 18 yards.

Here's a pic of my set up.  You can see the edge of the thicket and the bush that stuck way out in the background.

 


I sat back and waited for it to get full light.

I figured anything traveling through would come from right to left heading to the thickest part of the area.

At 0750, I determined I was wrong.  A lone whitetail doe was working her way from left to right.  I was ready.

As she came through, just 14 yards away, I picked a spot, hit anchor and the arrow was on its way.

She ducked hard!  I heard the arrow hit her, but saw it glance off at an upward angle and she was off like scared cat.

Waited 15 min and went to the impact sight.  I found shaved dark hair...no blood or any other sign.  I couldn't find my arrow, so went back to my seat and tried to replay it in my head.

This is where the doe was standing when I shot.

 

The more I replayed it, the more I put together the evidence, I knew it had skipped across her back.

But I aimed so low.  How could that...what was that!!!

A strange noise brought me back reality.  Was that antlers hitting tree limbs?  I couldn't tell.  Whatever it was...it was close!

[threeunder]

I slowly, but deliberately picked up my MOAB.

Turned hard right to look at the Myrtle thicket and there he was.  I mean THERE HE WAS!!!

The biggest Sika bull I've ever seen was walking right to left along the edge.  Obviously very healthy.  He was tossing his head at overhanging bushes, looking for a fight!

I melted like butter in a pan!

I hadn't been too bad with the spike bull or the whitetail doe, but this guy was HUGE!  But the sight of this magnficient creature who's ancestors came from Japan was too much.  The person that coined the phrase "King of the Marsh" definitely had it right.

He held to the bush that stuck out from the thicket and stopped at 18 yards.  Some how, by that point, I was standing (I don't remember doing it).  I know I shouldn't have stood.  I've practiced the last 2 months shooting from a seated position in both my Waldrop and my Millennium Tree seat.

I had already picked a spot low behind his shoulder.  He stopped dead in his tracks and looked straight at me.  I was already locked into my anchor and let go the string.

Here is where he was standing...

   


Upon release of my arrow, all hell broke loose.  I couldn't see if it had impacted or missed or ???.
He ran headlong into the Myrtle bush on the edge and got tangled in there for a couple of seconds.  He then made it out and was off!

I was a mess!  I've never had a whitetail buck, a turkey, a hog, anything put me in that shape!

Waited a few minutes and called my buddy.  He came over and we started looking.

Blood!

[threeunder]

Not much, just a couple of drops.

This bull was a twin to the one from yesterday.  Just a brute, with long, long main beams.

We backed off to regroup.  At that point, we needed to find my arrow.

After 20 minutes of looking, we found, not one, but both arrows.

Unfortunately, both were completely clean.

I was devastated.  I was heartbroken.  Relieved for a clean miss, but devastated.  But then, where'd the blood come from?  We still had blood on the ground, but two clean arrows.

We started trailing.  There was no more blood.  Only the 2 small drops directly under where he had  been as he made his way into the thicket.

Commonsense tells me it was the same bull from the day before.  That's the only explanation.  He reopened his wound a bit during the commotion.  We tracked along the trail into the thicket for a good ways.  Nothing.

That's the only plausible explanation.

It was then that I posted this post in the Powwow forum that day...


    http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=132770;p=1#000000    
"Totally dejected. Sitting on the edge of a myrtle thicket at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. I've just missed my second shot of the morning, 3rd shot of the trip, 4th shot of the season.
The last was a huge Sika Bull at 18 yards.
Thinking i am not going to get it done with a longbow.
Help!"


And you guys came through with words of encouragement and dissection of the situation.  Thanks to everyone, I was able to finish out the hunt without losing too much focus.

No, I'm not proud that I missed 3 opportunities.  I learned from each and everyone one of them.  They have made me better as an archer, just as last year's poor stand choices made me better as a hunter.

I feel like I did well with stand location on this hunt, and have been doing much better at choosing locations that will get the animals within longbow range.

This bull shows how these animals have grown in the area from an initial number of only 7 animals to herds in Maryland and, to a lesser extent, here in Virginia.  They are survivors.

I'll share one last Chincoteague photo with my friends here at Tradgang....

     

Thanks everyone!  I am getting there!!!!

[Matty]

         
I HAAATTEEE CLIFF HANGERS.
One day I will hunt sika... Top of my list!!!!

[threeunder]

Matty,
Go for it!  It is my understanding that this area is the onlu place in the world you can hunt this particular subspecies of Sika because Japan does not allow hunting of them in their home range.

[Keefer]

threeunder,
 Dorchester co.in Maryland has the Blackwater wildlife refuge "Loaded" with them little suckers! So does Assateque Island as well...Just do a search on Blackwater wildlife refuge and Sika deer..Maryland does have one good thing about it but it's on the Eastern Shore...  :rolleyes:

[threeunder]

Yeah, we've talked about getting into the Blackwater hunt.  We are blessed to have the opportunity to hunt these animals in Virginia and Maryland.
I'm not sure it is the only place in the world you can hunt them, but it has to be the most beautiful area they can be hunted.

[rbcorbitt]

Great adventure, Ken!  Would love the opportunity to hunt with you sometime!

Bob

[goldflinger]

Sounds like a great hunting trip! You will remember it for a long time!!

[steadman]

Awesome story! From a guy out west, Thank You!! Keep at it!! Misses are part of the game. It'll happen for you  

[rxhntr]

Misses are part of it, but look at that beautiful place you were in----priceless!

[jcar315]

[AlanF]

Really cool adventure.