Now for those of you looking for a photo of some monster buck, I will tell you right now that you will be sorely disappointed. However, I killed this spike on a farm that’s been in my family for over 150 years and I did it using a longbow a friend made for me and an ash arrow that I made. He’s a trophy in my book for sure and the meat he provided will be enjoyed by my family over the coming months. Incidentally, he green scored a whopping 15 3/8” for Pope and Young.
I took off last Thursday and Friday to get some extra bowhunting in with my dad and decided to hunt on the ridge behind our barn that first morning. There’s a large flat up there with a bunch of oak trees on it that is always a good place to see deer activity. I got up there well before daylight, climbed the black oak I had previously picked out by the salt lick up there and patiently waited for enough sunshine to shoot by.
About five minutes after shooting light, I decided to doe bleat a little to see what would happen. I turned my can call over a couple of times and followed up with a couple grunts. My ears were immediately treated to the sound of crunching leaves as a deer approached. Getting my bow ready, I watched this little spike come in and stop at the edge of the old logging loading ground I was hunting. He stood completely still as he looked things over and turned invisible right before my eyes. However, I did not have any time to ponder how he managed that trick because I heard another deer approaching from the other direction.
This one stepped into view and I could see it was a little six-pointer. He was standing about five yards from where I thought the spike was and I knew something interesting was about to happen. The spike made the first move by turning tail and walking away. But then he turned back and soon both bucks were nose-to-nose doing some sort of deer greeting. This was quickly followed by some gentle sparring.
I watched these two bucks push each other around for ten minutes or so as they gradually worked their way closer to me. Both the deer were well within my shooting range but neither one had offered me a shot that I was willing to take. I knew that if I was patient, though, that one of them would make a mistake.
That mistake didn’t happen for another five minutes and I thought I was the one who had made it. After another shoving match, the bucks started to walk away from me and back into the timber. Had I waited too long? Hoping to turn them around, I grunted once to see what would happen. That seemed to do the trick and both bucks turned around to try to find the source. The six-pointer went to my right and the spike came right to me. He stopped ten yards away but quartering to me too much to my liking. Finally, he turned back just a bit and I took my shot. Man, he did not like that! He took off like a rocket with my arrow sticking out of both sides of him. I could see that I had made a good hit as I watched him dash off to the oak flat.
The rest of the story is just work. I gave the buck 30 minutes even though I knew he was lying dead just over the ridge top somewhere. I took my time getting out of the tree and packed all my gear up like I would to leave the woods. Then, and only then, did I take up the blood trail. It was easy enough to follow but longer that I expected. I found the little feller piled up across a log about 150 yards from where I shot him. After honoring his spirit for the gift he was giving my family, I started dragging him out to where I could load him in my truck. It was a good hunt that ended with a clean kill. Who could ask for anything more?
Darren
What you like to find on the blood trail
The end of the line for this little feller
Trophy photo: I used a Tall Timbers longbow made by Don Orrell and an ash arrow I made tipped with a 200 grain Ace Super Express broadhead
Never doubt the power of a razor sharp broadhead. This is the entry wound. Ouch!
Topic: Longbow buck (Read 1090 times)
