Im hoping I can get someone to help me post a photo because im technologicaly challenged. Here isthe story. This morning was the bow opener for Arkansas and my son and I were in our stands a bit before first light. I was sitting there enjoying the sunrise and the squirrels playing around me while talking with the Lord. I looked off to my left about 30yds and saw a nice buck standing there. I watched him make a scrape then he slowly worked his way around in front of me. Meanwhile I stood and turned positioning myself for a shot. The buck walked into a shooting lane at what I thought was about 20yds (later turned out to be 25yds). I drew and anchored solidly focusing on a spot behind his shoulder. The shot felt right so I let it fly. The shot was perfect up and down but was too far back. I watched as the deer ran straight away down the hill out of sight. I could hear him running in the leaves very clearly after he was out of sight and the sound suddenly stopped. After about a minute I assumed he had stopped and then slipped on over the hill silently. I called my son and talked a few minutes arranging for him to come to my stand in about 30 min. He told me he heard the shot and the arrow hit the deer. As soon as I got off the phone I heard some crashing in the brush the direction the deer had went. Could it be that he was standing there out of sight the whole time and finally fell? No it was probably squirrels. My son came over and we found my arrow at the spot he was standing. Bad news. There was stomach content all over it and it smelled awefull. We took all our gear back to the truck and I optimistically grabbed my drag rope and after about an hour we went back in and took up the trail. I have trouble seeing blood unless there is a lot of it but my son is like a blood hound. I was tracking by scuffed up leaves but he was finding pin drops of blood. About 15yds into the trail the blood started picking up greatly. My hopes started rising and I looked over the hill about 25 yds and there he lay. I couldnt believe it!! Upon inspecting the deer the shot was as bad as it looked but the Lord was smiling down on me and the deer only went 40yds from the shot. He is not only my first trad harvest but he is my first 10pt. He aint a monster but I sure am proud. I am shooting a JK Traditions Kanati longbow. 56in 52#@27in Beeman bowhunter 400 shafts and a 200gr VPA 3 blade broadhead. Thank goodness for big broadheads.
Topic: My first trad harvest. (Read 1541 times)
