Never assume

[Traditional-Archer]

My first step to this trip is to unload  

[Traditional-Archer]

Get into the treestand
 

[Traditional-Archer]

I had a great feeling about my chances because the bucks are starting to chase and it’s starting to get restless here in Potter County Pa. Its 10/29/2014
I had been seeing some great deer movement up on this ridge a week prior to this hunt so I decided to give the spot another try. First thing in the morning I was going to hunt another spot, one I haven’t sat in for a full season and I knew it hadn’t been hunted yet this year. As I was making my way to this spot I was in a jungle of thorn bush and think stuff king Kong couldn’t break through. So at the last ditch effort I decided to back out and head up to the ridge previously mentioned, it was starting to get light as I reached my tree I like to sit in, so I hook up the Long Wolf and up I go. I got about half way up the tree and a deer started to blow. Now I usually am pretty good at keeping my cool, but some choice words that I would not say in front of my mother were going through my head. After about a half hour the deer settled down and so did I. I put my game face on and was at piece.

[Traditional-Archer]

I looked behind my stand and saw a deer feeding under a beach tree and could see two little ones behind her, they would run around and play like kids do.  I looked past the deer in front of me and saw a nice buck up above them I put the glasses up and could see a spike buck as well. Then they were gone all of them. After about an hour I had a deer start blowing again, I was thinking I must be in the twilight zone or something this is nuts. I never have deer bust me here the wind is always right and it was the case this day as well.

[Traditional-Archer]

As this deer is blowing to my right I look down below me to my left and could see a deer under a beach tree eating, it was a little doe. I could see another deer with her but couldn't make out the deer’s head. 10 minutes later finally I could see the head it was a decent buck. These deer were about 60/80 yards out feeding away from me. They never seemed to acknowledge the deer blowing the whole time. I felt blessed to just be able to watch them living free and just doing what deer do. I watched them for about an hour then the doe started coming up the hill quartering away at 60 yards, the buck started getting closer to her and she got on the move but she turned and walked right to my tree with the buck right in tow. He came to within 18 steps of my tree and stopped perfect broadside.

[goingoldskool]

 

Keep it coming, brother!

Rodd

I'm in!

Bisch

[Bernie B.]

Waiting for more.........  

Bernie

[Traditional-Archer]

I came to full draw could see the spot right behind the shoulder, like so many people say when they shoot I don’t remember releasing the arrow just the moment the arrow hit the deer. I’m not sure if the deer started to move or I was just not on my marks when I shot but the shot seemed way back from the vitals to me, I was sick, convinced I made a terrible shot.  I pin pointed were I last saw the deer so I thought. I played the shot the movement after the shot, tried to remember the path the deer took. I could remember right before the deer went of the ridge line he flicked his tail, that seemed odd to me considering. I decided to just sit there for 2 hours, it was 9:30 am I planned on sitting until 11:30/12 o’clock.

[Traditional-Archer]

As I was sitting there I could see my arrow right where I thought it should be with my binoculars, at 11:45 I took my arrow with my field point on it and shot where I thought the other arrow was stuck in the ground. I climbed down to see what sign I could find and hopefully my deer, but I was convinced it was a gut shot deer. As I got to where my arrow was, it was covered in bright red blood lung blood, that is strange for sure. My arrow that I shot into the ground with the field point, the feathers were touching when I pulled it from the ground, so I knew I had hit where I was aiming.

[T-Bowhunter]

[Traditional-Archer]

I walked over and saw some blood and hair where I shot the buck, the arrow was covered in blood, I pulled it from the ground and smelled the arrow, it did not spell like a gut shot deer. I was confused to say the least.  I walked the trail the deer had taken there was no blood at all, my heart sank to the bottom of the lowest of lows. I was saddened at the thought of the worst case. As I got closer to the ridge line I looked over the edge, its wide open and you can see forever. Not a deer in sight, more disappointment.

[Cwilder]

And then

[Traditional-Archer]

I walked back to the point of the shot looked at the arrow again, I was going to go back and get my brother-inlaw to help find any sign, as I was thinking about that it came to me, maybe the deer didn’t take the trail I remembered him taking, may he went behind the log instead of in front of it. So I looked at the trail behind the log he passed by, I found a spot of blood then more blood then a great trail of blood.   I followed the trial to the ridge line again just 20 yards from the trail I had followed before but this time I had sign of the hit. I was still thinking it was going to be a long day, but I had a blood trial to follow.  I looked over the edge and do you know what I saw.
 

[Cwilder]

Great deer

[Sockrsblur]

Nice buck!

[bluegill]

OK TA good job on the follow up! SO where did you hit him?

[Traditional-Archer]

I walked the trail as most of us do, to find out all the details we can to the point of the final resting place of my deer. He laid down just on the other side of the ridge line 20 yards or so from where I last saw him from my tree. I believe He saw me check out the first trail and tried to get up and leave but he didn’t have anything left, I thanked God more times than I can say, oh and I apologized for the bad words entering into my mind when that deer started blowing earlier as well. Never assume a bad hit my arrow hit back but caught both lungs. You can see in the photos how far back the shot appears to be. When I pulled the lungs out I had caught just 1.5” of lung just enough.    
   

[Traditional-Archer]

[Traditional-Archer]