Post by Phishy on Oct 26, 2005 10:37:04 GMT -5
Yesterday morning at 8AM this little guy came in. The first thing that went through my mind was MEAT!! At 50 yards out I told myself “If it happens - I’m taking him.”
Well at ten yards, no cover to wait for him to pass behind, I drew back and the buck jumped about ten feet. I’m sure he caught me moving and heard the arrow slide across the rest (gonna hafta put some mole skin on that thing). He was quartered away from me at a real steep downward angle, no more than fifteen yards. Surprisingly he was looking into the clear cut. I found my mark, and hit the release. I watched the arrow hit and it sank up to what, at the time, looked like half way and a little far back. The deer bolted into the clear cut. I heard a bunch of branches snapping and my arrow bouncing off wrist sized trees. There was another deer with this one, another small buck maybe a basket six or eight. One side of his rack was broken completely off. He had no idea where I was. He had jumped back a few yards at the shot, but now stood there and surveyed the situation. I watched him for a while but my attention was on the deer I just shot. The woods quieted down, but when I didn’t hear any kicking, I was a tad concerned. The other deer stiff leggedly, circled wide and took off rather hurriedly. I sat in the tree re-living the shot trying to determine if the hit was too far back and if I had good penetration. I wasn’t completely sure. As the standard half hour passed, I decided the best thing to do was to let the deer lay, just in case I had put the arrow into the guts. I was confident that I at least severed the diaphragm, but I didn’t want to kick this deer up and loose him. The arrow didn’t pass through so I knew there wasn’t going to be a blood trail, no exit hole, the shot entered in from the top. I’ve done this before and never found any blood then either.
I climbed down, packed up my gear, and walked the ½ mile back to the truck, methodically put my gear away, and got into the truck sitting there contemplating. I almost decided to go get the deer but talked myself out of it, I just wasn’t 100% confident I had a good hit, better to err on the side of caution. I had plenty of daylight and if I waited five hours from the time of the shot, it would be 1 PM and I’d have four good hours to try and find him if I needed to do a grid search. I drove home.
I paced the apt and tried to keep busy. It was only 10:15 am. I was going to leave for the woods at 12:15 pm. I grabbed a bite to eat. My spice cupboard needed to be reorganized, so I emptied the cupboard and refilled and rearranged the jars. Turned on the idiot box and flipped channels and watched “The Family Feud”. Paced the apt. a bit more, decided I needed to clean up the place a bit. Took a few things downstairs to storage, piddled with this and that and couldn’t take it any more. I decided to take the bags of clothes that needed to go to Goodwill to burn some more time. It was noon, I wasn’t going to leave until 12:15pm, but I had to get out of the apt.
Errands done, I drove to the parking area, grabbed my bow and release, drag strap, knife, GPS, put on a light jacket with my back tag securely attached and headed down the trail. I arrived at my tree at 1:00 pm, just like I had planned. I walked over to where the deer was standing when I shot him, found some scuffed earth, but no blood. I saw the trail he was heading down, and followed it back into the clear cut, still no blood. The deer trail was joined by a couple more smaller trails and I looked up the trail, and dare he was.
I walked up to the deer. It had died when I heard the racket. It only went about 100 hundred yards. I was relieved to have found the deer so easily. I gave thanks to the Lord for giving me the ability to harvest such a magnificent animal. I gave thanks for the strength he gives me. I almost didn’t get out of bed this morning. When I was at the parking area, I didn’t want to go through all the motions again to only be disappointed. I prayed a small prayer for strength. Somehow I managed to go through all the motions, with out thinking, the routine had been established and the Lord guided me through the motions. I gave thanks for guiding my arrow to its mark and allowing a quick death, even though I was unsure, I held fast to my faith that the arrow had done its job quickly. I gave many more thanks. The glory of this hunt is not mine; it is only because God gives me the strength and ability that anything is possible, including hunting.
I looked over the deer; the arrow had grazed the spine and angled up into the vitals. I pushed on the arrow and there was movement right behind the left shoulder, the arrow didn’t pass through, but definitely was in the kill zone, I had made a better shot than I thought, the arrow was sunk in ¾ of the way, I had deep penetration.
Then the work began, I had a ½ mile to drag this deer. I field dressed and while inspecting the organs, one of the lungs was pierced, the deer died very rapidly. I dragged my deer back to the truck. About 100 yards from the truck I ran into a hunter just going in for the evening. We talked for a while, exchanging information. We both learned a little from each other, like where we each had been seeing deer. He offered to help with the rest of the drag. I turned him down and told him “Go hunting and get a deer, if you help me with this thing all you’re going to do is get all sweaty. Besides, I made it this far already, Thanx for the offer” We departed. I got to the truck, cleaned up, loaded the deer, put a flier with a quick note of thanks on the other hunter’s windshield and took off to register the deer. I called D at the beginning of the entrance to the parking area; it was only 2:30 pm.
Well at ten yards, no cover to wait for him to pass behind, I drew back and the buck jumped about ten feet. I’m sure he caught me moving and heard the arrow slide across the rest (gonna hafta put some mole skin on that thing). He was quartered away from me at a real steep downward angle, no more than fifteen yards. Surprisingly he was looking into the clear cut. I found my mark, and hit the release. I watched the arrow hit and it sank up to what, at the time, looked like half way and a little far back. The deer bolted into the clear cut. I heard a bunch of branches snapping and my arrow bouncing off wrist sized trees. There was another deer with this one, another small buck maybe a basket six or eight. One side of his rack was broken completely off. He had no idea where I was. He had jumped back a few yards at the shot, but now stood there and surveyed the situation. I watched him for a while but my attention was on the deer I just shot. The woods quieted down, but when I didn’t hear any kicking, I was a tad concerned. The other deer stiff leggedly, circled wide and took off rather hurriedly. I sat in the tree re-living the shot trying to determine if the hit was too far back and if I had good penetration. I wasn’t completely sure. As the standard half hour passed, I decided the best thing to do was to let the deer lay, just in case I had put the arrow into the guts. I was confident that I at least severed the diaphragm, but I didn’t want to kick this deer up and loose him. The arrow didn’t pass through so I knew there wasn’t going to be a blood trail, no exit hole, the shot entered in from the top. I’ve done this before and never found any blood then either.
I climbed down, packed up my gear, and walked the ½ mile back to the truck, methodically put my gear away, and got into the truck sitting there contemplating. I almost decided to go get the deer but talked myself out of it, I just wasn’t 100% confident I had a good hit, better to err on the side of caution. I had plenty of daylight and if I waited five hours from the time of the shot, it would be 1 PM and I’d have four good hours to try and find him if I needed to do a grid search. I drove home.
I paced the apt and tried to keep busy. It was only 10:15 am. I was going to leave for the woods at 12:15 pm. I grabbed a bite to eat. My spice cupboard needed to be reorganized, so I emptied the cupboard and refilled and rearranged the jars. Turned on the idiot box and flipped channels and watched “The Family Feud”. Paced the apt. a bit more, decided I needed to clean up the place a bit. Took a few things downstairs to storage, piddled with this and that and couldn’t take it any more. I decided to take the bags of clothes that needed to go to Goodwill to burn some more time. It was noon, I wasn’t going to leave until 12:15pm, but I had to get out of the apt.
Errands done, I drove to the parking area, grabbed my bow and release, drag strap, knife, GPS, put on a light jacket with my back tag securely attached and headed down the trail. I arrived at my tree at 1:00 pm, just like I had planned. I walked over to where the deer was standing when I shot him, found some scuffed earth, but no blood. I saw the trail he was heading down, and followed it back into the clear cut, still no blood. The deer trail was joined by a couple more smaller trails and I looked up the trail, and dare he was.
I walked up to the deer. It had died when I heard the racket. It only went about 100 hundred yards. I was relieved to have found the deer so easily. I gave thanks to the Lord for giving me the ability to harvest such a magnificent animal. I gave thanks for the strength he gives me. I almost didn’t get out of bed this morning. When I was at the parking area, I didn’t want to go through all the motions again to only be disappointed. I prayed a small prayer for strength. Somehow I managed to go through all the motions, with out thinking, the routine had been established and the Lord guided me through the motions. I gave thanks for guiding my arrow to its mark and allowing a quick death, even though I was unsure, I held fast to my faith that the arrow had done its job quickly. I gave many more thanks. The glory of this hunt is not mine; it is only because God gives me the strength and ability that anything is possible, including hunting.
I looked over the deer; the arrow had grazed the spine and angled up into the vitals. I pushed on the arrow and there was movement right behind the left shoulder, the arrow didn’t pass through, but definitely was in the kill zone, I had made a better shot than I thought, the arrow was sunk in ¾ of the way, I had deep penetration.
Then the work began, I had a ½ mile to drag this deer. I field dressed and while inspecting the organs, one of the lungs was pierced, the deer died very rapidly. I dragged my deer back to the truck. About 100 yards from the truck I ran into a hunter just going in for the evening. We talked for a while, exchanging information. We both learned a little from each other, like where we each had been seeing deer. He offered to help with the rest of the drag. I turned him down and told him “Go hunting and get a deer, if you help me with this thing all you’re going to do is get all sweaty. Besides, I made it this far already, Thanx for the offer” We departed. I got to the truck, cleaned up, loaded the deer, put a flier with a quick note of thanks on the other hunter’s windshield and took off to register the deer. I called D at the beginning of the entrance to the parking area; it was only 2:30 pm.
R&S 
OWNER/PRESIDENT
