Went out to the blind Saturday night and nothing showed up until a little after sundown. I could hear something walking close by but couldn't see anything. I have a few windows open on the blind but only one without the screen. Out of my north window I saw a nice buck coming down the hill. As he got closer to the shooting lane with a window and no screen, I was slowly getting myself ready to shoot and as I was trying to straighten out my bow arm and my elbow on my bow arm decided to pop. The buck heard that and stopped and looked around. He stomped his foot one time and decided to turn around go back the other way. He wasn't on alert, just a real slow walk. He stopped in line with my north window so I drew and took the shot.
I think he took a step just as I shot. As the arrow hit, I knew I hit him further back than I would have liked. I sat and listened and didn't hear anything. After a bit, I got out and headed to the east towards the truck to get up on a hill to watch (the bucks direction was to the north) but I didn't see anything moving. I decided to give him the night and leave him unpressured.
As I got back to the truck, a couple of the other guys hunting out there stopped to bs for a bit. Wasn't real tired and finally got to sleep around midnight, up at 6:00am waiting for sunrise to get out there and start tracking.
This one really put my tracking skills to the test. Got out there and picked up the blood trail just a little ways in on the trail where I took the shot. After he came out of the brush in the bottom, the trail really let up but I kept finding a drop here and there. As he entered the brush again, the trail picked up. I had it in my head on how the shot was and there are certain things deer typically do and don't do. He did everything they usually don't do. After he came out of the second patch of brush, I lost the trail again only to discover that he jumped up hill. I found 2 really good size spots of blood going up hill. After that I had a really good trail going uphill - again, going up hill isn't something they typically do with a shot like this (at least from what I have read and know).
After he came out of the top, it's relatively flat across the pasture. The trail really let up again but I kept finding a drop here and there. At this point, I was really wondering if I hit where I thought I did. As the trail went on - 1/4 inch drop here and there, he was getting closer and closer to another brush pile. Right before the brush pile, I lost the trail again only to find another drop 10 yards away, then another drop and then I finally found my arrow. About 40 more yards along that trail is where I found the buck.
After I found him, the hit was exactly what i thought it was and why he went as far as he did and did what he did is beyond me.
I originally thought the distance travelled was close to a half mile, when you crawl that distance on your hands and knees it seems like a really long ways. I roughly measured it on google earth and it comes up to a little over .3 of a mile. It took me 3.5 hours to track this deer but I recovered him.
This is the largest buck I have shot with the bow. B&C gross is roughly 138 3/8, net is 133 6/8
He's a 6x5 whitetail.
I think he took a step just as I shot. As the arrow hit, I knew I hit him further back than I would have liked. I sat and listened and didn't hear anything. After a bit, I got out and headed to the east towards the truck to get up on a hill to watch (the bucks direction was to the north) but I didn't see anything moving. I decided to give him the night and leave him unpressured.
As I got back to the truck, a couple of the other guys hunting out there stopped to bs for a bit. Wasn't real tired and finally got to sleep around midnight, up at 6:00am waiting for sunrise to get out there and start tracking.
This one really put my tracking skills to the test. Got out there and picked up the blood trail just a little ways in on the trail where I took the shot. After he came out of the brush in the bottom, the trail really let up but I kept finding a drop here and there. As he entered the brush again, the trail picked up. I had it in my head on how the shot was and there are certain things deer typically do and don't do. He did everything they usually don't do. After he came out of the second patch of brush, I lost the trail again only to discover that he jumped up hill. I found 2 really good size spots of blood going up hill. After that I had a really good trail going uphill - again, going up hill isn't something they typically do with a shot like this (at least from what I have read and know).
After he came out of the top, it's relatively flat across the pasture. The trail really let up again but I kept finding a drop here and there. At this point, I was really wondering if I hit where I thought I did. As the trail went on - 1/4 inch drop here and there, he was getting closer and closer to another brush pile. Right before the brush pile, I lost the trail again only to find another drop 10 yards away, then another drop and then I finally found my arrow. About 40 more yards along that trail is where I found the buck.
After I found him, the hit was exactly what i thought it was and why he went as far as he did and did what he did is beyond me.
I originally thought the distance travelled was close to a half mile, when you crawl that distance on your hands and knees it seems like a really long ways. I roughly measured it on google earth and it comes up to a little over .3 of a mile. It took me 3.5 hours to track this deer but I recovered him.
This is the largest buck I have shot with the bow. B&C gross is roughly 138 3/8, net is 133 6/8
He's a 6x5 whitetail.
