Saturday morning I was headed to my deer stand in Oklahoma. I arrived to find it cold and bright with moon light. As I walked in I bumped a doe and fawn out of the field. I climbed into the stand and settled in. I looked at my watch and it said 6:45. A little late but I was still hunting. I decided to try my new buck roar call and hit the can three times. I sat there double guessing my stand location, when I saw a mature doe enter the field due south of me. She was down wind but didn't seem to notice anything. She ate acorns under the oak trees for a few minutes when another doe appeared behind her. I gave them both a good look with the binoculars to make sure they were does. Then a third doe stepped out. As I watched them I heard the distinctive sound of a buck grunt. That is when the blood started pumping. I couldn't see a buck but the does were looking further south. I hit the doe can again, then the buck grunt and waited. I kept a watch on the tree line. Then did a sweep of the entire field. I looked back and it appeared there was a forth doe feeding on leaves in the lower branches. A quick check with the binoculars show it was a buck, I couldn't tell much other than it had antlers because of the branches of the tree. I hit the can call one more time and he zeroed in on my stand. From that second I had less than a minute to grab my bow nock and arrow and clip my release on. As he walked, I checked him out and he seemed to be OK, legal and coming into range ( I could hear my wife's voice saying "get this over with already" ) so I decided if there was a shot I would take him. He came in behind my stand and quartered away about 25 yards. I miss judged the distance for thirty and drew back and placed my thirty yard pin low on his heart. Hit the release and THWACK!!!! spined him, he dropped in his tracks. I have never spined a deer but quickly I realized this required a follow up shot. I owed it to this animal to make it as fast as possible. I lowered my bow and climbed down and finished the job. Now here is the odd thing, the three doe had come to investigate the whole ordeal. As I was checking out the buck I had three doe within 15 yards of me. They never busted, blew, or ran they just watched, and learned about humans. I walked to the truck and pulled up next to the buck and took pictures and field dressed the buck, After taking pictures with the buck the does were still in the field. So I snapped their pictures too.
Click for larger images.
The Oklahoma check station declared him to be a ten point. Not what I was expecting my first ten point to look like but a fine deer for me, with a bow. Field dressed at 120#s
Trash on his right side and a sticker on his brow tine
The rest of the weekend was spend taking pictures of wildlife on the ranch.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11911050@N08/
Click for larger images.
The Oklahoma check station declared him to be a ten point. Not what I was expecting my first ten point to look like but a fine deer for me, with a bow. Field dressed at 120#s
Trash on his right side and a sticker on his brow tine
The rest of the weekend was spend taking pictures of wildlife on the ranch.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11911050@N08/
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