I have asked many questions on here and I'm sure some have gotten tired of me. But I finally did it.
Around 1650 this afternoon I heard something behind me to the right. I looked and could see a deer come through the thicket. I kept looking and he had horns. I was in disbelief. It took him what seemed like a long time to come around. I could hear him but I couldn't see him. Finally, I looked down to my left and I could see his head. He was going to walk 5 ft away from my 15' ladder stand. But he stopped. I guess he smelled me and he jumped back in the thicket behind me. But I could still hear him. I turned my head as far around as I could and I could barely see him but he was still there. He walked behind me so I turned my head to the right. I couldn't see him in the thicket. I kept watching. Finally, he stepped into an opening but all I could do was watch. He kept stopping and looking like he knew something wasn't right. He walked into the opening about 30 yards to my right, he turned and came toward my handthrown corn. He walked behind a cedar tree between me and him. That is when I drew back and waited. He was eating corn but I did not have a clear shot. He moved forward but all I could see was neck. I kept holding the string. He walked a couple steps forward to about a 18-20 yd shot. I put my 20 yd pin right behind the front shoulder. Squeezed the trigger. I heard and saw the arrow hit. He jumped and took off through the thickest cover he could have possible went through. I heard him crashing through the brush and it stopped. I felt confident it was a good hit. My right leg was shaking so bad. I knocked another arrow and watched. I looked at my watch. It was 4:52. I waited 30 min texting a fellow Ft Hood TBHer. He was asking questions and guiding me what to do next. As he instructed I got down and went to where the deer was standing when I shot him. No blood. I went about 15 - 20 ft into brush on hands and knees. No blood. 30 min was up. I got down on hands and knees again and started gong the way he went. I found the arrow about 50 yds from where I shot him, full of blood completely entact except nock is missing. I tried to follow the direction of the arrow even though where I found the arrow was to the right and I swore I had heard him going through the brush to the left. Still no blood. By this point I was just walking around in a panic looking for him. I couldn't see any blood and had no idea which direction he went. I just started kind of walking around zigzagging looking for anything. It was about 1745 and the sun was going down and I was feeling worse. I walked out into a field just kind of walking around and looking and saw him lying in the distance. I thanked God for letting me find him. I had finally done it. I had killed 2 bucks in PA with a Reflex Grizzly, 1 in 06 & 1 in 07. I bought this bow in 07. My first Texas bowkill and my first bowkill since 07. I had to take it to the checkstation on Fort Hood where a TPWD agent measures it, ages it and records a lot of information. It was 13" exactly. There is a GW on duty to take care of any violators. He asked the agent what did it measure and he told him 13 exactly. They aged it at 2.5. I told the GW I wished it would have been older. He said don't worry about that, you made the measurement and you have meat on the table. THANK YOU to ALL TBHers and the Fort Hood TBHers who have advised me and answered all my questions patiently.
Bowtech Guardian set at 55#
Rage 2 blade
Scent Killer everywhere
Around 1650 this afternoon I heard something behind me to the right. I looked and could see a deer come through the thicket. I kept looking and he had horns. I was in disbelief. It took him what seemed like a long time to come around. I could hear him but I couldn't see him. Finally, I looked down to my left and I could see his head. He was going to walk 5 ft away from my 15' ladder stand. But he stopped. I guess he smelled me and he jumped back in the thicket behind me. But I could still hear him. I turned my head as far around as I could and I could barely see him but he was still there. He walked behind me so I turned my head to the right. I couldn't see him in the thicket. I kept watching. Finally, he stepped into an opening but all I could do was watch. He kept stopping and looking like he knew something wasn't right. He walked into the opening about 30 yards to my right, he turned and came toward my handthrown corn. He walked behind a cedar tree between me and him. That is when I drew back and waited. He was eating corn but I did not have a clear shot. He moved forward but all I could see was neck. I kept holding the string. He walked a couple steps forward to about a 18-20 yd shot. I put my 20 yd pin right behind the front shoulder. Squeezed the trigger. I heard and saw the arrow hit. He jumped and took off through the thickest cover he could have possible went through. I heard him crashing through the brush and it stopped. I felt confident it was a good hit. My right leg was shaking so bad. I knocked another arrow and watched. I looked at my watch. It was 4:52. I waited 30 min texting a fellow Ft Hood TBHer. He was asking questions and guiding me what to do next. As he instructed I got down and went to where the deer was standing when I shot him. No blood. I went about 15 - 20 ft into brush on hands and knees. No blood. 30 min was up. I got down on hands and knees again and started gong the way he went. I found the arrow about 50 yds from where I shot him, full of blood completely entact except nock is missing. I tried to follow the direction of the arrow even though where I found the arrow was to the right and I swore I had heard him going through the brush to the left. Still no blood. By this point I was just walking around in a panic looking for him. I couldn't see any blood and had no idea which direction he went. I just started kind of walking around zigzagging looking for anything. It was about 1745 and the sun was going down and I was feeling worse. I walked out into a field just kind of walking around and looking and saw him lying in the distance. I thanked God for letting me find him. I had finally done it. I had killed 2 bucks in PA with a Reflex Grizzly, 1 in 06 & 1 in 07. I bought this bow in 07. My first Texas bowkill and my first bowkill since 07. I had to take it to the checkstation on Fort Hood where a TPWD agent measures it, ages it and records a lot of information. It was 13" exactly. There is a GW on duty to take care of any violators. He asked the agent what did it measure and he told him 13 exactly. They aged it at 2.5. I told the GW I wished it would have been older. He said don't worry about that, you made the measurement and you have meat on the table. THANK YOU to ALL TBHers and the Fort Hood TBHers who have advised me and answered all my questions patiently.
Bowtech Guardian set at 55#
Rage 2 blade
Scent Killer everywhere
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