Getting an axis buck with my bow has been at the top of my list for years and I finally got it done yesterday afternoon! I found a place in the hill country through a friend that sells a few axis hunts every year during the off-season, all free range, just a working cattle/sheep/goat ranch. I set a gametamer treestand up in a big oak on a little creek the landowner showed me that had a bunch of trails converging, I got it hung and set around noon and the hunt was on. Within 30 minutes I had three does and a young buck come by so I knew it was gonna be good. The next hour or two I didn't see much because the cattle and sheep came through but once they cleared I started seeing spots moving on the hillside to the south and west. Through a tiny little window I saw a buck lay down under a big oak up the hill, I estimated he was about 200 yards away. For the next two hours I watched him and during that time I had a handful of does filter their way my direction and all got a drink, and at one point they were right under my tree! I was froze still forever it seemed but I could still see through that window and see him laying up there. I knew that if any one of the does close to me detected danger and barked it would all be over. Some got nervous at times but never sounded the alarm. All I could hope for is that he would be thirsty when he got up and come down like they did. Around 5:15 he finally gets up but stays up the hill, moving more parallel to the creek instead of down to it. I lost a little hope for a minute but all I could do was stay sit because there was no way I was making a move to him with so many other eyes around. I wanted him so bad I could taste it. I lost sight of him for a while in a string of oaks but all a sudden he pops out and he's right on me headed to the creek. He didn't come right on the trail I was hoping for at 20 yards, he stayed in the oaks beyond it where I couldn't see him until he got nearly to the creek. He started drinking and I ranged him at 36 yards. Ive been practicing up to 65 so I was good with it. He was quartered away probably at a 45. I settled the pin and let it fly. The release felt good but when it got there it looked a little further back than I wanted, like through his hindquarter. It was all such a blur I couldn't tell if he jumped/turned away when it was in flight or not and he wasn't standing where I could get the video on him for the shot. He lunged across the little creek but stopped just on the other side and stood there looking around like what the heck just hit me! I could see blood running down the front side of his hind leg and saw my arrow was buried in him nearly to the fletchings. He started to slowly walk off and I could tell he was sick. He bedded down under the first oak he got to, in my sight. He laid there for 5 minutes probably and got up and walked around the oak out of sight. There was no way I was letting this guy get away and I had the perfect wind to get down and make a move on him, so I did. As I was creeping up to the oak I had last seen him I see his horns sticking out up over some cactus and underbrush, he had his head up looking away. He had just moved maybe 3 yards from where he originally laid down. I slipped up to 20 yards and had a opening on his front right shoulder. I buried it in and he got up and ran off the best he could. He managed to make it a couple hundred yards and piled up. Turned out that first arrow did what it was supposed to do and ran all the way up through him so he must've turned on me a little before impact. He was a goner from the start Thank God. Tough creatures and I have much respect for them. I'm on cloud 9! Thanks for reading
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