I'm new here on the forum, just joined last month. I got started bow hunting last year and got a decent 8 point on my family's farm. I wanted to up the ante this year and try public land. Here is the story of my second ever bow buck and the lessons I learned.
Got in the stand about 3pm yesterday after hiking about 3/4 mile in. I spooked a small 8 point chasing a doe on the way in, and saw about 4 other does bedded down in the brush so I was optimistic about the hunt. I had seen some good bucks on camera at this WMA but had come up empty the previous 3 hunts. I was determined to shoot anything at this point, does and spikes included. Just wanted to fill the freezer.
Anyways... got in the stand and started enjoying a beautiful afternoon. As the sun started to sink, I still hadn't seen a single deer and I was starting to feel less great about the hunt. I had a large coyote about 50 yards to the right of my stand snacking on pecans at the base of a huge tree. Gotta be honest I almost sent an arrow at him. Right as the sun dipped behind the distant tree line and the shadows finally offered me some seclusion, I hear a consistent crunch of leaves behind me slowly getting closer. As the deer walked right under my stand it stopped, stomped the ground a couple times, then trotted on by. A young doe too small to shoot. As I'm looking at her I hear another crunch behind me in the leaves, and I slowly turn my head and see a serious shooter about 30 yards out, body blocked by a large tree trunk, quartering towards me. He steps forward and puts his head down. Draw. Pin on front shoulder. Release. Thunk! He spins and runs to about 50 yards out and stops. My heart sinks as I see blood pouring down his back leg. I quickly nock another arrow and send it. I definitely rushed the shot. He ducks it and disappears into the brush like a ghost. Lesson learned: take my time and focus on fundamentals!
The next 30 minutes were agony. I knew by the exit I had shot way too far back. I replayed the shot a hundred times in my head, and cursed myself for not waiting until he was closer.
I climbed out of the stand and walked over to the arrow sticking in the dirt. The smell of guts was strong, but there was bright red blood in a clear trail into the brush. My hopes picked up! I followed the trail for about 300 yards until it slowly became specks and drops, requiring crawling on hands and knees through briar patches. I walked into and opening and scanned across with my light. Antlers poked above the grass about 60 yards out. I immediately backed out, hoping he would stay down, but I heard him spook again and crash into the brush. I reluctantly called it a night, marked the spot, and headed back to the truck. Lesson learned: don't push the search too fast!
(as a side note, while I was crawling through the brush I bumped into a large boar who approached me to 3 FEET (not kidding). I was so scared, all I had was a knife and he walked right up to me and stared me down).
Anyways, didn't get much sleep last night...
I was out at 6AM this morning on all fours following blood drops again. I tracked him another 200 yards to the boundary creek, and I was elated to see him floating in the water. I almost cried with joy. I was sick all night thinking I would waste this regal animal because of my bad shot.
Bow: PSE Xforce HF6 80lb
Arrow: Bloodsport Hunter 300 with 100 gr brass insert
BH: Rocket Steelhead (All told went through 26 inches of flesh and bone and stuck 8 inches in the dirt) This mechanical works!
Got in the stand about 3pm yesterday after hiking about 3/4 mile in. I spooked a small 8 point chasing a doe on the way in, and saw about 4 other does bedded down in the brush so I was optimistic about the hunt. I had seen some good bucks on camera at this WMA but had come up empty the previous 3 hunts. I was determined to shoot anything at this point, does and spikes included. Just wanted to fill the freezer.
Anyways... got in the stand and started enjoying a beautiful afternoon. As the sun started to sink, I still hadn't seen a single deer and I was starting to feel less great about the hunt. I had a large coyote about 50 yards to the right of my stand snacking on pecans at the base of a huge tree. Gotta be honest I almost sent an arrow at him. Right as the sun dipped behind the distant tree line and the shadows finally offered me some seclusion, I hear a consistent crunch of leaves behind me slowly getting closer. As the deer walked right under my stand it stopped, stomped the ground a couple times, then trotted on by. A young doe too small to shoot. As I'm looking at her I hear another crunch behind me in the leaves, and I slowly turn my head and see a serious shooter about 30 yards out, body blocked by a large tree trunk, quartering towards me. He steps forward and puts his head down. Draw. Pin on front shoulder. Release. Thunk! He spins and runs to about 50 yards out and stops. My heart sinks as I see blood pouring down his back leg. I quickly nock another arrow and send it. I definitely rushed the shot. He ducks it and disappears into the brush like a ghost. Lesson learned: take my time and focus on fundamentals!
The next 30 minutes were agony. I knew by the exit I had shot way too far back. I replayed the shot a hundred times in my head, and cursed myself for not waiting until he was closer.
I climbed out of the stand and walked over to the arrow sticking in the dirt. The smell of guts was strong, but there was bright red blood in a clear trail into the brush. My hopes picked up! I followed the trail for about 300 yards until it slowly became specks and drops, requiring crawling on hands and knees through briar patches. I walked into and opening and scanned across with my light. Antlers poked above the grass about 60 yards out. I immediately backed out, hoping he would stay down, but I heard him spook again and crash into the brush. I reluctantly called it a night, marked the spot, and headed back to the truck. Lesson learned: don't push the search too fast!
(as a side note, while I was crawling through the brush I bumped into a large boar who approached me to 3 FEET (not kidding). I was so scared, all I had was a knife and he walked right up to me and stared me down).
Anyways, didn't get much sleep last night...
I was out at 6AM this morning on all fours following blood drops again. I tracked him another 200 yards to the boundary creek, and I was elated to see him floating in the water. I almost cried with joy. I was sick all night thinking I would waste this regal animal because of my bad shot.
Bow: PSE Xforce HF6 80lb
Arrow: Bloodsport Hunter 300 with 100 gr brass insert
BH: Rocket Steelhead (All told went through 26 inches of flesh and bone and stuck 8 inches in the dirt) This mechanical works!
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