Very good weekend for me
So we arrived at camp Thursday night and got everything set up and took the bows and heaters to the blinds. Friday morning was pretty cold with a stiff north wind blowing. The morning hunt was slow, but I did see several of my regulars come thru. Friday evening I had several small bucks and doe in when they all looked up and to my left. I peaked out of the window to see a buck coming in that we have been trying to take out of the gene pool all bow season. He had the ability to always position himself in front of other deer or expose just his back side from behind a feeder in general just never give us a clean shot. It seemed this was going to be the case today, he was pulling all of his usual stunts and was quartered hard to me. He picked his head up and spotted a deer coming in, he turned perfectly broadside and was standing with both front legs together looking directly away from me........ he had just messed up, no other deer around him. I settled the pin on the point of the V and let it fly. He bucked and bolted out of the feed pen only to make it about 60 yards. (exit showing in pic )
Saturday morning came and went with not much excitement, I decided to go to the stand a little early saturday afternoon because it was just a perfect weather day. I was only in the blind about 20 minutes when a few whitetail doe came in checking for any corn that may have been left from the morning hunt. Once again they all went on full alert looking to my left, this time when I looked out it was a axis walking toward my feed pen. I couldn't get a really good look at him until he was almost at the feed pen. He walked up and looked around turned to his left and started walking around the feed pen and continued all the way around to my right side. He finally committed and jumped in, as he made his way to the protein feeder I decided I was going to take him. I picked up my bow and hooked the release on the D loop and when I looked up he was walking back toward the fence to leave. My heart just sank and I could not believe I was not going to get the shot, Just as I was feeling sorry for myself he stopped quartered away at 25 yards and it was go time. I aimed for his off front shoulder and sent it, I heard the wack as the arrow hit him and when he bolted I saw what appeared to be at the time at least 14 inches of arrow sticking out of him on the entrance side. Instantly my gut was in a knot and all I could do was watch him run and hope to get a solid land mark of where I last saw him. To my surprise he stopped almost in the same spot the white tail I had shot the day before did and started the death wobble and down he went. While walking to him I found my arrow and the mystery was pretty much solved of why so much arrow was showing. The arrow had indeed hit the off shoulder, there was blood all the way to the fletchings and I am guessing that the initial lunge broke the arrow about 3 inches in back of the broad head and the arrow was working its way back out when I saw it. All in all it was an emotional roller coaster ride to say the least.
He measured out at 32.5 inches long and 21.5 wide. Not too shabby for a free range low fence axis.
Saturday morning came and went with not much excitement, I decided to go to the stand a little early saturday afternoon because it was just a perfect weather day. I was only in the blind about 20 minutes when a few whitetail doe came in checking for any corn that may have been left from the morning hunt. Once again they all went on full alert looking to my left, this time when I looked out it was a axis walking toward my feed pen. I couldn't get a really good look at him until he was almost at the feed pen. He walked up and looked around turned to his left and started walking around the feed pen and continued all the way around to my right side. He finally committed and jumped in, as he made his way to the protein feeder I decided I was going to take him. I picked up my bow and hooked the release on the D loop and when I looked up he was walking back toward the fence to leave. My heart just sank and I could not believe I was not going to get the shot, Just as I was feeling sorry for myself he stopped quartered away at 25 yards and it was go time. I aimed for his off front shoulder and sent it, I heard the wack as the arrow hit him and when he bolted I saw what appeared to be at the time at least 14 inches of arrow sticking out of him on the entrance side. Instantly my gut was in a knot and all I could do was watch him run and hope to get a solid land mark of where I last saw him. To my surprise he stopped almost in the same spot the white tail I had shot the day before did and started the death wobble and down he went. While walking to him I found my arrow and the mystery was pretty much solved of why so much arrow was showing. The arrow had indeed hit the off shoulder, there was blood all the way to the fletchings and I am guessing that the initial lunge broke the arrow about 3 inches in back of the broad head and the arrow was working its way back out when I saw it. All in all it was an emotional roller coaster ride to say the least.
He measured out at 32.5 inches long and 21.5 wide. Not too shabby for a free range low fence axis.
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