Well let's see if I can recap the Crazy Week. We started planning this trip way back in February. Met up with Travis back in September to hang stands and mow. We hung the stands in our normal places and mowed the paths from camp to the stand and the WAITING started. This was my First Time to Travel from my Resident state to hunt in a Different State..
I pulled out of my driveway on Friday 11/7 and headed south to start the hunt in Franklin County Kansas. After a 757 mile trip I settled in a hotel for the night. Up early on Saturday 11/8 and cleaned up and headed to out 40 acre hunting grounds. Once there I changed my clothes and hit the woods. A nice cool morning but deer movement was slow. Had a decent 8 point come though around 8:30 and I just watched him walk through. Back at camp we got everything set up and headed out around 3 for the afternoon hunt. Around 4 I see a mature doe easing through the timber but never offered a shot. 20 minutes later another doe comes in and this time I have a 20 yd shot. She was on high alert and quartered to me. I cut the shot and watch the Easton Axis and 100 grain NAP KillZone bury to the fletchings. I give her 30 minutes and ease to the impact zone. Travis met me there a little later and after 2 1/2 hours of searching we only found 3 small patches of hair. Now I am completely confused as to what happened. We get back to camp and I am disgusted. Sunday morning had me back in my tree and nothing moving through. Back at it Sunday evening and the temps were a little warmer, mid 50s, and a brisk SSW wind. at 4:50 a doe eases in off the ridge and stops behind a cedar tree directly downwind of me. I really believe the Ever Calm VS1 helped in keeping her calm and not spooking. She turns to my right and heads through the woods, I bleat, she stops and I cut the shot.
She takes off and I hear CRASH... The Slick Trick Magnum double Lunged her and she made it 50 yds.. She dressed out at 90 # of great Quality Kansas Venison
Knowing the weather was going to warm up on Monday, I was not real excited to hunt the morning hunt but did anyway. NOTHING.. Sitting at camp, we were discussing the temp change that was on the way. I told him that the deer should really be moving in front of the cold front that was pushing through. The temps went from 72 on Monday afternoon for a high to a high on Tuesday of 26*.
In the stand on Monday afternoon, all senses were n High Alert. A brisk SSW wind was keeping me on edge, yet I was seeing no movement. Around 4:35 I look to the Southeast and see a deer easing through the brush.. He clears the brush and I see Headgear. I stop counting points at 8 and know that this is a Shooter Mature Buck. Good Body, Tal Tines, Good spread. Now I just need a shot. He turns south and never offers a shot. As I am watching him, I catch movement to the east, I look and there is another Buck coming through the brush. I immediately know he is the one I want. Gray Muzzle, Deep Belly, and Non-Typical Antlers. The first buck moves through the timber and never offered a shot, and this second buck is on the same trail. I look ahead of where he is going and find One small Opening that offers a 37 yd. shot. I watch as he SLOWLY walks through the timber and I get ready.. He walks behind a tree and I draw. He hits the opening and I bleat. He stops Broadside and I settle the pin.. I cut the shot, the Lumenock glows red, and the Easton Axis N-Fused tipped with a 100 grain Slick Trick Magnum takes off from the Bowtech Destroyer 350. from my vantage point the shot was MONEY... About 5 yds from the buck I hear "TICK" and see the arrow Nosedive down.. The buck wheels away from me and takes off.. All is quiet with the exception of my Rapidly Racing heart. I hang the bow and take a seat. Look at my watch and see it is 4:40. I text Travis and tell him I think I just Tagged Out... I sit until 5:05 and start gathering my gear. As I am doing so I hear "Snap" and I freeze. I look over my right should and see a coyote. I quickly grab and nock my "Critter Getter" arrow, draw and settle the top pin on him, only to Shoot a Little High and watch him run off...
I ease out of the stand, gather my Critter Getter arrow and walk over to where the buck was standing. less than I foot from his hoof marks I find this
.
I call Travis and tell him We Have Blood. Still not sure of the impact I tell him to stay on stand until dark. I look a little more and find REALLY good blood. I track for about 10 feet, mark it and MAKE myself back out.
We meet on the hill and I am still shaking. We discussed a game plan and it is now an hour after the shot. We ease over to the blood and I explain the shot and the deer's reaction. This blood trail was amazing. We tracked form maybe 50 yds only to find him DEAD..
The arrow entered his front right leg at the elbow joint, came out, entered his chect, cut a 3.5" gash in his heart, and exited his left side. I had found all but 5 inches of my arrow (the Business end) and you could see the Lumenock glowing under the skin.
Not a High Scoring Buck, but a HUGE Body.. He field dressed 186#. He is old and looking like he might be trying to go downhill. We did not get a lot of Good pics at the time because both of our phones were dead. But I did get some of him After I caped him out. He Will be on the wall. Make sure you see all the character in his rack as well and the bases. He was trying to have a Drop off of his right main beam..
I did not hunt Veterans day, but Travis did and he was Covered up with deer. He missed a couple of shots and did not know why. He got back to camp and we resighted his bow. Bow was off a little, but he found out the that coat sleeve wearing was hitting the string he shot. All sighted in he made it back out Tuesday evening and no shot ops. Wednesday morning had him again having deer on top of him before first light and at 7:10 a good 8 point worked in and he crushed him. 15 yd shot and watch the deer move 20 yds and die. No Tracking Required. This deer field dressed 170 lbs.
Overall a GREAT Week of Hunting. In 5 days of hunting Travis and I saw 27 Different bucks with have of them Mature, and ONLY 5 Does.. This little 40 acre Low Fenced Unmanaged Property with some pressure on all three sides continues to impress me and Travis. Who needs hundreds and hundreds of acres when we can see these kind of deer??
Heading home on Thursday had me ready to sleep in my own bed and a Hot Shower. All was good until I got into Allegan County Michigan. the weather was getting bad and the roads were terrible. I was on I-196 headed north when I hit Black Ice. The 2006 Chevy 2500 HD Crew Cab 4x4 pulling a 6x12 utility trailer (loaded) started the slide. Knowing there was nothing I could I braced for impact. I hit the guard rail and the trailer jack-knifed into the bed. I cam to a rest and first checked myself out. Next I get out of the truck and look at the damage. Now I knew I had to get it moved. The truck started and I pull it across the highway out of traffic. Only the left side bumper is keeping it from being drivable
. A sheriff's deputy arrives and I tell him what happened. He runs mu license, and comes back to my truck and gives me my cards back AND a ticket for Failure to Maintain Appropriate Speed for the conditions... A wrecker shows up and I get the bumper pulled out. I limp home the last 113 miles. Left Olathe, Kansas at 9:30 am and arrived home in Remus, MI at 01:45 am. The good news is I am okay and I can replace the truck. Even better is that 10 yds from where I hit the guard rail was the Concrete pillars for the overpass..
Thanks for Following along. I have to add that the members of the Green Screen are Great. On Facebook I am a member of a page called Michigan Bow Hunters. This group is so negative towards each other I am going to delete the group today. The GS has always been congratulatory to every member on a harvest where the Michigan Bow Hunter Group is too busy Judging People for what the Shoot.. Thanks to each and every one of you for being True Bow Hunters and Lovers of the Sport..
I pulled out of my driveway on Friday 11/7 and headed south to start the hunt in Franklin County Kansas. After a 757 mile trip I settled in a hotel for the night. Up early on Saturday 11/8 and cleaned up and headed to out 40 acre hunting grounds. Once there I changed my clothes and hit the woods. A nice cool morning but deer movement was slow. Had a decent 8 point come though around 8:30 and I just watched him walk through. Back at camp we got everything set up and headed out around 3 for the afternoon hunt. Around 4 I see a mature doe easing through the timber but never offered a shot. 20 minutes later another doe comes in and this time I have a 20 yd shot. She was on high alert and quartered to me. I cut the shot and watch the Easton Axis and 100 grain NAP KillZone bury to the fletchings. I give her 30 minutes and ease to the impact zone. Travis met me there a little later and after 2 1/2 hours of searching we only found 3 small patches of hair. Now I am completely confused as to what happened. We get back to camp and I am disgusted. Sunday morning had me back in my tree and nothing moving through. Back at it Sunday evening and the temps were a little warmer, mid 50s, and a brisk SSW wind. at 4:50 a doe eases in off the ridge and stops behind a cedar tree directly downwind of me. I really believe the Ever Calm VS1 helped in keeping her calm and not spooking. She turns to my right and heads through the woods, I bleat, she stops and I cut the shot.
She takes off and I hear CRASH... The Slick Trick Magnum double Lunged her and she made it 50 yds.. She dressed out at 90 # of great Quality Kansas Venison
Knowing the weather was going to warm up on Monday, I was not real excited to hunt the morning hunt but did anyway. NOTHING.. Sitting at camp, we were discussing the temp change that was on the way. I told him that the deer should really be moving in front of the cold front that was pushing through. The temps went from 72 on Monday afternoon for a high to a high on Tuesday of 26*.
In the stand on Monday afternoon, all senses were n High Alert. A brisk SSW wind was keeping me on edge, yet I was seeing no movement. Around 4:35 I look to the Southeast and see a deer easing through the brush.. He clears the brush and I see Headgear. I stop counting points at 8 and know that this is a Shooter Mature Buck. Good Body, Tal Tines, Good spread. Now I just need a shot. He turns south and never offers a shot. As I am watching him, I catch movement to the east, I look and there is another Buck coming through the brush. I immediately know he is the one I want. Gray Muzzle, Deep Belly, and Non-Typical Antlers. The first buck moves through the timber and never offered a shot, and this second buck is on the same trail. I look ahead of where he is going and find One small Opening that offers a 37 yd. shot. I watch as he SLOWLY walks through the timber and I get ready.. He walks behind a tree and I draw. He hits the opening and I bleat. He stops Broadside and I settle the pin.. I cut the shot, the Lumenock glows red, and the Easton Axis N-Fused tipped with a 100 grain Slick Trick Magnum takes off from the Bowtech Destroyer 350. from my vantage point the shot was MONEY... About 5 yds from the buck I hear "TICK" and see the arrow Nosedive down.. The buck wheels away from me and takes off.. All is quiet with the exception of my Rapidly Racing heart. I hang the bow and take a seat. Look at my watch and see it is 4:40. I text Travis and tell him I think I just Tagged Out... I sit until 5:05 and start gathering my gear. As I am doing so I hear "Snap" and I freeze. I look over my right should and see a coyote. I quickly grab and nock my "Critter Getter" arrow, draw and settle the top pin on him, only to Shoot a Little High and watch him run off...
I ease out of the stand, gather my Critter Getter arrow and walk over to where the buck was standing. less than I foot from his hoof marks I find this
I call Travis and tell him We Have Blood. Still not sure of the impact I tell him to stay on stand until dark. I look a little more and find REALLY good blood. I track for about 10 feet, mark it and MAKE myself back out.
We meet on the hill and I am still shaking. We discussed a game plan and it is now an hour after the shot. We ease over to the blood and I explain the shot and the deer's reaction. This blood trail was amazing. We tracked form maybe 50 yds only to find him DEAD..
The arrow entered his front right leg at the elbow joint, came out, entered his chect, cut a 3.5" gash in his heart, and exited his left side. I had found all but 5 inches of my arrow (the Business end) and you could see the Lumenock glowing under the skin.
Not a High Scoring Buck, but a HUGE Body.. He field dressed 186#. He is old and looking like he might be trying to go downhill. We did not get a lot of Good pics at the time because both of our phones were dead. But I did get some of him After I caped him out. He Will be on the wall. Make sure you see all the character in his rack as well and the bases. He was trying to have a Drop off of his right main beam..
I did not hunt Veterans day, but Travis did and he was Covered up with deer. He missed a couple of shots and did not know why. He got back to camp and we resighted his bow. Bow was off a little, but he found out the that coat sleeve wearing was hitting the string he shot. All sighted in he made it back out Tuesday evening and no shot ops. Wednesday morning had him again having deer on top of him before first light and at 7:10 a good 8 point worked in and he crushed him. 15 yd shot and watch the deer move 20 yds and die. No Tracking Required. This deer field dressed 170 lbs.
Overall a GREAT Week of Hunting. In 5 days of hunting Travis and I saw 27 Different bucks with have of them Mature, and ONLY 5 Does.. This little 40 acre Low Fenced Unmanaged Property with some pressure on all three sides continues to impress me and Travis. Who needs hundreds and hundreds of acres when we can see these kind of deer??
Heading home on Thursday had me ready to sleep in my own bed and a Hot Shower. All was good until I got into Allegan County Michigan. the weather was getting bad and the roads were terrible. I was on I-196 headed north when I hit Black Ice. The 2006 Chevy 2500 HD Crew Cab 4x4 pulling a 6x12 utility trailer (loaded) started the slide. Knowing there was nothing I could I braced for impact. I hit the guard rail and the trailer jack-knifed into the bed. I cam to a rest and first checked myself out. Next I get out of the truck and look at the damage. Now I knew I had to get it moved. The truck started and I pull it across the highway out of traffic. Only the left side bumper is keeping it from being drivable
. A sheriff's deputy arrives and I tell him what happened. He runs mu license, and comes back to my truck and gives me my cards back AND a ticket for Failure to Maintain Appropriate Speed for the conditions... A wrecker shows up and I get the bumper pulled out. I limp home the last 113 miles. Left Olathe, Kansas at 9:30 am and arrived home in Remus, MI at 01:45 am. The good news is I am okay and I can replace the truck. Even better is that 10 yds from where I hit the guard rail was the Concrete pillars for the overpass.. Thanks for Following along. I have to add that the members of the Green Screen are Great. On Facebook I am a member of a page called Michigan Bow Hunters. This group is so negative towards each other I am going to delete the group today. The GS has always been congratulatory to every member on a harvest where the Michigan Bow Hunter Group is too busy Judging People for what the Shoot.. Thanks to each and every one of you for being True Bow Hunters and Lovers of the Sport..
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