lacure
11-01-2007, 08:09 AM
Well, guys and gals, I finally had a GREAT day in the stand...and I learned yet another valuable lesson in hunting. I was out on Tuesday evening and ended up seeing 8 different bucks and 2 does...all in bow range. 5 different bucks, including the big 9 pt. I ended up taking, were running 1 doe VERY hard. I have never heard a buck pant as much as this big guy was!!!
So here is the story...and lesson learned: The doe came flying out of the woods into an overgrown pasture field with this 9 point hot on her tail. He was grunting a little and they headed into the other patch of woods across the pasture field. At that point, I thought they were heading to my buddy who was hunting a little further down, so I was not too upset. All of a sudden, the doe comes flying back out into the pasture field, get's to the other side (where she initially came out) and slowed down to work her way around me and into the bean field on the other side of me. I looked back into the pasture field and there were 4 different bucks (smaller 8's and 6's) watching her. I looked back at the doe and then back at the pasture field and here comes the 9 at a steady walk. As he got closer to me, I could hear him actually panting with his mouth wide open...what a neat experience. He closed the distance to about 12 yards and I lined up what I thought was a great shot and released. Right as I released, I knew something was "off." I missed, clean miss...no idea how, but it happened! Upon the shot, the buck flinched a little and just stood there. After a few seconds, he actully walked closer to me, stopping directly under my stand!!! I grabbed a second arrow, nocked it and drew back. He walked out to about 5 yards from the base of my tree and I put a really good shot on him.
Here is where the lesson was learned...I had recently read an article in a bowhunting magazine about being able to quickly reach a second arrow just in case you get a second shot. I remembered thinking, "Sure, how often do you get a second shot? I never have." Well, I did Tuesday and thank goodness I headed the advice of the article.
Anyway, I found him about 90 yards from my stand, but he had walked about 150-200 yards it total because he actually back-tracked after walking about 100 yards. He is a beautiful 9 point. I have picks and will post as soon as I can.
Yet another lesson...I did not see him go down, so I gave him a good hour and a half. I learned last year not to push them, so I quietly got down and looked at where I shot (since it was right next to my tree). My arrow was stuck about 3 inches into the ground, covered in pink, frothy blood. Around the arrow was a good spray of pink frothy blood. I knew I had hit at least one lung (ended up only being one lung b/c of the angle of the shot). I walked about 30 yards up the trail he took, looking for blood (I did not worry about bumping him b/c the wind was right and the trail was clear so I could be quiet). There was absolutely NO blood! I backed out, dejected.
The next morning, my buddy and I went back and only found 3 drops of blood over the course of about 100 yards...not good, I thought. However, I know the land and followed the trail I thought he might have taken and found him just a short distance further, laying just inside the woods, almost exactly where he had originally exited the woods! The reason there was no blood is that when the arrow exited, it pulled a chunk of fat that lodged in the exit wound, causing the blood to all stay internal. He must have died within 15 minutes of the shot, but no blood (until I opened him up).
By the way, when I took him to Perfect's Meats (in Johnstown) for processing, they said they had 14 deer checked in that evening, of which only 2 were does!!! I think things are really heating up!!!
Good luck and be safe!
So here is the story...and lesson learned: The doe came flying out of the woods into an overgrown pasture field with this 9 point hot on her tail. He was grunting a little and they headed into the other patch of woods across the pasture field. At that point, I thought they were heading to my buddy who was hunting a little further down, so I was not too upset. All of a sudden, the doe comes flying back out into the pasture field, get's to the other side (where she initially came out) and slowed down to work her way around me and into the bean field on the other side of me. I looked back into the pasture field and there were 4 different bucks (smaller 8's and 6's) watching her. I looked back at the doe and then back at the pasture field and here comes the 9 at a steady walk. As he got closer to me, I could hear him actually panting with his mouth wide open...what a neat experience. He closed the distance to about 12 yards and I lined up what I thought was a great shot and released. Right as I released, I knew something was "off." I missed, clean miss...no idea how, but it happened! Upon the shot, the buck flinched a little and just stood there. After a few seconds, he actully walked closer to me, stopping directly under my stand!!! I grabbed a second arrow, nocked it and drew back. He walked out to about 5 yards from the base of my tree and I put a really good shot on him.
Here is where the lesson was learned...I had recently read an article in a bowhunting magazine about being able to quickly reach a second arrow just in case you get a second shot. I remembered thinking, "Sure, how often do you get a second shot? I never have." Well, I did Tuesday and thank goodness I headed the advice of the article.
Anyway, I found him about 90 yards from my stand, but he had walked about 150-200 yards it total because he actually back-tracked after walking about 100 yards. He is a beautiful 9 point. I have picks and will post as soon as I can.
Yet another lesson...I did not see him go down, so I gave him a good hour and a half. I learned last year not to push them, so I quietly got down and looked at where I shot (since it was right next to my tree). My arrow was stuck about 3 inches into the ground, covered in pink, frothy blood. Around the arrow was a good spray of pink frothy blood. I knew I had hit at least one lung (ended up only being one lung b/c of the angle of the shot). I walked about 30 yards up the trail he took, looking for blood (I did not worry about bumping him b/c the wind was right and the trail was clear so I could be quiet). There was absolutely NO blood! I backed out, dejected.
The next morning, my buddy and I went back and only found 3 drops of blood over the course of about 100 yards...not good, I thought. However, I know the land and followed the trail I thought he might have taken and found him just a short distance further, laying just inside the woods, almost exactly where he had originally exited the woods! The reason there was no blood is that when the arrow exited, it pulled a chunk of fat that lodged in the exit wound, causing the blood to all stay internal. He must have died within 15 minutes of the shot, but no blood (until I opened him up).
By the way, when I took him to Perfect's Meats (in Johnstown) for processing, they said they had 14 deer checked in that evening, of which only 2 were does!!! I think things are really heating up!!!
Good luck and be safe!