Went hunting yesterday on my birthday and got this one. I haven't had time to score it yet.
I'm not much of a story teller but here goes.
I've got a stand that sits off an old fence line that separates some oaks from a cutover. Last week I had a good sized deer come thru before day light, but it was too dark to tell what is was. I got to my stand about 45 mins before shooting light and the deer came in the exact same way as the week before. When the deer first came in it was too dark to tell what it was. He lifted his head and I was able to see the right side of his rack but is was still to dark to shoot. The next 5 mins was an eternity. I wasn't sure if he would stay around long enough for me to get a shot, and just as my pins began to glow, he started to walk off. He stopped about 15 yards from my stand and I drew my bow, the only problem was his vitals were right behind a tree. He starts to walk again and I can't get a shot on him. I start to panic! By chance, he steps in another shooting lane at 20 yards. I stop him and let an arrow fly! I couldn't tell where the arrow hit, but felt it was a good shot. As he ran off, I heard him stumble thru the woods. I decided to wait two hours before tracking. My dad and I followed a great blood trail for about 80 yards thru a small strip of woods into a pasture. About 30 yards into the pasture I see where the deer bedded down. I looked up and saw the back side of the deer and started to celebrate!!!! I motioned to my dad, took two steps toward the deer and he got up and ran into a pine thicket!! I watched the nicest buck I'd seen bow hunting run off. We check the spot where the deer was laying and there was plenty of blood so we decided to back out and give him some time. I came back about 5 hours later and could not get back on a blood trail. I started a grid search (thru the thickets pine thickets on my lease) and after about 45 minutes of looking, I found him!!!!! My shot was a little bit back and took out the liver. This is the best buck I've taken with a bow and to harvest him on my birthday was an extra special treat!
