This past Sunday I got my first ever deer with a bow, after not hunting with a bow for over 10 years. I have to say thank-you to many of you on this web page, also, as I put many of the tips and advice that I read here into effect and was able to bag a decent seven point buck around 6:30 pm on Sunday.

I got into my tree stand around 4:15 after setting up a couple of mock scrapes (one with a dripper) and laying a sent trail from my tree stand out along a heavily traveled deer trail, zigging every now and then to hit a lesser traveled buck trail that ran parallel to it about 10-12 yards away. Both of those ideas I read here. I was using Hawg's Limited's BF Gland and BF Pre and Post Rut scents that I read about here. I used these to make the mock scrapes also. I know they say to make the scrapes and vacate the area to let the deer come and start using them, but after using many of the ideas and advice about being scentless that you guys have posted, I was fairly confident (hopeful, maybe) that I would be fairly undetectable, so I threw caution to the wind and climbed into the stand overlooking the scrapes and the trail I just laid. After a couple of hours of not seeing anything I began to wonder if I screwed up by not hunting elsewhere and whether the Hawg's scents were any good or not. Just about that time, I heards a series of loud sniffs and snorts directly behind me, as a deer came in from where I least expected- and down wind to boot!!! It moved from my left to right, but very slowly as it was either catching my scent or that of the artificial lure. It was 80 degrees on Sunday and I was beginning to fear that the sweat I broke climbing the stand was giving me away. I still hadn't seen the deer, though, as I slowly craned my head left and right trying my best to impersonate an owl. More snorts and sniffs followed, but not of the alarm type, I didn't think, so I decided to stop moving altogether hoping it would come out in front of me. Finally, after 10 minutes of agonizing stillness and uncertainty, I caught a bit of movement out of the corner of my eye, over my right shoulder. As slowly as I could I turned my head and saw that the buck had bedded down not 35 yards away and DOWN WIND of me. It was a five pointer (3x2) I thought, but large for so few points. I was ecstatic that he apparently hadn't smelled me. Thanks to everyone that has posted a comment here about being scent free and how to go about accomplishing it.

Anyway, he laid there for about 10 minutes. I slowly stood, keeping a tree between me and his head, but I couldn't get twisted around to get a shot at him. I wasn't too disappointed though because I was debating on whether to shoot him or not if he ended up giving me shot. He wasn't as large as I had hoped to see and probably only a two year old, it was warm and the rut is still a month away, when the bigger bucks come out to play. I decided to call my hunting buddy on my cell phone as the buck laid there 35 yards away and whispered/talked to him for five minutes. He was rather surprised that I would call him with a buck so close, but I think in the back of my head I was actually trying to scare the deer away so that I wouldn’t have to make the decision to shoot or not. In the end though, I couldn’t resist a the opportunity to take my first deer with a bow.

After a short while (that seemed like an eternity) he got up and came across the scent trail I laid. He sniffed in both directions and started coming my way. I had read on this board, under the Drag Rag thread, to start at the tree stand and move away, making your scent diminish as you get further away, thus drawing the buck in your direction, towards the stronger scent. It worked here, as he was headed right down the trail with his nose to the ground, sniffing all the way! About 20 yards away he came onto one of the mock scrapes I made and he stopped and sniffed the branches overhead, where I sprayed the gland scent. He rubbed his head through the branches, then sniffed around the scrape a bit. He was only 18 yards away now, and broadside to me, but a small sapling had his vitals covered. He took his time sniffing and licking his nose at the scrape but eventually he looked away so that I could not see his eyes. I learned by reading this message board that this is when you want to draw back (something that I never did in my previous 2 bow hunts and I always scared the deer off prior to the shot), so I drew quickly and was holding, and holding, waiting for him to take a step forward. I have an old Hoyt Pro Vantage, 12 or 13 years old, with a let-off of only 30-40%, so I was starting to shake when he finally stepped forward to add his own urine to the scrape. As he started to let go of his bladder, I let loose the arrow and it hit him high on the shoulder and I heard it hit bone. The arrow stopped and was sticking out his side, so I knew I did not get the popular and deadly pass through. He bucked and kicked and broke the arrow off, leaving what looked like all of my arrow and the fletching laying on the ground where I hit him. I thought to myself, “Oh, Great!!! I hit his shoulder blade and didn’t get a single organ! I’ll never find him and he’ll suffer and bleed to death." I waited for 15 minutes, kicking myself the whole time and making a mental note to use less weight next year (I’m pulling 65 lbs and holding 40-45), and then got down before it got too dark. As the sun was setting I frantically searched for a blood trail but I was on an eastern slope and no sunlight was hitting the ground. The poison ivy leaves are also falling now and are blood red, so I had no luck at all. So I started doing a zig-zag search through the thickets and, thank the Lord, I found him about 25 yards away in a puddle of frothy blood. I had hit the lungs! After giving thanks, I gutted him and discovered that the broad head glanced off of his shoulder blade, passed through both lungs, albeit high, and lodged in a rib on the opposite side.

What a great hunt, to see so many things that I have just recently learned be put into practice and to see that the scent lure that I took a chance on come through so well. I’m gonna keep the mock scrapes fresh and keep using the dripper and report back as the rut approaches on how they are working. I could buy a second permit, but I doubt the wife will allow it, so my hunting may have to be done with a camera now. I’ll post photos as I get them. Thanks again, all, for your advice and tips on how to be a better bow hunter. It has paid off for me here in Nebraska.


Edited by - by23856 on 10/01/2002 15:16:17