11/7/05
Sitting in class 7th period was a killer. Looking outside watching the leaves rustle from the SW wind was just tearing me apart. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity I was sprinting down the bus steps and heading for the shower. After a quick washing with no-scent soap, I loaded all [/i]of my gear in the van, and my mom took me to my Uncles, 5 minutes away. She dropped me off and I went inside to change. Half way through getting dressed I realized that I had left my Scent-Lok at home! There was nothing I could do now, so I finished getting dressed, grabbed my bow, and headed into the woods.
After running a drag of KISS #3 around my stand, I prepared to ascend. Backpack on, Check. Bow in hand, Check. Safety harness....Safety harness??? NOOOOOOOO, it must be setting right next to my Scent-Lok!! I guess I’ll just have to be extra careful.
Climbing into my stand, the third tragedy of the evening happened. I was turning around in my stand and my quiver somehow became unattached from my bow. It took a 15 ft trip straight down, but luckily it hit on the hood and the arrows didn’t bend. After retrieving the arrows, I got settled and began spinning an arrow on its tip to make sure it wasn’t bent. All looked good so I knocked it and began to wait. After doing a couple combos of rattling, grunting, and bleating, I noticed a neck sticking out of a tree about a hundred yards out. A quick look with the binoculars told me it was a buck, but he slipped away never to be seen again before I could see anymore. After an uneventful hour, deer-thirty came around.
The wind began to calm down, and the unmistakable crunch, crunch, crunch filled the air. Slowly twisting my head around 180 degrees, I saw a brownish form slipping through the woods towards my stand. Directly downwind!! As it came within 7 yards, I identified it as a small doe, and decided to let it walk. It came around in front of me and I drew on the deer solely for practice. It paused at 15 yards and my top pin settled low on its chest. A quick whisper of “thwack” and I let the bow down. The deer then began to walk straight away from me, and I took that opportunity to check it over better with my binoculars. The quick glance revealed bumps, and I began to ponder. I wasn’t overly anxious to take this deer, but I was starting to feel the pressure, being that it’s the last week of the season. I told my self that if the deer paused in a gap, 35 yards out and gave me shot, I would think long and hard about taking it. I would have to be an “In the heat of the moment” type decision.
Like a puppet on a string, the button buck, approached the one foot opening. It was 5 yards past my predetermined limit, but sometimes you have to capitalize on shots when they are there. I knew I could make it, I knew my bow had the energy, and this BB was dead calm and content. Like I had practiced so many times before, the string came back, anchor settled, and sight picture formed. He then took one more step, stretching his near front leg out, offering a perfect quartering away shot in the gap. Subconsciously, the 4th pin down found its spot a couple inches back of the leg.
Before I knew it, the arrow was gone, I heard the resounding “thwack” and he took two leaps. Then his hind legs gave out, made one lunge with his front, and went down without a single kick…Exactly 12 yards from the impact and 2 seconds later.
After wounding an 8 the second week of the season, I really needed to boost my confidence. THIS DID IT!! Although not a big doe like I was hoping, I'm still plenty proud of him. He is the second bow deer for me. (First was a 3 pt. last year.) I drilled him a little high through both lungs, and ended up taking out the inferior jugular. Thats way he went down so fast, major blood loss. He field dressed at 76 lbs, and rest assured, I'm gonna enjoy the jerky and steaks.
Now I have 4 more days to get a buck before the season closes. Hopefully, I'll get lucky and strike again.
-On a side note, I took this deer from the same stand as the buck last year. Just on the oposite side of the tree. I guess I like that stand.
