43- Official Team Chaos Thread
10-22-2007 | 09:21 AM
#1202
Nontypical Buck
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,438
Likes: 0
From:
RE: 43- Official Team Chaos Thread
Tough weekend guys.
Here's a not so brief recap:
Sat. morning get on stand well before dark, deer moving around me, stops at daylight, dad was to pick me up at 9:40 a.m. So of course after 3.5 hours in the stand, a fork, spike and doe (wierd combo for this time of year) come towards me right about 9:40. Oh I forgot that we had some deadfall, which partially obstructed one of my shooting lanes.[:@] It was intense as they moved from 100 yards to about 15 yards, of course right to the spot behind the deadfall. I could have shot the fork, but was waiting for the doe, who also happened to be bringing up the rear. I had a few very iffy shots, but wasn't going to take them. I did watch her looking at me with a honey locust pod hanging out of her mouth, which was funny. I needed the doe to take about 2 more steps and then I hear the Mule coming and off they go.
Then my poor dad and I are loading up a cultipacker on a trailer and the thing flips, hits him and knocks him off the trailer onto the rock hard ground. My dad has never spent a day in the hospital and there we are in the ER and he has a 2nd degree separated shoulder. I went late that evening (he wanted me to). His bowseason is on hold. His pain was better Sunday.
Next morning, back on the same stand (in the woods - with 2 white oaks, etc.), lots of deer moving in the dark! About 7:15 here come the same 3 deer from another direction. I saw them and while being really careful (its tough with 3 sets of eyes), I slowly got into position. Everything felt perfect, got my breathing back to steady, smooth draw, didn't feel like I flinched, they didn't see me, perfect broadside - 23 yards. But, the one thing I noticed was I aimed for the crease (should have aimed a couple inches back = don't know why I did that) and as soon as I hit the release I noticed that her front leg was kicked back. I could tell I hit her. I wait half an hour and go to the spot. No blood, no arrow (I looked for the arrow for 30 minutes and knew exactly where I shot her due to a tree). Then I picked up a great bloodtrail about 5 yards away. I followed it easily for about 50 yards and they I noticed it thinning out a little bit. Remembering my rules, I backed out and left for 2 hours, and went pick up a veteran bowhunter who was hunting 350 yards from me. We tracked her for about 100 yards and then she got up about 20 yards in front of us and ran (not well) for about 75 yards and it looked like she bedded down. I could have finished her with a shotgun, but not a bow. We went back now with 3 people about 3 hours later - at this point about 5 hours from the shot. We tried to set an ambush, but no deer. We then tracked her about 100 more yards and the blood ran out. We did a grid search and did everything I could. Our woods is so thick and full of palmettos that you can't see a thing. After the trail went dry, we couldn't do any more. In addition to getting home really late and pissing off my wife I didn't sleep well last night.
I must have hit the shoulder blade and gotten a deflection into the guts (and got really unlucky) b/c I found some small bits of bone in the blood and then we found her chit with some very dark blood in it.
Guys, this bowhunting thing is damn tough. Right now it is kicking my arse. It is making me a much
better hunter - I'm getting deer close without them spotting or smelling me and I'm learning more
about their behaviors, but this is killing me.
Germ, even though I probably made a bad shot, I'm done with the Strikers.
If you got this far, thanks for reading.
Here's a not so brief recap:
Sat. morning get on stand well before dark, deer moving around me, stops at daylight, dad was to pick me up at 9:40 a.m. So of course after 3.5 hours in the stand, a fork, spike and doe (wierd combo for this time of year) come towards me right about 9:40. Oh I forgot that we had some deadfall, which partially obstructed one of my shooting lanes.[:@] It was intense as they moved from 100 yards to about 15 yards, of course right to the spot behind the deadfall. I could have shot the fork, but was waiting for the doe, who also happened to be bringing up the rear. I had a few very iffy shots, but wasn't going to take them. I did watch her looking at me with a honey locust pod hanging out of her mouth, which was funny. I needed the doe to take about 2 more steps and then I hear the Mule coming and off they go.
Then my poor dad and I are loading up a cultipacker on a trailer and the thing flips, hits him and knocks him off the trailer onto the rock hard ground. My dad has never spent a day in the hospital and there we are in the ER and he has a 2nd degree separated shoulder. I went late that evening (he wanted me to). His bowseason is on hold. His pain was better Sunday.
Next morning, back on the same stand (in the woods - with 2 white oaks, etc.), lots of deer moving in the dark! About 7:15 here come the same 3 deer from another direction. I saw them and while being really careful (its tough with 3 sets of eyes), I slowly got into position. Everything felt perfect, got my breathing back to steady, smooth draw, didn't feel like I flinched, they didn't see me, perfect broadside - 23 yards. But, the one thing I noticed was I aimed for the crease (should have aimed a couple inches back = don't know why I did that) and as soon as I hit the release I noticed that her front leg was kicked back. I could tell I hit her. I wait half an hour and go to the spot. No blood, no arrow (I looked for the arrow for 30 minutes and knew exactly where I shot her due to a tree). Then I picked up a great bloodtrail about 5 yards away. I followed it easily for about 50 yards and they I noticed it thinning out a little bit. Remembering my rules, I backed out and left for 2 hours, and went pick up a veteran bowhunter who was hunting 350 yards from me. We tracked her for about 100 yards and then she got up about 20 yards in front of us and ran (not well) for about 75 yards and it looked like she bedded down. I could have finished her with a shotgun, but not a bow. We went back now with 3 people about 3 hours later - at this point about 5 hours from the shot. We tried to set an ambush, but no deer. We then tracked her about 100 more yards and the blood ran out. We did a grid search and did everything I could. Our woods is so thick and full of palmettos that you can't see a thing. After the trail went dry, we couldn't do any more. In addition to getting home really late and pissing off my wife I didn't sleep well last night.
I must have hit the shoulder blade and gotten a deflection into the guts (and got really unlucky) b/c I found some small bits of bone in the blood and then we found her chit with some very dark blood in it.
Guys, this bowhunting thing is damn tough. Right now it is kicking my arse. It is making me a much
better hunter - I'm getting deer close without them spotting or smelling me and I'm learning more
about their behaviors, but this is killing me.
Germ, even though I probably made a bad shot, I'm done with the Strikers.
If you got this far, thanks for reading.
10-22-2007 | 09:23 AM
#1203
Nontypical Buck
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 4,436
Likes: 0
From: Northern Idaho's Panhandle
RE: 43- Official Team Chaos Thread
ORIGINAL: GregH
Shed,
great buck! I was gone for the last 4 days and missed the original post. I know that it is really special when you hunt an individual buck and get him. Wow! From the ground no less. Awesome hunt, congradulations.
Shed,
great buck! I was gone for the last 4 days and missed the original post. I know that it is really special when you hunt an individual buck and get him. Wow! From the ground no less. Awesome hunt, congradulations.
Greg, coming from a man that could teach me a thing or two about hunting old whitetail bucks...it means a lot! Thanks so much, I really had a great day the other day. I am taking him to the Taxi today.. not abad birthday present..! I couldnt be happier..
10-22-2007 | 09:32 AM
#1204
Nontypical Buck
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 4,436
Likes: 0
From: Northern Idaho's Panhandle
RE: 43- Official Team Chaos Thread
ORIGINAL: LebeauHunter
Tough weekend guys.
Here's a not so brief recap:
Sat. morning get on stand well before dark, deer moving around me, stops at daylight, dad was to pick me up at 9:40 a.m. So of course after 3.5 hours in the stand, a fork, spike and doe (wierd combo for this time of year) come towards me right about 9:40. Oh I forgot that we had some deadfall, which partially obstructed one of my shooting lanes.[:@] It was intense as they moved from 100 yards to about 15 yards, of course right to the spot behind the deadfall. I could have shot the fork, but was waiting for the doe, who also happened to be bringing up the rear. I had a few very iffy shots, but wasn't going to take them. I did watch her looking at me with a honey locust pod hanging out of her mouth, which was funny. I needed the doe to take about 2 more steps and then I hear the Mule coming and off they go.
Then my poor dad and I are loading up a cultipacker on a trailer and the thing flips, hits him and knocks him off the trailer onto the rock hard ground. My dad has never spent a day in the hospital and there we are in the ER and he has a 2nd degree separated shoulder. I went late that evening (he wanted me to). His bowseason is on hold. His pain was better Sunday.
Next morning, back on the same stand (in the woods - with 2 white oaks, etc.), lots of deer moving in the dark! About 7:15 here come the same 3 deer from another direction. I saw them and while being really careful (its tough with 3 sets of eyes), I slowly got into position. Everything felt perfect, got my breathing back to steady, smooth draw, didn't feel like I flinched, they didn't see me, perfect broadside - 23 yards. But, the one thing I noticed was I aimed for the crease (should have aimed a couple inches back = don't know why I did that) and as soon as I hit the release I noticed that her front leg was kicked back. I could tell I hit her. I wait half an hour and go to the spot. No blood, no arrow (I looked for the arrow for 30 minutes and knew exactly where I shot her due to a tree). Then I picked up a great bloodtrail about 5 yards away. I followed it easily for about 50 yards and they I noticed it thinning out a little bit. Remembering my rules, I backed out and left for 2 hours, and went pick up a veteran bowhunter who was hunting 350 yards from me. We tracked her for about 100 yards and then she got up about 20 yards in front of us and ran (not well) for about 75 yards and it looked like she bedded down. I could have finished her with a shotgun, but not a bow. We went back now with 3 people about 3 hours later - at this point about 5 hours from the shot. We tried to set an ambush, but no deer. We then tracked her about 100 more yards and the blood ran out. We did a grid search and did everything I could. Our woods is so thick and full of palmettos that you can't see a thing. After the trail went dry, we couldn't do any more. In addition to getting home really late and pissing off my wife I didn't sleep well last night.
I must have hit the shoulder blade and gotten a deflection into the guts (and got really unlucky) b/c I found some small bits of bone in the blood and then we found her chit with some very dark blood in it.
Guys, this bowhunting thing is damn tough. Right now it is kicking my arse. It is making me a much
better hunter - I'm getting deer close without them spotting or smelling me and I'm learning more
about their behaviors, but this is killing me.
Germ, even though I probably made a bad shot, I'm done with the Strikers.
If you got this far, thanks for reading.
Tough weekend guys.
Here's a not so brief recap:
Sat. morning get on stand well before dark, deer moving around me, stops at daylight, dad was to pick me up at 9:40 a.m. So of course after 3.5 hours in the stand, a fork, spike and doe (wierd combo for this time of year) come towards me right about 9:40. Oh I forgot that we had some deadfall, which partially obstructed one of my shooting lanes.[:@] It was intense as they moved from 100 yards to about 15 yards, of course right to the spot behind the deadfall. I could have shot the fork, but was waiting for the doe, who also happened to be bringing up the rear. I had a few very iffy shots, but wasn't going to take them. I did watch her looking at me with a honey locust pod hanging out of her mouth, which was funny. I needed the doe to take about 2 more steps and then I hear the Mule coming and off they go.
Then my poor dad and I are loading up a cultipacker on a trailer and the thing flips, hits him and knocks him off the trailer onto the rock hard ground. My dad has never spent a day in the hospital and there we are in the ER and he has a 2nd degree separated shoulder. I went late that evening (he wanted me to). His bowseason is on hold. His pain was better Sunday.
Next morning, back on the same stand (in the woods - with 2 white oaks, etc.), lots of deer moving in the dark! About 7:15 here come the same 3 deer from another direction. I saw them and while being really careful (its tough with 3 sets of eyes), I slowly got into position. Everything felt perfect, got my breathing back to steady, smooth draw, didn't feel like I flinched, they didn't see me, perfect broadside - 23 yards. But, the one thing I noticed was I aimed for the crease (should have aimed a couple inches back = don't know why I did that) and as soon as I hit the release I noticed that her front leg was kicked back. I could tell I hit her. I wait half an hour and go to the spot. No blood, no arrow (I looked for the arrow for 30 minutes and knew exactly where I shot her due to a tree). Then I picked up a great bloodtrail about 5 yards away. I followed it easily for about 50 yards and they I noticed it thinning out a little bit. Remembering my rules, I backed out and left for 2 hours, and went pick up a veteran bowhunter who was hunting 350 yards from me. We tracked her for about 100 yards and then she got up about 20 yards in front of us and ran (not well) for about 75 yards and it looked like she bedded down. I could have finished her with a shotgun, but not a bow. We went back now with 3 people about 3 hours later - at this point about 5 hours from the shot. We tried to set an ambush, but no deer. We then tracked her about 100 more yards and the blood ran out. We did a grid search and did everything I could. Our woods is so thick and full of palmettos that you can't see a thing. After the trail went dry, we couldn't do any more. In addition to getting home really late and pissing off my wife I didn't sleep well last night.
I must have hit the shoulder blade and gotten a deflection into the guts (and got really unlucky) b/c I found some small bits of bone in the blood and then we found her chit with some very dark blood in it.
Guys, this bowhunting thing is damn tough. Right now it is kicking my arse. It is making me a much
better hunter - I'm getting deer close without them spotting or smelling me and I'm learning more
about their behaviors, but this is killing me.
Germ, even though I probably made a bad shot, I'm done with the Strikers.
If you got this far, thanks for reading.
On your doe, dang bud, dont beat yourself up to much. This type of thing happens. You did everything you could to find that deer. Your right though, the bowhunting thing is so much different than rifle hunting. A hit like that with a rifle would have pounded her in the ground. All I can say is keep your head up and like we all do when this type of thing goes wrong... learn from it...
Take care Will and get back after them. Get some sleep too!
Troy
10-22-2007 | 09:48 AM
#1205
Nontypical Buck
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,438
Likes: 0
From:
RE: 43- Official Team Chaos Thread
Troy,
Thanks. I'm probably putting too much pressure on myself. Even my wife is putting pressure on me
- "All that time and you still haven't killed nothing." [:@]
I'm pretty much automatic/competent with a rifle (10 of last 10 or so). Your right, that shot would
have dropped her in her tracks.
Bowhunting is so much more intense than rifle hunting - but easy it is not. I now have the utmost
respect for guys that consistently kill with the bow.
Thanks. I'm probably putting too much pressure on myself. Even my wife is putting pressure on me
- "All that time and you still haven't killed nothing." [:@]
I'm pretty much automatic/competent with a rifle (10 of last 10 or so). Your right, that shot would
have dropped her in her tracks.
Bowhunting is so much more intense than rifle hunting - but easy it is not. I now have the utmost
respect for guys that consistently kill with the bow.
10-22-2007 | 10:07 AM
#1206
Boone & Crockett
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 11,682
Likes: 0
From: Michigan/Ohio
RE: 43- Official Team Chaos Thread
LB
The striker does not hold up well on bone.
Always go with your first instinct, I can tell you I am 52 for 52 when i do so, and 0 for3 when I second guess myself.
Keep at it, and your chin up
The striker does not hold up well on bone.
Always go with your first instinct, I can tell you I am 52 for 52 when i do so, and 0 for3 when I second guess myself.
Keep at it, and your chin up
10-22-2007 | 10:57 AM
#1207
Fork Horn
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 411
Likes: 0
From: Owen County Kentucky
RE: 43- Official Team Chaos Thread
LBH..hope your dad is feeling better. Sounds like you did all you could searching.
My wife says about the same thing...."is the freezer full yet ?" This is my first time hunting anything so she's just messing with me. I think
It was a bit frustrating this weekend hearing all the muzzle loader shots in two days when I haven't taken one shot with my bow since Sept 1. But I'm loving the heck out of it and am learning a ton as I go.
My wife says about the same thing...."is the freezer full yet ?" This is my first time hunting anything so she's just messing with me. I think
It was a bit frustrating this weekend hearing all the muzzle loader shots in two days when I haven't taken one shot with my bow since Sept 1. But I'm loving the heck out of it and am learning a ton as I go.
10-22-2007 | 12:09 PM
#1208
Nontypical Buck
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,438
Likes: 0
From:
RE: 43- Official Team Chaos Thread
Thanks Rob,
GMMAT, Congrats, sorry didn't look back in thread to see your post on that buck kill (have been out of pocket).
Points is points and sounds like a humane mercy killing. Based on history, if everybody else got
about 70 points each, we would probably win. [8D]
GMMAT, Congrats, sorry didn't look back in thread to see your post on that buck kill (have been out of pocket).
Points is points and sounds like a humane mercy killing. Based on history, if everybody else got
about 70 points each, we would probably win. [8D]
10-22-2007 | 12:16 PM
#1209
Nontypical Buck
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 4,436
Likes: 0
From: Northern Idaho's Panhandle
RE: 43- Official Team Chaos Thread
ORIGINAL: LebeauHunter
Troy,
Thanks. I'm probably putting too much pressure on myself. Even my wife is putting pressure on me
- "All that time and you still haven't killed nothing." [:@]
I'm pretty much automatic/competent with a rifle (10 of last 10 or so). Your right, that shot would
have dropped her in her tracks.
Bowhunting is so much more intense than rifle hunting - but easy it is not. I now have the utmost
respect for guys that consistently kill with the bow.
Troy,
Thanks. I'm probably putting too much pressure on myself. Even my wife is putting pressure on me
- "All that time and you still haven't killed nothing." [:@]
I'm pretty much automatic/competent with a rifle (10 of last 10 or so). Your right, that shot would
have dropped her in her tracks.
Bowhunting is so much more intense than rifle hunting - but easy it is not. I now have the utmost
respect for guys that consistently kill with the bow.
10-22-2007 | 01:57 PM
#1210
Dominant Buck
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 21,043
Likes: 0
From:
RE: 43- Official Team Chaos Thread
My wife asks me Saturday......"Do you have a place for all this meat"?
Sorry....but she did say that.
Lebeau......I said on another thread....there are 3 types of hunters:
1 - Those that have injured or even lost a deer.
2 - Those who have injured or lost a deer but will not admit it.
&
3 - Those that haven't had enough opportunities for something bad to happen
You can do everything right.....and still something can go wrong. These animals are living, breathing targets. They rarely stand perfectly still and accentuate their 12 rings. I know how you feel. I hate it for you. I have yet to loose an arrow this year that I'm ashamed of. I couldn't say that, last year....and yet I have an unanswered question on a doe out there, this year. Keep your head up.
Good luck to you all. I'm beginning to settle down and get ready for the fun part of the season. I can't help our score, now.....but I can sure cheer you all on!
Sorry....but she did say that.
Lebeau......I said on another thread....there are 3 types of hunters:
1 - Those that have injured or even lost a deer.
2 - Those who have injured or lost a deer but will not admit it.
&
3 - Those that haven't had enough opportunities for something bad to happen
You can do everything right.....and still something can go wrong. These animals are living, breathing targets. They rarely stand perfectly still and accentuate their 12 rings. I know how you feel. I hate it for you. I have yet to loose an arrow this year that I'm ashamed of. I couldn't say that, last year....and yet I have an unanswered question on a doe out there, this year. Keep your head up.
Good luck to you all. I'm beginning to settle down and get ready for the fun part of the season. I can't help our score, now.....but I can sure cheer you all on!