MATHEWS PA BOWHUNTER

HUCK, GREAT PHOTOS AND GREAT EXPERENICE WITH CAVAN. I WISH I COULD BE THERE CHASING ELK RIGHT NOW, HOWEVER I'LL HAVE TO WAIT A FEW YEARS BEFORE I CAN DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!

SORRY I HAVEN'T BEEN ON IN AWHILE, WELL I HAD A ACL REPLACED IN MY RIGHT KNEE. THE SURGERY WASBACK IN MARCH OF 07 AND IHAVE BEENON LIGHT DUTY SINCE DECEMBER OF 06. AS OF SEPT 01/07 I'M BACK TO FULL DUTY. I WAS WORKING MIDNIGHT DESK FOR MY LIGHT DUTY. WELL NOW I'M BACK ON THE ROAD AND I DO NOT GET TOPLAY ON THE COMPUTER ALL THAT OFTEN KNOW. NOW MY SHIFTS VERY FROM DAY TODAY. I'VE BEEN OUT TO THE PROPERTY I HAVE TO HUNT AND IT LOOKS PROMISING, SAWTHE FIRSTRUB OF SESAONTHE OTHER DAY.

DOCTOR GAVE ME A CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH FOR MY KNEE, NOW IF I COULD KNOCK OFF THE EXTRA WEIGHT I PUT ON, WHILE I WAS OFF. WELL 12 MORE DAYS, CAN'T WAIT..........BROADHEADS ARE FLYING JUST LIKE MY FIELD POINTS.

tschaef

Morning guys, I am pumped...
I'm going to see Black Sabbath tonight (original lineup w/Dio), followed by our waterfowl opener - I finally get to hunt something!
I have to work next week, but that will be followed by a weekend of world class fishing in Algonquin park, after which I start a week of vacation with my bow representing team Timber Rattlers!
I'll check in on monday and let y'all know how the weekend went as far as ducks and geese, I already know the concert will be amazing; I saw them in the spring and they rocked the house.

goherd1111

Hey Trevor, have fun at the concert and good luck with the birds this weekend. Only 10 more days and I will be 20' up a tree.

iamyourhuckleberry

Argh!!!!!!!!!

I had a sleepless night and a night of second guessing....

Yesterday, I arrowed a monster mulie buck. I ranged him at forty five yards (well within my effective range). He was perfectly broadside and feeding with his head down. I had about 20 minutes of legal shooting light left. I calmed my nerves, took careful aim, and hit the trigger on my release. To this very moment I can see the arrow tracking through the sky towards his vitals. I heard a "twack", and then, the buck did the ol "leap kick". He darted off with a smaller buck chasing him.

I watched the clock for thirty minutes and began the hunt for "my" deer. I was confident he was just around the bend-dead as a door nail! It was not to be! I found good blood sign. At one point I found blood on both sides of a trail (I was thinking "good pass thru"). The blood was bright red and foamy. I thought for sure I had hit him in the lungs (and still believe that). I tracked and tracked. The blood trail became smaller and smaller. I was in the woods until 12:30 amsearching. This morning I had a friend doing much of the same (he didn't find anything). I'm heading back out tonight to continue the search (I could not miss work today or would have). I hate it when they don't die the way they're supposed to. Ithink he's dead...I just want to find him! Heis a TOAD!

To be continued........

p.s. Cavan shot a 6x6 bull elk from eleven feet away! I'll see him tomorrow night, and I'll post the whole story....

goherd1111

Wow Will, Been there done that, it sucks for sure!!!! However, I have the upmost faith and confidence in you. From what I have seen so far, you are one heck of a hunter/outdoorsman. So I am sure you tracking abilities are far beyond most of us. Get out there and keep looking!!! If it was a fatal shot I am sure you will find him. Good luck brother and keep your head held high. If it's meant to be, you will find him. If not put it behind you ( as hard as it is) and get back out there after them. I will send a short prayer for you to recover your trophy. Keep us updated... I will be checking for your update late into the night. Best of luck my friend. I have faith in you.

iamyourhuckleberry

Thank you Chris for all the support.

I was able to advance the blood trail another 30 yards or so, but I did not find the deer.The trailsimply petered out. I trampled around doing circles down gradient from the last drop of blood...nothing. I finally returned to the point of origin. I figured if I could recover my arrow, I would have more to work with. I looked and looked. I finally locatedthe arrowsome thirty yards downrange from where the deer had been standing. It was stuck in a tree about 16 inches off the ground. All three blades (I shoot mechanicals) were deployed and each had bits and pieces of blood and meat attached. My arrow shaft was only three quarters blood soaked. The cock feather andone off featherwere saturated withblood. The puzzle was slowly being pieced together...

The only way my arrow could have gone that far down range...it must have been a glancing blow off the top of the deer-period.A low shot would have sent the arrow down and a solid pass through would have given me more blood on the arrow (and I do not believe it would have traveled the extra 30 yards). Two things have me confused though: 1) I saw blood on both sides of a trail and the blood looked as though it had been "pumped" out. 2) The blood on the left side of the trail was bright oxygenated lung blood. The reason I'm confused is simple. If I had hit under the spine, I'd have more blood on my arrow. If I had hit the top of the deer's back, then why the bright red lung blood? Boy, I would sure like to see this deer again. Only then will I have the answer...

I'm pretty sure this deer will survive. They're tough! You can bet I'll be watching for him-he's a dandy!

I passed on a small spike on my way back to the truck (still have three days left).

Chris (and everyone else for that matter), best of luck. I know your season opener is just around the corner. Score and score big will you!

Thanks again for your faith in me!

goherd1111

Man I feel for you Huck. I am sorry about the outcome. Like I mentioned earlier,put it behind you and get back after 'em. You still have 3 days left. Good luck partner.

iamyourhuckleberry

I have just one morning's hunt left in my Colorado Archery season-it all ends tomorrow. I've spent the last couple of evenings in the area where I arrowed the buck. I have not seen him again. I did see the little spike though. I cannot bring myself to giving him the shaft.

No scavenger birds are about. I believe the deer made it...

After tomorrow's hunt, I will concentrate on deer in Nebraska, Illinios, and Texas. I will keep everyone posted.

Best of luck to everyone! I know many of you are eager to "get out there". Be safe and hunt hard!

tschaef

Hey boys, I'm back...
not much meat to show for a box of shells, but had a blast with a great group of guys and dogs.
The concert (Alice Cooper opening for Black Sabbath) was amazing as expected, I'm still a little foggy headed (probably why I missed so many ducks). Anyhow, the serious hunting is still to come, the camp I visited this weekend is more about the friends and companionship than the hunt (I'd be ashamed to tell y'all how many beers got drank saturday).
There's a Canada goose in my freezer, and a beautiful woody in perfect condition is going to an amatuer taxi friend of ours for mounting so it wasn't a total waste of gas.
Heres a pic of my blind and the newest member of the camp, Bennet is 1 1/2 y/o and made a couple of fantastic retrieves with no training at all, just good lab genes. Good Boy!!!

iamyourhuckleberry

Trevor, that picture brings back some incredible memories! It sounds like you had a great time. And that is what its all about-good on you!

I have some good news boyz. I shot an eleventh hour buck this morning. He's not the biggest nor is he the smallest. I found him tending three does. One ofthe doesmust have been hot. She would move and he would move with her. The two danced for about five minutes in front of me. I decided to cull this buck. Genetically, for a 3 1/2 year old he should have had a better rack. I thought it would be a good idea to get him out of the gene pool.

He gave me a slight "quartering to" shot-it was almost broadside. From 30 yard away, my PSE made a perfect strike. The buck ran 40 yards and collapsed like a ton of bricks. The shot was a complete pass through.

I have the deer hanging at a friend's house for the evening. The butchering process will start tomorrow night. I will officially throw a tape on him tomorrow for a score.

And to thinkI almost didn't go out today! Thanks Chris for the little extra push!

And so ends my Colorado hunting...

Let's keep pushing!