Well another week in the books. Last week my golden, Dutch went absolutely nuts and when I let him out went streaking for the pond. I went up to see what he was after. In the pond, I found two dead bucks, with their horns locked together. I got tags from the game warden and have taken possession of both racks. Both the deer were 4.5 years old, and both were 8pts each. I have not scored them yet, as they had been dead obviously for nearly a week in the water and stink to high heaven. I am willing to bet the farm that both deer will easily clear 130. While its kind of neat to find such a thing, when you are hunting a block that is only 220 acres in size... thats a fair proportion of you top bucks lying dead in a watery grave.

That evening, I took a young doe, missed a bobcat and killed a bobcat (there were three in a 20 minute period.. pretty neat... gotta save the quail you know). I shot the doe what I considered perfect on a chip shot broadside at 17 yards. When I got to the arrow, it was covered in nothing but gut and acorn mash. Super... blood trail was spotty, lots of muscle blood and stomach contents. Off to Dairy Queen I went... Four hours later I came back. Found her piled up, went about 80 yards. Arrow went in mid way up the body in the smack middle of the rib cage and came out exactly in the armpit of the deer. I got a piece of the liver, most of the upper stomach, and never touched the lungs or heart. How in the heck the arrow didn't take at least one lung... who knows. Patience and backing out pays off. It was one of the most difficult blood trails I have ever followed. Raining, and with very little muscle blood. Often going on little more than intution and scuffled leaves. Got lucky I suppose.

On the way out from shooting that doe (I stuck her at 5pm), I noticed a deer lift its head about 80 yards out in the bean field. I was whisltling, litterally, as I walked to my truck, not paying any attention. The deer appeared to be bedded out in the field. I hit a knee and broke out the binos. It was a good 9pt deer I have on my trail cam. Definately a booker for P&Y. At 80 yards, with the wind crossing right to left, I broke out my Primos Long can. I dumped it over twice, and in five minutes or so, here came the 9pt with another familiar 7 pt in tow. I would have taken either, but was of course hoping the 9 would come in for a shot. They made it to 45 yards, which is my bubble for distance, but both were facing me. The larger buck couldn't make me out, but could see my darker figure behind the beans, crouching low. He went to my left, moving downwind of me. He stopped at the edge of the woods, ScentLok kept him from winding me (the first time I have ever used it... but I am now a believer). The deer stood broadside looking back at the other buck, who was feeding... this was my chance. I drew my bow and figured the deer for around 43 yards. I made a perfect shot for 43 yards too. And if the deer was really that far off, I would have smoked him. I paced it off, and with my pace count I learned that buck stood at about 32 yards. It was about 645, nearly dark and kneeling between rows of soybeans makes it tough to reckon range. I heard my arrow skipping through the trees, and the deer ducked slightly as the arrow, no doubt flew over his back. No hair, no blood, just a scared deer and a semi-bummed bow hunter. If you bow hunt long enough, you are going to miss. C'est la vie. I'm off again after him tomorrow, and with some meat in the locker I can focus my efforts on a decent deer on the southernmost tract we hunt where I missed that deer. There are at least two other deer larger than the one I missed that I know of there as well. Muzzleloading season opens on Saturday, so this is more or less do or die, as we will have tresspassers and other legit club members hunting that field heavily for the next two months after this week.