Sorry this is a long read, but I need somewhere to take out some frustration from another idotic performance by me. A few weeks ago I started this thread..
http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=2392711&mpage=1&key=&#239271 1 In it I describe an ongoing streak of bad luck or just chocking under pressure with big bucks around from one stand, or in a close vicinity to it. Whatever you want tosay about it,the bottom line is still thatthese deer survived to run another day. The stand was nicknamed my "Unlucky Stand".
Well yesterday I get home around 12:15 and hurry up in jump in the shower. By 12:50 I am slowly walking towards the same tree that the "Unlucky Stand" was in. I have since turned it into a ground blind out of pine limbs. I was excited since I had just got set up to try out these new Rage 2 blades, and the first time I would ever have an expandable on my arrow.
Anyways, I come over the top of a hill and hear the unmistakable sound of deer running. I nock an arrow and try to get in position for where I think they should run. I see a doe and shes running and panting. I hurry and try to get closer and see a really nice buck which I think is a 8 or 10. Another quick glance and I see that same damn 10 pointer from the past 3 yearsthat I talked about in the previous thread. I'm in a dead sprint now trying to get ahead of them and they have no idea I'm even there. They finally cross my path at 35 yards and I'm whistling and yelling and everything else trying to stop that monster. He is dead set on that doe though. I look around at where he was standing and he was no more that 15 yards from the ground blind I was going to be sitting in.
Another kick in stomach in this battle. Oh well its only 1:15 and its the rut. Hes going to follow that doe and maybe she will come out and feed in the food plot. I quickly put some estrous on the ground and set in for the evening hunt.
3 hours later a doe and fawn come feeding about 120 yards off. The fawn heads up the hill into some oak trees out of my sight, but the doe stays in the field. Finally at 5:30 she makes it withing 60 yards of me. I figured I will let a few grunts out and see what happens. A couple grunts from the Tru Talker and shes doing the bobble head but coming in on a bee line. Right as I began to draw and she ran, but she ran right at me and stopped. 30 yards and shes had, but just one more step.I never got that last step and she bounded away.
I figure great, the hunt may be over because this doe is just standing in the woods blowing like crazy. She finally quits and I settle back down. Around 5:45 I am messing with my rangefinder on the ground and look up. Here he comes. At first I think it's the big ten, but I quickly realized it was the smaller of the 2 bucks from before. I recognize that he is a nice deer and I draw. He's right at my 30 yard marker in the field, and he spots me. He only jumps a few feet and looks back. I split the difference between my 30 and 40 yard pins and let the arrow fly. The Rage SMACKS him and I hear it hit bone. I can see the blood coming out as hes running out and think I'm good. I could tell that I had not got very good penetration, but it looked like enough. I heard the buck thrash about in the thick stuff before all went silent.
Went and got my dad to help track and we instantly found blood. We got to where my arrow was and decieded to back out. He took some personal time off work today to go finish the blood trail but found more blood but no deer. I just got done searching after I got off work for over 4 hours and I found just 1 speck of blood.