Okay guys, sorry for the wait but i've finally got some time to write the story. Rewind to the evening of monday, october 12. As usual, I came home from school, grabbed my bow, and headed into the woods across from my home. I crept along the edge of the property, down over the hill and posted by my usual tree which overlooks a natural funnel between two fields. The evening started out as it had several times before- no deer. But then at 6:00, a doe and two fawns entered the cornfield. At 6:30, I looked to my right; a nice buck was heading my way. I drew my bow as he stepped through the fence, but he started trotting and I couldn't get a shot as he entered my first shooting lane. Fortunatly though, he stopped at ~ 23 yards quartering away in my second lane. I settled my pin, squeezed the release, and watched as the arrow zipped right past his left shoulder. The buck jumped and took a couple of bounds forward, but didn't seem to be too spooked. I'm not sure what happned with the shot. I may have flinched, or he possibly took a lucky step just before I released. Either way, I missed the deer.
But I knew that he probably had no clue what just happned, and I knew he didn't wind me, so I figured he would be back.
And boy was I right. The next morning I went back to the same tree. At 7:30 I heard a twig snap to my left. I looked over and saw the buck, 15 yards away, with only a small sapling between me and him. It didn't take long before he noticed something was wrong, and I didn't dare move a muscle. He turned and started heading down the hill away from me, entered the cornfield and entered the woods on the adjacent property.
I hunted the property wednesday evening and saw the buck I recently missed as well as another buck about the same size and a smaller 4 or 6 point chasing a doe. They were chasing that doe through the fields, into the woods, back into the fields, etc, etc, but somehow they managed to stay out of bow range (and I didn't have a grunt call
).
But I would finally get a second chance on Friday evening even with the drizzeling rain. In fact, it was almost an exact replay of what happned monday evening. I posted at the same tree at 4:30 and I didn't see any deer until 6:30. I looked to my right and saw that same buck comming in the same way through the funnel. Did you ever miss a deer and think "Man, if I could just press rewind and take that shot again, I wouldn't screw it up"? Thats pretty much what happned. He put his head down to crawl through the fence, and I drew my bow. He slowly walked down the short trail into my shooting lane; slow enough that I didn't even bother to try to stop him. I squeezed my release and thought my arrow hit him way back and above the spine. He jumped up and bounded off, but stopped 30 yards away. I couldn't see him clearly as he was standing in some thick brush. He stood there for a few seconds before trying to take a step forward. But his front legs gave out and he fell to the ground. Aside from a few last kicks, he remained still.
I couldn't believe what I had just seen. I thought for sure I had made a poor shot, and thought that I possibly hit the kidneys. I watched him lay motionless for a few minutes, then nocked another arrow and slowly headed in his direction.
It was a great feeling walking up on this buck after having such bad luck on this property the past couple of years. I was actually surprised to see that my arrow hit almost right where I was aiming. What had hit him high in the back was just some blood.
The arrow passed clean through him, taking out at least one lung and slicing through the liver (I actually have a picture of the liver with the slice where the broadhead went through).
The 2 1/2 hour drag over the hill back to the house was definitely worth it.
I've been out often since I shot the buck. I've been seeing a lot of bucks chasing does and even had another nice 8 point come under my stand a few nights ago. Turkey season just came in this past Saturday and I've been seeing a few flocks runnin around. I'll be trying to get one with a bow this year.
Also, congrats on the doe Bob!
