Novice and Experienced Bow Hunters Alike!

Well it was the 3rd evening of the Oklahoma bow season that I found myself in one of favorite EARLY season bow stands. This stand is located approximately 50 yards off a primary food plot, leading into a river bottom (a real hot spot for Buck or Doe in the early season). In this transition area, lies another SMALL food plot (clover, buck forage oats and brassica). Not a bad bow hunting spot on my modest, eighty acres!

My wife, brother-in-law, myself and occationally, a close friend bow hunts this property. In my attempt to attract, hold and manage this deer herd the best I can (most of my neighbors whack anything they SEE) I have put a couple RESTRICTIONS on all Hunting! First and foremost, everyone must harvest a mature doe! Second, no one can shoot a buck that is less than eight points. There are a few others but we won' t get into that right now!

Back to my evening in the stand. At approximately 6:20 pm I spotted a mature doe and a yearling doe approaching from the west. This was perfect as I had a good southwest wind! I filmed both does during their approach and prepared myself for a GUARANTEED shot!!! Just as planned, both does followed a creek trail and came directly to this transition area. Both does were relaxed and eating away when OUT of nowhere two more 1-1/2 old does approached. Now I knew I was in trouble! My TARGET, the mature doe, never gave me a broadside shot, so I waited patiently. Once ALL four does made it into my food plot, I knew that I was going to have a tough time getting the string back on her with 4 pairs of eyes. I waited patiently as the deer fed back and forth thru this food plot. Each time that the mature doe would move broadside, one or two of the other does was facing in my direction. Finally, the mature doe decided that it was time to move on. She walked behind a tree and the other does were all looking in the other direction so I slowly raised my bow and was in the middle of my draw cycle when she LOOKED up! OH NO is obviously what I thought. She stopped suddenly (vitals still behind the tree) and stomped her feet bringing all of the does to attention. She slowed took a few steps backwards and then jumped approximately 10 yards of so. I knew she was on her way OUT, but she stopped at 21 yards. I had my bow at full draw and pin solidly on the spot! She was at a pretty steep QUARTERING AWAY position. This is where the story lies......I DIDN" T FOLLOW MY HEART!

I knew that I was taking a risk, but my mind took over and I took the shot! My heart was telling me to stop and mind was telling me go. My mind won and I let the arrow fly! The split second I shot, she bolted and I hit her right behind the left shoulder. I could see the arrow sticking out the front of her chest as she ran off and my HEART sank! I knew I didn' t put a GOOD shot on this deer. Let' s talk about the MIND! My mind said: " take this shot and get rid of this doe, because if you don' t, she will haunt you and this stand for the rest of the season" . I should have listened to my HEART!!!!!

I went back to the house, changed and got the wife and daughter and off we went to examine the scene. I followed a very dismal blood trail to say the least for approximately 30 yards or so, found part of my arrow and decided to let her bed down for the night.

This morning I went out and picked up the trail again (approximately 9:00 am). I followed her blood trail thru the creek bottom and to the edge of a field, which is where the tracking became difficult to say the least! After 2-3 hours my wife (first year bowhunter but blood tracker extraordinaire) found the blood trail on the opposite edge of the field. I followed the blood trail, if you want to call it that, for another 200 yards. Just as I was about to give up (which is something that definitely doesn' t come naturally to me), I jumped her up and she was moving along pretty good! I could see where the arrow had gone in and she had a slight limp, but I think she will be fine or at least she made for 16 hours.

We should always follow our hearts when bowhunting because GENERALLY it will not lie to you or lead you astray!!! You can bet that it will not happen again with me!!!!! You can bet that I will be posting pictures of my MATURE DOE HARVEST soon!