My First AR Buck and 1st Bowkill!!
 

Well, this past friday, I got to my stand at 6:50 am and put up my strap on steps. When i got back down to the base of my tree to hook up my bow, muzzleloader, and pack, I heard a deer snorting at me about 90 yds away or so. I went ahead and climbed up and got situated. As soon as daylight broke, I had 4 deer heading my way, 3 does, and a Buck. However, I didn't have enough time to tell what the buck was, before he disappeard into a cedar thicket. I took out my can, and gave 3 estrous bleats. About 10 minutes later, this buck came right back on a string! I don't know if he was just checking out his turf, or looking for a hot doe, but he came right to me. I picked up my bow, and shot him pretty far back, as he walked under my stand, and wasn't presenting the best angle. I got his spine, liver, and the back of his lungs with my arrow, and he only went about 20 yards before he crased. I think i also got his femoral artery, based on the amount of brigth red blood that followed the hit. Anyways, after watching him for 10 minutes, he still wasn't dead, and If i would have been a little more patient, i am pretty sure he would have bled out looking at the wound, but this was my first arkansas buck, and my first bowkill at that! So i got my muzzleloader and finished him off (hit him high in the shoulder, and it went down into vitals). Again, I know i got too excited and SHOULD have waited for a better shot presentation, but i just wasn't thinking right i guess [:o]. But i didn't have to track him :). A local warden told me to check it as an archery kill, because upon inspection of where the arrow hit, he said it was a fatal shot, and no different than walking up to him and slitting his throat.

He dressed at 115 lbs, so we estimated about 150 lbs. live weight. He is a mainframe 8 pt, but has 10 legal points with three kickers on his left side, one 1.25", one 1.5", and the other is only .8", so only 10 true points. He had an inside spread of 15".

RE: My First AR Buck and 1st Bowkill!!
 

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RE: My First AR Buck and 1st Bowkill!!
 

Nice buck my man. Yea you hit a little far back but you got your deer. Good job. Just try and calm yourself down alittle and squeeze that release. Enjoy them back straps.

RE: My First AR Buck and 1st Bowkill!!
 

Great buck! Congrats!

RE: My First AR Buck and 1st Bowkill!!
 

Hey that 2nd pic looks like the front yard of my house. Oh heck! It is at my house!

Good deer. Be sure and leave one for me now.

RE: My First AR Buck and 1st Bowkill!!
 

Nice Buck, Congrats

RE: My First AR Buck and 1st Bowkill!!
 

Congrats!!! Thats a nice looking buck!

RE: My First AR Buck and 1st Bowkill!!
 

Great job, and real cool looking rack. Why didn't you finish him off with another arrow though?

In any case I guess he will look good on the wall.

RE: My First AR Buck and 1st Bowkill!!
 

awesome.... nice

RE: My First AR Buck and 1st Bowkill!!
 

whats with that shot???

RE: My First AR Buck and 1st Bowkill!!
 

That first pic look's like a photo shop job.

RE: My First AR Buck and 1st Bowkill!!
 

nice deer

RE: My First AR Buck and 1st Bowkill!!
 

Nope, not aPhotoshop job.And it wasn't a great shot. He said he got liver the back of one lung and an artery...probably woulda passed on anyways, though I'm sure it would've taken awhile to expire.

RE: My First AR Buck and 1st Bowkill!!
 

Way to go G-Dawg!!

RE: My First AR Buck and 1st Bowkill!!
 

nice deer man congrats on your first bowkill / muzzaloader lol

RE: My First AR Buck and 1st Bowkill!!
 

Awesome-looking deer! And what a proud smile!!! :D

Just curious... not trying to start anything at all... but most places around here you aren't allowed to take a firearm out into the woods with you. Obviously, you were legal if the game warden knew all about it, but just never heard of that before. And I guess I'd have the same question: Why not nock another arrow and keep it a pure archery kill?

Again, though -- congratulations! He's a nice-looking buck!

RE: My First AR Buck and 1st Bowkill!!
 

Hey guys,

The reason for the muzzleloader shot: The spot where the buck crashed didn't offer a good shot with a bow, as there were too many limbs and branches in the way to shoot through. I was also scared that if I got down out of my stand and tried to get over to him, that he would find the strength to get up and try to run, I have had a buck do this before and he ended up getting shot by another hunter!! So I learned from that mistake, and wanted to go ahead and finish him.

And yes, during a muzzleloader season in AR, you can hunt with archery equipment, as long as you follow the other harvest restrictions that go along with the muzzleloader season.

RE: My First AR Buck and 1st Bowkill!!
 

It's legal to hunt with a muzzleloader during the season. It's also legal to bowhunt during the muzzleloading season. Black powder season was in, so he was perfectly legal. Good question though.

He went took his bow because does in our state are bow only, and if a buck was in close enough he could get a bowkill. Had a buck been out of bow-range, he could grab the smokepole and lay it low with the muzzleloader.

RE: My First AR Buck and 1st Bowkill!!
 

Did I post that or you froman? Need to quit thinking like me!:D

RE: My First AR Buck and 1st Bowkill!!
 

Congrates

RE: My First AR Buck and 1st Bowkill!!
 

congrats

RE: My First AR Buck and 1st Bowkill!!
 

Congrats on your buck...wut do u guys think this bucks would score? my buddy shot one about like that so im just curious

RE: My First AR Buck and 1st Bowkill!!
 

100"-115", he is missing one G-3 and the knot of points on the front will offer some deductions. Mass is not too much, but he has pretty good tine length. I would say he was about 2 1/2 yrs old or so.

RE: My First AR Buck and 1st Bowkill!!
 

nice deer congrats.

RE: My First AR Buck and 1st Bowkill!!
 

Hey man congrats. Nice job albeit a little choppy. You were fortunate with that shot placement, but you got the job done, followed up and took home your prize. You will be more patient next time and make a better hit. Time brings experience. That first hit would have probably done the job if allowed some time. A guy does the best he can in the heat of the moment. You took no chances and should be commended for it.

RE: My First AR Buck and 1st Bowkill!!
 

HOLY HECK!! Did that deer sit in a can of red paint! [8D] Seriously though, nice deer, someday I will shoot one that looks like that! I shot mine in the femoral artery this year, but there wasn't that much blood... weird.

Congrats anyway! Beautiful deer.