[/align]It seems to be a "5-point" season for me so far...I really wanted to go hunting Saturday morning but Sweetie talked me into sleeping in since EG woke up at 5:30am crying. I think she has laryngitis and sounds so pitiful when she cries. We finally got her down about 6:40am and it was too late to get in the woods before dawn. It was a cool (the first frost of the year), calm morning perfect for deer movement...oh, well.Saturday afternoon Laura, Ella, and I went out to find a "pumpkin patch" to get some pictures of EG on a pumpkin and of course get a pumpkin to carve. Well, the only one close by was not what we were expecting so we got back home around 5:20pm.

I got geared up and was back in my "honey-hole" by 5:50pm. The wind was pretty gusty (15-20mph) and I really didn't expect to see any movement until right before dark when the wind would die down. I climbed up into my new lock-on (the first time I've sat there), fastened my safety harness, hadn't even pulled my bow up yet and caught some movement on a trail to my right about 35 yards out. I could make out a deer but couldn't tell what it was. I start trying to pull my bow up and, of course, it snags on a bush. I managed to free it and finally pull it up, all the time expecting the deer to spook off. I guess the wind hid my movement and sound though. Ok...I've got my bow but don't have my release on. I start fishing around with my left hand in my fanny pack (which is behind my back) and finally locate the release. By this time, the deer has eased off down the hill and into a cedar thicket. I'm thinking "man I really blew this one!" but go ahead and strap on the release and put my Scent-lok face mask on. I pulled out my Primos doe bleat and did 3 bleats not really expecting anything. Suddenly, I see movement on the trail. I see antlers and the buck is coming back up the hill out of the thicket. I pick an open lane and draw my bow for a 25 yard shot (guestimating since I hadn't got my rangefinder out yet).

As the buck enters the lane, I try to stop him with a mouth bleat but I guess, due to the wind, he doesn't hear me. He continues up the hill and is now at my 4 o'clock. I practically yell a bleat and he finally stops. I pick a hole (probably no more than 6 inches around) and release.The arrow flies in slow motion towards the vitals but just before reaching the deer, veers left into the paunch. To my horror, I hit a small twig several feet from the deer which caused the arrow to deflect. The deer takes several bounds and then hunches up and walks slow into another thicket and beds down not 25 yards from my stand. I go from the "top of the world" to "the bottom of the barrel" in a matter of seconds. I know a gut shot can be fatal but now I've just got to wait. I start thinking how I'm going to get out with out jumping him up since he is mere yards from my entrance trail. I know I need to give him at least 4 hours to expire so I settle in for a long sit (at least I have my cell phone to call Laura to tell her what's going on).

I start praying, "LORD, please let me be able to get a finishing shot on this deer so he won't suffer." A moment later, I hear movement in the leaves and to my amazement the deer shuffles forward and lies down quartering slightly towards me in a small opening. I range him at 22 yards and taking my time I draw back, say a quick prayer and release. The hit is perfect behind the shoulder and he quickly expires. A wash of bittersweet emotions come over me and I have to sit down. After making sure he is down, I climb down to retrieve my arrows. The first shot is a pass-through and the G5 Montec is buried in the dirt. A quick look and smell of the carbon shaft confirms what I already know...gut shot. I then walk towards the buck and retrieve my second arrow (also a pass-through). The arrow appears to have entered right behind the right shoulder and exited out through the liver on the offside. The buck is a 160 pound 5-point with a broken G-2 on his right side...pretty good with a bow!

Now the work starts! I call Laura and tell her the news and set to dragging the buck out. The 400 yard drag (almost all uphill) takes me almost 45 minutes and by the time I get to the woodline, I'm soaked in sweat and out of breath. Laura is kind enough to get a few pictures and then I begin the task of skinning. More meat for the Kannon family...thank you LORD!
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# posted by Will @ 4:32 AM3 comments [/align][/align]

[/align]My "honey-hole" buck
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# posted by Will @ 4:30 AM0 comments [/align][/align]

[/align]The Parker UL-35 strikes again!
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# posted by Will @ 4:29 AM0 comments [/align][/align]

[/align]Missing G-2 [/align]

Sounded like a great hunt with the exception to the gut shot but I'm glad it all worked out in the end.

The pics didn't work BTW.

great story and good buck glad everything worked out for you.