HuntingNet.com Forums - 10 pointer down in mAine edited with story

dresses out at 155 lbs, small byMaine standards but this is my first ever deer and with a bow to boot makes me extremely proud and happy

the story
I set up a new stand yesterday morning, it has been a long year so far, about 18 sits and only spotted 1 deer , a doe and I choked the shot. I get to my stand about 330, and as usual I see nothing for the first few hours. At about 6 pm, I spot movement in front of me. I look and I can see antlers, I start getting anxious. I stood up and ranged him at 85 yards. I am hoping he will work his way to me. He is sniffing but I am down wind so I am confident he won't smell me. I am wearing my ultimate camo (plug)so i know he won't see me. He is browsing along parallel to me and slowly making progress getting closer to me. He gets a little over 40 yards and he is going to disappear in the thick brush and I am going to lose any chance of a shot. he is standingperfectly broadside soI say to myself it is now or never so i put my 40 yard pin high on him and release. he bolts, I felt the shot was good but i am pessimistic because I never score. He stopped running about 30 yards after he began running and stopped. he just stood their for a while, and then he was slowly walking around, I was unsure now if I hit him, but he kept licking his side so i felt that was a good sign. I waited until dark and went and looked for my arrow, trhen i decided to play it safe andcome back in the morning. This morning I walked by where i had last seen him on my way to find my arrow. I found my arrow right away sticking out of the ground. Their is hair and blood on it, I get a little excited and nervous. I started walking back to the last place I saw him and then just started doing circles and I saw him almost immediately.I haven't been that excited in a long time, since the birth of my children. I know the ethics police are going to hide me for taking such a long shot, and in hindsight part of me knows it wasn't a high percentage shot, but I drilled him right thru the front shoulder and the muzzy blew right thru him.