I got my first deer at 44! (long winded)
11-03-2008, 11:36 PM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Middelway, WV
Posts: 435
I got my first deer at 44! (long winded)
I owe you all pictures, and they will be up in 24 hours. He is not much to look at but he is my first:-) (still need to wash the blood off my hands as I type this)
The story. I bought 6 acres to go with the 3 acre lot my house sits on. 3 acres of that land is going to be a horse pasture next spring, but 3 acres remains wooded and sits between a soy bean field and corn field with a few nice trees for a tree stand. The soy bean field was harvested this past weekend, and they started harvesting the corn field today. I was working at home, and when I heard the combine, I knew I need to be in a tree before sunset.
I got into the tree by about 3:30, and watched the combine make 1 pass and then 2. At about 4:50, with the combine at the far end of the field, I started hearing noises in the woods coming my direction. After about 5 minutes a 1 1/2 year buck emerged, 2 points on one side and a really weird drop tine on the other. He was a good 30 yards from me, so I just enjoyed watching him graze by and venture out into the partially cut corn field.A doe emerged after him andmade her way into the field. They were the first deer I had seen from my climbingstand, and I was good with just that.
About 5:15, the combine came by for another pass, and the 2 deer popped back out of the corn and headed back towardmy stand. The doe ran right under me, but never stopped for a shot. The funny looking buck, however, ran into the woodline and then proceeded to walk directly under my stand (17 feet up). I had the bow at full draw and followed it as it passed directly under me. He paused at approx. 10 yards and presented me a quartering away shot, and almost without realizing itI touched the trigger and the arrow tore towards the buck. I saw the buck jump, and then walk into the woods, and then for 2 or 3 minuted the doe and buck circled each other just in sight before vanishing. I really had no idea if I hit him, and if so where I hit him.
I got down from the stand and summoned my hunting neighbor and his son. I had not even looked for a blood trail, but I did find my arrow and it had blood the full length.
Well, It was now almost dark but we found a real good blood trail and followed it, and followed it, and followed it. The deer back tracked once, and after 45 minutes of following we foundthat we had gotten turned around and were back at the stand. So we headed out again, this time scuffing up the ground so we knew where we had been.
We followed the trail for maybe 150 yards and then it seemed to dead end at a dry creek bed. Withmy nieghbor standing at the last spot,we circled and the luckily found the blood trail a good 35 feet from the last spot.
We followed this trail, and came cross some large clots andknew we were close. Maybe 100 yards from the dry creekbed we spotted him, laying down, in shock. I ran home, got my .22 pistol (bow was 250 yards through brush), and finished him.
250 yards and 90 minutesthrough thick bush in the dark...it was epic.He dropped a good blood trail most of the way, and I wanted to knowwhere I hit him and how he went so far.
Turns out I hit him perfectly just behind his right front leg....if I was in a ground blind which I was not.My arrow ( rage 3blade)entered just behind and below hisfrontshoulder, nicking his front leg and traveled along the outside of rib cage, exiting almost dead center from the base of his neck. The blade did cut slightly into the chest cavity, and may have nicked the edge of 1 lung. Most of the damage was done as a result of severingall the veins and arteries that run along the rib cage from the shoulderto the center of the neck, and tracking was possible because the exit hole dropped blood directly below the animal. I was very lucky.
The rage 3 blade cut a mighty swath, and without it I doubt the story would have ended happily (for me). The flesh under his arm was in tatters.
I aimed just like I did at the ground target, which was my mistake. With the angle I needed to aim higher and farther back.
The deer presently hangs form the forks on my Kubota B7800, and tommorrow I will get a cooler, quarter it, and hope my nieghbors wife lets him show me how to butcher it.
Quite the adventure.
The story. I bought 6 acres to go with the 3 acre lot my house sits on. 3 acres of that land is going to be a horse pasture next spring, but 3 acres remains wooded and sits between a soy bean field and corn field with a few nice trees for a tree stand. The soy bean field was harvested this past weekend, and they started harvesting the corn field today. I was working at home, and when I heard the combine, I knew I need to be in a tree before sunset.
I got into the tree by about 3:30, and watched the combine make 1 pass and then 2. At about 4:50, with the combine at the far end of the field, I started hearing noises in the woods coming my direction. After about 5 minutes a 1 1/2 year buck emerged, 2 points on one side and a really weird drop tine on the other. He was a good 30 yards from me, so I just enjoyed watching him graze by and venture out into the partially cut corn field.A doe emerged after him andmade her way into the field. They were the first deer I had seen from my climbingstand, and I was good with just that.
About 5:15, the combine came by for another pass, and the 2 deer popped back out of the corn and headed back towardmy stand. The doe ran right under me, but never stopped for a shot. The funny looking buck, however, ran into the woodline and then proceeded to walk directly under my stand (17 feet up). I had the bow at full draw and followed it as it passed directly under me. He paused at approx. 10 yards and presented me a quartering away shot, and almost without realizing itI touched the trigger and the arrow tore towards the buck. I saw the buck jump, and then walk into the woods, and then for 2 or 3 minuted the doe and buck circled each other just in sight before vanishing. I really had no idea if I hit him, and if so where I hit him.
I got down from the stand and summoned my hunting neighbor and his son. I had not even looked for a blood trail, but I did find my arrow and it had blood the full length.
Well, It was now almost dark but we found a real good blood trail and followed it, and followed it, and followed it. The deer back tracked once, and after 45 minutes of following we foundthat we had gotten turned around and were back at the stand. So we headed out again, this time scuffing up the ground so we knew where we had been.
We followed the trail for maybe 150 yards and then it seemed to dead end at a dry creek bed. Withmy nieghbor standing at the last spot,we circled and the luckily found the blood trail a good 35 feet from the last spot.
We followed this trail, and came cross some large clots andknew we were close. Maybe 100 yards from the dry creekbed we spotted him, laying down, in shock. I ran home, got my .22 pistol (bow was 250 yards through brush), and finished him.
250 yards and 90 minutesthrough thick bush in the dark...it was epic.He dropped a good blood trail most of the way, and I wanted to knowwhere I hit him and how he went so far.
Turns out I hit him perfectly just behind his right front leg....if I was in a ground blind which I was not.My arrow ( rage 3blade)entered just behind and below hisfrontshoulder, nicking his front leg and traveled along the outside of rib cage, exiting almost dead center from the base of his neck. The blade did cut slightly into the chest cavity, and may have nicked the edge of 1 lung. Most of the damage was done as a result of severingall the veins and arteries that run along the rib cage from the shoulderto the center of the neck, and tracking was possible because the exit hole dropped blood directly below the animal. I was very lucky.
The rage 3 blade cut a mighty swath, and without it I doubt the story would have ended happily (for me). The flesh under his arm was in tatters.
I aimed just like I did at the ground target, which was my mistake. With the angle I needed to aim higher and farther back.
The deer presently hangs form the forks on my Kubota B7800, and tommorrow I will get a cooler, quarter it, and hope my nieghbors wife lets him show me how to butcher it.
Quite the adventure.
or your going to be sore.
