HuntingNet.com Forums - Another First Archery Deer

Got my first deer on Election Day! It’s a button buck (I thought it was a Doe at the time of the shot,) taken in the U.P. Michigan. I had just gotten comfortable in my stand, after barely being able to climb into it due to a disabilitating hang over. I hit the Doe Bleat call and he came jogging in. He was heading right to me at a decent pace; when his head was behind some cover I drew back. At about thirty yards he stopped broadside and I decided to take a shot because I was getting tired of holding the bow back. Right as I pulled the trigger he turned quartering toward me (If I had been patient I think he would have walked right under my stand.) I ended up hitting him between his shoulders and took out one lung and exited through the belly. After about an hour of beating myself up about taking the shot I climbed down to search for my arrow. I couldn't find anything, no arrow or blood. I then returned to camp to wait for the rest of the guys to come back so we could go back out and track my deer. I returned to my stand with seven guys armed with lanterns, and discovered no blood trail but did find my arrow covered with blood and stomach contents and some white hair. After a couple of hours we called it a night. We returned in the morning and fanned out across the woods and I ended up finding him about 150 yards straight back from the place I shot him; perseverance paid off.

It feels pretty good; having waited 5 years before I finally got one.