ButchA

VA Hunters:

Guys.... OMG, I almost scored!!!! I just got back from Cumberland SF (man, I am dying... holy sh** the heat - I had to bail out and leave. [:'(][&o] )

Anyway, you all know where I go... I mean, I have blabbed so much, you probably know the exact TREE that I use! You guessed it, I was in "my spot" early this AM watching the sunrise and all settled in. I heard rattling up over the adjacent side of the big field of thickets and whatnot. I checked with my binos and it was most likely another hunter with a muzzleloader. No biggie.... I have "The Can" and I let out doe bleat with it. Shortly after I heard a whistle (you know like calling your dog), so I immitated the same whistle. Therefore, we realized where each of us were and so on. He rattled and scraped and grunted, I used "The Can" and just let it go like that.

I heard smokepoles going off all morning long in Cumberland! So anyway it was about 10:00 and starting to really get warm, when I don't know.... something was telling me to get ready... Perhaps my "Cardeer necklace" was working or perhaps God himself was saying, "get your bow and get ready".... Me being a lefty, I had my PSE bow hanging up by my right shoulder. A quick bend of the elbow and a turn of the wrist, and I had my bow instantly in my hand.

So, I held my bow up and waited.... Something leaped across the trail directly behind me at Mach 4 and stopped. I caught the movement out the corner of my eye. At first I didn't know what it was, so I ever-so-cautiously-quietly got up and turned around.
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IT WAS THE BIGGEST 8 POINT BUCK I HAVE EVER SEEN!!! [8D]
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I absolutely died, I mean I flipped out, spazzed out, wigged out, and darn near crapped my pants!!! Everything just seemed to go by so fast.... I just remember seeing the size of the tines (4 on a side, straight up like a big pitchfork!) and starting to shake. I actually started saying a prayer too... I stayed still until I saw the deer take a quick sniff of the ground. I instantly drew back and forgot to make a "Baaaa" noise to stop him.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!! I had him dead set in my 20 yard pin!!!!!!!! [][&o] I jumped the gun too quickly and hit the release. He sensed something, and instantly crouched down like a cat (just at that exact moment I flung the arrow!), then he jumped 5-6-7 feet in the air and took off at Mach 4!!! I was trembling so bad I was afraid of falling out of my tree stand! I really really REALLY thought I nailed him! I mean, I had his chest (right behind the front leg) in my 20yard pin!

I missed!!!! I missed!!!! [][&:][:'(][&o] I sailed the arrow right up over his back!! I mean, I really thought I got him, because of the way he leaped and after crouching down, and then taking off at top speed. I waited about 10-15 minutes to calm myself down, then climbed down and found my arrow (THE *$&@&#$ ARROW WAS ONLY ABOUT 15 YARDS AWAY - NOT 20!!). There was no blood anywhere, and there nothing on the arrow either. Everything was totally clean, except for a dirt caked broadhead!

Man, I am going to see this deer in my dreams for a long time to come! He was all mine and I missed..... Aaaaaaaaaaaaagh!!

But then again, this is what it is all about. The adrenaline rush that I got (you can just sense it in this whole entire long-winded post) is like nothing that I have ever experienced before! Wow.... My first big buck experience!!! I had him dead to right and I missed.... It is stuff like this that keeps me pressing on and going out more and more and learning more and I go.

Butch A.

P.S. VA Hunters: I was so freaked out, I left my triple hanger and bow hook up in that sweetgum tree in Cumberland!!! Send me a PM if you want to use my area if I am not there. Free use of a bow hook and hanger....

Invented

Sorry to hear about your bad luck

I saw two of the biggest deer today while hunting (muzzleloader), one this morning, and one this evening, I'm waiting for a better shot on them, hopefully monday.

anyhow, how come you were using a bow and not a muzzleloader???

I saw a deer killed once who had a arrow stuck into his back, his skin had formed over it and I'm sure he had been living his life in pain. after that I knew I'd never pick up a bow because nothing should suffer like that ...

ButchA

Unfortunately, I don't own a muzzleloader (yet). [:-] So I just use my bow until general firearms season comes in.

Man, that is horrible. That was probably from a slob hunter with no concern in tracking and probably had a real lightweight longbow at 35# or something. My bow is 65# and hits like a Mack truck. If I hit the lungs with an arrow, the animal is going down, no questions...

Butch A.

Invented

so do you plan to go back out there after that buck again?

I wish this warm weather would go away!

vabownut

Cool story Butch hope ya et that critter before one of the smokepolers gets him . Pearl Jam that has to be one of the most ignorant comments Ive ever read . I take more deer with a bow in a season than some clubs do with guns in your area . I put down gun hunting 4 years ago . If you want to see the can full of buck shot I have in my garage from deer Ive killed with a bow that had them in them give me a buzz and being your in King William Im guessing you hunt with dogs and buckshot . Oh and most of the deer I take are in King William .

ButchA

DUH! j/k...
You and me both! If this heat wave keeps up, the deer will go nocturnal to stay cool.

Butch A.

Invented

vabownut -

actually I wasn't being ignorant, just saying there are a lot of people who bowhunt who shouldnt bowhunt, same with using shotguns or anything else

I DO NOT hunt with dogs. I hunt alone and enjoy it. I enjoy blackpowder season most of all and once the firearms season comes in I have usually already killed what I wanted and just go out there and sit for the enjoyment.

VaSavage270

Dam! Butch,

I told you about using Bow's during Smoke Pole Season, well you know what is needed now? Draw me the precise location of your area and I'll come in with the smoke pole..lol

Aught Six

Wow, what an encounter. To say you were pumped doesn't do it justice, based on the tone of your post.

Good luck catching up with that buck next time around. Sounds like one to come back to for sure.

ButchA

Thanks, 06.... [8D]

Yeah, if that is what they call "Buck Fever", then I had a massive case of it!

I came into work today and will do whatever I have to, to get a bunch of stuff done, then will take off and go back out there and find that 8 pointer! Thinking back, I guess my problem was that I saw the size of the tines, counted them, and freaked out....

I know a lot of people don't always agree with Ted Nugent, but, I remember him saying something along the lines of "the excitement and rush you get from having an animal in the crosshairs, is better than any drug in the world".

Butch A.