The WV 10 Pt Buck That Lived to Walk Another Day
 

I was hunting Thursday morning in the beautful mountains of WV in Randolph County. It was a coll 38 deg morning. I was sitting up near the top of a ridge. I had a logging road behind we that turned a sharp left and dropped downhill to my right.

About 50 yards down the hill after the left turn a heavy trail crossed the logging road and went in front of me about 15 yards below me. It went for about 25 yards then angled about 45 deg back up the hill to the logging road again.

At about 9:20 I was sitting on my stool in the middle of a deadfall waiting for something to come slipping through the woods. The wind was hitting me in the back of the head, so I was expecting the deer to be travelling left/right or right left, or up the hill.

I had my bow hanging on a screw-in tree hanger just to my left with a Magnus Stinger 125 gr BH on a 29" BOP Carbonwood V-Maxx 3000 arrow nocked onto my Bill Stewart Multicam T/D Recurve.

I looked to my right and up hill slightly and detected some motion. I reached over and took the bow off of the hanger and then tried moving slowly to the right to get into position for the shot. At that time the deer lifted its head and looked straight at me. I saw nothing but horns.

I stared down at the ground and refused to make eye contact with it, although I did look at it out of the corner of my eye to see if it was going to move. It started moving downhill again and when its head went behind a large oak tree about 5 yards to my right that was wider than me, I stood up.

The buck must have heard me because it stopped again. It stood there for the longest time and I expected it to turn and walk into the woods straight away from me. But, it soon started meandering down the logging road again and I waited for it to get into a shooting lane.

When it got to one, it stopped with its vitals exposed broadside and maybe a bit quartering away. The deer was so big, around 225#, that I misestimated the yardage to it as 25 yards. I came to fulldraw and focused on the point I knew I needed to aim at for a good killzone hit at that distance.

The arrow went just under his chest and directly under the point I was aiming at for a double lung shot. This time he did run up into the woods across from the logging road. Stood up there for awhile, and then ran down to the logging road where it turned to the right and just above a ravine. The deer stopped in logging road and looked back my direction.

My son was in a treestand about 50 yards or so from where the deer was standing. He was able to see the big swayed back, large belly, 10 typical points and a few extra sticer points through his binoculars. But it was too far away for him to shoot.

It is the largest deer I have ever taken a shot at. When I went to retrieve my arrow, I paced it off as 32 yards to where the deer had been standing. My heart is still beating as I sit here Saturday evening typing about the opportunity I had. What a hunt! No deer harvested, but what a hunt!!

Bill

RE: The WV 10 Pt Buck That Lived to Walk Another Day
 

Man Bill, thats a bummer. Hopefully you get another chance at him. Aint bowhunting great? ;)

RE: The WV 10 Pt Buck That Lived to Walk Another Day
 

Kip,

I LOVE it! With a rifle he would have dropped on the spot and we would have gutted him out and dragged him out to the truck. But it just wouldn' t be the same.

That big fella was within 18 yards of me at one point with my bow in my hands and the arrow nocked. Unfortunately, I was seated on my stool, he was to the right and a bit uphill from me and I am right handed. So, at that point there was no shot opportunity.

But you want to talk about the opportunity to see a big, beautiful buck and have your heart pounding and the adrenalin flowing, wheweee, that is why I bowhunt, and why my bow of choice is a recurve/stickbow!!! With my compound and sight that I was using 4 or 5 years ago, I would have killed him. But there is much more to it than merely killing deer.

When it gets to that point, I' ll hang' em up and sit on the porch in a rocking chair waiting for the young fellas to return from the hunt!! But I' m not ready for that yet, and don' t anticipate being ready for some time!!

Bill

RE: The WV 10 Pt Buck That Lived to Walk Another Day
 

I hear ya Bill. Im a " newbie" to this trad gear business, and I have had more fun this year, than I' ve had in the last several years. I have had my ticker going full blast on yearling does. A whole new level of excitement has found my hunting. My wife just doesnt understand how I can miss, or not draw, and still be excited. Ya gotta love it.

RE: The WV 10 Pt Buck That Lived to Walk Another Day
 

Great story Bill, thanks for sharing. Too bad you didn' t get the deer, but I' ll agree that just getting a shot at a hoss like that is a heck of an experience. If I were you I' d shoot the 1st legal deer that presents a good shot. Not only will you undoubtedly enjoy the fresh venison, but every bowkill will add to your experience base & greatly boost confidence when another biggun presents itself. You' ll get him next time dude!

RE: The WV 10 Pt Buck That Lived to Walk Another Day
 

Vic,

I' ll tell you what I' ll do next time. I' ll come to draw when I see him start moving from behind the big oak tree. Then when he hits the 22 yard shooting lane I had I' ll mouth " Braaaaa" and stop him. Then I' ll put that broadhead in his boiler room!

That is where I' m lacking in experience. Being able to stop them when I want them to stop within my shooting zone, not when they want to stop and outside of it!

Bill