tree_ghost
Well-Known Member
Gentlemen, it's been an incredible last few days for me personally. With all that's taken place with our inaugural Deer Camp and so on. I chose to make a separate thread on this one so that each aspect of the weekend would have its own opportunity to be appreciated. As you all know, Thursday night was Halloween. My family had planned on making the 3 1/2 hour drive up first thing Friday morning so that the kids were able to trick-or-treat Thursday night and then try to hunt pretty early Friday morning. Well like celebrations sometimes do Halloween carried on a little later into the night than they expected and because of that they weren't going to be arriving at my place until around lunchtime. so with a little window to myself, I chose to slip up the face of the bluff on my property with my recurve and sit a funnel that morning. as soon as there was daylight, I had activity with does passing through the head of a ditch funnel on the top of the bluff. An hour into the Hunt I spotted movement swinging down into the funnel from my right. As The deer moved through the leaves that were still on the trees I could begin to see tines and I knew instantly it was a pretty decent buck. As the deer approached 30 yards, I could see that it was a solid 3 1/2 year-old 10 point and I began to steady my breathing. The Buck walked slowly right down the path I had set up over just a few yards away and passed me. As he was just slightly quartering away, I brought my recurve to full draw. At 15 yards my eyes locked on the point I wanted to hit and I let the arrow fly. What I did not account for, and what I did not do for the first time in my life, was bleat at the buck to stop him for the shot. When hunting with my compound, I always stop the buck for the shot. I'm not really sure why I didn't on this deer and because I didn't lead him enough with the arrow, I hit him about 4 inches farther back than I wanted to. Upon The arrows impact this buck let out the most guttural growel I've ever heard from a Whitetail and took off in a dead sprint, parallel down the bluff face. I knew 100% that the shot was lethal, but I feared I hit him in the stomach and liver. I took a moment to gather myself in the tree stand before I climbed down. Once I was on the ground, I didn't even go to the impact site I immediately went back to the house so there was no chance for me to jump the deer. With it being cooler on Friday, I elected to go search the following morning in hopes of quickly finding a dead deer, and also trying to not spread too much scent with other hunters in the area. we took my wife's miniature dachshund "Shadow" who we've been attempting to get acquainted with blood trailing and sure enough that little joker walked us straight to him 90 yards from where I took the shot. He was quartering away from me slightly more than I thought and I actually ended up getting stomach liver and lungs, and he died instantly. This buck means so much to me to have taken with my recurve as my first traditional bow buck kill!! This was the first deer that was killed off of our new land. Then on top of it to have all my family there for the recovery was just a cherry on top. This old boy is sure living high on the hog right now! Thank you, Lord. Your blessings are overwhelming!!
Damon Howatt X-200 40#@28"
480grain gold tip w/ Simmons Treesharks
Dekalb Co 10pt
Damon Howatt X-200 40#@28"
480grain gold tip w/ Simmons Treesharks
Dekalb Co 10pt
