This was my view this morning for my first bowhunt of the year. Just to the right is a tractor path through a tree line separating 2 bean fields. The last 3 years I have got tons of daylight pictures of 3 year old and up bucks early season at this gap. It's always between 8 and 10 in the morning and they are bedding in the strip of timber between the two fields. It was a slow morning. Two small bucks appeared followed by two does and a yearling. After picking at some beans they crossed the field. A few minutes later a 100" 8pt came out and crossed the field a little closer. That was the end of the action for a little over an hour.
At 815 I looked over and a large bodied deer was head down in the beans 46 yards to my right. As soon as the head came up I knew it was a shooter. He ate beans without taking a step for 20 minutes. Finally at 835 he started moving and it became clear he wasn't heading to the gap. He was cutting the back corner where I was. I had no shooting lanes to that side and started to worry.
This summer I have practiced longer range shooting preparing for an elk hunt and stretched my bow out to 60 yards. I contribute my success today to that.
As the buck was moving I started looking for a hole to shoot through. He was at ease so when he finally looked the opposite way I had to kneel on the platform. I found a hole the size of a basketball 10 yards from me. When he looked away again I squatted down lower. My feet hanging off the stand, knees on the platform, leaning under a limb I had to make a decision. This ordeal had gone on so long I wasn't nervous anymore and the buck was at ease. I decided to go for it.
At 43 yards I came to full draw with him looking away. I took a lot of time checking my form since I was in such an ackward position. The pin settled as I aimed and I let it fly.
I couldn't see my arrow but heard a weird thud. The buck spun, took three hops back the way he came, and then walked off.
I just knew I missed. In the last few years I've missed bucks and even hit 2 I didn't kill. I really thought the way the buck responded I had screwed up again. About 20 seconds after the shot I heard a noise that sounded like a crash down from me in the strip of timber. This gave me hope.
It was 847 when I shot but I could only wait 10 minutes before I climbed down and looked for my arrow. It didn't take long for me to give up on that in chest high beans. I knew the best bet was for me to ease down the edge of the tree line where I last saw the buck. After a slow quiet walk I found just a couple drops of blood.
I stopped there and called my dad, southernman. After telling him what happened I waited another 15 minutes before taking up the trail. The blood trail was light but I didn't have to follow it for long. As soon as I saw a little blood cutting into the tree line I looked up and this is what I saw.
I went through the roof. I guess the buck didn't know what happened. He only made it 70 yards. The faint blood trail was I assume from the arrow exiting in the arm pit.
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I've been bowhunting since I was 10 and have never killed a buck with my bow. This is my first. Ive passed many over the years. I always figured that it shouldn't matter what weapon you use, set your standard and go for it. 150 minutes of bow hunting and my season is done. But the kids are getting ready for crossbow October 1 and LBL is a bonus deer so I'll be hunting up there for the rut. I have been truly blessed and have accomplished something I've been trying to do the last 21 years.
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