He may not be the biggest guy in the world but hes more than anything I could have asked for for my first deer. I was expecting a big old fat doe or even a yearling. Never thought this would happen.
I went out this morning. My buddies and I planned on pulling out of thier houses at 5:15 am. I did not end up showing up until 5:13. It took me about 15 minutes to get everything in his truck. So we finally left. IDK I felt really good about this sit. Better than most the others the past year and most of this year. So when we got there I still had to get dressed and get ready and none of my stuff was in order. I finaly got situated and we all walked up the massive hill. We dropped off friend #1 at his tree. we walked about another 100 or so yards, and then I got in my tree. and then my other buddy walked off and got into his tree. I was not in the tree more than 2 minutes and I heard steps coming from my right. It was a minute before legal shooting light. Then I see a dark figure walking through. He walked through a break in the wall that was in a rock wall. ( was in a tree that was at a 3 way split in the rock wall. He entered about 20 yards to my right.) I lost sight of him in all the thick undergrowth. I raised and drew a few times. while he was in the thick area but kept telling myself to be patient. Then he was gone. I couldnt see anything. He walked right through my trail that I walked in on and didnt even seem phased. He just kept walking in the opposite direction until I could not see him. Then he came walking back through some thick bryar bush in front of me. But he didnt take the path. Then he stopped directly in front of me. But I could not shoot because I had a few tree branches with leaves on them in front of me. He stopped in that spot for a few minutes. I thought it was becasue he caught me drawing. Then he started walking. I grunted at him and he stopped and looked at me. I let the arrow fly. So now its about 8 minutes after legal shooting light started. It was still a bit twinkly out. I thought he ran to my left angling back behind me. I waited a few minutes and I called my buddy. No answer. So I jsut sat and watched. About 20 minutes after the shot a coyote comes trotting through about 70 or 80 yards behind me and takes a steamy dump. So I figured there goes my hunt. Then a doe came out about 40 yards away. clear shot all the way through. I took the shot and I missed. The arrow went right under her. Finally my buddy called me back and told me he heard a deer running right towards me when he was getting in his tree. I told him I shot but I didnt think I hit him. I saw a white thing on the ground so i thought it was my arrow. And when I played it over in my head, if my arrow landed there then it went right over his back. When I got down I could not find my arrow. Then all the bad memories of missing the last deer I shot at. My buddy who is FANTASTIC at tracking found some blood about 15 minutes later. It was dark red. It made me nervous. We started to follow the little drops. Then it started opening up. Blood was spraying everywhere. Then about 80 yards away he was piled up on a small hill. Almost fell over when I saw him. I knew he was a buck. Just the way he was strutting around. So I avoided looking at the headgear. Also when I got down to look for my arrow, the reason the buck stopped behind the tree limbs in front of me is because was making a scrape and he was rubbing on a small sapling. The way he was strutting and rutting this early was pretty crazy. He had just peed all over his glands. It was a crazy experience.
Not bad for a Rhode Island buck. It was really nice shooting him. But I am still swearing by the motto of "if its brown it goes down" Thanks for listening to my rant. I appreciate it. I hope everyone enjoyed cuz I sure did.
