I passed quite a few deer last year opting to observe deer being deer..Figuring this would benefit me in the future..Messed up an opportunity on a buck in Ohio and also screwed one up the last day of the season in Michigan on another buck..
200 plus miles scouting, a pile of new spots, practice and more practice brought me into this season. Confident? Heck yeah..Feeling a little pressure to kill a deer? honestly yes.
5 sits since Oct 1 and I have seen deer within bow range each time out.Branch here, step there, just no shots were presented..Just a matter of time..Since I was on a roll of seeing deer, not sitting the same place twice, I felt I should keep up the pressure and be aggressive..
Sat I had the right wind to get into a thicket bordering a marsh with known bedding in the marsh about 70 yards away...Snuck in under the cover of a good breeze about 1pm. This is a large thicket that runs north and south .Large marsh on the west edge, woods on the east..There are small openings in this thicket which see a ton of deer activity during daylight..They mill around before dark before heading into the oaks...Staging area..
I set up on the southerm edge of this thicket about 20 yards in to the north. Just on the edge of a small opening.Beat down trails going from the thicket accross this opening and out thru the thicket into the woods.
Set up and hangin by 2pm..At 5pm 3 does step out of the thicket about 40 yards to the north and begin to angle down..They get within 30..Came to full draw on the largest and again, a couple branches kept me from sending it.
Watched these does for a while...Later on 2 more does step out onto the main trail which is 20 yards in front of me. They to hung around for a while before wandering off. Too small..They will live to see another day..
One thing I have learned hunting out of a saddle is to keep bow close.If you rotate to another position on the tree, take your bow with you..I have been surprised by deer far to often to let it happen again..The trail in front of me required me to lean thru a v in the branches of another tree..Bottom of the V was about waist high.In the saddle I would need to lift my bow up, over amd then lean thru to shoot to the most likely spot a deer would come from. No good. Too much movement..One thing I did which resulted in the shooting of this buck was moving my bow hook and putting my bow in thw v of that tree.Lean out and shoot..No extra movements..This turned out to be a critical decision..
Zero dark thirty this buck steps out of the thicket on a dead walk..He took six steps into the opening..Straight ahead of me and broadside..Maybe quartering to 3 degrees..I was at full draw on his first step..Remember? The decision had been made.
Gave him a tiny tiny maaaaattttt. Sent the arrow..Crack.A little forward..Hit the back edge of the rt front shoulder. Buried to the fletching though.I aim for the exit hole, this is happening fast but it looked like a lethal hit. The buck spun without taking a step in any direction and dropped to his belly, while wavering on his front knees...I immediately
nocked another arrow and put another into him..Pass thru rt on the money and it was over..Less than 30 seconds..He laid right there where I stopped him...exhale....
The act of killing...You never know until you do it.Wasnt sure about how I would react to killing a deer..Its not the reason I hunt, but it is a vital component of hunting and well, its a part of life in general.Them is da facts..
I felt remorseful.I said a few words. I thanked that deer..Beautiful animal..But in the end I am happy to say I am ok with the whole deal..Do I like killing? id say no..Its part of the hunting experience..The challenge to the hunter, and responsibility of the hunter is to make his or her best efforts to make a clean, quick kill..I was lucky with my first kill..I realize they all wont be so quick..I acceot it as fact..
What an experience..First kill, first gut job..Even skinned and processed this buck myself..With help from a friend..
Thanks for all of the kind words..I will now be hunting for a buck the next size up!
Regards,
Chad
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