Year 3 Beast: Thumb Surgery and Stalking

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wiser blood
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Year 3 Beast: Thumb Surgery and Stalking

Unread postby wiser blood » Sat Oct 03, 2020 1:33 pm

Hello guys,

Year 3 is going to be a strange one for me. To recap, year 1 was about getting the fundamentals down (like finding the bedding areas) and I shot the largest buck on my family's farm after hunting it numerous times, but the shot was off and I didn't recover the deer. Heartbreaking for sure.

Year 2 was better but I didn't see a deer as big as year 1. Though I did shoot a nine point and a ten point. Both deer were okay size, but the important thing was that I used my knowledge of those deer from camera and seeing them to kill both. Neither were accidental walk bys.

This year will be different due to the ligament thumb surgery I had a month ago after a skateboard incident. They had to reconnect the interior ligament in my second thumb joint that was ripped. I also had a pin, which they should call a carpenters' nail, that was pulled from my thumb yesterday. Even so, my thumb is out of commission for awhile and I have to wear a brace.

For archery, where does that leave me? Today I did get a back tension release and was able to shoot well with it.

Normally, I walk in with my bow and climber stand but I don't think I'll be able to manage the stand with my brace on. That leaves me to stalk. I have stalked some and have killed a doe, but killing a mature buck maybe a completely different thing.

What does everyone think? Any tried and true tips that you can confirm? I hunt hills and farm land. Right now there is a lot of cover with the leaves and brush but that will be different later.

-chad


venisonassassin
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Re: Year 3 Beast: Thumb Surgery and Stalking

Unread postby venisonassassin » Mon Oct 05, 2020 7:46 am

I've been hunting more and more on the ground in recent years. Most of hunting is in marshes though, covering spots where there are no trees and trails come out and missed a good one last year that way. Not so much stalking but sitting. No saying it couldn't work in other terrain you just don't see as far. Good luck and keep hunting hard.
wiser blood
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Re: Year 3 Beast: Thumb Surgery and Stalking

Unread postby wiser blood » Mon Oct 05, 2020 1:38 pm

Thanks Venisonassassin! Yeah, from reading through some posts, it seems like sitting somewhere is some cover will be better that stalking through the woods.
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gsquared23
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Re: Year 3 Beast: Thumb Surgery and Stalking

Unread postby gsquared23 » Mon Oct 05, 2020 4:26 pm

I’d get a crossbow and plan on ground hunts. Better to let your thumb recover and still be in the game.
Bowhunting is not for the faint of heart. But fortune favors the bowed.
wiser blood
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Re: Year 3 Beast: Thumb Surgery and Stalking

Unread postby wiser blood » Sun Oct 11, 2020 3:45 am

After trying to shoot with the back tension release while wearing the hand splint, I've decided that shooting my bow properly to hunt isn't going to happen this season. I purchased a crossbow and am stoked to see how hunting with it differs from my compound bow. Thanks for the suggestion gsquared23!
wiser blood
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Re: Year 3 Beast: Thumb Surgery and Stalking

Unread postby wiser blood » Wed Nov 04, 2020 11:21 am

The crossbow worked like a charm! I was able to hunt from my climber stand, safely, and shot this buck at 5:18pm on a foggy afternoon. Felt great. He did run over 100 yards even though the arrow passed through his heart. Thanks for the crossbow recommendation!

-chad (wiser blood)
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