Archery Talk

Yea I don’t know why I didn’t try this first. Took me a while to actually do it after thinking of it and it has worked like a charm so far.

Spooked a spike in the way in and went in another half mile to set up. Saw no more deer then spooked what sounded like 10 when I was walking back through the area I spooked the spike. Another thing to add to the list of hunting lessons - don't be afraid to adjust plans if you find good sign/deer. I’m going to have to make my way back there sometime soon.

 

My father in law said he wishes he could have had grandkids first

I want to tell him he sucks at that too but don’t want to hurt his feelings

 

Face paint got it done

 

Nice !! Congratulations

 

Nice buck,congrats!!!!

 

Nice! Congrats!

 

Awesome! Congratulations

 

Great job! We'll be expecting a story....

 

Involved dragging/carrying it for a bit over a mile. I am getting a deer cart.

cleaning up now I’ll post a story in a bit

 

Alright. I felt pretty good about my plan for today because conditions are similar to Wednesday when I saw a nice buck and I was headed into the same area.

Wind was a little iffy on the walk in but was pretty consistent once I got to my spot. I was sitting on the ground against a tree damn near in the wide open about 30 yards from where I watched a buck feed for a while Wednesday. I didn’t see where he came from but I figured it was a big gap in a levee where there is a heavy trail so I was set up so I could see that area.

4:00 came around which is when I saw the buck previously and I hadn’t seen or heard anything. The wind started acting funky so I was a little disappointed I might go another night with nothing. 4:40 ish I started to hear movement behind me but I couldn’t see anything back there and maybe 5 minutes later I heard movement in front of me and saw a doe walking around around 60 yards that came across the levee.

I watched her for a bit before I lost her in the brush and about that time I heard something over past the break in the levee to my left. I turned over and saw a buck walking straight toward me so I shifted my crossbow over to point towards him. I got halfway set and he came halfway around a tree facing almost right at me and stopped and started straight at me and I could see he was as wide as his ears and he looked super tall so I sent an arrow just inside his shoulder on my side.

I felt good about the shot but I heard him run off 30 yards to the edge of the crp and it sounded like he stumbled but I heard a deer blow over there and run another 20 yards or so, then stop for a bit, blow and run again. I heard him stop crashing through the brush but there were geese flying over making a racket so I couldn’t tell if I just couldn’t hear him. I guessed he was at 30 yards and the tree he was right behind was 29 when I ranged it later.

I was worried after my experience on the last buck so I waited a minute to listen then went slowly to check blood. It took me a minute to find it but it looked good to me. Lots of blood and bubbles.


I felt good seeing this but couldn’t get ahold of my uncle to ask him his thoughts so I decided to head back to the parking lot to see if someone wants to help track just in case the blood gets bad.

Met the last guy at the lot who has hunted a few years but never killed anything and he was happy to help me out. We got to first blood around an hour after the shot and long story short Ray Charles probably could have followed the blood trail. Went another 30 yards into the crp from where I last saw him and died. Maybe 70 yards total on a good day.

Getting that sucker out without a cart was terrible and I’m going to sleep for the next few days probably.

Can see the shot placement here

I think this is where somebody else took a shot at him and didn’t make a good hit? Any thoughts? It is on the top of his back about 2/3 back.

 

Nice! Looks like a close call on the old wound

 

CONGRATULATIONS! That is a hoss right there! The deer you have there definitely have superior genetics to the little deer we have in this area. He sprawls across that Taco! A mile? Without a cart? You sir are a better man than I.

On the deer gurney that you will be getting, make sure you get one that you can buy the wheel spoke guards. They cover the spokes completely like a big plate and keep sticks and brambles from getting stuck through the wheels. Without them you will spend a bunch of time AND EFFORT backing up, and pulling all that crap out of the spokes. I used mine the first time without them, then paid the exorbitant price they want for the guards just so I wouldn't have to hassle like that again. Some carts have handles on both ends, some don't. Mine doesn't, and I wish it did. Try to find one where the front pull bar is at the same height as the rear push bar. It is MUCH easier to roll one if there is a man at BOTH ENDS at all times, one pushing, one pulling. It's asking a lot of someone else to have to bend over to grab the cart to help during the long trip out. Of all the shit I am telling you here this is the most important. Because if you are lucky enough to have someone who would volunteer to help you roll that deer out a mile next time, you are going to let them have the high handle in the back, AND YOU ARE GOING TO BE BENDING DOWN THE WHOLE WAY TO GRAB THAT LOW FRONT BAR. Ask me how I know. It is the only decent thing to do to be fair to your volunteer.

You can use the location of where you leave it in the woods tactically to your advantage. Its scent will spook deer. Note the wind, and place it where they have a better chance of spooking in your direction. It's public land. Take a bicycle chain lock and lock it to a tree. Know too that a deer gurney or cart is a MISERABLE thing to own and transport, even in a full-size truck, and FOR SURE in a TACO. Because of their shape, even broken down for transport (and that is its own hassle eating up valuable hunting time) they don't pack in the bed well with your other stuff. Resign yourself now to having a wrench for the axle nuts, because you will be taking the wheels off and on a lot, just to get it to play well with your other stuff. Always have extra Nyloc nuts on hand. If the axle has enough threads expose once the nut is on, THEN PUT A SECOND ONE ON AND DOUBLE NUT IT. Again, ask me how I know...

You may as well use the cart to carry in the things you will need to field dress your deer: you gotta' push it in, you may as well get some benefit out of it while you do. Start looking now for a pouch or small pack that you can attach to it to store and transport your block and tackle to elevate your deer for gutting. DO NOT use anything with velcro: It makes noise opening and if you are lucky you might get a shot at a second deer while you are cleaning it. That happened to a friend of mine in 1983. PUT THE AXLE NUT WRENCH IN THE POUCH. You are going to want at least two gallons of water to rinse yourself and your deer when done gutting it. Also include cleaning gloves FOR TWO people in that pouch, and some rags to dry your hands. I use to be a surgical rep, and I got a ton of samples. The obstetrical gloves the glove manufacturers sent me always went straight in to my pack and not to the hospital's OB departments: They go all the way up to your elbows and really keep you clean. Any medical supply store will sell you a pair. They have different sizes, so make sure you get sized before you buy. You won't like them if they are too big or too small. (And I don't mean s/ml/xl, they go 4,5,6,7,8,9. You need to know which number you are. Once you know you will never use an exam glove again to clean a deer.) A Sven saw or equivalent for cutting off the legs at the knee. Put some heavy string (or long, heavy zip ties) and a couple of ratcheting cargo straps in the pack. Deer legs and horns will fowl on every little thing coming out of there and make it a miserable experience unless you do. Finally, you know those little liquor bottles when you fly? Put a couple or three of your preference in there. We always toasted a successful hunt when the cleaning was done and before we started the haul out.

A well-provisioned cart sure makes it nice after a long day in a treestand!

 

Outstanding!! Congrats!!

 

From my kitchen window, 9-point in my backyard yesterday afternoon:

 

Here is a picture of my little buddy that I snapped out my bathroom window this morning at dawn. He has been feeding here in the yard since his mom first brought him and his sister when they were still in spots 2 1/2 years ago. The extended family is now up to nine deer including him and two other yearling nubbin' bucks, and he and I have gotten to know each other pretty good.

They all live in the far treeline shown in the background of the pictures in the previous post. It is a block of woods in this neighborhood without any houses, about 4-5 acres. We have been here since 1985, and the does have used that block as their bedding area the whole time. There is something very ancestral about that location. The does in this area have probably been bedding there for millennia. They come here to feed, as many as 30 at a time in deep winter. Herd mentality emboldens them: you can walk up to within five feet of them during this time when they are hungry and without other food options. The will also stand not ten feet outside our dining room window as we eat supper, staring emotionless as a group, EXACTLY like those kids in the Children of the Corn movie, attempting (successfully) to project guilt upon us to come feed them. You try to ignore them, but eventually you put down your fork. Little fuckin' manipulators...

They come here as much as 4-5 times a day, and over the years their visits have served to allow us to observe deer behavior. I have learned more here at the house about deer than I have in all of my years in the woods hunting them. We do not hunt these. They adopted us. They are family. ITSHTF we will, but not until then.

This little fella was here Friday afternoon with his family, standing in the backyard patiently waiting on me to come out with the feeding pail. I went out, but not with the pail. I had just had to have the vet put my golden retriever grand-dog down, and I stepped out to the back of the side patio to cry my eyes out in private. He was out there about thirty yards. I'm sobbing and bawling like a newborn baby, looking down, and I look up and here he comes, walking slowly straight at me, with almost an inquisitive look on his face. He came to about twelve yards before he stopped and just stood there. Guess he had never seen a human cry before...

Anyway, it was a very spiritual moment for me, when I needed a spiritual moment the most. That a wild creature would take interest in me in my sorrow. Maybe not, but my heart was broken and I was glad he was there with me.

Thank You Lord. You truly work in mysterious ways. Thy Will be Done Lord.

 

That’s a nice deer!

 

Too bad golfers are right there, perfect crossbow range...

 

Just yell “fore”