I don't comment a whole lot. Maybe three times since I discovered this site about four years ago. But I have learned so much and owe a lot of today's success to this site and all the wisdom offered by its members.
So, anyway. This is my third season hunting. I've missed a few deer and wounded one in the previous two seasons (worst day ever, but another story altogether). I actually missed two doe's on my first two hunts this season (in my part of PA archery started 9/16). Today, all that changed.
I was on the ground, on heavily pressured public land, with my old 50 lb Bear Polar ( a bit more at my almost 30" draw), and got my first deer ever, a buck no less. Not a monster, a smallish, hardly 6 pointer, but an indescribable trophy for me. I have some pictures but have no idea how to post if someone could give me a hand. Also, if there's interest, it was a decent story, but I can be a bit wordy, fair warning.
Woohoo, congrats!!!!!!!
:clapper: :clapper:
Congratulations! We like pictures and wordy. Bring it.
Congrats!!
Congratulations that's awesome!
Love to hear the stories!!! And see the pics!!!
Nice!!! Congrats!!!
Congratulations!!!!!
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Chris,
Sent you a PM.
Congrats!
Waiting for it....
,,,Sam,,,
Congrats!! Tell the story, and I'll help you post pics if you need me to. Feel free to shoot me a PM.
Hell yeah!!!! Let's hear the story!! Congrats brother.
Roy
Do it. Show us and tell us. Especially what you felt as it was going on and as you found your deer.
Here are the pics! Congrats again, and great shot.
(http://i.imgur.com/EUySQft.jpg) (http://imgur.com/EUySQft)
(http://i.imgur.com/8BqkdFF.jpg) (http://imgur.com/8BqkdFF)
(http://i.imgur.com/3ex50F2.jpg) (http://imgur.com/3ex50F2)
(http://i.imgur.com/l686mvZ.jpg) (http://imgur.com/l686mvZ)
(http://i.imgur.com/VmobtFx.jpg) (http://imgur.com/VmobtFx)
(http://i.imgur.com/h9lxs1x.jpg) (http://imgur.com/h9lxs1x)
Nice deer and good shooting! Sometimes it takes awhile to connect on an animal. There is a huge difference between shooting at targets and shooting at an animal. You've broke the ice now!! Congrats>>>-------->Mike
Congrats and great shooting..
Congrats! Still trying for my first archery deer.
Jeremy
Great looking buck!
Congratulations on taking a fine looking buck. You done good!
So as I said, this is my third season. I've come a long way and have put in hours of research, scouting, and stand time. Despite all my efforts, I still managed to muff two gimme shots due to adrenaline and nerves on my first two hunts this season. Oh well, better two clean misses than a wounded deer.
So this morning I set out to a ground blind I had built last year and had yet to visit this year. It's about a dozen or so yards from a small stream surrounded by fairly open hardwoods creating a lane about 50 yards wide between to thick nasty pine thickets. It's not much, just a blow down with some limbs stacked up.
I reached my spot around 7am, cleared the ground in front of me and set up on my chair. Within minutes I could see movement and a flash of white in the thick pines across the stream from me. I let out a soft grunt on my call and watched as three deer ran away as if I had shot a gun at them... Oh well, it was still early.
Around 8:45, after watching some squirrels and listening to the hickory and walnuts hit the ground I heard a distinct shuffling behind me. I slowly turned my eyes, then head, towards the noise. A train of 6 does began exiting the thick brush behind me around 15- 20 yards away. The lead doe was big bodied and definitely the oldest, the next three were last springs fawns and the last two were somewhere in between. They hooked wide but upwind of my blind. The large lead doe stopped in a clear shooting lane broadside, I got to about half draw and thought better of the shot, it was probably a little over 20 yards and sitting down, was outside of my comfort zone. The 3 fawns followed directly behind, while the last two meandered towards me. The very last doe stopped at a perfect quartering away angle completely unaware of me and began to feed. I picked a spot and started to draw. As I was almost at full draw I heard rustling and the falling of heavy hooves from behind me out of sight. They were getting really close. By the sound of it I thought it was going to crash through my blind. I let off the string and waited until the source of the noise came into view. Between the propped up limbs I saw antlers, counted three points and put tension back on the string. The buck cleared the last of the limbs at the back of the blind, walked a few yards and stopped, quartering away, staring down the does. I had already focused on a spot and had hit anchor just as he had come to a stop. I don't really remember the release, but it was clean. At least clean enough for a less than five yard shot. I saw the arrow disappear up to the fletching exactly where I had looked and watched in disbelief as the buck ran about 20 yards, then slowed to an unsteady walk only to collapse within sight.
I sat there shaking. Noticed the doe's had not run off and thought, only briefly, maybe I could shoot one of them too... They meandered around, looking over towards their fallen friend, then occasionally to me, until I finally stood up and sent them running.
Even though I could clearly see my deer, I still followed every drop of blood. As I approached him, I had a wave of emotions, mostly relief, and happiness, with a touch of sadness and a lot of gratitude.
I had never gutted a deer. I'm proud to say that I managed the task with out spilling any nastiness or damaging any meat and it didn't take too long. Which is good because the day was rapidly warming and forecasted to hit 80 degrees. The drag on the other hand was rough. I neglected to take my rope style tree strap that I use with my climber and just grabbed his antlers and dragged over fallen limbs and uneven ground. The easiest way out of the woods and back to my vehicle was a trail bordering private property a few hundred yards from my position. I approached and saw the owner tending his garden, I called out and asked if he minded if I dragged my deer through his nice smooth lawn instead of the woods, he said he'd do me one better and get his wheelbarrow!! After loading the deer in the back of my Jeep (cherokee) We talked for a few minutes, he had been at his house since 1949 and said he really appreciated me asking his permission since he's dealt with trespassers before. Then he told me about a big 8 point skull he found that was sitting in his woodpile and offered it to me. I graciously accepted.
After leaving, I headed to a friends farm a few miles away, we got the deer quartered and taken apart and into the fridge. I'll be heading there in the morning to process it!!! I paid the older gentlemen's gift forward to my friend in return for giving me a place to/and teaching me to take apart and process the deer. He was thrilled. Don't worry, he'll be getting some meat as well.
I skinned out the skull and took it to a nearby taxidermist for a euro mount. He's not huge but he'll be my proudest trophy for a long time. And I'm sure he's delicious!!
All in all, one of the best days I've had in a long while.
Oh, I'm shooting an old (70's?) Bear Polar, 50lb @28 (I draw about 29.5, arrows are Goldtip traditionals .340 with 200 grain Grizzly single bevel broadheads up front.
LOVE the blood trail. Great shot. Time to sharpen the knives.
Heck of a shot and wonderful pics :thumbsup:
:campfire:
Christopher,
congrats bud! You have a way with words. Thank you for sharing that.
If you think think that was wordy.. wait until Charlie Lamb starts a thread.. But, wow, can he tell a story!
Thank you all so much not only for the congratulations but for helping me along through all your stories and wisdom. I wish I had taken some more pictures of the blind and the distance of the shot but all I could think about was getting him out of the heat. Hopefully, there will be some more stories this season!!
:clapper: :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
God bless,Mudd :archer2:
Oh I've read them. They're some of my favorites.
Special thanks to HuskyArcher for posting my pictures!
GREAT story,trophy and shot. Congratulations!
Steve Jr
Excellent story telling.
Photos and Buck are excellent as well!
Congrats!!
Great hunt! If that is wordy, we need more of it then. Really enjoyed it.
Attaboy!
Gonna be hard to beat that day for a while!!!
Good shot!!
Now go get another!
Tim B
Well done and great shot placement. Enjoy the food and trophy.
Congratulations on your first. Good shot.
Way to "get it done"! It is amazing what the confidence of the first one can do for continued success.
Congrats and blessings!
:thumbsup:
Great job. Perfect.
Fantastic; on the ground and close - very nicely done.
Congratulations Chris. Very nice!!
Congrats on your first one!!!
Bisch
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Congrats to you! That is awesome!
Congrats, great shot and very good story. Enjoyed it much.
Congrats, great story! You will never forget the fist one and he is a dandy.
Randy
That's what makes this place fantastic, great deer and shot Brother!
Congrats, Well done.
Great shot and a trophy for sure. Congratulations.
Congratulations and a beautiful shot!
congrats , well done
Congrats. No turning back now.
Jeff
You put a fine shot on him. Good lookin critter. Congrats
Way to go! I could tell by that first picture of the arrow that you had a heart/lung shot. I like the blood trail picture also. Your first deer is a memory that will last forever. I like your decision on the skull mount. I think they look better than a shoulder mount. I bet if you give the landowner a pack or two of steaks you will have a place to hunt next year. And I really like how you got it done with an old Bear recurve. There is just something cool about killing a deer with a vintage recurve.
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Thanks again for all the kind words!! Got him all cut up and in the freezer today. Had the tenderloins for dinner tonight with my daughter, she loves venison. Have the heart pickling in the fridge. Have some meat going to a buddy of mine to make jerky. I know this is pretty common for a lot of you guys, but I'm like a kid on Christmas morning right now!!
Scrub Buster, I've always preferred the look of the skull mounts as well and am really excited to get it. I love that old Bear Polar, I saw it in the back of a local gun shop two years before I bought it, then when I took the plunge into all this it was still there waiting for me. It's super quiet and at 63" is a great fit for me at 6'4.
Really enjoyed the story! Thanks for sharing, and congrats on the nice buck.
Nice shot and a good buck,Congrats! And enjoyed your hunt's story.
That shot is just about as perfect as they come. Well forward into the lungs and heart with a sharp broadhead! They usually fall pretty darn fast when you put an arrow there. Congratulations, and thank you for telling the story. Others have said it, but we like wordy!
That's a great story! Congrats!!
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Congrats on the great buck and story! You won't forget your first! Oh and that is one heck of a shot! :thumbsup:
It simply does not get any better. A perfect shot and watching them fall. :clapper:
Congratulations!
Good stuff! :thumbsup:
That is awesome, congratulations!
Congratulations and great shot!
Absolutely Perfect. What a Trophy!
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Great job!
That right there is good stuff! Congrats! And thanks for sharing your story!
Great shot! Beautiful animal!
That's awsome, congrats!
great shot placement..
Congrats, Great story telling. sounds like you have a gem of a spot.