Last night was a good night. I had a really nice 8 pointer come in traveling with a spike buck and following a doe. The stand I was in is located on a bench running parallel to the bank of a small lake. This stand was perfect for the northerly wind we had last night. The doe was in the lead. She walked straight for me. For a while I couldn't tell which side of the stand she was going to pass. She finally chose the side on my right. Not good for a right hand shooter. I figured the buck would follow the same path. After milling around in front of me at 40 yards for a while. The buck followed the path of the doe. I was already turned around for the shot as he passed at 10 yards. There were 3 openings in the brush I could shoot through. I was coming to full draw as he passed the first opening. By the time I reached full draw he was through the opening. I almost released as he went through the second opening but missed my opportunity. As his chest appeared in opening 3, I released. The shot was a perfect heart shot. There was no pass through as the broadhead lodged in the breast bone, but I could see blood spraying immediately.
The blood trail was easy to follow. The problem was he went downhill into a deep ravine. He traveled about 100 yards and piled up in the bottom of a nasty, knarly draw. My first thought was that I could field dress him and drag him through the bottom of the ravine about 1/4 mile to where I parked the canoe. I finished field dressing him after dark and decided to carry my gear to the canoe and scout out a path to drag the deer. The bottom of the ravine and sidehill were choked with downed trees making it impossible to drag the deer. I thought about taking him out the other side of the ravine but it looked just as impossible. The only way for me to get him out by myself was to pack him out. After dropping my gear at the canoe, I called my wife and told her I would be delayed because I was going to part the deer out and pack him to the canoe. She told me to get me drivers license out, look at the dates and recognize that I was 70 years old, which came with some limitations. After promising not to make the trip in one load, I got spousal permission to continue with the task. I had trouble finding the deer in the dark with all the blowdowns. Once I found the deer, the skinning and quartering was fairly easy, but time consuming. A headlamp was a big help. I packed the meat in old pillow cases I always carry in my pack. For the first load, I put the bags containing the hind quarters, backstraps and tenderloins into the pack. I decided to leave my flashlight with the rest of the deer to help me find my way back and use my headlamp for navigation. I also decided that the only reasonable way out was back up the steep hill, follow the ridge to the high bank of the lake and back down to the canoe. The trip was tough. Trip 2 wasn't as bad with a smaller load of meat and the head. What a rewarding canoe ride back. My wife, Susie was waiting at the dock. I paddled into the dock at 8:30 and transferred the load to my jeep. Upon arriving home, I put the meat in a refrigerator to cool overnight. Dinner and a glass of whiskey hit the spot.
Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to share the great experience. I used my Wild Horse Creek Destiny longbow and a Douglas fir arrow tipped with a Magnus 4 blade head.
--Mike
Congratulations 👏 that was a great play-by-play hunt and recovery! Nice buck!
Bernie
Congratulation Mike! Great recap of your hunt and adventure to get the deer back home. Thanks for sharing.
Well done. Thoroughly enjoyed the story.
Thanks for sharing Mike...great adventure!
Wow Mike, good shooting and a great tale well told.
Congratulations. :thumbsup:
great buck and great hunt.
Congrats on a great buck.
Bisch
That's the way to do it. Congrats. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Great story and well done. Kudos to the Mrs. :thumbsup:
Deno
That's awesome, congrats!
Good job old-timer.... :biglaugh: Just cuz we get old doesn't mean we cant get it done.... Nicely done and congrats...
Great read...congrates on a well place arrow :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
Enjoyed the story. Was with you in spirit, not far behind you in the DL department. Congratulations and that venison will taste that much better.
:campfire: :coffee: :archer2: [size=78%] [/size]
Well done Mike!!
All right Mike! Nice shot and really nice deer! Those Destiny bows are killers for sure. I'm glad you survived your hunt in fine shape. Hope to see you in a couple months.
Mike, That is a dream come true, heart shot, nice buck, longbow kill, pack out and satisfying canoe trip with the little lady at the dock to meet you, then the well earned drink!! I am so happy for you...
Thanks to all for the congrats. Susie and I just finished butchering. She is a wiz at deboning front shoulders.
Here is a photo of the heart with a distinct cross cut from the Magnus 4 blade. I think I will go sit on my petooty for a while.
--Mike
Congratulations on a great Buck .Really enjoyed your Story .Made my evening . Oh yea almost forgot Great shot.
Congrats Sir, well done.
Congrats Mike! Great story and a very hard earned beautiful buck!
Thanks for sharing a great hunt. Congratulations.
Great buck. Congratulations and much respect.
Congrats, GREAT story! GREAT buck.
Congrats on a great story and a beautiful buck. At 71 I can relate to your wife's instructions. But I'll bet it felt good to be able to get him to the canoe.
Quote from: Jock Whisky on November 28, 2021, 07:32:25 PM
Congrats on a great story and a beautiful buck. At 71 I can relate to your wife's instructions. But I'll bet it felt good to be able to get him to the canoe.
I'm betting that it felt better getting the canoe to the dock... ;)
Absolutely awesome Mike. All the way around. Really appreciated the details of the hunt and recovery. Stunning whitetail Sir. You've earned sitting on your patooty for a spell.
Best regards, Skychief.
Congrats and what a great story! When I am your age I hope I can still be out there knocking them down too! Great job!
Way to go sir! Awesome hunt and buck! Thanks for sharing!
Great story ! Awesome shot
So happy for you, buddy! After you sent me that picture this morning, I was hoping to hear the story. Dang, you created some serious work for yourself! Glad you made it out safe with all the goodies. I also hope Susie didn't tongue lash you too hard for doing "stupid young guy stuff". Looking forward to seeing you so I can hear the tale in person.
Darren
Congratulations Mike. Us old guys can still get er done. Give our best to Susie.
Nice buck and a great story , Ill bet you were stiff and sore the next day !!!
Excellent shot, great recovery, awesome story!!
Congratulations :clapper:
Congratulations on a great buck, and thanks for taking us along on the adventure. I find that many times in the field quartering and packing them out to be much easier than dragging the whole deer. It "almost" makes it feel like I'm in the Rockies, or the wilds of AK!
Great all around! Congratulations!
Nice buck. Great story. Congratulations.
Most of my deer seem to be at sunset. A couple years ago, faced a similar problem as you with the darkness. My solution was to put a small reflective tac on the tree beside my deer. It worked so well, I've done it several times since.
Quote from: Bobaru on November 29, 2021, 12:31:48 PM
Nice buck. Great story. Congratulations.
Most of my deer seem to be at sunset. A couple years ago, faced a similar problem as you with the darkness. My solution was to put a small reflective tac on the tree beside my deer. It worked so well, I've done it several times since.
So many tacks in my woods from many different hunters through the years. I made my own out of a close pin and got some of that reflective tape they use on buses stick on both sides . you hit that with a flashlight see 1/4 mile away or more . I use for blood trail at night too. just clip on or off a branch .
The glow sticks that you snap and shake work really well too.
Great story, Great Deer and a Great Shot. Well done Mike, Congrats!
Mike,
Well done! What Bow is that? Kestrel? I just received mine from you. Congrats! Ken
That is the Destiny, Ken. Thanks.
--Mike
Awesome!
Great buck and good shooting!
Congrats on a tremendous buck! Great shot and story! Glad you made it out ok! :thumbsup:
:clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
Congrats on a great story and a fine buck. Same age as you and after dragging a smaller spike 1/2 mile I am sure you had a few aches and pains but not enough from you getting out there. Great to have a wife who was there to greet you at the dock-can't beat that.
Very Nice. If you keep doing it you can keep doing it. Don't let age stop you. Stay in shape. Great Buck and great story.
Nice story of your hunt and a great buck, congratulations.
Sure wish I could have been at the top of the hill watching
Awesome story and hunt! Thanks for sharing with us, and congratulations! :notworthy:
Congrats on a beautiful buck mike!! Great decision on the packout smart on your part!
:saywhat:
One of the best recounts I've read here since I joined!
Lots of useful tips imbedded in your tale; pillow cases (prepared for pack out), flashlight finder at the deer, plotting your trip out, alerting those who would be wondering why you are late. Oh, and not to mention using a canoe to gain access.
The note about "which side will the deer walk" reminds me of a beautiful nontypical headed straight towards me in the early 80's on Election Day. I guessed correctly as well. I think great hunting stories illustrate the hunter's experience and ethic. I think they are entertaining and the best ones help the reader be there with you or cause one to remember having been in a similar situation.
Thanks for sharing.
Congrats Mike!
Congrats!!!
Very nice! Thanks for sharing your hunt. Really nice deer.
:clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
Sounds just about perfect. Aren't we lucky to be in the USA and you are lucky tone in Kansas!
Tedd
Awesome Hunt! Congrats on a beauty buck!!!
Well done Mike, congratulations! Great story. Nice bow also!