And I forgot to take pictures.  A mouse got in my blind...scared the crap out of me at first.  Amazing how noisy those little suckers can be, and all at once.  I plan to make a stew with the meat, tan the hide for a strike plate and rug rest...probably do a European mount with the skull...

What was the blood trail like? How far did he go?

Practically no blood...but was patient and gave plenty of time. Thankfully it was a short trail...maybe 18".

Good. When in doubt back out.

 

  You got me with that one. 

No pics..didn't happen.

Chad, I've invited you up here to Indiana to hunt before and I promise you that you'll go home with more meat than that!  We've got some big old jumbo critters up here that eat those mice for breakfast!

Don't believe me? Check this bruiser out.  I'll even help you drag him out if you connect with him.
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P&Y!!  I actually thought it was a spider that I've been sharing my blind with.  BIG sucker.  Shot at it once, it ate my arrow then flipped me the "bird".  I decided to leave well enough alone with that one...

What percentage FOC, single bevel head? Did ya hit a shoulder? Did it go through? How much weight up front?
.........

Chad it would have made a nice picture though!   

Chad, he sure to leave the tail on that hide.  You can use it as a wind indicator.

Well, I'd read that hunting arrows don't have to be tuned all that well and it's a "proven fact" that  practically all bow hunters kill stuff with set-ups that aren't anywhere near perfect tune (I read that on the internet so it's got to be true) so I shot at the spider with a junker arrow.  Big mistake.  You'd think I would have known better than to trust the word of a guy who's claim to fame was putting on tights and a Robin Hood costume for a bit part in a soap opera in the 70's...but he sounds sooooo convincing and he's got a whole troop of followers that remind me of the Jim Jones cult back in the 70's...(seems we have a 70's vibe going on here  )

Guess it's just as well the spider went unharmed.  I have no idea what I would have done with a hide that big...to hot for a tent, to heavy for a blanket...and I haven't found a good recipe for spider meat.  No way I could have afforded the taxidermist fee for that thing, and even if I could I'd have to pull a Denny Sturgis Jr. and add an entire room to my house just for the mount. 

I'm just glad it let me off with a warning...it helped that I told it I'd read "the book".  Guess the spider figured if I was that naïve and inexperienced I had to be harmless, and certainly wouldn't be a threat with a bow and arrow... :   Weird...I'd never heard a spider laugh before that, but it rolled around giggling when I mentioned "the book".    

I DID kill that mouse though!  Well...in all honesty I actually beat it to death.  It was caught between the window mesh and blind material and I didn't want to stab a hole in my blind.  It did make a racket and scared the crap out of me for a second.  That's the truth.  I might have exaggerated just a little about the size of that spider (Lord I apologize  )...but it really was a BIG sucker.  Biggest I've ever seen in the woods, probably the biggest I've ever seen outside a pet store.  Still in there as far as I know.  I just nudged it with my bow and it ran away.  Probably planning on how it's gonna' get me next time...

Chad yes fake news is so rampant these days. I even made a post about a year ago about not allowing fake news on our site.

Such as the ones I mentioned on the other thread.... claims made the broadheads don't need to be Sharp, you don't need a nocking point, the swing draw doesn't work and those that use it are disciples.... I'm sure the guy that claimed that is a better shot than Howard Hill, LaClair, etc...

People that are new to archery have a hard enough time weeding out so many truisms that the last thing they need is misinformation, that is so blatantly incorrect.

In the same blind again yesterday eve.  Getting late when a big 'ol long-legged heifer comes in.  Stood in one spot, I'm thinking it's a good shot...then she moves.  Crap.  BUT...she eases on over to an even better position.  Just another step or two...PERFECT!  Raise my bow, broadhead barely touches the "shoot through" mesh...she explodes and heads for the next county.  Pretty sure the deer around here are on meth...