First Racked Buck (Pics)
12-02-2002, 07:03 PM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Birmingham, AL USA
Posts: 86
First Racked Buck (Pics)
Hi all! Its been a while since I have been on regular but school is finally winding down so I thought I would take the time to fill everyone in on my first buck with a bow.
Day 12 of the Alabama season, my 6th day off of work, and my second hunt of the year (school has been tuff). The day started out with fairly strong rain and one soaking wet hunter. Around 9 am I came off the stand to do a little scouting for the afternoon hunt. I hit a 40 acre hardwood patch that was surounded by old clearcut and planted pines in search of a few acorns. To my surprise I was only able to find one tree dropping and it did have a fair amount of sign even after the morning storm. I set up my climber and headed out to dry off. It continued to rain on and off the rest of the day but a good lunch and some dry clothes sent me back to the stand at 3 pm even though the wind had picked up to about 15 mph. Shortly after getting on the stand, the squirrels came out and began knocking the huge white oaks to the ground. This combined with the wind in the wet trees made enough noise to hide the sounds of the passing cars only 200 yards away. At 4:10, a doe came running to the tree as if she had not eaten in days. She stopped at 20 yards quartering towards me to take a look around before coming in. Whe she started moving I noticed another doe was ahead of her and only 5 yards from my tree. The second doe came straight below my stand and began to feed while the first started feeding about 10 yards away. Seconds later, "SWOOO" the closet doe blew and bolted. However, she stopped at 20 yards behind a tree and looked around. After a minute or so, she turned around and headed back in. At 18 yards she stopped broad side, "WHACK" the Rocky Mountain Snyper sent her running. Within a few steps she had disapeared from site and sound, leaving the arrow stuck in the ground behind her. I turned to get my binoculars to look over the arrow when I caught a glance of another deer closing quickly at 40 yards. I grabbed another arrow, knocked it, and clipped on the release. When I looked up, all I saw was horns trotting my way at 15 yards. By the time I could come to full draw, he had stopped slghtly quartering towards me at 4 yards from my tree. "WHACK" Mathews air mailed another one. The buck bolted in the only direction that I could see clearly for 50 yards and he never slowed down, flag a waving. To my dismay there was no arrow stuck in the ground. Excited, rattled, and down right going to peices had to get down. It happenned so quick and he was so close I never saw the arrow. I just knew I had missed. I lowered my bow to the ground adn then remembered my quiver. I hoisted up my bow, put on the quiver and let it back to the ground. I tried to descend the tree only to be reminded that I strap my climber to the tree. After undoing the strap, my safety harness and I battled all the way to the ground. Finely free from my stand, I located the tracks from which the buck had quckly vacated. Two yards away stood the business half of my broken carbon arrow covered in blood. I then checked the first arrow to find it also covered in blood. I forced my self to head back to the truck and get a good flash light before beginning the search. At the truck, at found my hunting partner's stand and bow (with broken string). A quick yell and I had help to look for my deer. John had gotten a little excited when he saw a 7-point coming his way while pulling his bow up to the stand and subsequently cut his string knocking an arrow on his first ever bow hunt. We decided to look for the doe first. After 20 minutes of looking with no blood, I gave up and took up the bucks trail. Great blood trail led me right to him. A nice 8 point. We pulled him to the truck and headed back in for the doe. I guess I was just to excited the first time because I quickly picked up the does trail and within minutes was heading to the truck with her. Both deer weighed right at 150 pounds. What a day!
War Eagle!!!!
Day 12 of the Alabama season, my 6th day off of work, and my second hunt of the year (school has been tuff). The day started out with fairly strong rain and one soaking wet hunter. Around 9 am I came off the stand to do a little scouting for the afternoon hunt. I hit a 40 acre hardwood patch that was surounded by old clearcut and planted pines in search of a few acorns. To my surprise I was only able to find one tree dropping and it did have a fair amount of sign even after the morning storm. I set up my climber and headed out to dry off. It continued to rain on and off the rest of the day but a good lunch and some dry clothes sent me back to the stand at 3 pm even though the wind had picked up to about 15 mph. Shortly after getting on the stand, the squirrels came out and began knocking the huge white oaks to the ground. This combined with the wind in the wet trees made enough noise to hide the sounds of the passing cars only 200 yards away. At 4:10, a doe came running to the tree as if she had not eaten in days. She stopped at 20 yards quartering towards me to take a look around before coming in. Whe she started moving I noticed another doe was ahead of her and only 5 yards from my tree. The second doe came straight below my stand and began to feed while the first started feeding about 10 yards away. Seconds later, "SWOOO" the closet doe blew and bolted. However, she stopped at 20 yards behind a tree and looked around. After a minute or so, she turned around and headed back in. At 18 yards she stopped broad side, "WHACK" the Rocky Mountain Snyper sent her running. Within a few steps she had disapeared from site and sound, leaving the arrow stuck in the ground behind her. I turned to get my binoculars to look over the arrow when I caught a glance of another deer closing quickly at 40 yards. I grabbed another arrow, knocked it, and clipped on the release. When I looked up, all I saw was horns trotting my way at 15 yards. By the time I could come to full draw, he had stopped slghtly quartering towards me at 4 yards from my tree. "WHACK" Mathews air mailed another one. The buck bolted in the only direction that I could see clearly for 50 yards and he never slowed down, flag a waving. To my dismay there was no arrow stuck in the ground. Excited, rattled, and down right going to peices had to get down. It happenned so quick and he was so close I never saw the arrow. I just knew I had missed. I lowered my bow to the ground adn then remembered my quiver. I hoisted up my bow, put on the quiver and let it back to the ground. I tried to descend the tree only to be reminded that I strap my climber to the tree. After undoing the strap, my safety harness and I battled all the way to the ground. Finely free from my stand, I located the tracks from which the buck had quckly vacated. Two yards away stood the business half of my broken carbon arrow covered in blood. I then checked the first arrow to find it also covered in blood. I forced my self to head back to the truck and get a good flash light before beginning the search. At the truck, at found my hunting partner's stand and bow (with broken string). A quick yell and I had help to look for my deer. John had gotten a little excited when he saw a 7-point coming his way while pulling his bow up to the stand and subsequently cut his string knocking an arrow on his first ever bow hunt. We decided to look for the doe first. After 20 minutes of looking with no blood, I gave up and took up the bucks trail. Great blood trail led me right to him. A nice 8 point. We pulled him to the truck and headed back in for the doe. I guess I was just to excited the first time because I quickly picked up the does trail and within minutes was heading to the truck with her. Both deer weighed right at 150 pounds. What a day!
War Eagle!!!!
12-02-2002, 08:05 PM
#4
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Afton IA USA
Posts: 444
RE: First Racked Buck (Pics)
Wow! 2 Deer in what 3 or 4 minutes? That's great! And a nice buck too boot! Gotta love that. Congratulations! And thx for sharing your story. I was in the tree with you while I read. Great job!
KEEP IT LEGAL. KEEP IT SAFE. OR WE MAY NOT GET TO KEEP IT AT ALL.
KEEP IT LEGAL. KEEP IT SAFE. OR WE MAY NOT GET TO KEEP IT AT ALL.
12-02-2002, 10:50 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Rural Kansas... Where Life is Good
Posts: 4,139