My First Archery Deer !!! Page 18

It was October 2000

I had just started bow hunting this year. After taking the mandatory Bow hunter course, I practiced everyday after purchasing My Pearson Bow until I could hit targets from 5 yards to 40 yards fairly easily . After tuning & sighting my bow from groundblinds, treestands, & various other positions , I decided to try my Luck at bowhunting Deer. I had reservations for quite a few years, hearing horror stories from various people , But wanted to decide for myself if the sport of Bowhunting was for me . I had decided to hunt around my brothers Property as he had several nice bucks there, that we had seen during pryor pre season scouting trips. My Brother George who took the bow hunters course with me & decided to give bow hunting a shot as well, was fairly excited as was I about the extra season & the good weather that came along with bow season usually . During The first week of the archery we had seen several does, I tried rattling & some calling but to no avail , I had only seen doe's with no clear shot at any of them. the second week however, turned out to be a lot better week as the Bucks were tearing up the entire area with tree rubs & much more scrape activity. They were also starting to respond much better to my callin & rattling. Though it wasn't til the 25 of Oct. when I was hunting a dogleg that led from heavy cover / bedding area to a cornfield/wild apple orchard with a small stream running through it. It was about 8:30-8:45 I had tickled my rattling antlers a few times for about 20 to 30 seconds only, I had a small 3 point come down from the adjoining ridge, but not in close enough for a shot opportunity. A little while later about an hour or so around 10:30 am etc. I was rattling again & was using the can , But (The BIG can)for long distance calling & then it Happend!!! I saw movement from the same adjoining ridge that the small buck emerged from a short while earlier. Then I spotted what looked to be a huge racked buck.

He was standing on top looking around. I then took my Dominant buck grunt & gave out a fairly soft grunt with it the Buck immediatly looked in my direction & started down the ridge right towards my location. I had laid a doe in estraus trail down in front of my stand about 15 yards out in front of my stand when I came into the dogleg at first light, I was hoping he would get to that & follow it to my stand area where he would give me a shot at him. As the Big buck approached I could hardly believe what I was seeing!! He was by far the nicest buck I had ever seen at or near my brother Georges Property. My adreanalin was in super fast mode & I could hardly swallow as the buck crossed the stream about 50 yards away from me!! I had to take very deep breaths as too try & calm down somewhat so If given a shot opportunity at this big guy I wouldn't blow it. Because you just don't get to see a buck like this often & if he see's you or you spook him well ,you can pretty much say goodbye to an animal of this caliber!!! Because they don't manage to grow this big by being stupid or fooled easily. I managed to calm down somewhat finally, When the buck caught wind of the scent trail I had laid earlier he headed right up the ridge straight up right out in front of me he stopped a couple of times for a minute or so looked around,he must of felt it was ok to continue on, When he got out in front of my stand he was about 26 yards away standing faced right at me. I Prayed he would turn giving me a broadside shot, as I just won't take a shot at a deer standing facing right at me its just a too low percentage shot , after several minutes he finally did turn & continue walking towards the top of the ridge I was on . After he got within 22 or 24 yards I gave out a baat noise to stop the buck, he did, I was at full draw & I took aim & let the arrow fly a Perfect broadside quartering away shot behind the shoulder. The big buck ran not 50 yards towards a thicket at the top of the ridge , But never made it into it , I Watched in almost disbelief as The Big Buck fell over, Not 50 yards from where I shot him. I was shaking so bad I could hardly stand myself lol!!!!!!!! But I was sure a Happy camper let me tell ya putting it mildly after giving the buck 20 minutes before climbing down from the treestand, & calling my brother George on our two way radio's, who then came & seen the buck himself was stunned at the size of this bruiser as I was. And he as I til that day after telling him how the hunt took place, had never encountered a big buck of that caliber that close ever, I had seen & taken many nice bucks during the past years gun seasons, but was never so close to a nice buck that I had called in & had him go right where I needed him too be for a shot . And then to have him fall only 50 yards away , Well I'll tell you I am sorry now I hadn't started Bow hunting way back 25 years ago .He was one of the nicest 8 Point bucks I've ever taken to date. I Know now!!! if you Practice alot & become very familar & accurate with a bow, you have the same chance at taking a deer quickly & humainly with a bow as you do a gun. And Lots of target Practice with your bow can make you every bit a good a shot at deer as a gun. The only difference being (Distance) of the shot !!! However the Rut in NY & the northeast starts in October & peaks around the week of Nov. 18th which allows you too call & rattle the bucks in for the closer shot you require during bow season and hopefully get . There are other factors that come into play during archery, though . There is not always snow during archery, which forces you to really put your tracking skills to work. Also I am color blind so I use a product that helps & allows me to find blood trails if its a fairly good blood trail . It consist of a bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide & a bottle of yellow food coloring I mix a spray bottle with a bottle of peroxide & about a few drops of yellow food coloring & combined makes an awseome helper for the hunter who is colorblind or the hunter who just don't have a really good bloodtrail .As the peroxide and food coloring combination once sprayed in & around where your deer ran off after the shot, will foam up at the least little bit of blood it hits. Thus helping you find the direction or blood trail where none is visable. Remember!!! it is absolutely VITAL you (pay attention) to the direction the deer runs after the shot.!!The first area being where you made the shot then where the deer runs after that shot. Paying close attention to that will greatly increase your chances of finding that deer after you hit him, especially in cases where you just didn't have a good hit or blood trail. So Remember hitting the Deer is only the beginning. Where & what direction he / she goes after the shot is even more important during Bowhunting.!!! to retrieve that deer. And you owe it to that animal you hit to give it your all , in trying to retrieve it.

I hope you enjoyed this hunt with me as I did sharing it with you. Its a hunt that I'll NEVER forget

So Until Next Time May You Have A Safe Great Hunt & May You Bag The Deer Of A Lifetime!!!!

Wally