LongRange101
New Member
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2022
- Messages
- 22
Nov 18th last day of archery for most PA management units and I had a giant 10pt at 74 yards at 11:21am he worked some scrapes and laid hung around a licking branch watching yearlings eat. While I was waiting for him to come in closer, heard a loud deep grunt and antlers smashing behind me down a hollow. The buck snapped his head in that direction and bedded down staring for at least an hour. Snow was coming down heavy and he would get up shake off snow browse and lay down. At 5:03pm he got up to go work a scrap at 54 yards, I drew back and waited for him to stop. As Im draw back a doe comes underneath me and hears a squeak from my foot on the stand and is about to blow my cover. I let the arrow go right above shoulder and the buck steps back a huge step and hits the scrape. The arrow hits way to far forward on his leg/shoulder and he goes 10 yards and beds down. I see blood where I am and think he is done for. I waited an hour and climbed down and I can hear deer trying to get away and crashing.
I leave quiet as possible and come back next morning. Came back to find a blood trail that didn't look to good. All muscle blood. But followed it anyway for 4 hours. Jumped him about 500 yards from where I shot him. No more blood just his foot tracks. He was crashing every so many yards and I can see he only has one front leg to use. Upset that I wounded my first real big buck I left and went home vowing to come back in rifle to finish him. (I hate rifle season but its my responsibility to make a clean shot and harvest the animal) Back for 1st day of rifle and about 150 yards from where I shot him. He is killed by another hunter around 9am.
Though I lost the buck, he was taken by someone else and no longer suffering. Its hard to swallow, I shoot 30-40-60-80-100 yards all year long 20 arrows a target. I'm locked in and 50 yards is sweet spot for a few years. Its hard to not be upset but it is bitter sweet in the end.
I leave quiet as possible and come back next morning. Came back to find a blood trail that didn't look to good. All muscle blood. But followed it anyway for 4 hours. Jumped him about 500 yards from where I shot him. No more blood just his foot tracks. He was crashing every so many yards and I can see he only has one front leg to use. Upset that I wounded my first real big buck I left and went home vowing to come back in rifle to finish him. (I hate rifle season but its my responsibility to make a clean shot and harvest the animal) Back for 1st day of rifle and about 150 yards from where I shot him. He is killed by another hunter around 9am.
Though I lost the buck, he was taken by someone else and no longer suffering. Its hard to swallow, I shoot 30-40-60-80-100 yards all year long 20 arrows a target. I'm locked in and 50 yards is sweet spot for a few years. Its hard to not be upset but it is bitter sweet in the end.