Dropped temps here in NJ Monday into Tuesday so got out for the morning.
Set up in a suburban area hunting a drainage that’s connected to 2 others to make a “turkey foot” shape. We’ll I had my # 1 target come in behind me about 8am, north winds and he came in from the west, passed me at my NW about 6 yards which I didn’t have a shot to because of the cover of trees in between. By the time he cleared those he was facing directly away from me and walking north toward a little ridge that would lead up and over into next drainage. At the bottom of this little rise the cover starts again and I would lose my shot opportunity so as soon as hit hit my 18-20 and I saw he was about to start to turn I stopped him with a slight “sniffle” but he didn’t step out as far as would’ve been ideal..
Steeeep quartering away shot and I put it into his shoulder he bounded away with arrow sticking out, very little penetration so I think ball of shoulder joint.
I drove around afterward and caught sight of him bedded in another drainage and appeared to be ok. I ended up watching him bound away from some landscapers and squirrels.
Went in and checked bed, no arrow but decent spots of blood but more of that muscle-color blood.
Hindsight 2 things -
#1 if I stood I might have had a chance to get a 6-7 yard steep shot, OR I should’ve aimed further back on him and let it just work through the body cavity.
#2 Don’t take that shot. He was super on edge when i stopped him even though it was a quiet sniff. But I only saw this deer on 1 other encounter at 35yards and didn’t feel comfortable taking that with how jacked up I was seeing him. This time I was more calm, should’ve just let him take a couple more steps to see how it played out.
How long you think he holes up for? Or do you think he’ll still rut around and maybe slip up? He’s a homebody for sure, 3 years of intel on him.
Set up in a suburban area hunting a drainage that’s connected to 2 others to make a “turkey foot” shape. We’ll I had my # 1 target come in behind me about 8am, north winds and he came in from the west, passed me at my NW about 6 yards which I didn’t have a shot to because of the cover of trees in between. By the time he cleared those he was facing directly away from me and walking north toward a little ridge that would lead up and over into next drainage. At the bottom of this little rise the cover starts again and I would lose my shot opportunity so as soon as hit hit my 18-20 and I saw he was about to start to turn I stopped him with a slight “sniffle” but he didn’t step out as far as would’ve been ideal..
Steeeep quartering away shot and I put it into his shoulder he bounded away with arrow sticking out, very little penetration so I think ball of shoulder joint.
I drove around afterward and caught sight of him bedded in another drainage and appeared to be ok. I ended up watching him bound away from some landscapers and squirrels.
Went in and checked bed, no arrow but decent spots of blood but more of that muscle-color blood.
Hindsight 2 things -
#1 if I stood I might have had a chance to get a 6-7 yard steep shot, OR I should’ve aimed further back on him and let it just work through the body cavity.
#2 Don’t take that shot. He was super on edge when i stopped him even though it was a quiet sniff. But I only saw this deer on 1 other encounter at 35yards and didn’t feel comfortable taking that with how jacked up I was seeing him. This time I was more calm, should’ve just let him take a couple more steps to see how it played out.
How long you think he holes up for? Or do you think he’ll still rut around and maybe slip up? He’s a homebody for sure, 3 years of intel on him.
