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Biggest Buck of my Life

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LongRange101

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Nov 30, 2022
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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.
 

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Not being able to recover a deer is a real bummer!
I've had it happen too many times!
 
LongRange101 said:
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.
Click to expand...
This is heartbreaking. I have to clear up one detail: You shot a whitetail at 54 yards with a vertical bow?
 
LongRange101 said:
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.
Click to expand...
Losing deer is crappy, I hate it when it happens to me. However, on a deer like that, it could haunt you for a long time without the closure. You will find another one, that I can promise you, now move on and find the next one or find a couple more to give you options!!!!
 
53 yds is about twice the distance I would shoot at a deer,not because I can't hit the vitals at 50 but because of the chance of the vitals not being in the same place as when I released my arrow.
It sucks to wound a deer,but you were pushing your luck imo. Hope you learn something from it.
 
TK161BOONER said:
I’ve killed several buck and doe with a bow from 57-67 yrds and never lost one yet.
More deer are lost at 20 yard or closer.
If you feel comfortable shooting those distances don let some guy who isn’t discourage you.
Click to expand...
There I fixed it for you.
Since you are calling me out, I can certainly shoot those distances as well. Shoot all summer at long ranges, as @Bowmanmike pointed out, you have no control over what the animal does from release until impact (completely out of your control). My arrows aren't steerable to turn once released.

More deer are lost at 20 because of the number shot at 20, percentage wise it wouldn't even be close (per each hunters ability)
 
Then don’t take a shot over 10 yards,every archery sight manufacturer should only offer a bow sight that goes to 20 yards and archery rangefinder should max out at 20 yards.
Seems like more people like to give this guy grief because he can and has killed deer at those distances.
 
DroptineKrazy said:
Take a poll of all the bow hunters out there and I bet the overwhelming majority will tell you they think shots beyond 30 yards are just to risky. Doesn't matter who is behind the bow.
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Doesn’t matter what the poll says, I don’t base my hunting skills how everybody else can shoot a bow. If you don’t feel comfortable shooting those distances then don’t,I’m not gonna rail on you.
 
over time you will probably tighten that range up. it's hard to find big deer, and a hunt for 1 is not just that day. had you not taken that shot you could of killed him within a week if you were careful most likely (60-70% chance). remember the deer got a vote, and a lot can happen in a half second.
 
TK161BOONER said:
Then don’t take a shot over 10 yards,every archery sight manufacturer should only offer a bow sight that goes to 20 yards and archery rangefinder should max out at 20 yards.
Seems like more people like to give this guy grief because he can and has killed deer at those distances.
Click to expand...
You just mentioned the issue. "Can" and "has" doesn't equal should. Certainly some people are more qualified than others at that distance but this isn't about the shooter, its about what the target can do.
 
TK161BOONER said:
Doesn’t matter what the poll says, I don’t base my hunting skills how everybody else can shoot a bow. If you don’t feel comfortable shooting those distances then don’t,I’m not gonna rail on you.
Click to expand...
Not talking about anyone's shooting skills. So if some dum*ss thinks it's a good idea to shoot at deer at 100 yards because he can hit a soup can at that distance do you consider that ethical too?
 
TK161BOONER said:
Then don’t take a shot over 10 yards,every archery sight manufacturer should only offer a bow sight that goes to 20 yards and archery rangefinder should max out at 20 yards.
Seems like more people like to give this guy grief because he can and has killed deer at those distances.
Click to expand...

I don't know what OP is looking for, empathy or solutions to a problem. Your response really offers neither.

-Those who say don't shoot so far, that's at least in the way of solutions to a problem. I'll include drop data for informational purposes as it's something to consider with every shot.

-Defending the shot with your perfect record is hardly empathetic. Dude just wounded one.

Nobody has mentioned working on that squeaky tree stand. First thing I'd do.

Anyway, here's the study graphic:


AF4DE6D5-5498-4966-AA31-B7E012A93DE7.png
 
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DroptineKrazy said:
Not talking about anyone's shooting skills. So if some dum*ss thinks it's a good idea to shoot at deer at 100 yards because he can hit a soup can at that distance do you consider that ethical too?
Click to expand...
Shoot whatever distances you are comfortable shooting .
 
Plebe said:
I don't know what OP is looking for, empathy or solutions to a problem. Your response really offers neither.

-Those who say don't shoot so far, that's at least in the way of solutions to a problem. I'll include drop data for informational purposes as it's something to consider with every shot.

-Defending the shot with your perfect record is hardly empathetic. Dude just wounded one.

Nobody has mentioned working on that squeaky tree stand. First thing I'd do.

Anyway, here's the study graphic:


View attachment 77473
Click to expand...
Did he have issues with the deer dropping? Not all deer drop during a shot.
 
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