Coathanger15
Well-Known Member
I've been reading all of the "burned out" threads and in some ways it is reassuring to know you are not alone in having a challenging season. 2/3rds of the way through mine and it finally happened. This is a bitter sweet kill as things did not go exactly as planned and I have taken to heart some valuable lessons and hope some of you will as well. Read on if you dare as I tend to get long winded.
This kill was exactly one week ago on a controlled hunt at our local military base. I look forward to this hunt every year as odds of encounters/shot opportunities is drastically higher there than in my immediate surrounding area. It is a very large area that sees only a handful of hunting days a year. Only a youth day and paraplegic day before a three day bow hunt.
Anyway, the archery opener got off to a bad start as the powers that be decided at the last minute to change the location of check in but failed to notify us hunters so instead of checking in early and getting to your spot before first light, we were delayed and most of us didnt get signed in and on our way till an hour past legal. Keeping a positive attitude really helps in those situations.
My destination was a small bowl with a cruzing ridge rising up gently to my right. I have seen deer come in to this spot from both the lower side and the ridge with this wind and couldnt decide which side to favor. I decided to play it safe and go right in between. 30 minutes after settling in I spotted this guy between trees about 80yds away slowly making his way down the ridge I my direction. He was not rushing at all. Very relaxed. Stopping to dig around for acorns every few yards. He was slightly zig zagging down to 60, then 50yards. He was coming in on my weak side so when he went behind trees I was able to bring bow up and around and start looking for my shot. If he stayed on his current line I only had 2 windows one at 35 and the other at 40.
I always said that i would only shoot at a deer with my setup at 40 if it was totally relaxed and i had perfect conditions. He zigged out and never gave me a shot at my first opening but zigged back and i drew as he walked by a tree. He walked right into my second opening and stopped to scrape the ground and eat. What I didnt realize in my excitement was the second window was at my extreme limit of turn back from my weak side. Had I anticipated better I would have never brought my bow around to my weak side. I should have stepped right on my next step and swung around my strong side for a comfortable shooting position.
There he was. Possibly my biggest bow buck relaxed and calm and broadside at 40yrds but another step and he was out of my life. And there I was at full draw slightly tourqing my grip (probably pushing my shot a little left) as I struggled to remain calm and wait for him to lift his head up to try to minimize how much he could drop his body at the shot. (I did remember that thread inthe moment!) All of this happened in what seemed like an instant. He raised his head. Simultaneously, as I released the shot he stepped forward and I believe saw me/heard the shot and went from a relaxed deer to greased lightning. He twisted his body almost in two as he tried to bound off hard to his left. By the time my arrow reached him, what used to be his vitals was what looked to me to be straight guts....I could see my lighted nock so no passthrough. he staggered and slightly hunched and slowly walked up the ridge. Sick to my stomach at the situation I watched as he creasted the ridge and took hope in that he looked very weak on his legs. After replaying his body position as the arrow hit, I felt that I probably got lucky and hit at least liver. Also something made that arrow stop, did I catch the I side of the front shoulder? If so I know I hit vitals
If your still reading....a good friend and great hunter I know was planning on doing an evening hunt on base and offered to come help me track. We figured liver and at least one lung. Most likely not much blood. The blood was the only thing we were right about. Well that and that he was dead. We gave him three and a half hours and went slowly and quietly track him. No blood at shot, no blood up the trail he was on. No blood as we zig zagged the next 40 yards. When my buddy turned up to face me and gave me the thumbs up. There he was, dead not 60 yards from where I had las seen him. He didnt suffer long. Relief.
Shot went in hard at his back hip/leg severed the femoral artery and he bleed out internally. These animals are so unbelievably fast. The single bevel broadhead did its job crushing through that heavy back leg bone expanding most of its energy. It did pass through and out behind his third rib from back. Caught liver and nicked a lung. I believe the blood loss from the artery was what killed him. My shots will be under 30 with this setup from here on out as that was the worst feeling.
Finding him and knowing that he didnt suffer long was sweet relief
Happy Hunting!
This kill was exactly one week ago on a controlled hunt at our local military base. I look forward to this hunt every year as odds of encounters/shot opportunities is drastically higher there than in my immediate surrounding area. It is a very large area that sees only a handful of hunting days a year. Only a youth day and paraplegic day before a three day bow hunt.
Anyway, the archery opener got off to a bad start as the powers that be decided at the last minute to change the location of check in but failed to notify us hunters so instead of checking in early and getting to your spot before first light, we were delayed and most of us didnt get signed in and on our way till an hour past legal. Keeping a positive attitude really helps in those situations.
My destination was a small bowl with a cruzing ridge rising up gently to my right. I have seen deer come in to this spot from both the lower side and the ridge with this wind and couldnt decide which side to favor. I decided to play it safe and go right in between. 30 minutes after settling in I spotted this guy between trees about 80yds away slowly making his way down the ridge I my direction. He was not rushing at all. Very relaxed. Stopping to dig around for acorns every few yards. He was slightly zig zagging down to 60, then 50yards. He was coming in on my weak side so when he went behind trees I was able to bring bow up and around and start looking for my shot. If he stayed on his current line I only had 2 windows one at 35 and the other at 40.
I always said that i would only shoot at a deer with my setup at 40 if it was totally relaxed and i had perfect conditions. He zigged out and never gave me a shot at my first opening but zigged back and i drew as he walked by a tree. He walked right into my second opening and stopped to scrape the ground and eat. What I didnt realize in my excitement was the second window was at my extreme limit of turn back from my weak side. Had I anticipated better I would have never brought my bow around to my weak side. I should have stepped right on my next step and swung around my strong side for a comfortable shooting position.
There he was. Possibly my biggest bow buck relaxed and calm and broadside at 40yrds but another step and he was out of my life. And there I was at full draw slightly tourqing my grip (probably pushing my shot a little left) as I struggled to remain calm and wait for him to lift his head up to try to minimize how much he could drop his body at the shot. (I did remember that thread inthe moment!) All of this happened in what seemed like an instant. He raised his head. Simultaneously, as I released the shot he stepped forward and I believe saw me/heard the shot and went from a relaxed deer to greased lightning. He twisted his body almost in two as he tried to bound off hard to his left. By the time my arrow reached him, what used to be his vitals was what looked to me to be straight guts....I could see my lighted nock so no passthrough. he staggered and slightly hunched and slowly walked up the ridge. Sick to my stomach at the situation I watched as he creasted the ridge and took hope in that he looked very weak on his legs. After replaying his body position as the arrow hit, I felt that I probably got lucky and hit at least liver. Also something made that arrow stop, did I catch the I side of the front shoulder? If so I know I hit vitals
If your still reading....a good friend and great hunter I know was planning on doing an evening hunt on base and offered to come help me track. We figured liver and at least one lung. Most likely not much blood. The blood was the only thing we were right about. Well that and that he was dead. We gave him three and a half hours and went slowly and quietly track him. No blood at shot, no blood up the trail he was on. No blood as we zig zagged the next 40 yards. When my buddy turned up to face me and gave me the thumbs up. There he was, dead not 60 yards from where I had las seen him. He didnt suffer long. Relief.
Shot went in hard at his back hip/leg severed the femoral artery and he bleed out internally. These animals are so unbelievably fast. The single bevel broadhead did its job crushing through that heavy back leg bone expanding most of its energy. It did pass through and out behind his third rib from back. Caught liver and nicked a lung. I believe the blood loss from the artery was what killed him. My shots will be under 30 with this setup from here on out as that was the worst feeling.
Finding him and knowing that he didnt suffer long was sweet relief
Happy Hunting!
Last edited:
