Sticknstring88
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2016
- Messages
- 233
Had a crazy hunt last Saturday night and ended up taking a yearling doe with my longbow on a new property. The evening got off to a strange start when I pulled into my parking spot. I started stringing my bow and heard an atv coming. It was another hunter who also has permission on the property. He said he had been driving all over checking the straps on all 8 of his ladder stands. He asked where I planned to sit which I vaguely explained then he proceeded to mention that he still had a couple stands to check and would have to drive right through the middle of the property to get back to where his truck was parked. He said he would make it quick though.
I shrugged it off as the deer in my ag heavy area are fairly accustomed to tractors and ATV. From looking on the topo I knew there was a ridge that leads to a fence crossing onto the neighbors who don’t allow any hunting. With him disturbing the whole property I figured it would make a likely escape route or that something might come back through once he left and things calmed down. I made my way in and picked out a tree about 8” in diameter which happened to be about 30 yards from one of his ladder stands. There weren’t any pronounced trails but it was obvious that it was the easiest place to walk down the ridge which has all kinds of scrubby invasive brush and briars. I climbed the tree and set my ring of steps (could hear his atv cutting back through the main bedding area) and tethered in. As soon I as connected my carabiner to my bridge I glanced over to see a deer standing not 20 yards away coming from the direction I head the atv.
After a brief staring contest the deer looked back behind it seemingly worried about the atv commotion. I thought I was busted anyway so thought I would just go ahead and pull my bow up. To my surprise the deer watched me pull the bow up swing the bow over the top of my tether and nock an arrow. I avoided looking at the deer trying to not make eye contact.
When I turned my head towards the deer it had walked behind a tree so I awkwardly got into shooting position which was hard with both the tether and linesman belt connected. After about 5 seconds it took 3 or 4 steps out from behind the tree and presented a 23 yard broadside shot. I quickly drew, picked a spot and released my 1916 Easton aluminum arrow tipped with a 175 single bevel grizzly broadhead from my 41# hybrid longbow. When the arrow hit the deer I could hear it go through the ribs and chest cavity. The arrow passed through cleanly and stuck 4” into the ground.
The deer just bounded off slowly not even realizing what had happened. When I got down to check for blood I found my arrow but zero blood trail so decided to back out for the evening worried I might have push her if the hit wasn’t as good as I thought. In the morning I started a grid search and found her only 50 yards from the shot sight. Not exactly how I drew it up, but sometimes you have to just to make the most of not so ideal situations.
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I shrugged it off as the deer in my ag heavy area are fairly accustomed to tractors and ATV. From looking on the topo I knew there was a ridge that leads to a fence crossing onto the neighbors who don’t allow any hunting. With him disturbing the whole property I figured it would make a likely escape route or that something might come back through once he left and things calmed down. I made my way in and picked out a tree about 8” in diameter which happened to be about 30 yards from one of his ladder stands. There weren’t any pronounced trails but it was obvious that it was the easiest place to walk down the ridge which has all kinds of scrubby invasive brush and briars. I climbed the tree and set my ring of steps (could hear his atv cutting back through the main bedding area) and tethered in. As soon I as connected my carabiner to my bridge I glanced over to see a deer standing not 20 yards away coming from the direction I head the atv.
After a brief staring contest the deer looked back behind it seemingly worried about the atv commotion. I thought I was busted anyway so thought I would just go ahead and pull my bow up. To my surprise the deer watched me pull the bow up swing the bow over the top of my tether and nock an arrow. I avoided looking at the deer trying to not make eye contact.
When I turned my head towards the deer it had walked behind a tree so I awkwardly got into shooting position which was hard with both the tether and linesman belt connected. After about 5 seconds it took 3 or 4 steps out from behind the tree and presented a 23 yard broadside shot. I quickly drew, picked a spot and released my 1916 Easton aluminum arrow tipped with a 175 single bevel grizzly broadhead from my 41# hybrid longbow. When the arrow hit the deer I could hear it go through the ribs and chest cavity. The arrow passed through cleanly and stuck 4” into the ground.
The deer just bounded off slowly not even realizing what had happened. When I got down to check for blood I found my arrow but zero blood trail so decided to back out for the evening worried I might have push her if the hit wasn’t as good as I thought. In the morning I started a grid search and found her only 50 yards from the shot sight. Not exactly how I drew it up, but sometimes you have to just to make the most of not so ideal situations.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
