Robert
Active Member
The first encounter with this buck was about a week and a half ago. I watched him for about 15-30 minutes before taking a shot that must have hit a branch- it corkscrewed down and to the right, like a curveball. I missed him by 2 feet at about 30 yards. I clearly saw the arrow hit the ground under him and he jumped, ran 20-30 feet and continued to eat where I could watch him, but not take a shot due to branches. I clearly had buck fever, and was nervous, but missed due to a branch or incorrectly indexed nock.
About a week and a half later, I went back to the same spot of Missouri public land. I found a tree with a crotch where I was standing about 8 feet up, but was shooting down into a ravine, as the tree was near the top of a big drop off. I practiced all week before this next hunt, replicating that shot as many times as I could. I took some paracord and tied down a bunch of the branches that may obscure a shot before climbing into the tree. I had a great "window" on the whole left side of the tree. My perfect situation was a buck walking from left to right, I could shoot down on him once he was past me and he wouldn't see me draw.
I expected action to start around 1800, but about an hour before time, this buck comes cruising in from left to right. He was walking way too fast to take a shot, and in my panic I forgot to try to stop him and take a shot. I am still only in my second season. Anyway, he stood where I could see him, to the right of my tree for a good while. Long enough that I watched a doe and some fawns making the same crossing he was, but to my left. He drifted their way a little bit I guess, because when I next checked where he was on my right, he was close enough for me to shoot at 38 yards, and if I leaned out from the tree to the right, I could get a clean shot.
I waited until he was broadside, and took the shot. He turned to me a little, so the arrow hit true, but went through diagonally and out the low brisket area on the opposite side. I clearly saw the arrow go through and come out on the other side, it was amazing. He ran into the timber on the other side of a creek, and stood where I could watch him for what seemed to be 10 minutes, just standing there looking around slowly. After a time, he flicked his tail and walked out of view into the timber. I decided to get down and get to the other side of this creek, which I would have to walk around. I got to the other side about 15 minutes before dark, found the arrow and a massive, horror movie style blood trail.
One of the coolest parts of the hunt was that when I had someone come out to help me drag, I had to go back to my truck to meet him. I followed the trail to where he bedded, but I guess I jumped the buck when I crossed the creek, because I heard a huge commotion and a crash. I left the trail there to meet my buddy to get him out to the spot. He brought my 11 year old lab/pit mix Lucy. She was happy to just be out hiking. She had never been out with me hunting. My buddy and I were going over how the shot happened, and looked around for the dog. She was nowhere to be found. When we did find her, she was splayed out, sniffing the ground and very very excited. She found the spot where I shot my buck as we were talking about it and looking for the spot. She followed the blood trail right away. I had my friend stay on the blood, and me and the dog jumped ahead to try to save time. She ended up leading us right down the blood trail, and then ran off into a clearing and wouldn't come back when called. I went to find her, and low and behold she was pointing like a pointer to my buck.
First deer killed
First solo kill
First saddle kill
First public land kill
I have to say thank you to all of you on this forum, I would have never been able to get into saddle hunting without this great resource we have with Saddlehunter.com, and it's most excellent podcast. Without a saddle, I would not have been able to take that shot. I had to lower my tether to a seated position and then stand up, with feet on my Stepps, and my body at probably more than a 60 degree angle.
About a week and a half later, I went back to the same spot of Missouri public land. I found a tree with a crotch where I was standing about 8 feet up, but was shooting down into a ravine, as the tree was near the top of a big drop off. I practiced all week before this next hunt, replicating that shot as many times as I could. I took some paracord and tied down a bunch of the branches that may obscure a shot before climbing into the tree. I had a great "window" on the whole left side of the tree. My perfect situation was a buck walking from left to right, I could shoot down on him once he was past me and he wouldn't see me draw.
I expected action to start around 1800, but about an hour before time, this buck comes cruising in from left to right. He was walking way too fast to take a shot, and in my panic I forgot to try to stop him and take a shot. I am still only in my second season. Anyway, he stood where I could see him, to the right of my tree for a good while. Long enough that I watched a doe and some fawns making the same crossing he was, but to my left. He drifted their way a little bit I guess, because when I next checked where he was on my right, he was close enough for me to shoot at 38 yards, and if I leaned out from the tree to the right, I could get a clean shot.
I waited until he was broadside, and took the shot. He turned to me a little, so the arrow hit true, but went through diagonally and out the low brisket area on the opposite side. I clearly saw the arrow go through and come out on the other side, it was amazing. He ran into the timber on the other side of a creek, and stood where I could watch him for what seemed to be 10 minutes, just standing there looking around slowly. After a time, he flicked his tail and walked out of view into the timber. I decided to get down and get to the other side of this creek, which I would have to walk around. I got to the other side about 15 minutes before dark, found the arrow and a massive, horror movie style blood trail.
One of the coolest parts of the hunt was that when I had someone come out to help me drag, I had to go back to my truck to meet him. I followed the trail to where he bedded, but I guess I jumped the buck when I crossed the creek, because I heard a huge commotion and a crash. I left the trail there to meet my buddy to get him out to the spot. He brought my 11 year old lab/pit mix Lucy. She was happy to just be out hiking. She had never been out with me hunting. My buddy and I were going over how the shot happened, and looked around for the dog. She was nowhere to be found. When we did find her, she was splayed out, sniffing the ground and very very excited. She found the spot where I shot my buck as we were talking about it and looking for the spot. She followed the blood trail right away. I had my friend stay on the blood, and me and the dog jumped ahead to try to save time. She ended up leading us right down the blood trail, and then ran off into a clearing and wouldn't come back when called. I went to find her, and low and behold she was pointing like a pointer to my buck.
First deer killed
First solo kill
First saddle kill
First public land kill
I have to say thank you to all of you on this forum, I would have never been able to get into saddle hunting without this great resource we have with Saddlehunter.com, and it's most excellent podcast. Without a saddle, I would not have been able to take that shot. I had to lower my tether to a seated position and then stand up, with feet on my Stepps, and my body at probably more than a 60 degree angle.
