This was my first full year to hunt a piece of family property in Austin County Texas. I spent countless hours looking at maps and observation sits. I ended up installing a watering hole and 3 tree stand in the most strategic locations, or so I thought. I had 9 sits over 3 weekend between the 3 stands with 0 shots on legal bucks. My father-in-law who lives on the property told me we were over thinking this... I saw zero deer that morning and he saw 5 bucks that morning and they all went through a gate in the back. He asked why don't you hunt there??? Because it didn't have a good tree to setup in. I went back there and looked at the only "tree" near the gate with a new vision.
I would never be able to hunt this tree without a saddle but I decided I would give it a try and installed a few screw-in steps and put up a Ultimate One-Stick with an Ultimate Platform. The tree was so small it would shake with any foot movement or major weight shifting, but I made it work.
Well the last morning of Texas Archery season had arrived and i decided to drive the hour from my house out to farm to give it one last go. I arrive early and was up in the tree and hour and a half before sunrise and sat for the this chilly morning following a new moon. Legal light was 7:13AM and I hadn't seen major deer movement until around 8AM in the past few weeks. Well at 7:20 I look over my right should and a buck in nose down and working towards me quickly. Of course he just skits bow range at 40 yards and hits a scrape. He then heads down a game trail, I had to make a quick decision and hit him with a grunt as he almost vanished down the trail. I could only see his back legs and tail but he stopped immedately. I waited a few seconds and hit him with a harder grunt sequence and he turned and trotted out ready to fight. I had to carefully put up the grunt tube and attach my release while he closed the distance. Like me father-in-law said he came right to gate for a 9 yard shot.
(if you look close you can see my lighted nock)
The shot was close and quick, it felt good and sounded solid. He ran about 60 yards while I made doe bleats at him. Once he got to the edge of the brush he stoped and looked back at me for a few seconds and then wiggled his tail before walking deeper into the brush and disappearing. The tail wiggle got me flustered... did I miss??? I tried to give it 30 minutes before checking the arrow but only made it 15.
The arrow looked great, covered in bright red glossy blood. So I sneaked back to the house to have a nice warm breakfast, one of the many benefits of hunting on you in-laws property. Just to be cautious I gave him an hour and a half. I went back to the arrow and tried to find blood... only one pin drop. I then tried to trail him the 60 yards to the brush where he stopped... nothing. I found a dime size drop of blood where he stopped with a little splatter. Now I'm concerned. I follow the obvious game trail slowly for about 10 yards and see no one drop of blood! Now I really worried. I look over further down the trail and see a white belly through some brush and behind a tree!
I know I don't have to explain the joy, relief, satisfaction, and pride as this was my first buck with a bow. This hunt wouldn't have been possible without a saddle.
Bear Paradox #62 29.5"
Easton Axis 5mm 300
Blazer Vanes with 5" wrap
Ethics Archery Steel Outsert 125 grain
Grizzlystik Samurai 125 grain
Total Arrow Weight 615 grains 16% FOC
I would never be able to hunt this tree without a saddle but I decided I would give it a try and installed a few screw-in steps and put up a Ultimate One-Stick with an Ultimate Platform. The tree was so small it would shake with any foot movement or major weight shifting, but I made it work.
Well the last morning of Texas Archery season had arrived and i decided to drive the hour from my house out to farm to give it one last go. I arrive early and was up in the tree and hour and a half before sunrise and sat for the this chilly morning following a new moon. Legal light was 7:13AM and I hadn't seen major deer movement until around 8AM in the past few weeks. Well at 7:20 I look over my right should and a buck in nose down and working towards me quickly. Of course he just skits bow range at 40 yards and hits a scrape. He then heads down a game trail, I had to make a quick decision and hit him with a grunt as he almost vanished down the trail. I could only see his back legs and tail but he stopped immedately. I waited a few seconds and hit him with a harder grunt sequence and he turned and trotted out ready to fight. I had to carefully put up the grunt tube and attach my release while he closed the distance. Like me father-in-law said he came right to gate for a 9 yard shot.
(if you look close you can see my lighted nock)The shot was close and quick, it felt good and sounded solid. He ran about 60 yards while I made doe bleats at him. Once he got to the edge of the brush he stoped and looked back at me for a few seconds and then wiggled his tail before walking deeper into the brush and disappearing. The tail wiggle got me flustered... did I miss??? I tried to give it 30 minutes before checking the arrow but only made it 15.
The arrow looked great, covered in bright red glossy blood. So I sneaked back to the house to have a nice warm breakfast, one of the many benefits of hunting on you in-laws property. Just to be cautious I gave him an hour and a half. I went back to the arrow and tried to find blood... only one pin drop. I then tried to trail him the 60 yards to the brush where he stopped... nothing. I found a dime size drop of blood where he stopped with a little splatter. Now I'm concerned. I follow the obvious game trail slowly for about 10 yards and see no one drop of blood! Now I really worried. I look over further down the trail and see a white belly through some brush and behind a tree!
I know I don't have to explain the joy, relief, satisfaction, and pride as this was my first buck with a bow. This hunt wouldn't have been possible without a saddle.
Bear Paradox #62 29.5"
Easton Axis 5mm 300
Blazer Vanes with 5" wrap
Ethics Archery Steel Outsert 125 grain
Grizzlystik Samurai 125 grain
Total Arrow Weight 615 grains 16% FOC
