A few nice bucks have been around but I was holding out to see if a big boy would move in and take over, but it hasn't happened.
With limited time off due to the new job (pretty much weekends only), as I entered the stand this Sunday morning I said to myself if the high brow 8 pointer shows up I'm going to shoot! And that's exactly what happened!
I snuck into the stand about 30 minutes before first light. Some condensation on the leaves made for a nice quiet stalk to my stand and I got in there perfectly without bumping any deer at all! I got settled in and about 15 minutes later heard some commotion to my right, sounded like a few deer running around...not all out chase mode, but definitely like they were getting nudged around. Even though it was still dark I opted to hit the can call to see if I could coax them to mill over to my direction just in time for legal shooting light. A few minutes later I hear a single deer approaching from behind me, which I could see through my binos was a small spike...he crossed right in front of the stand and headed over to the deer I heard on the right. I guess he chased them around a bit before moving off.
Things quieted down so I hit the grunt call and 4 does meandered in front of my stand about 25 yards and fed just after daybreak. That small buck returned again to harass them a bit before they moved off...and that harassment garnished the attention of the 8 pointer as he must of gotten out of his bed to come over and investigate. With the does out of site, he spotted the small buck and circled in...approached him with his ears pinned back to show him who's boss and stood broadside directly in front of my stand around 23 yards or so.
I drew back started to settle in but rushed the shot and made a marginal one center mass and right below the spine. The deer bolted off on a dead run for about 120 yards before he was out of my sight and I heard what I thought was a crash and then silence. Worried about the shot placement, I wasn't confident that crash was him going down and figured I would be lucky to hit the liver, kidneys or an artery...all fatal shots. So I backed out quietly 45 minutes later and waited another 4-5 hours before taking up the blood trail. The trail was spotty for the first 100 yards but then got better and better. As I crested a blowdown I spotted white in the distance through the thickets, threw up my binos and wasn't quite sure it was my downed deer...so I crept up slowly with a nocked arrow in case a follow-up shot was needed. As it turned out, no follow-up shot was needed at all and my buck was down! He made it about 200 yards before going down and that crashing I heard immediately after the shot was indeed him falling right where he laid. I was extremely fortunate to sever a major artery that runs along the spine and this buck died within 10-15 seconds of being shot. But given the questionable shot placement, it was definitely the right move to backout and wait.
Certainly what could have turned into a disaster turned into a great day! Bad shots don't happen often, but if you've bowhunted long enough...they will happen. I was relieved and happy the shot worked out and I was able to put him down quickly!
Here's a few pics from the bloodtrailing and how I found him!
Blood started getting very good the last 100 yards...
Arrow came out about 50 yards before I found him...
As I found him...
Some shots of him on the ground...
And a great end to a beautiful November day!
http://mmateyak.blogspot.com/2011/11/11132011-nj-permit-bow-8-pointer.html
