Post by BigD on Oct 8, 2006 20:22:16 GMT -5
10/7 Western PA (WMU 2E - three points to a side is a legal buck)
Bow hunting with my Uncle Jim. I drove in Friday 10/6 and spent some time going over what my uncle and his two brothers (Ev and Bob) have seen so far. As I mentioned in a previous post, they best bucks they had seen in the woods thus far were a ten point with drop tines and a nice eight point.
Our hunting area is only two and a half miles from my uncle's house. So it was a short ride in (after the four hour drive on Friday). After arriving at 5:45 a.m., Uncle Jim realized that he left his arrows back at the house. So we boogied back to get them. I managed to get in the stand by about 6:20 a.m. I was hunting one of his stands near an apple tree.
7:39 a.m.
A doe and two fawns were out in front of me about forty-five yards out and moved through.
8:45 a.m.
There was movement behind me on the left side. It was a bit thick. I glassed and could see good antlers, so a grabbed my bow. The buck was walking parallel to me and was only going to cross one shooting lane. He stepped out and I mouthed a bleat to stop him. Unfortunately, I rushed the shot and it went right under his chest. He trotted five yards, looked back, and kept walking out of range through thick cover. I was able to get a better look through the binocs. He was a nice eight with long tines. I was bummed out, but relieved that it was a clean miss (I could see my arrow sticking out of the ground).
9:49 a.m.
More movement from the left...two does were coming up from the bottom. They seemed a bit agitated and were trotting with an occasional pause to look back. There was a buck in tow. I glassed him, saw at least six points, and grabbed my bow. The does went right in front of me. The buck went through at about twenty yards directly in front and I stopped him. No rush this time and the shot was true. It was a solid hit. He turned and bolted down the hill through thicker cover.
10:20 a.m.
I climbed down and my uncle came over. He was ready to grab some chow, but I was giving him the thumbs up sign. We found my arrow stained with bright red blood sticking out of the ground and went back to the house for some soup (he is more patient than I).
11:45 a.m.
We went back up on the hill to pick up the trail with Ev and my cousin Jon. Ev actually found blood away from where I was looking and we followed it to a gut pile! For an instant we thought some jerk had dressed out my deer and took it. However, the guts were cold and we realized that it was from someone else's deer (plus they would have to be awfully fast to get the deer out that quick). I went back to the original spot and picked up my blood trail. Sixty yards into the thick stuff we found him. One dead eight point. He was not as big as the one I missed, but I will take him for the $127.00 for the non-resident license and archery tag.
Bow hunting with my Uncle Jim. I drove in Friday 10/6 and spent some time going over what my uncle and his two brothers (Ev and Bob) have seen so far. As I mentioned in a previous post, they best bucks they had seen in the woods thus far were a ten point with drop tines and a nice eight point.
Our hunting area is only two and a half miles from my uncle's house. So it was a short ride in (after the four hour drive on Friday). After arriving at 5:45 a.m., Uncle Jim realized that he left his arrows back at the house. So we boogied back to get them. I managed to get in the stand by about 6:20 a.m. I was hunting one of his stands near an apple tree.
7:39 a.m.
A doe and two fawns were out in front of me about forty-five yards out and moved through.
8:45 a.m.
There was movement behind me on the left side. It was a bit thick. I glassed and could see good antlers, so a grabbed my bow. The buck was walking parallel to me and was only going to cross one shooting lane. He stepped out and I mouthed a bleat to stop him. Unfortunately, I rushed the shot and it went right under his chest. He trotted five yards, looked back, and kept walking out of range through thick cover. I was able to get a better look through the binocs. He was a nice eight with long tines. I was bummed out, but relieved that it was a clean miss (I could see my arrow sticking out of the ground).
9:49 a.m.
More movement from the left...two does were coming up from the bottom. They seemed a bit agitated and were trotting with an occasional pause to look back. There was a buck in tow. I glassed him, saw at least six points, and grabbed my bow. The does went right in front of me. The buck went through at about twenty yards directly in front and I stopped him. No rush this time and the shot was true. It was a solid hit. He turned and bolted down the hill through thicker cover.
10:20 a.m.
I climbed down and my uncle came over. He was ready to grab some chow, but I was giving him the thumbs up sign. We found my arrow stained with bright red blood sticking out of the ground and went back to the house for some soup (he is more patient than I).
11:45 a.m.
We went back up on the hill to pick up the trail with Ev and my cousin Jon. Ev actually found blood away from where I was looking and we followed it to a gut pile! For an instant we thought some jerk had dressed out my deer and took it. However, the guts were cold and we realized that it was from someone else's deer (plus they would have to be awfully fast to get the deer out that quick). I went back to the original spot and picked up my blood trail. Sixty yards into the thick stuff we found him. One dead eight point. He was not as big as the one I missed, but I will take him for the $127.00 for the non-resident license and archery tag.
