It's cooled off nicely here lately.A doe gave me a shot this evening.Used an osage self bow I call the red rat bow 65" long @ 50#@ 28" draw and a 600+ grain self nocked dogwood arrow.145 grain Ace broadhead.The bow still holds a scooch over 4" reflex from a summer of target shooting and a hunting season.I had told Robin at the beginning of the season that I pitied any deer getting within 20 yards of me.
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,69968.0.html Pass through quartering away shot rib to rib.You can see the bubbles coming out of the exit hole yet.
If you click on the picture it'll enlarge it.At least on my computer it does.No blood trail to follow on this one.She weighed about 150 pounds.
After hanging and gutting her in the shed the damage showed I took out the lungs and sliced the heart.I can see why it put a hiccup in her getty-up.
She ran abut 30 yards.Stopped for 5 seconds and kicked out funny with her front leg and fell over.Stood back up for another 10 seconds and fell over for good.I'd say she was completely dead in less than 10 minutes or even 5 minutes as it went fast.
A picture from the deers' point of view from where she was shot.A big honey locust.There were a lot more leaves on earlier.
A little description of the hunt.....Shot her from an 18' stand and she was around 10 yards from the base of the tree.I had been sitting for a couple of hours watching everything from squirrels to chipmunks to a couple of gobblers browsing about 50 yards away in the edge of the corn field.Part of a group I imagine of 8 bachelors I've been listening to come down and roost the last few days. I have a turkey tag to fill too.
Wind which was very little was just right for my shooting lane.I know cause I tested it with my milkweed fluff wind detectors.I had been sitting a couple hours when this doe and her fawn came by at a walking pace from behind on my right side.Paused looking at the gobblers out in front of me but but not quite right for a shot yet.I had to wait till she walked a few more paces before releasing the shot.She did'nt realize what hit her as the bow shot quiet as a mouse.The arrow disappeared through her right where I was looking.
She bolted straight at the 2 gobblers in the edge of the cornfield.They just raised their heads and stood their ground and watched her stop 10 yards from them and fall over.She got back up immediately but very unsteady.Kicked out her front leg and fell over for good.The yearling cruised around a while wondering just what happened here and walked off into the woods later but not before a bobtailed coon cruised by checking the situation out.Pretty sure it was the same coon that got by me killing some of our chickens as there are'nt too many bobtailed coon.[sometimes during mating season when boars are fighting this can happen].We lock the doors up on our chickens now at dusk.No more dead chickens.I would of stuck him too if he would of given me a chance.
With plenty of daylight left and a dead deer within my sight I waited for another deer.2 more does showed up checking out the dead doe.They did'nt want anything to do with it close up but were still curious hanging around a while just out of range.One with 2 fawns had a button buck fawn that was as big as most does already.None of these deer came close enough for a shot from me.
I came back way after dark and supper to drag the doe up to the tractor shed with as little disturbance as possible.
Hunting just 30 acres of woods it's important to maintain very little disturbance from hunting.The deer catch on quickly that it's too dangerous to hang around here!!!This was about as least of a disturbance of a hunt I've had in a long time.Which bodes well for filling my other tags.I've gotten three bow tags this year.
Post script...Goal of 200 pounds or better of deer meat for this year.As the price of beef has sky rocketed even in the midwest here.This deer produced 60 pounds.That's including 5 pounds of beef fat added to all my deer for hamburger.
These goals of meat from the woods and produce from the garden is not about being afraid of the way things are trending.They are about being smart though.The health benefits are a + also.
