Thanks pappy
I've been hunting hard this year as usual. This deer is my fourth of the season, taking two does and a small 7pt earlier with bows of my own making. This particular deer happened to fall to my latest Osage bow built from sister billets. It's a sweet shooting 40#er and the tapered cedars that I have with it are a deadly combination
This buck was working a ridge across the way from me when I noticed him in the morning sun. I let out a few aggressive grunts and to my surprise he turned and started to head my direction. Once he crossed the nearly 80yrd wide creek bottom he stopped again, I gave him a few more grunts in the opposite direction and here he come! My stand is positioned right on the start of a ridge and the bucks usually pass in front of me working the thick edge cover but this guy decided he was gonna go up behind me quartering the ridge. The shot was a less than ideal opportunity, I had one hole behind my stand at close to 20yds level with my stand. When he stepped in it I was already at full draw. In a flash I sent the 200gr ace zipping through his ribcage. Complete pass through with the arrow laying on the ground at impact.
The next few moments were where it got confusing for me. I had seen the arrow disappear perfect "in the pocket" as we say. It appeared to be a heart shot or atleast double lung but to my amazement I stood there looking at that buck not 30yds from where he was shot just stand there. He wavered a little then headed down the ridge only to bed not 50 yds from my stand in plain sight. Through my binoculars I could see that the impact was excatley as I thought... So why wasn't the deer done I thought? He ended up struggling to get up a few times, eventually walking off out of sight later crossing a creek and heading up a steep ridge.
I got down and checked my arrow. Great blood on it and awesome blood in the first 30yds to where he stood. Then it tapered off and went to almost nothing after he bedded. So I did the sensible thing and backed out for a few hours. After a long lunch and a few phone calls to my friends I returned only to find a more impossible situation. The midday sun and dried blood didn't make picking up the trail very easy. Finally I spotted where he had crossed the steep embankment of the creek and completely lost the blood after that. I found myself just searching for a deer at some point and had to stop and just refoucus. I went back to last blood and got on my hands and knees. I ended up finding one more spec. I mentally drew a line from last blood to this new spec on up ahead and up the ridge. To my amazement I saw a hint of white about half way up the steep hillside. I raised my binoculars and confirmed it. There he was! He had only gone a total of 120yds maybe a little more. While field dressing him it was apparent that he was hit like I thought. Double lung and I nicked to heart. For whatever reason this deer just wasn't giving up. What a rollarcoaster ride of a day! And to top it all off I had to drag all 168# of him about 500yds by myself. I wouldn't have it any other way! Life is good!!
