Boardbow Buck (Updated with skull mount)

[VicNova]

My first primitive deer harvest in 10 years! First deer with a shoot arrow.

43#@25" Red Oak Boardbow (semi rigid handle D-bow)

Dogwood shoot arrow with goose feather fletching.
760gr overall arrow weight
125gr grizzly single bevel broadhead
125 gr woody weight

Wanted to try an arrow system based on the Ashby research.

I was aiming for the shoulder but wasn't too sure of the shot as it was running off.  Broken arrow indicated about a foot of penetration and there was a lot of blood at the shot site.

Waited 3 hrs before tracking and followed it 150 yards before jumping it from a bed.  Decided to press him since the blood trail was so strong. Tracked another 80 yards and jumped him again. Trail got difficult through some tall grass but eventually got strong again towards the edge of another wood lot. Decided to wait an hour before moving further. Found him piled up in some down timber about 60 yards into the wood lot.

Turned out, the arrow had gone in front of the shoulder and through the neck, hitting only muscle but giving a good pass through that provided lots of blood.

I was worried that I wouldn't recover this one but thankfully, I had good penetration and a profuse blood trail the whole track.

Very happy with my harvest! Lots of meat and I'm turning its skull into my first European mount.

Just finished skull mount! Took about 1 week from field to finished skull.

[BowEd]

Cool...Congratulations.Can't get much better than that.I'm a follower and user of heavy FOC weighted arrows also using shoot arrow shafts.
Pushing them like that can cause problems but glad it worked out for you.A foot deep is plenty enough depth.You hit enough major blood vessels to bleed out properly.He should taste pretty good.
PS....Add the bleached skull to this thread later on.

[VicNova]

Cool...Congratulations.Can't get much better than that.I'm a follower and user of heavy FOC weighted arrows also using shoot arrow shafts.
Pushing them like that can cause problems but glad it worked out for you.A foot deep is plenty enough depth.You hit enough major blood vessels to bleed out properly.He should taste pretty good.
PS....Add the bleached skull to this thread later on.

.

Thanks man! I'll definitely post a pic of the mount when finished.

How have the heavy FOC shoot arrows been working for you? Do they penetrate good through bone like they say?

I know typically pushing a deer like I did isn't advised. I thought keeping it moving would help stop any clotting and increase blood loss.  Have you ever been in a situation where you pushed a deer like this?

[BowEd]

You hit a main artery in your deer.It was the death of him.A killing shot.
I recall a funny story about following up deer after being shot.
Shot a nice 9 point once with my .54.It was close so I knew I hit him right.
Gave him an hour to die.Walked up on him and he jumped up.
I went back to the house and got my jack russel Skooter.
He took off like a shot down trail.I could hear by his barking he had stopped him.
I came walking up and the buck was trying to stomp on him but skooter was like a bumble bee dodging in and out of his hooves.
The buck took off again after seeing me with skooter barking every breath after him.
I could hear he stopped him again.This time I came up on the pair and the buck was laying down with skooter yanking on his ear.
Good old skooter.

If the deer does not crash down in a heap beware.If he nonchallantly lays down.Leave him alone.Let him bleed out and die.With them going out of sight it's best to wait unless you hear them crash.
It's hard to wait but neccessary sometimes.Sometimes just a general direction wiith no blood is all you got.Pan out in a half circle looking for blood.
That's why I'm very paticular about the shot I take and that can take time.Everything has to be right.Others may disagree with success but odds are it's best.Quatering away,completely unaware of my presence is ideal.Broadside too but plenty forward.
Liver shot deer to die somewhere but most times don't bleed too well.

I never seen deer crash down so hard and quick as from an arrow through the heart.Except of course a neck shot or a head shot from a rifle.
My 13 grain arrows do go through bone if needed to.Most of the time they slip right in between the ribs nicely though.Spine shots happen too with them dropping on the spot.
I've trailed deer a half a mile hours after being shot and still they jump up.It all depends on how hard they are hit,Reading the blood trail etc.Checking your arrow shaft and trail for good blood.Pink colored sometimes with bubbles usually means lung shot.Really dark colored could  be liver.Clear fluid could be paunch shot.
It's just all a part of the hunt that one remembers.Never fades through the years....ha ha.Congrats on your kill.

[PaSteve]

Congratulations and good job staying with the blood trail. I, too am a big proponent of high FOC and relatively heavy arrows with single bevel heads. I definitely noticed improved penetration over standard arrows I've used in the past.

[Buckskinner]

Nice work, congrats!  That is a great accomplishment to kill a buck or any deer for that matter with literal stick and string that you created.

[Pappy]

Nice job , nothing like your first, congrats,very cool. Pappy

[Black Moshannon]

You’re shooting that kind of weight with a 43 pound bow only drawing 25 inches and made an awesome kill… that’s some inspiration for me. I like heavy arrows out of a light bow because the bows easier to hold and the heavy arrow light bow combo makes my gaps smaller when aiming. I was a little worried with my setup that I wasn’t going to get as much speed as I should but I’m going to stop worrying. Great hunt. I use shoot arrows too.

[Black Moshannon]

Also could you give specs on bow? I’m curious

[VicNova]

Also could you give specs on bow? I’m curious

60" overall bow length
1.5" wide tapering to 1/2" tips 8" from each end
Handle is narrowed slightly down to 1.25"
Set is 1.25"

My arrows are 30" long.

I was worried about speed too at first. But after practicing with the heavy arrows, I felt they were plenty fast for shots 15 yards and under. 

Glad I could inspire you.  It seems like everyone is always hunting with heavier bows made of Osage, which I totally get.  But, it was nice to show off success with such a common wood like red oak at such a light draw weight.

[StickMark]

Nice deer. Congratulations.
17.67 gpp definitely is Ashby weight.

If I hunted more thick stuff, I'd drift back over in that direction, I sometimes think.

Good to see the Harvest thread filling up. I enjoy the details of the equipment used.

[Stixnstones]

Congrats on nice buck, should be some good eatin

[BowEd]

Nice tribute display Vic!!!

[StickMark]

That is a great mount. I might do something like that when I harvest, eventually, my mule deer buck.

[Allyn T]

Great job