Beautiful morning to be in the stand. Brisk for opening day here in NY.
A comedy of errors at first. I forgot my bow hanger. Ended up using a tree step below and behind me after my hands got a bit chilly. As i sat down, my treestand seat completely separated itself from the stand....RRRRIIIPP. I Managed to tie it back together so I could sit. Sort of.
Saw very interesting squirrel at 8:38am. Black belly, black face, but otherwise your typical gray squirrel. I decided I would try a shot. Slowly, I reach below and behind me for my bow. I have it nearly to my shooting hand when the arrow slips off the string and "ta tinks" its way to the forest floor. I didnt see that unique tree rat again. I sat there chastising myself for the racket I made trying to get a shot at, of all things on opening day, a squirrel.
Suddenly, out in front of me a hundred yards out, a deer materializes. I slowly produce an arrow to replace the one claimed by gravity. The deer is nibbling his way towards me...I slowly stand.
My first thought, what an ugly buck. LOL. I mean I have some nice deer running around but this guy has thick bases, and gnarly antlers-for a four pointer. He gets to twenty yards, head on, and has a choice. One trail will bring him past me broadside at ten yards, the other right beside and below me. He pauses as if to ponder the route, nibbling on black birch buds. To the right he goes, which will bring him past and below....now its an agonizing slow motion fast paced scramble to move my bow and nocked arrow around the tree between us. I get it moved, and he is below me. I could spit on him.
The green light flashes in my brain as he walks by...
Here is the stand I was in.
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w29/ishiwannabe/100_2535.jpg)
Be back later...gotta shower and spend time with the family. Sorry....not intentional at all.
You better hurry, i aint wating all night
Now I gotta wait till I get back from Hunter's football game........
David
This is already sounding like some of my days on the stand. :banghead:
I gotta go buy some mint jelly to go along with this Lamb.
Killdeer
(Jamie, I got a squirrel story too.)
You're killin me =D
QuoteOriginally posted by Killdeer:
I gotta go buy some mint jelly to go along with this Lamb.
I was thinking the same thing, let's have it Jamie :readit: :bigsmyl:
I draw, hit anchor, while bending at the waist. The deer is quartering away and behind me. The arrow is on its way and hits home....
The deer bounds three times then stands there looking around. He wobbles, and I expect him to go down.
My arrow entered high and back, and exited(atleast the first 8 inches or so) tight behind the elbow.
He walks off. I decide to make the walk home and give him an hour, just to be safe.
Coffee'd up, full stomach I head out. The trail looks good at first. Bubbles mixed with white hair and lots of blood. It dwindles drastically and quickly. I end up covering the first 75 yards on my hands and knees. I decide to back out and give him more time, and call some friends and family for help.
Help arrives and it is off to the trail. Hands and knees...circles....grid searches. Nothing. we contemplate calling in a dog. We decide to walk in a line through the thickest part of the cedars that border the last sign.
"Blood" my buddy says. I race down to him and good blood. Follow it a scant 15 yards, and it is gone again. We repeat the process three times.
I find more. We line up, Im on the trail, my brother and buddy on either side of me by 15 yards.
"There he is", but not a yell of the excited. A whisper. I follow the pointing finger to 30 yards out and see my four pointer. Looking at me. I circle around and dispatch him with a quick paced shot. The resiliance of these animals is truly amazing. How or why he was still alive is a mystery to me.
I have my first traditional deer.
Harold, I apologize, but family is a bit testy because Im leaving at 1 am to go salmon fishing. LOL.
I also apologize, as I used my Griffin today due to the proximity of the trees. I opted for the shorter bow. Dont worry, I have 3 antlerless tags left and a bear tag. ;)
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w29/ishiwannabe/100_2536.jpg)
58" Griffin LB 56@28. CE Heritage 150s 175 up front with a hair poppin razorcap on the business end. Quiver and armguard set from the swap in August-Thanks David.
Total trail 400-500 yards. Persistance pays off.
(http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w29/ishiwannabe/100_2537.jpg)
Sorry for the quality of this pic. My brother is technology challenged. :D
Thats the way to do it, don't matter what bow you use,just happy for you
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Exemplary prudence in waiting as you did. Also, a wise decision to enlist help. This is a great story with a happy ending. More could end this way if folks would follow your example. Very happy for you - what a great day! Congratulations!
Way to go! Congratulations!
Claudia
Sweet! Congratulations :)
Congrats on your first trad deer!! and a nice one at that!! :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
Jamie,
Way to go. I hope you used a string that you made.
Rick
Nice! Congratulations!
Very Nice! congrats Jamie!!
:campfire:
Congrats Jamie! Shoulda called me. I would have loved to help you track him. I gotta lot of learnin to do!
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Congratulations!
great job congradulations
Way to go Jamie! :thumbsup:
Good job..
Thanks everyone. Im about whipped now, and eye strain headaches hurt.
Brian, I thought about it, but I figured you were out hunting and didnt want to spoil your hunt.
Again, thanks all.
That was a halarious story to a perfect ending. I enjoyed every bit. Congrats on your first traditional deer. :thumbsup:
Good deal! :thumbsup:
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Time and time again I have watched an arrow hit the mark and instant blood and yet the trail leads over 300 yards. Amazing deer!
Great job! Good deal staying with it. :thumbsup:
:thumbsup: :clapper: :clapper:
Congrats!
Well done, hope you get many more!!!
:wavey:
Congrats Jamie!!!!! Good job.
Congrats Jamie!
good for you Jamie :thumbsup:
Way to go Jamie!I knew you'd get one,and on the opener too. :thumbsup:Hope the fish are bitin' for you...venny goes good with salmon.
THAT A BOY!!! :thumbsup: Congrats Jamie a well deserved trophy. Sounds like the hit was a single lung hit? Good job on the recovery and follow up shot. Joe
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! :clapper:
Congrats bud! :clapper:
Congratulations!!!
Nice buck!!!
Congrats, Jamie. Nice Job!
HAH-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!
Seriously bro, just read this and realized what was going on two sentances in...leapt up and shouted so loud I woke up the whole house.
Congrats Jamie. Can't think of someone who deserved it any more than you, bud.
:bigsmyl: :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
:thumbsup: Happy for ya!
Outstanding Jamie!!!! A well deserved trophy indeed!!!!
:notworthy:
Ah heck, Jamie. It's been 15 minutes and this one still has me syked...
Nice Job way to stay on that blood trail,congrats
Jamie way to go.....Well deserved..... :clapper:
Congradulations!! Hap
:campfire: :archer:
Good job man!
Did you do a field autopsy? What did you cut?
Very nice Jamie, congrats
Congrats!
Congrats!
Very nice! :thumbsup:
:thumbsup:
:clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
Great job. Congrats on your first
Congrats nothing like the first. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Good campfire tale, thanks.
Awesome Jamie thanks for sharing your story and pictures.Blake
Awesome pal.Very happy for you.
Congrats. Nice job all around. Its hard to pass up a good shot on a squirrel. :D
Congrats brother, well done!
Sorry bout the squirrel, he would have made a fine stew and a great trophy. Well, your second choice will just have to do.
It made my day to here your story. :clapper: :goldtooth: :jumper:
Jamie Congrats on your first Trad deer. Some good eats there my friend. I savor every bite of my first trad deer. Gonna whip up some chili next. Enjoy. Skippy
congrats buddy! :notworthy: :notworthy:
Congrats, Jamie :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
You won't forget that one! Congratulations!
Bryan
Jamie, good job sir! I just saw this and it just made my day.
Congrats !!! Way to go!!!
David
p.s. it had to be the quiver....haha.
Wow, back from fishing and Im exhausted but still managed to get on TG.
Thanks for all the kind words everyone. I had the hardest time falling asleep last night...kept replaying it all over and over.
Im glad I got my deer, but Im upset about the way it went down. I guess that is why it is called hunting...
I never really checked out the vitals, as they were torn up from my second on the fly running shot. No holds barred...he was hit and hit hard so I took what I could and managed to connect.
I think the main issue was the steep angle. I nicked the forward end of the paunch, and the result was a clogged wound channel...The BH actually went into his foreleg on the opposite side...so it was a "vital" hit for sure. Nonetheless, I learn something each time I hit the woods, and this was a hard and valuable lesson. Perhaps if I waited a bit longer for a better angle....but they say hindsight is 20/20. I think in the future, this lesson will be remembered.
A neat little buck, one I will always remember. I typically pass on bucks like this, but this year I resolved to take a deer, and I swore to take any legally antlered deer that presented a shot. I can already guess what will happen later this season. Some sort of close encounter with one of a bruisers I have been watching...
No sleep, a hard day of hard core fishing and a very long drive have me just about incoherrent. I did manage to miss my limit by only one fish today, so all in all, an outstanding weekend.
Rick, no I have yet to make a string to the proper length. LOL.
Joe, I didnt notice when I dressed him out. His body cavity was full of blood, and I cant imagine a Razorcap going through the area it did without atleast hitting one lung....
David, that is one fine quiver. It might have been the deciding factor....lol.
By the way, my tracking party reported the tender loins were delicious. I like to pay my help. ;)
Again, thanks for all the kind words.
:thumbsup: :clapper: :clapper:
Jamie seems to me you don't have anything to feel bad about. It sounds like we could all learn a little from your story. One lesson I learned the hard way was if you can get a second shot off "take it" and don't wait for the perfect second shot. You did good buddy!!
Congratulations once again!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Congrats! Hope there are many more to come. Good decisions on the trailing also.
Congrats!!! Real happy for you.
Way to go. Good job on the first kill.
Way to hang in there! I'd like to know what happened to that arrow?! Sounds like that deer should of been "dead right there"... Hmm...
I got both arrows back. Havent checked them out ot cleaned them up yet. I have a bunch of fish to get in the freezer, then I will.
:bigsmyl: :thumbsup:
I'm happy for ya Jamie! Way To Go! Nice bow too... ;)
... mike ...
Both arrows are fine, just in need of a thorough cleaning and resharpening.
Thanks Mike. It is a nice bow. :goldtooth:
Way to Go Jaime. Sounds like you had a great hunt and your freezer is full. What ya gonna do with the other 3 deer and 1 bear tag? Might have to buy another freezer. Great story!! :thumbsup:
Charlie
WAY TO GO Jamie!!!!!!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!! :archer:
Excellent Jamie! I am exceedingly glad for you and your first trad kill whitetail. Way to hang in there with the tracking. I remember my first trad kill buck(1998). It was such a relief to finally have done it, that I was overcome with emotion when I found him. I had just killed my first whitetail with trad gear a week earlier(a small doe) but it was nothing like my first buck with trad. I still remember it like it was yesterday. It felt like I had just bagged my very first deer ever, all over again! Ain't nothin' like it man!
Congrats and I wish you many more deer with trad gear and a joyful future in all areas in your life.
Doug
Congrats again buddy! I was thinking about you this weekend, i was pumped when you told me the news. I know what you mean about wanting a cleaner kill, we all strive for that, but it doesen't always happen. The best you can do is follow up the best you can to recover the deer. I know these NY deer can be TOUGH buggers!
Way to stay with it!!!
Decisions made after the shot sometimes make or break the situation!
Congrats!!! :thumbsup:
congrads :thumbsup:
awesome job bud!!!!
we should try to get out together one of these weekends.
gaff
Sure thing Gaff...I have some state land we could hit.
How the heck did I miss this thread :thumbsup:
Congratulations Jamie! Some fine eating you'll have!
Thanks everyone, he is already packaged and frozen. I located some turkeys last night, and I may take a walk later.
I checked and rechecked the first wound. Far back, but angled forward and came out about 2.5" behind the armpit. I didnt have the idea of checking the heart/lungs/liver for damage when I dressed him but I must have atleast hit one lung and the liver. TOUGH ANIMALS!
I think for me, quartering away shots, atleast at such a steep angle will get a pass from now on.
Overall, Im stoked I got my first traditional deer, albeit a small one. I would have preferred a quicker and more humane ordeal, but Im happy I did what I did and followed through.
Now I need to find a spot where I can hunt some does aas the local landowner doesnt want them shot.
Thanks for all the kind words, and for all the help with shooting and form to everyone on here.
There are deer all over near Catskill. I used to be a driver and would see them every where down there. I saw a real nice buck by you last year at the start of the rut on 87!
Charlie
My 1st and only trad deer is still ver special to me. I carry a reminder of it with me every day in my pocket.
Congrates ...Life is good..
Good job!!
Fine eating indeed. :goldtooth:
Great job, Bud....
Todd
Congrats :thumbsup:
Congrats buddy,, Where did all the pics go thought?? I got to see some new pics man,LOL,JB
ttt