umm Bowspirit ALLMOST got it done!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v119/adkmountainken/bow%20hunting/missed.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v119/adkmountainken/bow%20hunting/crustycrew.jpg)
And the rest of the story.........
Either you guys are woodland elves or Bowspirit is one tall dude!
believe it or not he is ONE TALL DUDE! i believe he is standing on a slight rise in the pic however. i am 5"9" and i think he is well over 6 foot.
Seven years...seven years since I've seen deer within shooting range. Seven years since I've drawn down on one. And never have I gotten off a shot. This season is shaping up better than I could have imagined...and I still have yet to fill a tag...
More in a bit...
:banghead: lets go chris!!! out with it...
seriously man, im happy and sad for ya!!
your to good a shot, what happend???
gaff
Gaff,
Chris is one of the best shots i know. oh yeah the deer was 10 yards standing broad side. he he he he he he, been there, done that!
Get after them Chris.
10 yards broadside, thats nothing..... I got ya beat, I've missed em at 7 yards broadside! :biglaugh:
Hey Ken...it was quartering away at ten paces. Keep it straight... ;)
So, anyway...Ron, Ken, and I had the chance to hunt together this morning. Naturally, this would have been enough, since good company is just fine in my book. But I guess persistance is continuing to pay off.
The day started off a little slow. Lady luck refused to smile at me, and without a glimpse of so much as a chipmunk by 8:45, I decided to make my own luck. Out of curiousity, I mouth-grunted. Nothing of any loud volume, just enough to be heard in the general area. Pinned all my hopes on some wayward spike to be purusing the trails beside me.
Imagine my shock when the brush to my left starts cracking and breaking under the weight of something heavy rushing through it...
Darned Charlie Lamb story telling style....
Grrrrrrrrrrrrr :mad: :knothead:
It's addictive...
Im guessing you shot high? Im smiling from ear to ear....cant wait for the rest....
Now where is Killy with some smart quip? :saywhat:
yeah where is that crazy lady??? her boy done missed and needs ta hear a few words from the ole curmudgeon!
Seconds after commotion began in the brush, a yearling erupted into view from beneath a pine tree to my left. Brash little guy (or girl, though looking back, I'd bet it was a he. I was too caught up in the moment to check, though). He seemed deperate to find the source of the grunt. He began to head out of range, so out of curiosity, I grunted once more.
BAM! Off he went for the pine. But rather than disappearing forever, he did a double take before heading back in his original direction. Taking his place beneath the pine was a rather large doe. As fine a representative of her kind as could be imagined, she moved neither hide nor hair under her shelter. Instead, she fixed her gaze upon her yearling. Afraid for it, but not willing to reveal her position. Or so I'd like to believe.
Anyway, after a while, curiosity rose up once more. Afterall, mama wasn't moving, and junior was out of my range. Not to mention, the direct approach had already worked wonders.
As soon as the grunt left my lips, the yearling headed straight for mama. But he stopped. 10 paces away, slightly quartering away. Chest perfectly framed by to trees. After being so fickle, could the gods really show me such mercy.
By now, the words "pick a spot" were racing through my mind a mile a minute. Better them than my heart, I figured. Anyway, I eyed mama one last time. Perfect; she was paying attention to junior. My confidence as high as it would get, I drew and burned a hole through that deer. Holding for a second, then another, then...that dull thump of the longbow...
that darn ole mule faced, snot nosed, ugly ole goat of a doe has busted me 3 times now!!! her days are numbered! :readit: :readit:
Yer KILLIN me.....
Lord knows what that charming crumudgeon Killie'll have to say...especially when I recall how I was humming the lyrics to "Invisible Touch" to myself to keep my heart from jumping outta my chest during the "deer-watching"...whatever works, right?
:bigsmyl:
now yer scaring me bro! Invisable Touch???? say it ain't so!!!!
The arc of that all-white fletch/cap will alway be etched into my brain. A hair-popping woodsman, backed my a nasty 650-grains of fir shafts, ploughed straight through...20 inches of mud and leaf litter.
Yeah, I shot high. Close enough to almost shave her back, but with perfect windage. The white flower suddenly springing up from the earth with violent force sent mama, junior, and an unseen 3rd yearling bolting...only to slow to a sudden crawl to my left. In fact, they seemed to be taking there time. Meticulous, actually. Slowly, methodically strolling behind my stand. Perhaps if I was patient, I could make another shot happen. Of course, the sudden realization of the wind blowing into my face made there devious plans come into light. Needless to say, it wasn't long before the tell-all blows commenced...
...and it was the last thing I heard on the radio, Ken...
we will get here tomorrow night bro! tonight i have a date with a spike horn, i HOPE!
Chris, you spin a fine yarn.......the white flower springing from earth....oh brother!!!
Hmmmmm..... Should I be "Dancing" instead of sending "smoke signals" :confused:
(I'm trying to help you boys out..... maybe I'm just doing it wrong) :banghead:
I've GOT IT!!!!! He needs the pink hair back!!!!! ;)
Guess who isn't gonna get any sleep tonight thinking about this over and over and over again? Glad ya had some action Chris. Wonderful way you put it into words... You have a gift.
... mike ...
It should have had quills on it :bigsmyl:
Lemme tell ya'...people always talk about how they get the shakes after they shoot at deer. Yeah, shakes my foot. I was worried about my whole body shaking apart, and I didn't even connect.
Guys, I know that I would have been ecstatic had there been a bloodtrail at the end of this story, but I'm not disappointed in the least. I got a perfect shot on a fine animal. An animal that never knew I was there, and a miss that couldn't have been cleaner. Next to fresh tenderloin, what more could I ask for?
Personally, I'd like to think everything happens for a reason. And if this miss makes me more meticulous on the target butts, and reminds me to aim low in the treestand, than I'm all the better off for it.
In the end, all this world has to offer could not remove the smile on my face after the whole ordeal. Perservere out there, my family. For no challenge is too great, and no amount of effort is too small...
i am more glad that you had this "chance" today then if i killed a deer, and i'm dead honest. had a great time with you and Ron. i can not think of two other people MORE deserving of a deer. i really, really enjoy hunting with both of you and will STRIVE to get ya both on deer. myself, i have had MANY chances and i know i will get one. any day in the woods to me is a SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chuck and Jim,
you guys are killing me!!!!!!! don't get him in to the pink hair again, the andowner might not know what to make of it. and for Christ SAKE Jim don't talk him in to shooting ANOTHER porky or i'll post some SCAREY pictures of what he ate!!!!!
Nothing wrong with a little "filler" meat before my first deer, I suppose...
:bigsmyl:
Great Story Chris. I am glad that it's only Ron that doesn't see deer.Makes me believe there are still some around. This is by far my most favorite weekend to be in the woods. I had an encounter with a monster buck when I was a kid. The next year my dad had an encounter with a monster buck.
Better luck next time. I'll probably miss if I ever get a shot as well. :eek:
Charlie
Sad there was no blood trail on this one,but at least there was no wounding,so a clean miss is always a better thing.
Yours will come Chris...Mine did as did everyone else's.Some times half the battle is just FINDING the deer.
yeah Ron W knows ALL ABOUT that!!!!! :readit: :readit: :banghead:
Quills!!! :biglaugh:
hope to get Chris back after junior tomorrow! i think he MIGHT begoing tonight but very high winds right now and i am out of commition with a sore leg!
Hmmmmm..... The "mountain goat" has a sore leg??? :confused:
just ran by best time in a 10k race, little sore brother! will be in the woods for a LOOOOOOONG sit tomorrow though, rain or shine or crutch!
Good luck you guys, stay safe and shoot STRAIGHT! :wavey:
someday you MUST hunt with us T.W., you would fit right in!
Its a long commute from Oregon, you know how much coffe he would have drink to be at your house by 6 AM.
Good luck southern neighbors!
I'm in for a long sit tomorrow too Ken, and the weather is simply crazy here, hot(for the season) and windy!
F-Manny
Ron, if I made it in one piece, the good thing about all that caffeine is that I should have no problem pulling the bow back. 'Course it'd be my luck, I'd have the shakes so bad that I'd hit someones cow (slow elk) and some rancher would chase me all the way back to Oregon with his shotgun in tow! :rolleyes:
You hang in there buddy.....I just know that you time will be here very soon!
You are a very "deserving" hunter, the next one is in big trouble!
Ken and Bowspirit,
Go get them tommorow! Best of luck and keep posting your hunt stories.
Take care,
Brian
shaping up to be a T.G hunt tomorrow with 4 members as Cyclic-Rivers is on board too, watch out deer! aroows will be flying and deer will be dying! :readit: :pray:
Cannot wait to see where Ken has been hiding all the deer! As badly as I want to put one in the freezer I am more looking forward to meeting some fine TGers and having some mental relaxation. :)
Thank you in advance for inviting me out! I know I will forget during the excitement of a good blood trail :pray:
Charlie
Hey ...don't forget to set your clocks back or you will miss the HUNT OF A LIFETIME!!!!!
3:30 sounds early but I guess it's the new 4:30! See you guys in the morning! If I'm not there you can call my cell phone but don't wait, I'll be waiting for triple A to give me a ride the rest of the way :cool: !
Charlie
Thanks guys. As I've been finding more than ever, it's all about putting the time in. And I am as committed to chasing these deer as hard and as often as time/family allows.
Charlie, Looking forward to meeting you. See y'all tommarrow guys...
Good Luck My Brothers!!!!! Breaking out the pipe.....
Like wise bow spirit. I Hope this time you connect, sounds like the morning will be incredible!