Went to a stand late this afternoon just to spend some time. Vetrans day has always been good for me. I had hopes of getting a chance at a big deer that I had close Sunday but does kept me from getting the shot.
Any way, I am enjoying the on set of sun down and then there is a racket to my right. Doe comes trotting through some pines and behind her is a buck. I get a good look at him as he moves in and realize he is a deer I have been trying to get out of there for two years (he is 4.5 and has looked the same since he was 2.5). Sooooo...
He comes into a mowed road at 15 yards and I get the old Widow Hancrafted MA up and drawn and he stops. Off goes the AD shaft with a Zephyr Scirocco on the end.
Ice moment. Everything goes into slow motion. Arrow looks good till the last second when the arrow seemed to twitch. Then it dissapeared. I mean dissapeared!
Deer bounds away about 20 yards and looks back. I have a good look at him and I don't see the usual red patch. Oh %^&#@. I watch as he walks into a heavy thicket. I can't hear very well anymore but in about two minutes I am sure I hear a bunch of rustling.
Call wife.... Bring more flashlights etc. Down from stand. Look for blood... find blood.. lots of blood. Walk out to truck and meet wife. Drive back to stand. Find over half of arrow covered in blood and begin following blood trail from spot deer stopped and looked back. It was a red road... 30 yards from that spot...
Black Widow Hand Crafted MA III 45# (bow was made a while ago), AD Medalist shaft, Zephyr Scirocco head........
Here he is... Not one of our Illinois booners but I needed him out and by the fat he is carrying he should eat good. The arrow hit a blackberry cane that I did not see. Got back of lungs and liver. Down in less than 3 minutes.
Need to add, I had a cardiologist app this morning and I am now free of Plavix and he says I am healthy beyond my years... Good day all around
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v673/Huntschool/9Pt2010.jpg)
Very nice!
Awesome job sir! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
And it sounds like it was a GREAT day all the way around!
Them older Widows shoot better than the new ones imo. Good looking buck and congrats ! :thumbsup:
Froggy
Mighty fine sir. Congratulations.
Nice buck! Congrats!!
Very nice Buck. Thanks for sharing! :thumbsup:
Congrats on the health issue also.
Congrats on a Nice Trad Trophy not to mention getting rid of the Plavix.
I would say good day all around!
Congrats, nice buck.
Good looking buck! Congratulations. :thumbsup:
Thanks... wife and I had a heck of a time loading him in the Suburban and then trying to get him hung at the house.... gettin old....
Sounds like a great day.
Excellent heart news. Thanks for the deer pix & story.
:thumbsup:
Excellent for your health and this great day and hunt !!!!!
good job
Fantastic deer and heart news! - I don't remember you being that old! oh well, I guess I didn't realize, it's been 16 years since I was in your class. I definately feel 16 or more years older.
congrats, bigjim
Thanks Jim... I am making mid 60's look good.
Good story and pictures. Congratulations.
great hunt, bruce. i was down in your neck of the woods today with my 5 year old boy flingin some arrows in new burnside with his little osage bow. i think he was not even 2 when you had me down to your place to hunt...great evening with you and marilyn that day...we need to do it again.
stan stout
Stan... Good to hear from you. Got this one at the pines past the pond where we walked to get in that day
Not bad for old man and bow;i will be like you in few years.
Congrats
Thats too cool good day for you alaround.
Looks like a great buck to me. More importantly, glad to hear about your great health. I see a blessed man in that photo.
Congrats on a great shot. But most importantly, congrats on a great health report. Best of luck to you for many more hunts to come.
"All great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom; justice; honor; duty; mercy; hope."
Winston S Churchill
One old fart to another-congrats! great job!! :thumbsup: :notworthy:
Absolutely a great day, anytime a fella feels like it is going to be a good day, and it turns out that way. Positive thoughts help. Nice buck and a story with a great ending.
Good on ya, Bruce!
Congrats on the deer, a great ending to both situations. :clapper:
Congrats on the buck and your good health!
:clapper:
Very nice! Thanks for taking us along.
ATA-BOY Ya know years ago I would hunt and not look at the setting sun. It ment it was time to go home. Now days like you said I pay more attion to gods gifts ever day. Whats up with that.
Nice deer and better story.
thanks for sharing
>><>
glenn
Thanks everyone... The past couple of years have been a bit tenuous to say the least. The "stabbing" almost stopped me. Still have a bit of PTSD when I look at an uncovered BH.
My wife was a big part of this as she has always been with our hunting. Ya really needed to see the "draging" and "lifting" into the truck... Ya would have cracked up. She is a good one.
He went to the locker this morning to hang for a week. Will have meat back late next week. Good stuff.
Now, its after the booner....
:thumbsup:
Fantastic!! Congrats on being off Plavix as well.
:clapper: :archer2:
good deer,good story
good deer-good health-good day!! congrats!
You aint gettin old, you are healthy beyond your years...and you`ll stay that way if you keep chasing those bucks!
Many happy returns!
Man that venision is what keeps us young (in more wways that one)! Way to go :thumbsup:
Bet that old coot, " as he calls himself " , could probably beat my fat butt and Mason's too to the top of a hill and his wife Marilyn could beat us all !!!
Congrats Bruce and Marilyn ! Ya still got it going on bud and can still make it happen ! Sure wish Mason and I could get back to the little piece of heaven called Vienna, ILL ! Still in our dreams for sure.
Had to take Mason to the eye doc today, freak accident yesterday evening while we were on a State Forest bow only hunt..... A piece of tree bark blew into his eye right after he got to top of his tree. He tried not to rub it till his eye watered up good and then wipe it out. Scratched his cornea and eye doc put him on a antibiotic drop. Should be fine in 1-2 days. The little feller has grown to 6' 1" now, can you believe that ???
I don't know about up a hill.... she might.
Good to hear from you and sorry to hear about Mason's eye. Tell him I said Hi and be carful
Awesome hunt there sir, well done :clapper: :clapper:
I'm gonna re-name your thread;
"Old tough awesome guy, Old sweet bow, Old beautiful buck!"
That's better!
Stickflinger.. Thats good, thanks. Better include something about my wife but watch the Old.. LOL
Congratulations on a "great day". :thumbsup:
Huntschool....I hear ya buddy! If there's one thing I've paid more attention to than hunting, it's been women! Saying "old" in a sentence involving a woman is like trying to hunt deer from upwind. Keep the wind in your face...Ryan
Stickflinger:
I have been at this girlfriend/wife thing for over 40 years and you hit the nail on the head.
Just watched a really good 10 pt about 3.5 walk on our lake dam... he has a bit to go.
Great day to be alive and healthy.
Great buck and great story!
Great story, congratulations. God bless you, Steve
Great Buck ! Congrats !
:thumbsup: good job!
Thanks again everyone. I feel great and this thread has helped......
We have through Thursday and then three days of gun season. That usually sends the deer into "hidie hole" mode. I am blessed with ground that affords them a relief from the pressure.
I hope to have an additional story to tell before its all over... Oh yea, there are still the turkeys. I think I can carry one of those out.
Moved a stand today. The day was beautiful and although it was a chore ( I left it hung for three years) its done. Looking forward to the new location.
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: Congrats my friend!
Its raining for real... the woods are gonna be quiet...
Time to hunt again....
Thanks everyone for your thoughts and comments
Congrats :thumbsup:
Congrats on the buck and the good health report!!
God Bless,
Nathan