Today was a good day in the woods, bitter sweet but all things happen for a reason. I was in my stand an hour before sun up. The squirrels had me on edge, I had seen bucks running does already when not hunting, so I was on edge more so.
Well the sky starts to lighten, and it is that magic hour, I hear something moving to my north east. That puts it to my left and behind me in the cedars (my stand faces south). There really is not a right wind for the deer come at me from all directions in this stand location, and of course it is blowing to the east.
Head pops out of the cedars, and at first I can make it out for it is just a little dark. But my brain figures it out a deer, and it has bone on its head. It move out and is headed behind my stand. It moves behind a tree I stand and turn to my right for I can get a shot off it continues, he is a good deer. Big bodied but has a small 8 pointer. He hits my shooting lane at about 10yrds and just starts to trot. He is in and out of the first before I can think.
He turns and heads west, I mouth grunt and he stops about 15yrds quartering away. I draw and see a limb, squat to ensure my arrow will clear it. At this point I make a mistake I don't reselect my spot on him I want the arrow to go, I rush the shot. I shoot at a deer verses a hair on the deer. The arrow flies over his back and I think between his antlers. He bounds off about 10 more yards, stops facing north. He is behind some brush and out of range anyway.
He turns and heads south, and out of my life. Ok great morning, just settle down and if I get another chance I know what I must do.
Well I proceed to drop 3 of my arrows from my tree stand. After the third I decided to just get down and call it a morning. I had to pick up my nephew from preschool any way. On the way out I see a buck cruising an open, I am almost back to my truck, and he is on private property. Plus he is only a young buck.
Well I hit my stand a little later then I had planned. It was a little after 3pm but still not bad. Other then I jumped a deer in the cedars with 60yrds of my stand. Ok the squirrels have my head on a swivel. I try to rattle a little. My neighbor happens to be the game warden for my area. He was called at just this morning because 2 bucks were stuck together. Long story short he had to break antlers to get them apart. Thus my trying a rattling a bit. I have still never had it work.
Ok shooting light is almost gone. I hear a grunt coming from my east. A doe appears and she steps 10yrds away, and stops broad side. she is not looking behind her and is on the small side so I think, mom has run her off so she could do be doe stuff with big bucks. I shoot at her and miss, don't know how just over her back. She runs off about 40yrds behind me and then turns and comes back. I get another arrow ready. Then I hear that grunt. I turn 180 facing south. A split second passes and a wide rack is all I see coming round the corner. He stops looks at the doe behind me. He is about 25yrds out. Oh I hope he follows her path. He starts to move then stops and looks at her again and grunts. then he move into the same lane 10yrds and stops quartering slightly towards me. I draw burning lasers into a dark spot behind his shoulder raise my bow, drawing, anchor and release.
My ears tell me it is a hit. My eye tell me he is hit hard. His tail is down and his is full speed. Down the draw and out of sight. Oh was that a crash. Now I begin to shake, bad. I have to get out of the stand, for I might fall. I go and find the arrow I missed the doe with.
The one shot at the buck is nowhere to be found. There is not blood either, no hair. Oh that sinking feeling sets in. I round up my stuff head out. Call my wife tell her to tell my son to get flashlights ready. I get home change and we are back in. No blood. Crap, I know I heard him crash, but there is no blood.
Then my son who is only 10yrds to my left says there he is dad. Sure enough 50yrds from my stand he lays.
It was a lucky shot. I hit him high and way back but just under the spine. There were only a few spots of blood in the ground where he lay.
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e383/gillk/IMG_3345.jpg)
Equipment, Bow long bow Osage I made, arrows sourwood Pat B sent me and I turned them into arrows, heads I cut out and made. Oh this is my first trad year ever, with the first bow and arrows I have made. This is also my biggest buck ever! He has 10 points 22" inside spread.
This is the only part of the arrow I found it was in him. I will look for the rest later.
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e383/gillk/IMG_3348.jpg)
I will get more pick up tomorrow, when I have some better light.
Good luck to the rest of you, and happy hunting.
Beautiful Buck,congrats. :clapper: :clapper:
Oh and much thanks to Pat B, Semo, Jeremy, and the rest of the guys and gals on the bench for all the support and materials they gave me, to make this dream come true.
What a buck , very well done sir.....
,,,,,Sam,,,,,,,,
You had me going you son of a gun. Congratulations Kelly. Well done from start to finish. You set your goal and met it. Incredable buck too!!!
Fantastic! Congratulations on a spectacular buck.
Very cool! Congrats on a fine deer!
that is awesome, i think you got a little extra luck for doing it the right way, which is also the hard way. you earned it, congrats
congrats to ya kelly! what a great buck. welcome home and thankyou for your service sir! rv
Freaking Cool! Very, very deserving.
Really couldn't have happened to a nicer guy!
Congrat's!!!!!!
:bigsmyl: :notworthy: :clapper:
Ya gotta try and find the other end of that arrow for a keepsake............
Congrats!!!! Nice buck, and great story!
I know I have already said it Kelly but a big congrats once again mate!!! You really earned it. :clapper:
Jeff
Absolutely fantastic! Way to go KellyG. :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
Gerald
:bigsmyl: :thumbsup: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:
WOW! Awesome buck and story!
what a great buck and what a way to start trad hunting you are a lucky man
Totally awesome, congrats! :thumbsup:
Well done Kelley!!! What a buck! Congratulations!
Bona
Awesome deer! and killed with a bow and arrows you made, what an accomplishment! Congrats
Fine story and pic and a great buck,congratulations on doing it the hard way! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Holy crap bud! That is what I would call storybook. You absolutely have to write an article about it all from making the bow to acheiving this great accomplishment. If you don't want to write it, let me, or someone else.
That's the way to get into it. Wow.
very nice, congrats. Heck of a deer
Way to go and congrats on a fine animal!!
Great buck, congratulations!
thats a monster! way to put it all together on the shot
congrats!!!!! that is an absolutely beautiful buck!!
Congratulations Kelly.
All I can say is sometimes Karma is a beautiful lady. With your service to the country and the work you did for us on the bench, you deserve that deer and experience. And how cool for your son to spot the deer for you, he must have been over the moon.
Congrats!
Bisch
Congratulations on a beautiful buck!!! :thumbsup:
awesome!!
Congrats man, great story.
Wow what a ride. Very cool and a great buck congrats brother.
Great story and a beautiful buck! Congratulations!
Bernie Bjorklund
NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin
That is a beauty. I guess there is a reason they say the 3rd time's the charm. Congrats!
It was probably to your favor you missed the doe.If she had piled up dead Big John may never have walked in.Congrats on getting it done and not quitting.
Sweet!
Welcome home Kelly, welcome home. Thanks for sharing your awesome story with us.
-Jeremy :coffee:
You gotta feel good about that!and if you don't you should,Fantastic!LOL
Nice job - awesome buck - congrats!
Wow, very encouraging. I hope to have a similair story to share next season. That is a very rewarding way to harvest a great animal. Congrats!!! :goldtooth: :goldtooth:
Awesome story and an awesome buck. Congratulations.
Congratulations Kelly!! A fantastic Buck.
Looking forward to hearing the story in person at the bunny stomp.
bretto
Congrats Kelley! That is a stud of a buck!! :thumbsup:
Very cool. I read the whole thread of you building that bow. Great work under not ideal working conditions to say the least. And now to use that bow and arrows to get such a great deer, the satisfaction must be outstanding. Congrats, great job.
Great! Love the story and what a first! Home made bow, arrow, and broadhead :eek: And first year :readit: Doesn't get any better!
Nice deer
Great buck
WOW!!! Great buck Kelly. Congratulaitons.
Thanks all, I am glad yall enjoyed the story good luck to all of yall.
And as promised a couple of pics of the deer with my bow and arrows. These pics really don't do him justice on the size of him.
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e383/gillk/Traddeerandbow.jpg)
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e383/gillk/meand1sttraddeer.jpg)
What a way to start, going to be hard to top that. Congrats.
Outstanding.... :notworthy: :notworthy:
Kelly, I am So Proud of you Dude. And you deserve it.. Great Buck and story.. ^ 5 Roy
Congrats in spades.... What a buck and with your "Osage Bow" and "Arrow", just plain doesn't get any better than that...
Super job
:clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
Great Buck. Sounds like Kidney Hit. that'll do every time. :clapper:
Congrats, Kelly! What an awesome buck! Really happy for you :)
Lie every body said, CONGRATS!!! This is a great story, tha you should right and send to TBH... man that is a great set of antlers! I hope you are proud, I would so be! And the best part, is that it's not gona be your last one!!
Cheers
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :notworthy: :notworthy: Awsome.
:thumbsup:
Gene
Title the story "Traditional Soldier".
Yep buddy, we are very proud of you! :readit:
Congratulations! A great buck taken with bow and arrows you made yourself.
Dave.
Kelly that is awesome. I havent killed a deer with trad equipment yet but when I do I hope it is also with all equipment that was fashioned by my own two little sissy hands. THAT has GOT to be a total RUSH.
wow congrats kelly
OUTSTANDING!!! :thumbsup: Thats a "First Deer" of Excellence there My Friend!! Congratulations, and We have yet another Traditional Hunter to Permanently Add to our Board!! :clapper: :clapper: GREAT JOB!!
Really thanks all of you for your kind words. I will see about putting it on paper, for start to finish.
The bow is done though, I took it to work today. Other wanted to see the bow that killed that deer. I strung it and some pulled it back. Then a new group walked up and one asked me if I could draw it and I did and the bottom limb just broke. Sooooooo I get to make another. :bigsmyl:
Nice buck Kelly, congrats.
Great job Bro!! Hate that your bow blew, but at least it took the buck first! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Congrats and Thank you for your service!
nice rack to hang a broken bow on...CONGRATES!!!
Way to go, Kelly! Glad to see you scored big, my friend! John S. is right about a story.
:jumper:
Been meaning to get over here and check this out Kelly. Honestly I figured a doe or a small buck but when the pic pulled up I just about spit pizza on my screen.
That is an awesome buck that most guys will never get a shot at let alone do it with all there own handmade gear.
Very well deserved bud!
Awesome deer Kelly, great story!! What a tremendous trophy for your first trad kill buck. I agree with the others who said it couldn't have happened to a nicer fella.......you sure deserved that buck for sure.