I love my family property in south central Louisiana, but have come up empty with the stickbow the last couple years of trying.
After several fun hunts, but no shots taken, I found myself sitting in the same stand that Jeff (Tippit) hunted last year during the Cajun flood hunt - a wooden ladder stand just inside thinned woods next to a strip of clover. It was a rare, crisp Louisiana October day, and the wind was holding up well. It was a Hunter's Moon and the first sit for this stand:
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t85/whuguet/IMG_0866_zpsbebc8889.jpg) (http://s158.photobucket.com/user/whuguet/media/IMG_0866_zpsbebc8889.jpg.html)
:coffee:
This is gonna be good.
:eek:
:bigsmyl:
:campfire: :coffee:
It wasn't looking to be, I had a bad cold, had a doe bust and blow on my entry, and my biggest battle was not coughing. I had 3 cough drops in my mouth, breathing through only my nose, but kept it under wraps as prime time crept up.
I was standing and facing the woods when I heard footsteps behind me in the clover. I slowly pivoted and couldn't believe a big bodied buck was walking the edge about 15 yards or so away. He crossed my entrance route without spooking. As I slowly moved into final position to draw a deer which must have been following the buck crashed away. The buck looked back, then around and had that about to bolt look, so I drew and shot.
It felt good, but I heard that loud bone crack sound, saw the arrow had hit the bottom of the spine, and the buck whirling on the ground. I am scarred when, at 12 years old, a large monster buck got up and gone after I watched him on the ground for several minutes. So now shaking, I pulled my second arrow and just missed. He was facing me trying to get up and I shot him through the front shoulder. Now the two arrows and his horns were clacking and making a big racket. I then nocked my blunt and shot him in the lungs. It was finally over and I was out of arrows.
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t85/whuguet/IMG_0886_zpsa6f260d1.jpg) (http://s158.photobucket.com/user/whuguet/media/IMG_0886_zpsa6f260d1.jpg.html)
Way to go, Congrats on a great buck!!!
I'm shooting a 51# Zipstick, with 595 gr. arrows and 250 VPA Terminators. Here's a couple clean pictures:
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t85/whuguet/IMG_0898_zps5fb4bf9b.jpg) (http://s158.photobucket.com/user/whuguet/media/IMG_0898_zps5fb4bf9b.jpg.html)
(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t85/whuguet/IMG_0902_zpsec1d4108.jpg) (http://s158.photobucket.com/user/whuguet/media/IMG_0902_zpsec1d4108.jpg.html)
I'm really thankful for all the work my dad has put into the property over the last several year. Without his efforts, this would not have happened.
Nice buck!
Tom
Nice buck! Congratulations!
Great deer can feel your excitement!
Congrats Tom!
Cograts Will! I have done that exact same shooting sequence. Good job on following up cause I have had a couple get up after that spine shot...
Benjy
Great looking Zipstick!
Thanks guys,
It was quite a scene, but I have had bad experiences with wounded deer and it had been raining and was threatening - so I wasn't letting up.
Benjy, wasn't sure if the pretty new Zipstick would go in the woods, but it it is my best shooting, quietest bow, so it got the call. It now has blood, mud, and a couple scratches on it, and I could care less.
:clapper: Congrats!
Great buck, congrats.
Good work, big bodied is right.
Way to hang tough on the shooting.
nice buck,congrats.
The expression on your face is priceless! Like "I can't believe that just happened!" Congratulations and way to keep at it!
Well done, he's a hoss! :clapper:
I would have kept shooting too lol
Congrats on a fine first!
Way to go Will!! I assume you Didn't have to Float him back to the tractor shed :biglaugh: When you turned around in that stand, which way was he going R to L or L to R? I still remember the two fawns/does that were under that stand...passed on a shot as that stand was an island then...tippit
PS: Did your Dad get his tracking Dachshund? Is he still using the fly rod? I need to get back down to give him some more lessons...most likely during deer season ;)
congrats on a nice buck
Way to go
Glenn
Cory, got one in TX a couple years back with a recurve, but this is the first on my old stomping grounds and with a longbow. I have been trying and failing to kill a doe for 3 years with 2 misses, but I'm strangely fortunate on bucks. :dunno:
Jeff. :D High and dry although it did rain while on stand with a big front coming - I was feeling like there was going to be some last light action, and had a doe and fawn about 20 yards to my SE in the woods, but I could not get a good shot on her and wasn't too thrilled about the fawn. We tried to leave everything natural, a/k/a hard to get a shot but good for deer. But I think it worked out pretty well. He came in left to right (West to East) behind the stand into that hole on the right side if facing the tree. I was standing on the large top ladder step and not the platform because of bow clearance issues for that shot. Usually you don't hear deer walking out of brush, but I heard him walking behind me, and started my slow shift into position. I was a little twisted at the shot, but that is part of the beauty of the stickbow!
On the dog, the NY folks kept asking him questions about swamps and snakes and were real peculiar and cancelled on him at the last minute. I'm sure he'd like more lessons, even in January. ;)
Congrats!! :clapper:
Congrats!! Nice buck!
Nice buck!
Congrats!
This is awesome news Will. Keep slinging those arrows.
When will you be back to St. Landry Parish?
I was thinking of the flood today as I just put the fire off ons chicken and sausage gumbo. On to making the potato salad and then it's ready for tonight
Congrats Will. That's a nice looking, big bodied buck.
OwlBait sends his congrats as well.
Keep it up. Hope you are feeling better.
CTT
Congrates!
What a way to hold it together and harvest a great buck! Congratulations. :thumbsup:
Congratulations!! When in doubt,unload the quiver!!
:clapper: :jumper: I'm happy for you, Will.I know its been a little while coming. Congrats!!
Bill
very nice congrats
OUSTANDING!!
Thanks again to all. It made the LSU loss to the lowly Ole Miss Black Bears just a little more bearable.
Fred, gonna be a while, going to KS in a little less than 4 weeks and you know it gets slow in Nov. where we hunt. Probably not till Thanksgiving, but I know I will miss out on good food and times. Wish I were closer.
Chuck and Owlbait - many thanks. I actually wanted to use KHalverson's knife, but I had my utility knife on me and it was in my truck.
Was using Bill's bow, Scott's great tab, the Kanati Dual Arc Zipperized quiver, and Magnus' feathers - so a lot of Tradgang on the hunt. Oh, and can't forget Chuck's insoles in my boots, that must have been the difference. :jumper: I also had Jeremy's good sounding osage deer grunt from the auction, but usually don't make any noise my first time hunting a stand, so didn't use it.
Thanks Bill, I really like that new stick of yours. . . . all I need now is that Uglystick (TM).
Congrats on a fine buck!
Bisch
Congrats on the buck.
Good job Will very nice buck.Congrats :thumbsup: :notworthy: :campfire:
Great story and some great memories for you to keep. Nice job!
Congrats on a fine deer
Will
that's a dandy buck
congrats
Kevin
:clapper:
Congrats on the deer! Way to stick with it even though you were under the weather. Good things only happen if you are present.
Way to go sir! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
:thumbsup:
Congrats Will !!! Sure that B&W Ebony looks ever nicer with a little blood on it.
Bill
Congrats...pretty buck!
:archer2: way to git'er dun!
Don't know how I missed this one! That's a dandy buck Will! Congratulations! Extra nice that you didn't need to go in over your waders to get him out of there :thumbsup: