As my 32nd birthday draws to a close I find another year of my life has passed. I have found myself in deep reflection this evening. A heart full of thanks, joy, excitement and even a small amount of sorrow.
This story starts 5 season ago. I had taken my best buck to date with wheels and tho this was great buck age wise and score I wanted more. Little did I know the "more" I wanted was actually less. Enter in Mike Davenport. He sold me my first long bow. A 62" D shaped Great Plains longbow. I practiced relentlessly and took a doe the next season. And have taken several does since that season. I had told myself and any of my hunting buddies that would sit long enough, that my first trad buck would be one of 4.5 years of age or older. No matter his head gear.
Now please understand I am not a horn porn disciple or some follower of the TV stars. And I know that's what some people think when they hear I only want a deer of a certain age or class. That's not me. I wanted a deer that I knew was at the top of his game. In my opinion should be the hardest to kill. So please don't think I am some head hunting trophy guy cause that is far from the truth.
So on with the hunt. Last night I find myself on the eve of my birthday. The dreaded OCT lull.... So I go to a stand I haven't hunted in a couple of years. A ladder stand over looking the north edge of my thicket in a large river birch tree. This stand has a great entry and exit route with the creek that meanders along behind it. I found myself perched in my ambush spot early in the evening. Wind wanted to play games for about 20 min but eventually settled into a favorable southwest breeze.
:campfire: This is sounding interesting.
:campfire:
The stand I was in was one of the Rural King jobs. Basic 15 ft ladder stand. I normally modify all of mine to accommodate our tradition style of hunting by welding a platform on the bottom for a longer standing surface and also modifying the seat with hinges so you can fold the seat up and get up against the tree your hunting. Unfortunately this particular stand hasn't made it to the welding shop and is OME. So I sat with my bow in my lap arrow nocked at the ready. Had seen what seemed like a million squirrels when I look up at 530 to see a buck I knew well approaching my location.
The unfortunate part of this, he didn't read the script I'd wrote for this hunt and was entering my ambush from literally the opposite direction I expected and have had deer come from in the past.
At first sight he is 60 yards. He closes to 30 quick. I soon realize with no cover between him and I there is going to be no standing shot. I am going to have to shoot this deer sitting down. Not my favorite or most favorable but I am confident enough and have practiced my form enough to shoot sitting. He isn't slowing 30 turns to 20, then 20 turns to 10. Bow arm raises he needs to start heading south. Tension on the string I am half way thru my draw, he still isn't going south he is heading to the base of my tree. Ease tension off. This shot is not going to happen.
:coffee:
The paper birch I'm in is wide and double trunked. I'm still sitting down and I know his head is down at the base of the tree. I know this next part isn't text book bow hunting stuff nor would it be recommend to try and make a move with a mature whitetail 15ft below you. But before I knew what had happened I was standing. Looking below me I see he is still relaxed still browsing. Browsing directly behind my tree. I'm right handed he is behind me now. I realize the only shot I'm going to get is going to be to the west or my right sitting in the stand. So the only thing I can think is if he let me stand maybe I can get away with turning and facing the tree. All while holding my 62" Tall Tines............ and wouldn't you know it, I get away with it.
He browses and picks at acorns past the base of my tree and gets about 3 yards out. Turns slightly quartering away. The moment of truth. If he feeds north no shot goes west no shot goes south I have to turn around again. Steep angle but he is close and I had practiced this shot. Knew to bend at the waist. Pick a spot. Hit your anchor. Pick a spot. Pick a spot. Breathe. Some how some way I get my bow to full draw with my safety strap handing over my right shoulder without interfering in my draw. Hit anchor and release. SMACK. The water melon, water balloon sound. He jumps straight in the air and for a second I think we were eye to eye. He took 550 grains behind the shoulder and thru the bottom of his ribs. He is off like a rocket and I immediately raise my binos to try and follow him thru the thicket. He stops about 50 yards flickers his tail and I lose him.
Immediately I text Mike who is hunting a farm to the North. I JUST SHOT TALL AND NARROW! He responds HELLLLLLLL YEAH!!!! I'm trying not to let the adrenaline and excitement overcome the facts. Im replaying the shot. Looking at the arrow making notes of where he was last seen his reactions. I wait about 15 min. I can't stay any longer. I get down and sneak back to my hunting rig. I head down the road to get Mike. I walk back to where he is hunting and we look for a coyote he had just shot. He killed one and missed another. We are thick with em.
As any good hunting partner he asks all the important questions. And as any adrenaline filled hunter I tried to rattle off the events the best I could. We hatch a plan. Both would return home get a bite to eat and go back and investigate the area I had last seen him.
The shot was behind the shoulder. I knew for sure liver forward. My concern was one lung due the angle and reaction. So we make our way back in. We pick up blood in the area I had last seen him. But I was hoping he had laid down there but he didn't......
Mike with his lantern and me with my flash light we work our way ever so slowly. Its been 3 hours since the shot and we are inching away from the scene of the hit. We work our way from the creek bottom up into the Russian Olives. I told my self before we started if he made it into the "thick stuff" I was going to back out and come back at first light.
When I realized he had made to the point I had told myself I was gonna turn around I told Mike what I wanted to do. Without hesitation Mike says your deer your trail. Lets go. So we mark our last blood and head for the truck. Mike tells me he will be back before work to help me track. So he drops me at my house and leaves me with some words of encouragement.
I head inside for what most of you know is not a good nights sleep. Didn't sleep a wink before 11. Baby woke up at 1200 cried and fussed till at least one. Then I wake up to rain at 321. I shoot out of bed and run to the front porch. So there I stand in my boxers looking to the skies hoping that this light rain doesn't get any heavier. I got back in bed at 330 woke again at 439, 521, 605 and just stayed awake. Mike is back at 645 and we are back in the woods on trail by 7.
We pick up blood and start working it thru the thicket and end up in one of my food plots. The light rain was actually a help as it wetted the dried blood and made it easier to see. We follow the blood across the clover and chicory leaves. On to one of my paths that connects to another smaller plot. We are into this trail much further than I ever thought we would get. Pessimism is starting to set in. I turn to mike and ask what he thinks. And without missing a beat he says. I think your deer is dead and all we gotta do is stay on this blood and get him.
That was the shot in the arm I need and we kept working. This was a "RAY CHARLES" blood trail he is bleeding out both entry and exit. High and low. We follow him down the path maybe forty yards and he heads back into some thick stuff. A good sign. Another 40 yards we find large circles of blood and Mikes says he has a trail out of this confusing mess. We begin to walk thru some honey suckle towards a small drainage ditch and Mike says the words every man who has ever been my shoes loves to hear. There's your buck. He made to the ditch and never made it out.
It was at this point excitement was quickly deflated to disappointment. My decision to back out was the right thing to do but the coyotes had beat me to my prize. There would be no meat for my family. I have to tell you I was heart broken. I have so much respect for these animals to loose the meat like I did. This was the scene we walked up on. As a matter of fact a yote had run off as we walked up.
(http://i.imgur.com/1F42aYU.jpg)
A moment of silence and reflection. An apology to my "friend". He deserved better and I was distraught that I had taken him in his prime but lost him to scavengers. My intentions were of the purest to feed my family. His horns were only to act as a reminder of a great hunt. But the meat was to sustain my family. It was a loss I will not soon forget.
(http://i.imgur.com/aZvBysw.jpg)
We take some more pictures. I am so mixed with emotion. When we found the buck I hugged Mike so hard I thought I might squeeze his head off. He has been with me thru almost every step of the way thru my Traditional Adventure. Here I am with my first buck.
(http://i.imgur.com/Lcglo9q.jpg)
Mike has to go to work and I need more tools to cape this buck out and salvage what I can. So I head back to the house. My dad was waiting on me and went back with me to help me get what I could. Which unfortunately was only enough for the taxidermist. The yotes and contaminated almost the entire carcass.
Dad captured some of my packing out.
(http://i.imgur.com/a3LjTbJ.jpg)
This has been a great birthday filled with almost as many emotions as a bowhunter can feel. I have learned absolutely so much from just this one deer. I never dreamed that the "more" I was after would come from something as simple, beautiful and pure as these sticks and strings.
Thanks for reading.
(http://i.imgur.com/vwCWg5U.jpg)
Great story and great hunt! Congrats on getting your first trad buck! Sorry the coyotes got to it.
Sorry 'bout the way it turned out but, he sure was a dandy looking buck! Happy B-Day as it still had its excitement. :thumbsup:
Man I was glad to be a part of it...the good, the bad, the ugly :)
David is a good woodsman and hunter and I am proud to call him my friend! Him switching to trad bows is just evolution for a fine young hunter. I am happy to have put that longbow in his hands a few years back. Nervy bloodtrails are tougher when it means more and this buck meant the world to him. He had a history with this buck as did I. I had a history where he was hunting as I hung a set in a nearby tree 15 years ago. I got to live this hunt through him, and that is a very cool thing! The only regret is that the coyotes we are blessed with after a horrendous EHD outbreak 3 years ago exploded our population. I have killed 6 coyotes from treestands here in 6 years. Had I been a better shot I would have doubled on them yesterday.
The graphic nature of the pics are a stern realization that we are not the only predators here. You always struggle with backing out versus powering through common sense. This time them 'yotes hammered us even we did everything right. A one lunged deer can travel a ways and this one was no exception: 250 yds before giving up the ghost on his feet.
Brother Dave, this is the first of many. Happy Birthday :campfire:
Coyotes suck. Congrats though.
Very nice deer , dang yotes ......
,,,,,Sam,,,,,
Now that's a tale for the books. I could feel the emotions you spoke of. Two Brothers of the Bow getting it done. Good on you for recognizing the learning. Sorry for the disappointment.
Thanks for sharing.
So sorry to hear David I feel for ya man a dandy buck and the way his meat went definately is a shame but keep your head high you did all you could do on the recovery part these darn yotes are almost uncontrollable and you need to do some thinning in your area I guess ...congrats again on a fine buck!!
Congrats, sorry about the dern 'yotes.
Very moving story, and the respect you showed him reflects your character as a woodsman. A very fine animal.
Jake
Great storytelling, David, and sorry about the coyotes.
You did everything right on a great buck David. Maybe you could have beaten the yotes by continuing the track that night, but maybe you would have pushed him hard enough that you would have never found him. It's hard to know the answer, but you made the call and did the right thing. Always a roll of the dice, but it's all we can do.
So to be honest, I don't know what the lesson to be learned is other than we are just one part of the cycle of life in the wild. Sometimes we eat, and sometimes the other players in natures cycle do. You did everything by the book, and I wouldn't have changed a thing.
When all is said and done, even if you beat the others predators to the the meat, it ends up being eaten and all you are left with are memories. Your history with that buck should hold fond memories in your heart for a long time to come.
Congratulations on a great deer!
Great story, and congratulations!
Thanks for taking the time to share.
Congrats on buck sorry about meat but it happens.
Great Buck. Bummer about the coyotes but it happens to all. I think you made the right decision to back out.
One of the best short stories of a hunt I have ever read. Very well done.. Thank you for taking us along. All we can do is show respect for these great creatures. Unfortunately even when we make the right call nature has a way of handling things we have no control over. Congrats.
David ,having hunted with you and Mike I know you and Mike did everything right to recover this buck.Congrats fine buck and be proud of him.Don't lose sleep on what if.Kip :wavey:
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! and Happy Birthday!!!!! :clapper:
I have lost alot of deer over the last 30+ years to coyotes. Some, after only hours... But EVERY deer I have left overnight, was found by them, before I found it. For this reason, I usualy only hunt mornings. Reguardless, Once I'm on a track, I stay on it!!! I usualy give them a 1/2 hour, to an hour, then go investigate. If the shot looks good, I follow it up... SLOWLY!!! If not, I hang around, THINKING... Check & reread the sign, look over the terrain, and try to put myself in the deer's head.(not an easy thing to do!) If it get's dark, we stay on it... SLOWLY!!! I truely believe the human presence around the trail,keeps the yotes away.
Congratulations Again!!!!
Great buck a dandy for sure. Sorry about the coyotes but nothing you can do about that don't let it eat at you.
Awesome buck and story David, I've fed the yotes before also. :thumbsup:
David, first off congrats Brother thats a great deer!
As I have just recently lost another deer to the coyotes I have pondered on this dilemma for a bit and have come up with what I think is a good solution.
The next deer I shoot and deem it best to back out on overnight I plan to park the truck as close as possible and camp out with the window down in hopes of hearing a group of our furry foes on their feeding frenzy if they find my deer before I get a chance to.
If you hear them, we could then rush in. I don't know if this would work but I really think it will.
Congrats on a mixed reward hunt and happy birthday. Hopefully you fill your freezer up with a doe or three . Your story was told as well as any Ive ever read here, excellent wording and story structure. Im not a teacher or anything but I know how to read . :thumbsup:
Congrats on the buck! Sorry about the coyotes. That's a kick in the gut for sure. A lot of us have been there, including myself.
Great buck. Sorry about the dang yotes! I hate that such an awesome moment was tainted by the loss of meat and defilement of the beautiful buck. Like everyone has said...seems to be unavoidable sometimes. At any rate... awesome job and great story-telling! Thanks for sharing.
Congrats!
I hear ya on loosing the meat that was intended for your family.........
My first Trad buck was filled with many of the same highs and lows, he got chewed on a tinny bit but man the reward of hard work and sharing it dedicated friends......... theres nothing better :campfire:
Congrats on the first of many :clapper:
You write a good story. Sorry about the loss to the coyotes, but as mentioned numerous times you did everything that we've been taught. Those yotes seem to be not only expanding their territory, but getting out of control in many areas. Congratulations!
Good luck with your future fall hunts!
Bernie
Sorry about the yotes, don't second guess yourself, you never know if he would of kept going if you stayed on him all night or if the yotes would have found him so quickly. Congrats on your first buck he sure is a dandy, now get back out there and put one in the freezer
:thumbsup: congratts! on your first buck trad style, the coyote is just another predator like us, he will eat when he gets the oprotunity, and he did. you cant blame them for doing what they do. :thumbsup:
Congrats!!! I know your disappointment, as my first buck followed a very similar story. You did what you felt was the best thing, and you found your deer. Take pride in a true hunt and your first buck, he is a beauty!!
Congrats, nice buck. Too bad about the coyotes.
Happy Birthday and congrats on your buck, he looks like a bruiser! Sorry the yote's got to him first, sometimes things turn out poorly even when you make the right decision.
Jon
Well done Dirtnap! :thumbsup:
Great buck and a great journey, for sure, David. Nothing to hang your head about. It's all a big circle of life and this simply affirms that we are a part of that circle as hunters.
homebru
Thanks for sharing a great, true hunting story. You killed a nice buck and made the call you did and I think it was right. I probably would have done the same thing. Congrats!
Kenny :clapper: :clapper:
Congrats! Unfortunately I have been there with predators before more than once.
Sorry the yotes got him but that is a great buck.
Great Story! Congratulations too. Tom, I like your idea on the Coyotes. I've had them start tearing into a deer after less than an hour in a perfect shot!
Congrats! That's a nice deer!
Thanks all! Your words of encouragement have helped me realize that there are certain things we will all experience as bow hunters. I don't regret my decision to back out. Such a great hunt and I will be posting pics once I get him back from the taxidermist!
Can't believe I missed this amazing adventure...Congrats my friend!!
Congrats Dave!! Heartbreaking to lose the meat but what great B-Day!! He is a super buck for sure!
Nice buck. Shame the coyotes got to it before you did. Given he wasn't out there that long, should have been able to salvage the front quarters, maybe the front part of the loins, etc.
One takeaway from this is something I learned long ago. If there are a lot of coyotes in the area, I keep tracking until I find the deer or the blood ends.
Thanks again fellas. It was quite a shame to lose the meat like I did. Orion, I seriously considered the shoulders and fronts of the loins but the yotes had been all over and in the carcass, as I feed my young children all of my wild game I just wasn't comfortable taking any chances. I too have learned a great and valuable lesson in this.
Definitely a bummer, but as has been said, that's a part of the natural cycle.
It's still really exciting to harvest your first buck with trad equipment. Congrats.