Saturday Morning started out pretty windy. I got in the stand right at first light and the wind was howling out of the north. At around 7:25 I was contemplating putting may arrow back in my quiver and putting my bow on it's hanger when a doe bolted past my stand on the trail at 12 yards. On a normal day I'm sure I would have heard this does coming from a quarter mile away but that wasn't the case today with these winds. When a doe runs past your stand this time of year a hunter is only thinking one thing, wheres the buck? After seeing the doe go through both my shooting lanes I instantly looked to the north where she originally came from and saw antlers fast approaching through the trees. When I first saw the buck he was at 20 yards wasting no time to try and catch up to the doe and I knew I was going to try and get an arrow in this deer. When the buck entered my first shooting lane he was quartering to me so there was no shot but as he passed through my first shooting lane passing behind a large hedge branch I gave him a really loud grunt with my mouth. By really loud I mean I almost yelled to get him to stop. The buck put the breaks on just on the verge of becoming broadside in my second shooting lane. With the bucks head behind a limb I drew and anchored. At this point the buck wasn't sure what made the noise but he was dead set on catching up to his doe. As the buck became broadside at 12 yards I gave him another grunt and almost instantaneously as he put the breaks on for a second time and stopped, I had an arrow sent his way.
There wasn't no lining up of the arrow, no making sure I was holding in the right spot, I just looked where I wanted to hit and my hand did the rest. I knew I had to make it quick and my instincts took over. I watched as my arrow struck half way up the buck's body right in the crease of the shoulder and I instantly knew it was a fatal shot. After the cedar arrow snapped off, the buck took off running through the maize of hedge trees and I watched him as long as I could which was only about 20 yards. I hung up my bow and thanked the lord for giving me this chance at this animal. I collected myself in the stand, called my wife, then got down and sat down at the site of impact.
There is no smell like the smell of a freshly broken cedar arrow covered with blood and there is no feeling like knowing you just put a fatal hit on a nice animal. I sat on the ground and thought about all the practice I had put in to be ready for this moment and all the work that I put in to be able to make this happen. The 20 minutes I spent there reflecting reminded me of how lucky I am to be able to do this. My dad taught me everything I know about hunting and I have him to thank for giving me the knowledge I have. My wife allows me to do what I love and I am more than appreciative to her. And of course, If it wasn't for the Lord up above, non of this would be possible. I also thought about my best friend's Dad that passed away on October 5th this year. He was a die hard traditional bow hunter and one heck of a guy. I couldn't help but think he was up there smiling down, this deer was for him.
(http://i.imgur.com/zjj1XTl.jpg)
Knowing that the deer couldn't of went far I took up the blood trail. There were specs of blood right by my arrow and it wasn't a hard trail to follow. A spec here, a spec there, then a pile here, another pile there. This was the kind of trail everyone loves to see. 60 yard into the track job I saw my buck belly up laying in the grass. Walking up to the deer I would be a liar if I said there wasn't any ground shrinkage but that didn't matter. I thanked the deer for his life and went to work. I am running out of time with a baby coming in January and the house and knife projects are stacking up. This buck will do just fine for me this year. He is a basic 10 point with beautiful dark horns, a little young but I'm happy. I shot this buck with my 54", 53@28 Wild Horse Creek Mariah recurve made by Mike Dunnaway in Perry, KS. I was using cedar arrows I received as a wedding gift last year from a great friend and fellow TradGanger'R, "DGW". The arrow was tipped with an old bear razor my Dad bought at a garage sale and gave to me. Upon inspection I double lunged the buck and nicked the side of the heart. I couldn't be happier with this buck. Now bring on the baby, does, ducks, coyotes, squirrels.....and projects my wife has for me.
(http://i.imgur.com/oGaoBlr.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/X8sqyxy.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/JaBvnpr.jpg)
:thumbsup: :archer:
Nice deer and a well tolled story. Thanks for sharing.
Joe
Enjoy the new baby.
Really good KS buck. Congrats. Good you got him now....gonna be uncomfortable sitting next week in that polar vortex! :eek:
Congrats! Nice Buck.
Great buck!!
congrats on your harvest and thanks for sharing the story! Outstanding buck!
Congrats on taking that nice deer. Thanks for taking us along with your story, I enjoyed reading. May God bless you and your bride on the upcoming birth of your baby, that it will be a very healthy child.
Tony
Great buck :clapper:
Nicely done!
Great story, and a great buck!
Awesome tuff and a great deer. Congrats on the new baby to come and best wishes.
If that's what ground shrinkage does to Kansas deer I'd sure like to get me one!
Congrats on a beautiful deer and well told story.
:archer:
Caley,
Congratulations. Great story, and the photos are excellent.
Very well done all the way around.
Good Hunting,
Craig
nice deer enjoyed the whole story
Most excellent!
Congrats!
Great job, congrats!
David
damn nice deer. way to work
Congrats buddy. Man you guys have good looking deer out there! :thumbsup:
Congratulations all around. On the deer and the addition to the family. Really nice photos too.
Nice buck. Excellent hunt, thanks for sharing.
Outstanding!
:clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
I was thinking the same thing Joe was about Kansas ground shrinkage.........man, Congrats on a fine buck!
Now that the work is over with, let the fun of life begin (lol)
Congrats on the baby!
Great Story and beautiful buck! Great job! SS
Super cool! I can't wait to get to Kansas myself. Normally I would already be there, but we decided to go a week later this year due to moon phase...it's killing me.
congrats on a great deer.
bigjim
Nice congrats
Gotta love when they're still that big with shrinkage. Congrats!
Beautiful buck!! Dad sure is smiling down on you for sure
Great buck!
Congrats,
Bisch
Very nice deer brother....congrats!!
Congrats!
Congrats on a great deer! :thumbsup:
Beautiful buck and congrats on the upcoming baby!
homebru
Great deer. Nicely done. Congrats!
Beauty of a buck, Congrats
Good job man!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Ground shrinkage? That buck is gorgeous congrats!!
Great job, Caley. Beautiful buck.
--Mike
QuoteOriginally posted by Kopper1013:
Ground shrinkage? That buck is gorgeous congrats!!
My sentiments exactly!
That's how it's done!
Dandy buck! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Congrats!
Congrats on the very nice KS buck
Nice buck! Congrats! :clapper:
Congrats on a beautiful buck. Best wishes to you and your wife with the new addition to the family!
Thanks for sharing, great shoot. Same thing happened to me Friday but the buck was so small I couldn't see the antlers. I choose not to grunt at the little guy yours I would have jumped on.
Very Nice. Great deer
I love those dark antlers! That's a really cool buck. Congratulations on a very fine animal! :thumbsup:
Bernie
Not sure how I missed this thread but, congrats and thanks for sharing your story with us. :thumbsup:
Great buck, congrats!!!
Congrats on a great buck, and thanks for the story!
Congrats!!! around here that would be a once in a lifetimer! Good luck on the upcoming life changes!
Great story and buck! You could feel the excitement in your words, nice job!
-Jay
Nice buck!! Im sure Mike will put your pic up on his wall. His Mariah is one of the smoothest and fastest short bows I have ever shot. My bro has one. Its on my wish list. Gonna wait until the next time I visit Mike so I can pick everything out.
Well done Caley, you keep on breaking them cedars on animals like that and I will make you some more. And yes, I bet Rooster was smiling down on you!
Dan, I was going to shoot my doe with an aluminum arrow to save the woodies but I think I will change my mind with that offer!
Way to go!
Great job all the way around!!
Very nice! Kansas is my favorite state! I haven't had chance to deer hunt it yet with a bow in hand (I always have a camera), but it's definitely on the to-do list!
Congrats!