Opps!  That's what happens with big thumbs and a phone,,,,  double post

Nice, real nice. But it seems your losing your touch Charlie. This tale is unraveling way faster than the norm. Almost too fast.  

Heck Yeah!

The next evening I had no action at all, and neither did Charlie.....now get this....no pull over needed....

This morning I had a doe and little one come in the same way the doe and buck did, but they came in and turned south and stayed behind cover offering no shot even though they were slightly in range......and the temps were rising fast.  It was about to get hot, and shut off our pre rut activity we were afraid....and we were right.

Izzy, they are just gettin started buddy!! Hang on!  :D

Time to change spots for me....and for good reason....the rising temps.  Hot afternoons I'm use to being from the south and killing many a deer in 90 degree heat.

Way to go Charlie!

BTW....Charlie had texted me that morning and I was stoked that we'd had one down already.

I'll fast forward through part of my story. Terry has the real stuff to tell.

For the most part my week went more slowly than T's. Oh yeah, there were plenty of deer to be seen and a couple of interesting revelations were revealed , but otherwise it was pretty ordinary.

Revelation one. Assessing the situation so you know exactly where all the animals will move so you can be ready.

Yep, I had it all figured out. They'd come down the hill feeding in the beans or following the equipment road. They'd come out of the brushy gap across the field or from my left rear at the fence crossing. Yep, I had it figured. They wouldn't come along the equipment road gap on my right... except for that one doe that showed up there while I was watching the sure fire spots.

She ended up turning into the weeds half way through the gap and followed the ditch toward the brushy gap.

They couldn't possibly come from my right rear where the brush was impossibly thick either. Yep I had it figured. I was Fred Bear or somebody like him. I saw it all in my keen hunting mind.

Of course there was the time I'd heard the leaves crunching back in there. I'd swiveled in my seat enough that if I twisted my head around real hard I could see into the brush.
It wasn't a deer. Only a gray squirrel hopping along searching for acorns. Yep! I knew that's what it would be.

And I knew that's what it was a few minutes later when I heard it again. With little more than a casual glance I looked down to see a doe and her offspring moving fast toward the ditch to my right and below me. Good call Fred!!

With purpose the doe lead her charges across the ditch within 15 yards of the grim figure watching from the trees above.

All three moved into the horse weeds along the equipment road gap and stood watching I guess... I couldn't see them through the weeds.
Suddenly one of the youngsters spooked and flew back along the trail they came on. The other two followed, though mom seemed less than enthusiastic about the panic.

Well, that was over. You get to where you can tell that stuff when you see it.
So I went back to watching the sure fire places the deer would come from. That's what I was doing when the trio returned along the same route they'd originally showed up on.

Mom had had her way and they were going to continue on there trip to where ever they'd first intended.
It was a mistake she would soon pay for. there was no doubt about that... in my keen hunter's mind.

Shortly she cleared the horse weeds and walked out in front of me. I was standing ready, bow half raised and fingers firmly on the string.
At slam dunk range she lowered her head to nip some greens. The young ones were occupied with other things. It was go time.

If was one of those guys that don't see the arrow in their peripheral vision I'd have not been bothered by what I saw as I drew the arrow. The tip of the arrow leaned way to the right of where it should have been. There was a hard bend in the aluminum shaft about half way down it's length.

I didn't need to channel Fred Bear to know this situation was over. Soon the doe lead her tasty companions down along the field edge and disappeared in the brushy gap.

Doh! A bent shaft? Am I reading right, Charlie?

Now that's serious bad mojo if I'm seeing that correctly... how'd that happen?  Gotta be a "back story" to that one...

Hate that for ya, Bud...  :(

The bottom line is i don't have a clue how that arrow got in my quiver. I did a thorough check of all my arrows after that and found one more in the quiver that needed to be culled.

My suspicions involve something falling on the quiver in transport or at home or it happened on a follow up shot I made on one of my deer in Kansas.

I lean toward the former. Aluminums have to take a hell of shot to bend that bad.  I immediately cut the nock off of it so it wouldn't make it back into the lineup before I could remove the insert.

I broke it in half and trashed it on my return home.

Sorry Charlie....I think I got ahead....I'd forgot that was the hunt with your bent arrow.

I meant to take notes, or just speak into my cell phone after each of our hunts so we could keep track....being there 5 days....sometimes they start to run together.

I guess I'm up.....

That is a bad feeling. I did that once except I had a....judo on the string. Saved the life of a doe and made me feel even more stupid.RC

Terry's up!!
 

Bummer on the experience, Charlie. Thanks for sharing at least some conjecture as to the cause.

One reason I shoot carbons was worrying about such things...

Can't wait (well, have to) for the rest of the tales!

Great story telling guys enjoying every word.    

Tracy

Great tales so far, even the errors.  makes me feel normal.  I love teaching, but hate how it makes travel during deer season an impossibility.  I would be all over a spot next year.  Sounds like and incredible property.  Keep em coming.