Well guy yesterday was the season opener here in western NY and I had to sit in a rotting glycol transfer pit welding pipe wishing I was in the woods. Well I finished up yesterday afternoon and told the boss not to expect me tomorrow!!

Well the alarm went off this morning at 4am. I had my coffee ready and was out the door by 4:15. The deer where all over the side of the road and after an hour and twenty minute ride I arrived at the hunting grounds. I was a little worried cause around here if you see deer at 4:15 in the morning it generally means it was a late night feeding and the deer will bed before sun up. Still optimistic I started my ritual of spaying down, painting my face, checking and double checking all pockets for proper gear storage, putting on safety harness putting my climber on my back and heading in.

I arrived at my tree at roughly 6:15 literally dripping sweat with a bad wind, strapped on the climber at started up. My final resting place was about 14ft up, in the pic I was between the pine branch and the leaves

On the way in I crossed this track filled creek bottom about 45yrds from my tree, good sign

The trees where raining acorns and the squirrels where loving it! Sun up was officially 7:09 and at 7:06 here came my first deer. He popped out of the pines behind me at 15yrds, wide tall and heavy only problem... 4point aaagggghhh where I hunt a bucks gotta have 3 points on one side so out he walked stopped at 18yrds quartering away and then continued out of my life.

7:36 brought a new set of legs working their way by at 45yrds, upon further inspection legs met the torso of a medium size doe probably last years fawn. She kept her distance and worked off in the same direction of the huge 4. Both deer where down wind at some point and both deer crossed my tracks in, feewwww must have done something right.

8:00am brought a white fag quickly appearing and disappearing just as quickly. For some reason I readied myself. A few minutes later what appeared? A does head right where the flash of white was, about 70yrds off. As I watched her gobble acorns I caught movement not far from her, trees moving legs pawing. It wasn't long before I caught that beautiful cream color, a buck!!!

This is my fourth year hunting traditional, last year I was able to take my first doe with a recurve and a couple weeks later another but no bucks in 4 years of trad hunting (can't eat the horns anyway, they get stuck in your teeth I hear). So anyway as I watched this buck I couldn't help but wonder "is this the same 4pt and medium doe?" Well I didn't have to wait long to find out it wasn't. As he crossed the creek I started counting 1,2,3 it's LEGAL!!!! I readied myself and closer he came. At 15yrds head on he stopped to smell some leaves, my fingers took tension. As he began to move again he made the turn, he was now 16thing me, I say it this was cause he was ever so slightly turned not a true broadside but def. not quartering towards me. Before I new it the string was drawn my anchor point was hit and the arrow was sent!! As the arrow impacted my heart sank. You stupid son of a #*+%= I hit anchor and in the excitement never picked a spot, just stared at his side.

I stood there as off he ran with my arrow firmly planted behind his last rib in utter disbelief of my stupidity. As he disappeared behind me I could hear him on a dead run, he began to circle around me and soon he appeared again about 60yrds away now he slowed to a stop. Then came the all to familiar side step shuffle followed by a body crashing to the forest floor with a couple final kicks movement ceased. The woods became quite, my trembleling hands quieted and my heart slowed I put the bow back on the hook, sat down and began to  contemplate the happenings.

After a half hour I quietly climbed down packed my things and started my investigation.

Shot sight hair no blood
10yrds away arrow covered in blood and bile
But only drops, and very few at that, to follow
I knew where he was so abandoned the trail and headed for my buck. In total he traveled roughly 75-90 yards before coming to rest.
 


Upon my autopsy I found I had slice through the aortal artery that follows the back bone and also punched through the liver and gut. Death was quick at less than 45sec and I am truly grateful for that. I am really disappointed in my shot, I have been shooting awesome and this should have been a chip shot if I hadn't got caught in the excitement. Oh well room for growth i try harder next time. My bow on this trip was a black widow recurve at 52# my arrows where Byron ferguson heavy hunters with 150gr grizzly sticks samurai single bevel broadheads for a total weight of 748gr. By the way my workout was the 1000yrd drag up and down hills and across to creeks.

Excellent looking buck!      Glad that it all worked out in spite of the shot placement.

Nice buck. Well done.  
 That's what lots of practice does for you. Lets your subconscious brain do all the work while the rest of you is in shock.
Instinctive shooting!    

 well done.......

Sweet!!!

     

Never hurts to have a little luck.  Congrats.

Congrats!

I have learned that there aren't many chip shots when live animals are involved.

Congrats to you !!

Nicely done!

Nice Buck.  Congrats!

Well done!

That is a good looking buck, congrats!

Great job. It's true. In the heat of things we do sometimes forget to "pick a spot"
Congratulations!

Nice buck, congrats!

Nice deer!

Well, Greg!  I told you how well you'd do!  And, you didn't believe me....

Congrats, again.  Nice buck.  Better you than me.  I'm too old to drag that far and my official dragger done went to South Carolina!!!

Congrats!

Nice buck congrats