I've been super busy with work, kids and school. There isn't many chances for hunting this year. Well, Saturday was looking good for an all day adventure with my best buddy and I to hunt our favorite mountain.
The morning started out very dark with heavy cloud cover and winds blowing 20-30 mph. Many would not like this type of day for the deer woods, but my friend and I always have a great time when the weather is like this.
We met plenty early, made the decision of where we were going to set up for the morning and began the long dark trek up the mountain.
The wind was howling and the trees were bending. Leaves and branches were falling. To most it was not an ideal hunting day, but for us, well, we knew we would be into some deer this morning.
We finally get the the point where we split up and wish each other well. "shoot straight", we tell each other and set off to our favorite ambush sites.
I had decided earlier that I would move my spot back about 5 yards to give me better cover from the way deer like to enter the area. I set up my torges in the new location, made ready my gear, nocked an arrow and made a few practice draws. All is good and I like how things are looking here.
My mind is racing with anticipation of what might transpire today. My eyes adjust to the changing light as the hidden sunrise illuminates the heavy, fast moving cloudy sky.
Movement to my left! A large buck is coming up the ridge moving with the wind. He holds up in the heavy laurels that line the edge. He didn't see what he was looking for, turned and vanished as quick as he showed up. A good start.
I wouldn't mind a nice buck, but today is really about meat.
A short time passes and I am hearing some thing behind me on the left. I'm thinking squirrel, but then it sounds to heavy. I turn my head and.... DEER! Sneaking in from a direction that I have never seen deer before. I don't take time to recognize buck or doe, I bring up my bow, draw and try to pick a spot on this sneaky visitor that is 8 yards away. The deer takes a few quick steps and ends up standing in my old ground blind location. I pick the spot and the arrow makes the quick trip from my bow to its intended target.
The deer makes a quick 20 yard dash and stops. It looks around and wanders off down the ridge. Did I hit it? I know I saw the arrow make its mark. Yes, but was it the good lung shot I thought I made?
I see my arrow laying on the ground, and I go to retrieve it. Blood on the arrow! I go back to my spot, gather my gear and get ready to track.
The blood trail is decent and start right at the hit.
 
I follow the bright red trail that shows every few feet. The blood sign leads my into the heavy laurels and my eyes move from blood trail to looking ahead and back again.
After 40 yards of blood trail, the deer jumps ahead of me and heads down towards my friend's location. I give it some time hoping the deer will slow and maybe my buddy will have a chance to finish it.
Finally I head down with out following the blood and head right over tho my buddy's location. As I approach his spot I come across a blood trail. I wonder it it was my deer or did he score too? We meet up and I ask him if he shot. He said no, but did have some deer come in. Then he says another deer came through pretty quick with its tail tucked down and dragged the other deer away with him. I asked him if he saw blood on the deer. No it went by pretty quick. I tell him I shot this deer and it came down through here.
We gather his gear and take up the blood trail. The blood is flowing much heavier now and the trail is easy to follow. We come to a spot where the deer bedded and the blood is all over. Then 10 yards to the left I see it. A double lung shot.
 
The day starts to clear as we make the long drag off the mountain. The leaves are peaking with color, the smells of fall fill out nostrils as we breath the mountain air.
 
 
We finally get down to the house, hang the deer and get busy with the day ending in a nice bunch of meat for the table.
All in all, we saw a bear, several deer, two fox and a hawk with a rabbit in its clutches. What a great day.

Excellent day in the bowhunting woods!  Thanks for sharing.

Well done!!!

Good story

         

AMEN!

Congradulations! Sounds like a great day to me.

Indeed, the smell of fall.  Good job.

Shick

Congradulations! Hap

Definitely a great day!  Congratulations.

CONGRATS!! Thanks for sharing with us...

 Congrats! A great day indeed.

Well-done. That is a great day, for sure.

Good job, nice pics. Thanks for sharing.

great story... Congrads

Outstanding. RC

Great to share those moments with your best buddy and...with us.

Awesome! Thanks for sharing.

great hunt , thankx for taking us along. ruddy

straight stick shooters rule !
Was it with Mahantango longbow  ?

good stuff!