Think I've gone crazy!

[RadSav]

At 9:30 I had a doe come by acting pretty dang hot.  About 50 yards from the stand she stopped and took a pee.  I instantly had a rush of warmth run through the Oompa Loompa suit, pulled my release hand out of my pocket and got locked and ready!

Just before 10:00 I catch a good buck running through the trees like his balls are on fire.  In the course of about four seconds I get a glimps of the left side...heavy outside of the ears, next a glimps of the right side...tall, heavy and outside the ears, broadside with vitals behind a tree I see the profile 9 points! Then a turns to go away and I draw, swing the 20 yard pin through his spine and touch 'er off!  A good solid thump and his chest hits the ground as he is trying to get footing for a quick break away.  Man, that all happened fast

Arrow looked good.  At least what I saw of it.  Was headed right for the opposite shoulder coming in from just inside the left hip.  Sounded like I hit a watermelon with a baseball bat!  But I never did see the arrow the last five or eight yards in flight.  I was pretty confident at the impact, but as I saw him run 120 yards my optimism was taking a hit!  If I had hit him where I thought I did I should have watched him go down in a pile of snow poop.  Instead I jut watched him full bore run out of sight.

[elkoholic1]

 

[RadSav]

I guess I missed the pre-hunt schpeal about staying in the stand until the outfitter got there.  You know what they say about doctors being the worst patients?  Well, I'm sure they are thinking ex-guides are the worst clients.  Because I got down and went to check for my arrow.  Lot's of hair, but not a lot of blood.  I tracked him a hundred yards or so and while the blood was scattered constant there just wasn't any evidence of a heart shot.  I made my way back to the stand and called the guide after an hour had passed.  Figured it would be two hours past by the time he got in there and we could pick up the trail.

When Timber Jim got to me and I gave him the story he was not so understanding of me breaking the rules.  And then when he told me in no uncertain terms that I was not allowed to help trail things got a little heated!  When he got back even more heated   The decision was made that we would wait until the next day to track the buck.  To say I was a little miffed was an understatement!  I understand they have their way of doing things, but 24 hour wait even in cold weather did not sit well with me at all!

[92xj]

Longest story ever!!! Speed it up old man!

[pianoman9701]

You're a bad client, Rad!

[BOWHUNTER45]

  Well you got some practice at taking SELFIES  Tell me this story gets better 

[RadSav]

In the end it made little difference.  The next day we picked up the trail and after a while Timber Jim (whom I'm not sure has ever seen real timber) realized I wasn't the average Jow Blow pay some money and claim to be some big bubba hunter.  Tempers and frustrations settled as we took care of the task at hand.  He was actually a rather good tracker and kept on the bucks tracks even when we were finding it hard to find blood.  Shortly after we passed the last spot I had tract to we came to a bedding ground.  There was no question as the buck ran in circles that he was already chasing doe tail after the shot.  A couple loop-d-loops and he lined out again.  Never stopped, never bedded just kept cruising. 

About a quarter mile later we found the back half of my arrow.  Completely soaked in blood and covered with white hair.  WHITE HAIR!!!  WTF is that all about.  We went through all the possible scenarios that would lead to white hair.  If I had hit him in the arse he'd be dead already!  I was certain the arrow was on a path to the opposite shoulder and we came to an agreement I must have shot low in the brisket.  And with all the blood on the far side that the broadhead must have excited behind the off front leg.  But, we still had blood so we were going to keep tracking.

After over a mile the buck was still chasing every doe track he crossed.  Had not found a drop of blood in quite some time and the only trace that kept us knowing we were on his trail was the occasional transfer when he would cut through a swamp with grass and sticks.  Most of that transfer was now a few inches below the snow line.  Supporting the theory the arrow had hit the brisket and not any higher.

When the buck hit an old quad road and changed direction to bird dog more does we had pretty much accepted we were not going to find him dead.  We still saw blood and I was wanting to keep tracking, but then Timber Jim fell through ice as we crossed another swamp.  With miles to go to get to the truck, temperature in single digits and him soaked from shoes to shoulders we called it quits.

Once we crossed the last water crossing and could see the main road in the distance I told him to forget about me.  "I'll get there in due time.  You just bust tail and get to the truck and get those clothes off.  I'll be just fine!"  I worried about him, but I was just slowing him down.  Figured his risk was less pushing it hard and getting to the truck sooner.  We called ahead and had another guide pick him up at the main road.  As I saw him get into the truck I felt a WHOLE lot better.  I laid down in the snow, closed my eyes for a few minutes and thanked the Lord.  That could have gotten bad in a quick hurry.

[RadSav]

Tell me this story gets better 

Nope, That's about it. 

After that day the weather just got colder, the wind stopped and deer movement almost completely quit.  That was the last good buck I would see on the trip.  I felt crazy for making the trip and I returned home just feeling like an idiot!

Last day we got a range finder reading on the shot.  It was 30 yards not 25.  That pretty much explains everything...I SUCK

I made the trip cause I thought it would be an easy treestand hunt.  Ended up being one of the most physically demanding hunts I've had in a while.  Half the clients didn't hunt more than five hours the whole trip.  Just hunting or trying each day makes me feel good about the effort.  And I was the only one of the bowhunters to get an opportunity.  But that doesn't make my failure any less of a complete cluster %^(*

Well, that is my story about nothing!  My opinion of whitetail hunting remains unchanged...

[RadSav]

One good thing happened on this hunt...

On the horrible second day as everyone sat around the cabin waiting for an opportunity Del got a call from the P&Y club.  He is now a full fledged Senior Member of the Pope and Young Club.  Quite an honor!  He was shocked and extremely grateful.  The news spurred some great stories told as only Del can.  By bed time my sides ached and my face was crusted with dried tears from laughing so hard.

In the end the trip was more about good friends from opposite coasts coming together to enjoy an experience together than it was a deer hunt.  Hard to go wrong on any hunt choice when we can get together and spend time enjoying life!  You just never know when those opportunities will come to an end.  Some day one of us will remember back on this trip and say, "Dang, I wish we would have had more of those."  Thoughts of big bucks and missed opportunities won't seem all that important.  The friendship and comradery will be the lasting memory and cherished moments

[BOWHUNTER45]

Well we all know we can not get them every time ...Sounds like one hell of a hunt and sitting out in a tree stand in cold weather takes a hardcore hunter to endure...Just knowing your out there doing what you love makes the hunt a success anyway 

[csaaphill]

cool guess you hadfun anyhows and darn near filled the tag so grats.
I bet he's around next year for some other hunter to hit, or miss as the case may be.
 

[jackelope]

That's so weird. I thought all treestand hunts were easy and only lazy hunters hunted out of treestands.

 

Apparently maybe that's not the case.

[RadSav]

That's so weird. I thought all treestand hunts were easy and only lazy hunters hunted out of treestands.

 

Apparently maybe that's not the case.

Ain't no Boneaddict muledeer hunt for sure!  But, when mother nature throws gimpy and grumpy a curve ball even sitting in a tree can be challenging.

[Seahawk12]

Cool story.
Sorry you didn't bring home the harvest, but the memories sound pretty awesome.

[JODakota]

Kill dat tirdy pointer and watch out for the dnr!