First archery kill, blacktail

[huntingbaldguy]

I've been watching this buck since June.  I watched him grow in, i knew where he rubbed his velvet off, i had him on cam for a long time.  He was consistently coming in to bait at my tree stand... in the dark.  I still spent time there, to the tune of probably 80 hours across archery, muzzy and modern season.  I hauled 200 lbs of bait a week in to 2 sites.  Then, he disappeared from there, and started appearing at my blind.  At first he was only there in the dark as well.  Then all of a sudden about a week ago he showed up at 930am.  Saturday and Sunday i sat for about 13 hrs total.  Monday he was there at 1030am. 

Tuesday I sat there from 6am until noon.  Nothing.  The following morning i went to drop bait off.  I checked the cam and he had been there at 1245 the previous day, 45 mins after i left!  The next day he was there at 230pm, on a work week.  I'm a grave yarder, that's like sleep suicide lol.  But, i did it anyways today.  I told my buddy, he was going to be there between 4 and 6pm if at all.  I sat down at 3pm.  Was pretty warm from the hike, and on top of it 60 degrees, a nice comfortable afternoon.

330pm i catch movement out of the corner of my eye.  I slowly turn my head to see what it is.  It's a deer, but what is it.  His head clears the brush and my heart rate goes through the roof and i slowly reach over and grab my bow.  My buck is on the way in.  He stops and stares my direction for what seemed 10 minutes, but likely was only 30 seconds to a minute.  He kind of jerked his head like he was spooked once, so it had me worried.  Eventually, he decided nothing was a foot.  He navigated his impressive antlers under the branch that was across his trail and proceeded to mosey in unconcerned.  He walked right behind my camera at 22 yards.  His vision was blocked, perfect time to draw my bow, so i did.  No sooner do i come to full draw than he takes a few more steps and stops broadside, looking straight ahead, not even aware what was about to happen.  I set my 20 pin right behind his shoulder, and release.  413 grains drives through him like a lighting bolt as the Magnus Black Hornet does its work.  A complete pass through and i hear it hit wood on the other side.  He jumps in the air, kicks his back legs and rushes into the brush.

I knew he was dead.  I knew it.  I shot a text to my buddy Joe.  "Holy **** i just smoked him!"  He texts back, "Are you joking?!"  "NO!"  He promises to be there asap. 

I went and looked for the arrow.  Found it stuck in a fallen log about 3 yards from where the deer was standing.

Called my buddy Paul after sending him a bloody arrow picture.  He tells me the blood looks good and there's a dead deer back there, but wait for my tracking help.  Longest 30 minutes ever, and i had to cut it short because it started raining.  I didn't want to lose blood. 

I started tracking and found blood, then my tracking help showed up.  We lost and found blood numerous times after that, and other sign that kept us going.  Finally we break into a sort of clearing that parallels the main game trail, and there, to my right at 7 yards, is my buck... my beautiful blacktail buck.

As he lay:






So happy to have the mentor and hunting friends that i do.  I'm a blessed man.  My buddy Paul Ambrose has helped me a ton with tips, tricks, you name it, and he's just a good all around dude.  My buddy Joe is one of the best hunting buddies you could ask for.  Last but not least in the slightest i love having my wife hunting with me now.  It's one of the greatest feelings ever to have your wife beside you at times like this.  I guess when you achieve something you've been working at for months on end and you've gotten all these people involved, you start thinking how good you have it and you start being very grateful to the people that helped get you there.  Thanks for reading.

[Natures Way]

great story and buck! Congratulations to all of you!

[RadSav]

Congratulations.  He's a dandy!

[Shooting Stix]

Nice story nice buck better find a taxidermist because blacktails like that with Archery don't come easily I would get it scored to see if it would make Pope and Young

[huntingbaldguy]

Nice story nice buck better find a taxidermist because blacktails like that with Archery don't come easily I would get it scored to see if it would make Pope and Young

Do i get it scored when i take it to the taxidermist?  I plan to get a shoulder mount. 

[Smith_22]

Great story and great buck, I love it when time in the stand is rewarded.  Really like the dark horns.

[DOsborn]

Very nice buck

[DIYARCHERYJUNKIE]

 

[Widgeondeke]

Congrats 
Thanks for sharing pics & story. 
Got any trail cam pics to share?

[BOWHUNTER45]

Hahaha ...I like how you navigated the story ....Good job ...Nice buck !!!!

[huntingbaldguy]

Congrats 
Thanks for sharing pics & story. 
Got any trail cam pics to share?

I have a lot.  I'll dig some up to share.

[cedarriver]

 Wow! Great buck, great story, great attitude!
 Thanks!

[Old Man Yager]

GreAt looking BT

[lewy]

 

[ELKBURGER]

Great job and great buck!

[TheHunt]

Nice buck...  Congratulations.

[trophyhunt]

  :tup:very cool story and nice blacktail for sure!!! Congrats on getting it with your bow as well, enjoy the feeling, that is an accomplishment.

[huntingbaldguy]

Thanks everyone!

[MagKarl]

Nicely done!  Tell us about the shot placement/organ damage and how far the buck ran. 

[Bucks2Ducks]

Nice story nice buck better find a taxidermist because blacktails like that with Archery don't come easily I would get it scored to see if it would make Pope and Young

Do i get it scored when i take it to the taxidermist?  I plan to get a shoulder mount.

Not sure how pope and young does it, boone and crocket has a 60 day drying period and the measurer has to be certified. I believe P&Y is only a 90in min, so you should make that. Way to stick with it, congrats!

[Fl0und3rz]

Awesome story.  Good job!

[Rainier10]

Awesome write up and what a buck.  Love the dark antlers.  Way to get it done with the bow. 

[pianoman9701]

What a great buck and story. Thank you!

[RadSav]

I believe P&Y is only a 90in min, so you should make that. [/quote]

I believe they bumped that up to 95 a few years back.  Should still make it if you want your name in a book for $35.

[blackveltbowhunter]

Great buck! Congrats

[duckmen1]

This is a fantastic post in how a lot of effort is put into baiting and why it shouldn't be outlawed.
Congrats to a great deer and way to go giving it all the effort needed for success.

[huntingbaldguy]

So funny story.  I go to look at trail cam pics from my tree stand and it's not the same deer.  The main looks nearly identical but the one from my tree stand has eye guards.  I have something to look forward to next year.  I'm sure he was the one who showed up in the daylight, just isn't the one from the stand.  My buddy is wishing about now that he had a deer tag to go sit in my blind.  I told him go get one, there's still late rifle, he can get a bow.

This is the one i thought he was, in he middle.  The back right is a fork.

[huntingbaldguy]

Fight that broke out that night.

[huntingbaldguy]

This is the 4x i would have taken but never saw him in the light.  And yes that's a bear in the background.  Big boar.

[huntingbaldguy]

Another view of the 4x.

[fish vacuum]

Holy crap, look at that dark rack!

[TriggerMike]

That's a pope and young blacktail. Great buck.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

[huntingbaldguy]

Nicely done!  Tell us about the shot placement/organ damage and how far the buck ran.

Shot placement was a tad high and rear.  Exit was weird as well.  I had him broadside with a little bit of a quarter, maybe 5-10 degrees forward.  Shot was about mid body, and 3 inches rear of the back of the front leg.  Took both lungs, somehow, not quite sure how.  The exit point was what was weird, it exited mid gut, so it must have hit rib, and curved inside the cavity.  Though it entered between 2 ribs.  Only thing i can figure.  So there was quite a bit of organ damage.  Arrow was in tact completely.  Odd hit i thought, but i'm new to archery kills, maybe normal.  When i saw the exit wound i said, there's no way i hit it that far rear.  Then when i flipped it over i was like, see, i knew it, it changed direction in the cavity.  All i know is both lungs were deflated and there was gut damage but the broadhead remained in tact. 

He ran by my estimation about 125-150 yards.  He did an L shape in the woods.  We lost the blood trail there and kind of just followed hoof prints and some like new droppings, then picked up blood again that started gushing.  Made it about a 25 minute tracking job, but not bad.

Bloody arrow:


Can kind of see the entry wound in this pic, mid riser.  In all the excitement i guess i didn't take enough pics of everything.  Exit wound is about 6-8" rear on other side.

[huntingbaldguy]

Holy crap, look at that dark rack!

I honestly didn't think the color was that weird till all the comments started coming in.  Then i started looking at pictures and ya'll are right, it's dark!  Love it, it's unique.

[CJ1962]

Congrats.  Love that dark rack.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[MagKarl]

Thanks for sharing more details about the shot.  There's always something to learn from looking back at the placement, angle, damage, etc.  and how that relates to the blood and trail difficulty.  Again, well done and beautiful buck.

Here's a good link if you're interested in anatomy and shot placement since you mentioned being new to archery.
http://forums.bowsite.com/TF/bgforums/thread.cfm?threadid=338909&forum=5

[BABackcountryBwhntr]

Killer buck! its crazy to think that 4 years ago you and Joe had never hunted and now joe has 2 bulls in 2 years and you just stuck a nice buck. It feels pretty awesome to know I played a role in those kills. I am proud of you man. Glad I could help.