OneCam
Well-Known Member
I had listend to the weather reports Tuesday morning and the rain was supposed to let up by mid afternoon with a shift in the winds to the north west in the early evening.
My plan was to get showered up and shave all the right places (editors note: "special scent control technique) , go vote in the thriving megalopolis of Ely, head to Gander Mountian in CR and on to the ground I hunt in SW CR.
I spent way too much money and time at Gander Mountain. Got to my friends house about 1330, just as it started to drizzle, damn weather liars anyway. So I changed in the drizzle and got rather damp in the process. Walked back to my stand and climbed on up. It was just past 1400.
Now I'm hot from the walk and damp from the drizzle. The starch was comming out of my shirt and I was getting prickley heat in my clean shaven areas. I was kinda miserable. The the wind was still from the east, which was to my right. At 1430 the wind was from the west and pretty gusty. I had my rattling antlers with me so during a brief lull in the wind I tried a few rattles. Pretty much thought it was a waste of time due to the windy conditions.
The drizzle had subsided and the wind was variable in direction from WSW to WNW. So I just sat there solving all the problems of the world, not paying too close of attentntion to where I was looking, which was mostley to the WSW, into the wind. For some reason I looked back to the NE, up wind, and I saw him. He was at a fast walk, coming from my right to my left, directly into the wind about 15 yards out at a 45 degree angle.
Now the Epinephrine starts pumping. How many points? How big is his body? What is that sore on his back? Should I grab my bow and try for a shot or let him go? Answers: Couldn't count points, but antlers were outside his ears, body wasn't the biggest but big enough, sore on his back probably from fighting. He is now past his closest point to me and headed away at a 45 degree angle. I grab the bow, pull back, judge the distance to be less than 20 yards but more than 10, put the 20 yard pin on the back of his ribcage and had a thought that it was a way bad angle, but saw plenty of chest in my peep sight, even if I hit him in the paunch the arrow would penetrate to the chest. I hit the trigger, watched the arrow fly saw the deer jump and kick and head off into the brush. I could see him for about 20 more yards and could hear him busting the brush. Then all was quiet. It was 1503.
The whole thing couldn't have taken more than 30 seconds. Maybe even less. Got out the binocs and couldn't see my arrow on the ground or any blood. I had a sinking feeling. Then it started to drizzle again. I was feeling lower than whale poop. Then I started to feel better once I realized it was still almost two hours to sunset so I had plenty of time to track him. I replayed the shot in my mind. No way I coulda missed just by the deer's reaction. So I climbed down and walked back to my car. Changed my shirt that was now soggy and took off my good rain gear. Didn't want to get holes in it from the roses, blackberrys, currents and everything else with a thorn. It was now 1550 so I headed back to my stand to start tracking. Went to where I thought he was when I shot, but not a drop of blood, no arrow, no nothing. Went to the last place I thought I saw him, nothing. There was that old sinking feeling again.
I headed down hill and came across a huge blood splatter. Helen Keller could have seen this blood. I thought it was strange that he wouldn't have started to leave a trail till now. I kept going down hill, in the direction I thought he had gone, looking for more blood and didn't find any. So I just stood there looking around. Then I spotted a brownish gray thing sticking above a log. Moved a little to my right, and there he was. About 30 yards down the hill. I glassed him to see if he was breathing and I couldn't tell, I was kinda shaking. I thought I'd let him lay a few more minutes, I was pretty sure he was dead.
It was 1610. I moved in his direction and came across his trail. Followed it back up to where I had crossed it, then back to my stand. He wasn't anywhere close to where I thought he had been when I took the shot. I used the range finder from the first spot of blood to the top of my stand and it was 14 yards, but with out a clinometer I couldn't tell you the exact distance.
So I went back down the hill and he was indeed dead. The sore on his back was from a broad head that just grazed his skin but not down to the meat. He has 4 points on one side and three on the other, he had broken off a point. The entrance wound was just ahead of the last rib on the left and just above center, the exit wound was on the right side of his brisket lower than the entrance wound. I gutted him, drug him about 75 yards up hill and went home to get the pickup the wife and the camera. Got back to the deer, put on my rug, my fake goater and 'stach. Put back on my 'Bonkerflauge and commenced to takin photos. When I got him home and in the garage I took out his heart and lungs. There was just the most perfect hole in the top of the left ventricle and bottom of the right atria. Perfect triangle shape. He is now at the locker getting cut into tasty chunks.
Thats the story of 'Bonkers first buck. Not the biggest, but for a first buck he will do. Its amazing how success will make you forget about razor burn. Now its back to workin on the kitchen.
I would be remiss if I did not thank everybody on this site for their thoughtful suggestions and encouragement. If you would allow me, I'd like to think of this deer as a group effort. Thanks.
The 'Bonker
My plan was to get showered up and shave all the right places (editors note: "special scent control technique) , go vote in the thriving megalopolis of Ely, head to Gander Mountian in CR and on to the ground I hunt in SW CR.
I spent way too much money and time at Gander Mountain. Got to my friends house about 1330, just as it started to drizzle, damn weather liars anyway. So I changed in the drizzle and got rather damp in the process. Walked back to my stand and climbed on up. It was just past 1400.
Now I'm hot from the walk and damp from the drizzle. The starch was comming out of my shirt and I was getting prickley heat in my clean shaven areas. I was kinda miserable. The the wind was still from the east, which was to my right. At 1430 the wind was from the west and pretty gusty. I had my rattling antlers with me so during a brief lull in the wind I tried a few rattles. Pretty much thought it was a waste of time due to the windy conditions.
The drizzle had subsided and the wind was variable in direction from WSW to WNW. So I just sat there solving all the problems of the world, not paying too close of attentntion to where I was looking, which was mostley to the WSW, into the wind. For some reason I looked back to the NE, up wind, and I saw him. He was at a fast walk, coming from my right to my left, directly into the wind about 15 yards out at a 45 degree angle.
Now the Epinephrine starts pumping. How many points? How big is his body? What is that sore on his back? Should I grab my bow and try for a shot or let him go? Answers: Couldn't count points, but antlers were outside his ears, body wasn't the biggest but big enough, sore on his back probably from fighting. He is now past his closest point to me and headed away at a 45 degree angle. I grab the bow, pull back, judge the distance to be less than 20 yards but more than 10, put the 20 yard pin on the back of his ribcage and had a thought that it was a way bad angle, but saw plenty of chest in my peep sight, even if I hit him in the paunch the arrow would penetrate to the chest. I hit the trigger, watched the arrow fly saw the deer jump and kick and head off into the brush. I could see him for about 20 more yards and could hear him busting the brush. Then all was quiet. It was 1503.
The whole thing couldn't have taken more than 30 seconds. Maybe even less. Got out the binocs and couldn't see my arrow on the ground or any blood. I had a sinking feeling. Then it started to drizzle again. I was feeling lower than whale poop. Then I started to feel better once I realized it was still almost two hours to sunset so I had plenty of time to track him. I replayed the shot in my mind. No way I coulda missed just by the deer's reaction. So I climbed down and walked back to my car. Changed my shirt that was now soggy and took off my good rain gear. Didn't want to get holes in it from the roses, blackberrys, currents and everything else with a thorn. It was now 1550 so I headed back to my stand to start tracking. Went to where I thought he was when I shot, but not a drop of blood, no arrow, no nothing. Went to the last place I thought I saw him, nothing. There was that old sinking feeling again.
I headed down hill and came across a huge blood splatter. Helen Keller could have seen this blood. I thought it was strange that he wouldn't have started to leave a trail till now. I kept going down hill, in the direction I thought he had gone, looking for more blood and didn't find any. So I just stood there looking around. Then I spotted a brownish gray thing sticking above a log. Moved a little to my right, and there he was. About 30 yards down the hill. I glassed him to see if he was breathing and I couldn't tell, I was kinda shaking. I thought I'd let him lay a few more minutes, I was pretty sure he was dead.
It was 1610. I moved in his direction and came across his trail. Followed it back up to where I had crossed it, then back to my stand. He wasn't anywhere close to where I thought he had been when I took the shot. I used the range finder from the first spot of blood to the top of my stand and it was 14 yards, but with out a clinometer I couldn't tell you the exact distance.
So I went back down the hill and he was indeed dead. The sore on his back was from a broad head that just grazed his skin but not down to the meat. He has 4 points on one side and three on the other, he had broken off a point. The entrance wound was just ahead of the last rib on the left and just above center, the exit wound was on the right side of his brisket lower than the entrance wound. I gutted him, drug him about 75 yards up hill and went home to get the pickup the wife and the camera. Got back to the deer, put on my rug, my fake goater and 'stach. Put back on my 'Bonkerflauge and commenced to takin photos. When I got him home and in the garage I took out his heart and lungs. There was just the most perfect hole in the top of the left ventricle and bottom of the right atria. Perfect triangle shape. He is now at the locker getting cut into tasty chunks.
Thats the story of 'Bonkers first buck. Not the biggest, but for a first buck he will do. Its amazing how success will make you forget about razor burn. Now its back to workin on the kitchen.
I would be remiss if I did not thank everybody on this site for their thoughtful suggestions and encouragement. If you would allow me, I'd like to think of this deer as a group effort. Thanks.
The 'Bonker