Sod Savage
Member
Well I am not really sure where to even start. I have been a gun hunter my whole hunting life and had some pretty good luck with it. I always had a hard time waiting till gun seasons to open up and always was disappointed when the closed. So I took up bow hunting this year. I have a lot of friends that go so I thought I would give it a go as well.
Buckhollow sports down there in Pella with an assist from Hawk32 got me set up with a good shooting bow, arrows, release etc. etc. I know nothing about bow hunting. I have never even pulled back a bow at this point in my life. None the less some shooting lessons from another buddy of mine, shooting 15-20 shots 4 or five times a week all summer and a Clayton county Bow shoot, I was feeling pretty confident in myself.
So we get sands hung, some blinds out, all the preseason work. I have a pretty good handle on where and how deer move on our farms and felt like we got set up in some decent spots for different winds. Planted a couple food plots for good measure, but they are more for late gun season type hunting.
I was telling myself that I needed to wait for the right day and wind to start hunting but October 1st rolls around I tell my wife I am hitting the stand that night. This is about the time the wheels come off...
The first hunt went about as expected, a few does milling around and that is about it. The 2nd I get got up into my tree stand before dark and feeling pretty sure I was in the right wind with the right weather. I reach into my pack to grab my release only to realize it must have fallen out when I put on some deer dander back in the hay field. I climb down some how find it after about 20 mins of searching in the pre dawn light. I don't think I saw a deer that day.
The 3rd hunt, I had just gotten into the stand and My Bride calls me and says I need to pick up the kid from soccer. Down I go.
The fourth I was hunting in standing corn and had deer so close it was ridiculous. No bucks big enuff to get my water hot. I had a button buck stare at me for 30 seconds at about 15 inches away. That was pretty neat, I could hear the deer eating corn off the cob they were so close. On the way out of the corn I dropped my wife's camera in the corn rows, but was able to find it the next day.
The 5th I was on the ground again and had some close up encounters that afternoon as well. Coming out my quiver fell off in the standing corn field. Luckily I was able to find that the next day after I figured out it was lost.
Later on I decided I would give rattling a chance. I got up into the stand and had the antlers on my lap. Right at dawn some deer were coming in on their own and as I turned ever so slightly to look at them the antlers slipped off my lap. They must have hit every step on the climbing sticks on the way to the ground. they sounded a little like church bells. I didn't see another deer that day.
A few windy days of nothing, a few rainy days of shooting at a coyote. Missing him and losing an arrow. Another day where I didn't press the arrow into my quiver hard enough it fell out and I lost it. Another day of buying stuff off the wifes amazon account to be able to hunt in a few days.
Finally rut rolls around and I get to a stand I have been waiting on all year. The weather is decent enough and the deer are on their feet. A pretty nice buck pushes a doe down into come cover about 60 yards away and chases away all the smaller bucks that come. I decide that at least he is more aggressive than the rest of the comers and I would think really hard about taking a shot if given the opportunity. Then I look down, there are some bolts that look like they are coming lose on the hang on stand. So I make my way home for wrenches and lunch. I head back to the same stand after lunch and tighten things up a bit. Making some racket but being as quiet as possible. A small buck walks to the cover and the bigger buck chases him off. I can't believe he is still there. I walked by him twice and was tinkering with the stand. About 45 mins later the doe gets on her feet and walks right to me. I tell myself that the buck is going to give me a great shot if he follows along. If I miss it will be nobody's fault but my own. Sure enough he follows up right into my shooting lane, but there is another deer behind him. What if its a bigger buck? Well it wasn't. I decide to shoot at the buck, and hit a stick. Clean whiff thank goodness. I would call him a low 140 incher so I wasn't too bummed since at least I didn't wound him.
Back out in the rain last Friday night deer action is slow. the wind is switching from north to south to west to east, and I have a bad attitude. A bunch of turkeys roll in and I think what the heck I have a tag and at least I will have something for the scrapbook. I Take a crack at the lead hen... whiff. But I find my arrow and that makes me happy.
Sunday morning I am up early waiting in bed for 20 mins for the alarm to go off at 4:14 am. Jump in the shower and head down to get ready at deer camp which is an old tie stall dairy barn that is converted to a much better use. I make a pot of coffee, start a fire and leave the door open on the wood stove to let her breathe a little bit. I start Escanaba in Da Moonlight on the DVD player, drink some coffee, check the wind etc. I come back in to a smoked out deer camp from the wood burner. No big deal tho since I think wood smoke is a good cover scent in my neighborhood. I start getting ready around 5 o'clock taking my time. Now Its 6:02 and I am just about set to go but can't find my release anywhere, I know I just saw it. I look and look. I can't believe it, its gone. I shoot a text to a buddy of mine and say to bring his release if he gets there before sun-up. Its getting to be about sun-up 6:36 I am frantic and cursing out loud at my release as if it is its fault for being gone. I go out to the road because there are two other deer camps with in 200 yards of my place. Neither of them are around or awake. I am starting to think that my bow season is cursed. I go back into into camp and stare at my bow hanging on the hanger. There is my release one nail over hiding behind my snow cammo. Sweet, put it on and I am off. I book it to my stand and get settled in.
Things feel nice, the wind is perfect. At first light a doe and her fawn move in, followed by a small buck. I am relieved that I was able to move in at least somewhat undetected. The fawn takes a leak and the little buck comes over to take a sniff. Then he moves down to a scrape and takes a piss on it. They move off. Shortly a big juicy doe comes right under me and I was thinking to myself that I need to pick up a doe tag for next year. She moves along and not far behind her a buck is moving in with his nose on the ground. He looked to be a decent rack wise. Not the biggest of my life but he seemed to have the body shape of a 3.5 or 4.5 year old. I decided I would try to end my season if he gave me a clear shot. He turned broadside at about 20 yards and went be hind a clump of trees. I pulled back my bow, he stopped for a split second then came forward two steps and stopped. I put my finger on the trigger, took a deep breath to steady my nerves and thump. It was like slow motion. I knew instantly I hit him pretty good. He took off with his tail down over the knob. I get down out of my stand and mark where he was when I shot and looked for blood. Good blood on both sides of the trail and a large chunk of arrow broken off in the trail. The arrow has good lung blood and bubbles. I back out before I go over the knob to give him a bit to lay down since I didn't hear him crash. After about an hour or so a buddy and I go in to make the recovery. good blood everywhere and I find the fetching covered in blood. We get over the knob and there he is...
What a season it was. I am pleased with the experience, the buck, and most of all the arrow going right where I wanted it too. Thanks for taking time to read about my season.
View media item 110710
Buckhollow sports down there in Pella with an assist from Hawk32 got me set up with a good shooting bow, arrows, release etc. etc. I know nothing about bow hunting. I have never even pulled back a bow at this point in my life. None the less some shooting lessons from another buddy of mine, shooting 15-20 shots 4 or five times a week all summer and a Clayton county Bow shoot, I was feeling pretty confident in myself.
So we get sands hung, some blinds out, all the preseason work. I have a pretty good handle on where and how deer move on our farms and felt like we got set up in some decent spots for different winds. Planted a couple food plots for good measure, but they are more for late gun season type hunting.
I was telling myself that I needed to wait for the right day and wind to start hunting but October 1st rolls around I tell my wife I am hitting the stand that night. This is about the time the wheels come off...
The first hunt went about as expected, a few does milling around and that is about it. The 2nd I get got up into my tree stand before dark and feeling pretty sure I was in the right wind with the right weather. I reach into my pack to grab my release only to realize it must have fallen out when I put on some deer dander back in the hay field. I climb down some how find it after about 20 mins of searching in the pre dawn light. I don't think I saw a deer that day.
The 3rd hunt, I had just gotten into the stand and My Bride calls me and says I need to pick up the kid from soccer. Down I go.
The fourth I was hunting in standing corn and had deer so close it was ridiculous. No bucks big enuff to get my water hot. I had a button buck stare at me for 30 seconds at about 15 inches away. That was pretty neat, I could hear the deer eating corn off the cob they were so close. On the way out of the corn I dropped my wife's camera in the corn rows, but was able to find it the next day.
The 5th I was on the ground again and had some close up encounters that afternoon as well. Coming out my quiver fell off in the standing corn field. Luckily I was able to find that the next day after I figured out it was lost.
Later on I decided I would give rattling a chance. I got up into the stand and had the antlers on my lap. Right at dawn some deer were coming in on their own and as I turned ever so slightly to look at them the antlers slipped off my lap. They must have hit every step on the climbing sticks on the way to the ground. they sounded a little like church bells. I didn't see another deer that day.
A few windy days of nothing, a few rainy days of shooting at a coyote. Missing him and losing an arrow. Another day where I didn't press the arrow into my quiver hard enough it fell out and I lost it. Another day of buying stuff off the wifes amazon account to be able to hunt in a few days.
Finally rut rolls around and I get to a stand I have been waiting on all year. The weather is decent enough and the deer are on their feet. A pretty nice buck pushes a doe down into come cover about 60 yards away and chases away all the smaller bucks that come. I decide that at least he is more aggressive than the rest of the comers and I would think really hard about taking a shot if given the opportunity. Then I look down, there are some bolts that look like they are coming lose on the hang on stand. So I make my way home for wrenches and lunch. I head back to the same stand after lunch and tighten things up a bit. Making some racket but being as quiet as possible. A small buck walks to the cover and the bigger buck chases him off. I can't believe he is still there. I walked by him twice and was tinkering with the stand. About 45 mins later the doe gets on her feet and walks right to me. I tell myself that the buck is going to give me a great shot if he follows along. If I miss it will be nobody's fault but my own. Sure enough he follows up right into my shooting lane, but there is another deer behind him. What if its a bigger buck? Well it wasn't. I decide to shoot at the buck, and hit a stick. Clean whiff thank goodness. I would call him a low 140 incher so I wasn't too bummed since at least I didn't wound him.
Back out in the rain last Friday night deer action is slow. the wind is switching from north to south to west to east, and I have a bad attitude. A bunch of turkeys roll in and I think what the heck I have a tag and at least I will have something for the scrapbook. I Take a crack at the lead hen... whiff. But I find my arrow and that makes me happy.
Sunday morning I am up early waiting in bed for 20 mins for the alarm to go off at 4:14 am. Jump in the shower and head down to get ready at deer camp which is an old tie stall dairy barn that is converted to a much better use. I make a pot of coffee, start a fire and leave the door open on the wood stove to let her breathe a little bit. I start Escanaba in Da Moonlight on the DVD player, drink some coffee, check the wind etc. I come back in to a smoked out deer camp from the wood burner. No big deal tho since I think wood smoke is a good cover scent in my neighborhood. I start getting ready around 5 o'clock taking my time. Now Its 6:02 and I am just about set to go but can't find my release anywhere, I know I just saw it. I look and look. I can't believe it, its gone. I shoot a text to a buddy of mine and say to bring his release if he gets there before sun-up. Its getting to be about sun-up 6:36 I am frantic and cursing out loud at my release as if it is its fault for being gone. I go out to the road because there are two other deer camps with in 200 yards of my place. Neither of them are around or awake. I am starting to think that my bow season is cursed. I go back into into camp and stare at my bow hanging on the hanger. There is my release one nail over hiding behind my snow cammo. Sweet, put it on and I am off. I book it to my stand and get settled in.
Things feel nice, the wind is perfect. At first light a doe and her fawn move in, followed by a small buck. I am relieved that I was able to move in at least somewhat undetected. The fawn takes a leak and the little buck comes over to take a sniff. Then he moves down to a scrape and takes a piss on it. They move off. Shortly a big juicy doe comes right under me and I was thinking to myself that I need to pick up a doe tag for next year. She moves along and not far behind her a buck is moving in with his nose on the ground. He looked to be a decent rack wise. Not the biggest of my life but he seemed to have the body shape of a 3.5 or 4.5 year old. I decided I would try to end my season if he gave me a clear shot. He turned broadside at about 20 yards and went be hind a clump of trees. I pulled back my bow, he stopped for a split second then came forward two steps and stopped. I put my finger on the trigger, took a deep breath to steady my nerves and thump. It was like slow motion. I knew instantly I hit him pretty good. He took off with his tail down over the knob. I get down out of my stand and mark where he was when I shot and looked for blood. Good blood on both sides of the trail and a large chunk of arrow broken off in the trail. The arrow has good lung blood and bubbles. I back out before I go over the knob to give him a bit to lay down since I didn't hear him crash. After about an hour or so a buddy and I go in to make the recovery. good blood everywhere and I find the fetching covered in blood. We get over the knob and there he is...
What a season it was. I am pleased with the experience, the buck, and most of all the arrow going right where I wanted it too. Thanks for taking time to read about my season.
View media item 110710
Last edited:
You may want to stock up on Velcro and SuperGlue for next season! 
