Handcannon
Well-Known Member
Well, after a season of trespassers & limited time...it all started Saturday night, 11/07/2009. The weather was perfect for Hunter to come sit in the stand w/ me. We were in the stand at about 4 pm. Around 5:05pm this buck is on his way to us. I thought it was the small 8 that is a resident in the area. As the deer got closer & about 1/2 way to us, he turned broadside & I knew he wasn't the small 8. He was headed right through the middle of the woods off the trail. Hunter had to lean forward, I stood up & took a 30 yd shot around a giant cottonwood & between this little tree near the buck. It sounded like a clean miss, but the buck buckled a little. He never ran away or anything. Just kept walking up the trail. We got out of the tree & only found some hair. I thought for sure it I just nicked his belly.
So Sunday morning I was in the stand by 6am hoping to see the deer again. About 8:05am my patience had run out. I got down & looked for the arrow I shot the night before. I found it...all covered w/ crap. I felt sick, I had gutshot that deer. I don't like see an animal suffer or be the one responsible for it suffering, I felt terrible. I prayed the Lord would let me see that deer again so it could be put out of its misery. I've always read that a gutshot deer will head for water & last time I saw him he was headed north. I walked the creek looking everywhere & looked over this drop-off about 200 yds up stream. Holy Crap!!! There he was!!! Bedded down right beside the waters edge. I couldn't get any closer than 40yds w/ out spooking him...I thought. I grunted at him. Nothing. I grunted as loud as I could. He just blinked. I stood up on my knees ready to shoot, in plain sight. He still didn't move, just turned his head & blinked. He was in terrible shape & in pain. I felt like crap. I decided to shoot since I would have a good shot at his lung. He was laying almost straight away from me w/ his butt towards me. The arrow went right above his back into the mud. So did the 2nd arrow, right beside the 1st. I couldn't believe it! I "corrected" my aim & shot him in his butt. I felt even worse than before! He finaly stood up & was trying to bite the arrow, going in circles. He stopped broadside & I got my last arrow in the sweet spot. He jumped in the water & it was over in few minutes. I called Dad at home for help & he came right out. He brought his heel'in rope so we could "float" the deer down stream to the concrete waterfall & then we could take the deer out at that location. It worked very well, the rope came off a few times & I found out I ain't no cowboy. I can't even lasso antlers...Lord help me
Anyways we made it to the falls, Dad backed the truck to the edge & hooked up the rope, pulled him up the bank w/ the truck while I held the antlers away from the chunks of concrete. Good sized buck w/ lots of mass all the way through. The pics really don't show the mass very well.
So Sunday morning I was in the stand by 6am hoping to see the deer again. About 8:05am my patience had run out. I got down & looked for the arrow I shot the night before. I found it...all covered w/ crap. I felt sick, I had gutshot that deer. I don't like see an animal suffer or be the one responsible for it suffering, I felt terrible. I prayed the Lord would let me see that deer again so it could be put out of its misery. I've always read that a gutshot deer will head for water & last time I saw him he was headed north. I walked the creek looking everywhere & looked over this drop-off about 200 yds up stream. Holy Crap!!! There he was!!! Bedded down right beside the waters edge. I couldn't get any closer than 40yds w/ out spooking him...I thought. I grunted at him. Nothing. I grunted as loud as I could. He just blinked. I stood up on my knees ready to shoot, in plain sight. He still didn't move, just turned his head & blinked. He was in terrible shape & in pain. I felt like crap. I decided to shoot since I would have a good shot at his lung. He was laying almost straight away from me w/ his butt towards me. The arrow went right above his back into the mud. So did the 2nd arrow, right beside the 1st. I couldn't believe it! I "corrected" my aim & shot him in his butt. I felt even worse than before! He finaly stood up & was trying to bite the arrow, going in circles. He stopped broadside & I got my last arrow in the sweet spot. He jumped in the water & it was over in few minutes. I called Dad at home for help & he came right out. He brought his heel'in rope so we could "float" the deer down stream to the concrete waterfall & then we could take the deer out at that location. It worked very well, the rope came off a few times & I found out I ain't no cowboy. I can't even lasso antlers...Lord help me
Anyways we made it to the falls, Dad backed the truck to the edge & hooked up the rope, pulled him up the bank w/ the truck while I held the antlers away from the chunks of concrete. Good sized buck w/ lots of mass all the way through. The pics really don't show the mass very well.
