katy
Ballagh
Well here we go. My struggle after 2.5 long frustrating years is over and it finally happened. Just when I least expected it. I dont get much time to hunt with the business, 2 little girls, one 3.5 and the other 4 months, and I keep pretty busy helping out where I can with the IBA, MIA, CIA, and the Iowa Archery in Shcool Program. I throughly enjoy the sport of archery, phesant hunting, and bowhunting anything. Yesterday was the only about the 4th time I made it out this year. I took a buddy of mine out with me. I mainly hunt on my uncles property in polk county. We got out there at 5:45. We got everything ready at the trucks and headed out to my Double Bull Blind that I have setup between a picked corn field and a alfalfa field along a fence row at the bottom of a hill with 2 rows of round hay bales. I got my Delta Decoy set out at 20 yards from the blind quartering away from me, so that it would not seem to be looking right at me. After reading several posts on here relating to decoys, and by upsetting some does with a doe setup the week before, I decided to put just one antler on him. I liberally sprayed tinks 69 doe in rut gel under the decoy and in a stream heading to the fence line away from my blind. We got settled into the blind and right away I had 3 does come in and stop at 70 yards out to the north west. I tried my Primos Cattle Can but that did nothing, so I hit the grunt tube, they were definetly staring down the decoy. After about 2 minutes they went on thier way following a draw in the corn field.
One hour later I had a very nice 6 pointer coming on a rampage twoards my decoy. He farted around in the field for a while, checking out the decoy. Tried grunting, got his attention, then he started to walk around at 80 yards, eyes fixed on the decoy. He acted like he was going to wander off so I hit the rattle bag. This spooked him and he bolted. What a bummer.
Then at 8:00 I was talking to my buddy in the blind and all of a sudden we hear what sounds like a herd of buffalos running by the blind. I look up and see two white tails darting by the blind at 5 yards. Sure enough, a little 8 pointer was in high speed pursit of a doe. I hit the grunt tube and go them stopped at 60 yards. Working the grunt tube the doe was getting pissed, she started weezing and snorting anwsering my every call. It was kind of cool. I tried everything to get her in and to bring the buck with her. No luck thought, she took off and he was right behind her.
Finally at 8:45, I decided after 3 hours in a blind with two fat guys it was time to get out and stretch the legs. I got out first and jim was right behind. I told him to grab my bow for me just in case. I glassed the whole farm for a few minutes, when nature called. I walked in between two round bales and started taking care of #1. I looked over my left shoulder and saw a deer trotting on the other side of the round bales heading right toward my blind at the bottom of the hill. I real quick took care of business and did'nt even get a chance to zip up. I told Jim to get down, as I sneaked over to get my bow from against the bale. I crawled over to my blind, got setup on my knees. Luckily I left the two windows down in the blind across from each other so I could see him walk by. I saw him walk past my blind, when his head disappeared I drew back and inched my way over to the outside corner of the blind. As soon as he stepped out he saw my decoy and froze. He gave me a perfect broadside shot at only 12 yards. I set my pin on him for a dbl lung shot, shaking like crazy of course. I set the pin in took a deep breath and released on the exhale. WHAP! Perfect shot, the 425 grain Easton 2315 arrow tipped with a 125 grain Montec G5 broadhead(550 total weight) went in one lung smacked the backbone and caught the other lung on the way out. The Trophy Ridge decked out 280 fps Hoyt Supertec did her job. He fell over onto his left side right in his tracks. He expired in less than 30 seconds. I was extremly excited, even more happy that it was a very quick end for him and there was no tracking or struggling for him. I could not believe it. It happened so fast that Jim did not get to see him til after it was over. He said "I had my grunt tube ready in case we needed to try and stop him." No need for that Jim.
The phone lines were burning up shortly after that. I was pumped up like you could not believe. He isn't going to score the greatest, but he is a main frame 8, 10 pointer with a bunch of junk around the bases. I think that this is probley the biggest this guy would have gotten. There are about 4 other bucks running around with this same rack, so maybe I can help change the gene pool a little bit. This will be a great starting point for my deer hunting passion.
I got him cleaned up, took some pictures, then got him field dressed. Shortly after we got him hung up. Later that night my good friend RayNeal who is a Fareway Meat Market manager showed me the ins and outs of cutting up a deer. He had good size entrance and exit wounds, with 4 cracked ribs from the fixed blade blazing thought them, and a 2 inch chuck of bone cut clean out of his spine. He has been a great friend and very helpful with everything. He and his wife are great people, and life long friends. I called him first that morning, and he did not anwser, so I figured he was hunting. Shortly after his wife called back and said they were out of town. I told her I finally did it, and she rushed to find RayNeal. He called back a few minutes later extatic. He rushed home to help me out that day. Well sorry to drag this on, I now finally get to post "My harvest story" and I wanted to share everything with you all. I would also like to thank you for all the great information that is on this site. I think this is the best place a guy or gal could go to get tips, pics, info, and a little friendly razzing. Now here are the pics. Hopefully i will have some more for you next week. I get the opportunity to go Mule Deer Hunting in South Dakota for a week on Thursday. I cant think of a better warm-up for that tahn what happened yesterday. Then I'm going to come back and chase some turkeys with Muddy in a few weeks. I cant wait.
Well here are the pics:
Thank you,
Chad
One hour later I had a very nice 6 pointer coming on a rampage twoards my decoy. He farted around in the field for a while, checking out the decoy. Tried grunting, got his attention, then he started to walk around at 80 yards, eyes fixed on the decoy. He acted like he was going to wander off so I hit the rattle bag. This spooked him and he bolted. What a bummer.
Then at 8:00 I was talking to my buddy in the blind and all of a sudden we hear what sounds like a herd of buffalos running by the blind. I look up and see two white tails darting by the blind at 5 yards. Sure enough, a little 8 pointer was in high speed pursit of a doe. I hit the grunt tube and go them stopped at 60 yards. Working the grunt tube the doe was getting pissed, she started weezing and snorting anwsering my every call. It was kind of cool. I tried everything to get her in and to bring the buck with her. No luck thought, she took off and he was right behind her.
Finally at 8:45, I decided after 3 hours in a blind with two fat guys it was time to get out and stretch the legs. I got out first and jim was right behind. I told him to grab my bow for me just in case. I glassed the whole farm for a few minutes, when nature called. I walked in between two round bales and started taking care of #1. I looked over my left shoulder and saw a deer trotting on the other side of the round bales heading right toward my blind at the bottom of the hill. I real quick took care of business and did'nt even get a chance to zip up. I told Jim to get down, as I sneaked over to get my bow from against the bale. I crawled over to my blind, got setup on my knees. Luckily I left the two windows down in the blind across from each other so I could see him walk by. I saw him walk past my blind, when his head disappeared I drew back and inched my way over to the outside corner of the blind. As soon as he stepped out he saw my decoy and froze. He gave me a perfect broadside shot at only 12 yards. I set my pin on him for a dbl lung shot, shaking like crazy of course. I set the pin in took a deep breath and released on the exhale. WHAP! Perfect shot, the 425 grain Easton 2315 arrow tipped with a 125 grain Montec G5 broadhead(550 total weight) went in one lung smacked the backbone and caught the other lung on the way out. The Trophy Ridge decked out 280 fps Hoyt Supertec did her job. He fell over onto his left side right in his tracks. He expired in less than 30 seconds. I was extremly excited, even more happy that it was a very quick end for him and there was no tracking or struggling for him. I could not believe it. It happened so fast that Jim did not get to see him til after it was over. He said "I had my grunt tube ready in case we needed to try and stop him." No need for that Jim.
The phone lines were burning up shortly after that. I was pumped up like you could not believe. He isn't going to score the greatest, but he is a main frame 8, 10 pointer with a bunch of junk around the bases. I think that this is probley the biggest this guy would have gotten. There are about 4 other bucks running around with this same rack, so maybe I can help change the gene pool a little bit. This will be a great starting point for my deer hunting passion.
I got him cleaned up, took some pictures, then got him field dressed. Shortly after we got him hung up. Later that night my good friend RayNeal who is a Fareway Meat Market manager showed me the ins and outs of cutting up a deer. He had good size entrance and exit wounds, with 4 cracked ribs from the fixed blade blazing thought them, and a 2 inch chuck of bone cut clean out of his spine. He has been a great friend and very helpful with everything. He and his wife are great people, and life long friends. I called him first that morning, and he did not anwser, so I figured he was hunting. Shortly after his wife called back and said they were out of town. I told her I finally did it, and she rushed to find RayNeal. He called back a few minutes later extatic. He rushed home to help me out that day. Well sorry to drag this on, I now finally get to post "My harvest story" and I wanted to share everything with you all. I would also like to thank you for all the great information that is on this site. I think this is the best place a guy or gal could go to get tips, pics, info, and a little friendly razzing. Now here are the pics. Hopefully i will have some more for you next week. I get the opportunity to go Mule Deer Hunting in South Dakota for a week on Thursday. I cant think of a better warm-up for that tahn what happened yesterday. Then I'm going to come back and chase some turkeys with Muddy in a few weeks. I cant wait.
Well here are the pics:
Thank you,
Chad
