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ironwood

ironwood

Active Member
I arrowed what I am hoping will be my first bow buck today at 4:30. He was quartering away at about 15 yards. The arrow with the Iowawhitetail wraps showed very well and I would say it went in about half to two thirds of the way. May have hit the front left shoulder. I packed up and went to meet Madisonb&c and home we came. I am very excited about the deer but I just did not want to take any chances pushing him to early.
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Yesterday I made what I thought was a perfect hit on a doe at last light and it was starting to rain. I knew I did not get good penetration on that shot again because those wraps are so visible. I followed up about seventy yards and found my arrow. Eight inches with good pinkish lung blood. Tried to recover her this AM and had no luck. This afternoon before going on stand I did find her with the hind quarters half gone. The shot placement was very good but the Spitfires did not perform. I would have expected a pass through and may have only gotten one lung. The deer went about 500 yards before expiring. Very little blood and then rain to wash way what was there added to the bad recovery. I hope tomorrow’s recovery goes better than today’s did. I am going to bet 145 inches or better.
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good luck with the follow up ironwood, sounds like things will work out for you though.
 
I am surprised. I have been hunting with Spitfires for the past 5 years. The last 6 deer I have killed using a spitfire the deer all died with in 50 yards. Sorry to hear about the bad luck.
 
If you hit the opposite shoulder blade he should be down!!
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Good Luck in the morning. Can't wait to see him.
 
Good luck with your buck, Ironwood.

I got a call from a farmer friend tonight who found a buck, about a 140" 12 point. It was obvious the deer had been injured for a while and infection had set in. There was a small wound on the shoulder (I thought it may have been a 22 hole) so I took my knife and cut into the wound. Found a Spitfire stuck in the shoulder blade, completely unopened. Penetration was very poor, about the length of the broadhead. I opened the blades after I got it out and it was very hard to open. This is a tough area to penetrate for any broadhead and I know nothing about the shot distance or bow poundage of the hunter.
I dont want to start one of those "I hate mechanicals" threads, but I dont care much for spitfires myself. I put five of them into deer in the past and only had one passthru, that was in the liver and hit no bone. I shoot 68lbs with gold tips.

Just some personal experience with Spitfires (I call them S*itfires!), again good luck finding your buck, sounds like you'll be ok.
 
i have shot about 15 deer with spitfires and always have had great penatration and they have always opened but thisyear i switch to grim reepers and i am having just as much success good luck on finding your deer
 
Well since we don't have an update yet I am hoping that he found the buck and is enjoying
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the moment with friends. Too busy to post an update. Hope things are going well. Enjoy it if they are.
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The update is not good.
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But I am going to go out again tomorrow morning and taking my dog for a long walk. I am confident the deer is dead. With the shot I had the blood is not very good and turned into zero. I believe the Spitfire when all the way through to the left front shoulder. With about a 22 degree quartering away shot and the angle of entry I am not going to give upo to easy. I'll post again tomorrow. I need to lift myself out of my curent state of depression
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The brother and I don't have much homework, so we're gonna go out and try to find dad's buck. Some crossed fingers and folded hands would be much appreciated!
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Also never forget to look around water, streams, rivers, and look in ponds and lakes. We have found multiple deer floating. GOOD LUCK
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Well we have at least 8 hours of combined time in on this deer and I am giving up. I covered a lot of ground and every water hole with in 500 yards. Even had the dog with this morning thinking the old brits nose may have helped. It is a bad sinking feeling I am having, I beieve my arrow must have killed the buck. I'll just start telling the neighbors about it and hope it turns up.
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Ironwood...go out again and look for crows, buzzards, and listen for coyotes. You may be able to recover the antlers and buy a cape if you wanted to have it mounted.

Don't let this spoil your start to bowhunting. Keep your chin up and keep after it. When you get that first buck's antlers in your hands it will be hard to remember this situation. Good Luck
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i feel for yah ironwood, i would venture out on a limb and says its happened to all of us at least once. ghosts last reply is a good one, about listening for coyotes, crows and buzzards, i also wanted to add, with this warmer weather, just shear smell could help you out, with this little bit warmer weather, if he is dead i bet he is getting pretty ripe, ive found many deer like this that other people shot and never found, granted the meat is not good and cape is ruined, you can always get another cape. maybe a miracle happened and the buck is not dead, one of our friends last year did that on a doe, thought he hit it perfect didnt get total penetration, hit it quartering away, then two days later our other friend shot the same doe out of the same stand with a big broadhead wound in it with his muzzleloader!!! sorry to hear about the lost, but may not be lost yet!! goodluck
 
ironwood,

October 12 2002. That's the date I rattled this buck in and made what I was sure was a perfect shot on him at 15 yards.

He wouldn't have necessarily been my biggest buck to date, but one I was happy with and would've been the first buck I shot that I also had a camtraker picture of. After 20+ years of bowhunting experience and shooting many deer, I was surprised when I didn't see him die from the stand, but still not a bit worried. Long story short...2 days of searching found him still going. My brother then took another camtraker picture of him between Christmas and New Year's. I couldn't imagine he wasn't dead, but I guess wierd things happen. Don't make the same mistake I did...I was so bummed that I quit bowhunting for 3+ weeks and missed the best part of the rut. Keep your chin up and get back out there.
 

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Thanks NWbuck, I just want to say thanks to every one of you that have shown great support. It is hard to believe or explain the emotions, but many of you have been there and that as been helpful. Man, I received some great PM's and really have learned plenty. This deer still may show up.

Here's the whole story! At about 3:30 10-28 after dropping Madisonb&c off I prepared to head to a great funnel that I had never hunted before. I avoided contact with trails and went out of the way to keep my activity setting up all on the down wind side. Man it was windy too, some of you considered not going out. After getting the Oldman climber in position I trimmed a few limbs I could reach, not really expecting things to happen in that direction, while wishing I could reach a few others. I did a rattling sequence at 3:55 then again at 4:20. No real reason for my timing except I am clueless.
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. At about 4:30ish I see him in the thick stuff at about 40 yards to my left hitting every bush in his way. He continues strait to my stand and to my disappointment doesn't take a trail that would have put him in perfect position. As he moves directly under my stand I am thinking about my chances because of the limbs that are now going to be an issue. I am also getting concerned about him picking up some clue of my entrance. I went out of my way moving in and he was walking through every thing I had and trashing it as he went. At my tree he took a hard left walking strait away then at about eight yards out it was clear he was get some clue as to my presents. He jumped then stood giving a perfect broad side except for the limbs I was unable to trim. I new my chances where limited. If he goes left he comes into the clear if he goes right he has to walk through one opening for me to have a chance. I came to full draw before I knew which way he would go. Then he went right and I followed with my pin right where I wanted it. He hit the opening just as needed. The arrow placement I thought was great, with about a 22 degree entry just behind the ribs a bit going toward the left front leg.

The whole thing was one of the greatest highs I have ever had. That is what I am going to remember. Thanks again to every body. Now I need to go to work so I can hunt this PM
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