deaddogwalkin
Active member
On the 9th of November it started out in the tree stand trying to fill my buck tag. The rut is just starting to heat up really good. Crawled into the stand about 6am and shortly after the 6 the owls started hooting. It was a very cool crisp morning with the temp right in the 27* range. It was just getting light enough to see when I saw 2 raccoons running across the pasture heading down the creek. about 10min later I see an animal walking up the edge of the tree line and as it gets 20yds away I can make out that it is a bobcat. I looked at my bow and could not make out my pins. Plus I really wanted to call one in so I gave it a free pass. As I was sitting there waiting for it to get brighter out before I started rattling. About 15-20min later I see movement to the right of my stand and low and behold here is the cat again about 3 steps from the bass of the tree. I made my mind up that it was only going to get one free pass. I grabbed my bow off the bow hook, clipped the release on, stood up and drew as the cat was behind the tree when it step completely out from behind the tree I smooched at it and it stopped and looked up. It was too late the pin had already settled on the chest and the arrow was on its way. The arrow sank up almost the fletching and the cat fell over and was pinned to the ground. It growled a couple time before it went silent. I was shaking and sent a text to my brother and uncle mike down in Az. Saying that I just shot a bobcat with a bow and they needed to try and top that. Mike's reply was no pic it didn't happen. I told him that I could not get a pic because I was still bow hunting and would send one when I got out of the tree. By this time it was about 6:30 and I look to my left and see a pair of coyotes headed my way. I knock another arrow and the closest one is rapidly closing the distance. I grab my bow and clip the release on just as it passes the 30yd range. It starts angling to my left and see that he is going to be in my 20yd opening. As he is just about to enter the opening I draw and when he is broad side I smooch at him. He bolts about three jumps and stops broadside I settle the pin and the arrow is on it way. About 3yds in front of the yote the arrow take a straight down angle. There was one multi-flower branch that the arrow hit. Off both go in the direction that they had come from. I sit for the next few hours only seeing a couple small bucks cruising by. So I get down and retrieve my cat. And it was only 6yds from the tree stand. And with no one else around to help with pictures I take these with my phone.
When I got out where I could get good phone reception I called the local DNR officer and he asked me what I was going to do with it. I told him that I was going to have it tanned and the skull bleached. He said to send him the taxidermist info and he would get a tag over for it. Called that taxidermist and asked if I could bring it by. He told me it would have to be the next day because he was on his way to have a mans roto-rooter done. SO I put it in the freezer like he told me. By this time it is pushing 11am. So I go into work for a couple hours to see how things are going in there.
At 2pm I head back home to go get back in the stand as I have seen some really nice bucks the last few days but not in bow range. I get out to the stand at a little before 3pm. I found out that I had left my face mask in the truck. So I dig in my pack and find some brown face paint to put on because the tree that I am sitting in the sun was shining right down on me and I would stick out like a sore thumb. I get my face painted up and sit down. I had no sooner sat down when a little forky is walking up the creek on the other side. As he walks out of sight I jump on the grunt tube a couple times lightly. As I am scanning I look to the east down the creek line and all I see is white horns reflecting the sunlight. I grab the bino's and see that It was a shooter. And this time he is on my side of the creek and walking up the cattle path that will take him down one of 2 paths that will put him at either 20 or 25yds. I loose sight of him for about 10min and when he shows him self again he is less than 70yds away and headed down a different path that will put him at one of two places both 20yds away one in front of me and one off to my left. When he get to 30yds he turns and heads to my left. Just as my phone starts vibrating with a call. It was super quiet out in the timber and I was afraid that the deer would hear the vibrating. I did not want to take the release off to hit the silent button. The whole time I am thinking who and the heck is calling me. As he walks into the same shooting hole that I had missed the coyote in earlier that morning I see the rose bush and the deer's vitals are above the bush. When his chest is completely open I merp at him he stops and the pin had already settled. The arrow is sent on its way. The arrow flight is true. The buck kicks its back legs and head back in the general direction. The deer stops at about 70yds and I can see through the bino's that his back legs are getting really shaky. He takes of running again for another 20yds and I hear him crash into some brush. I dig the phone out to see who called me and accidently hit redial while fumbling with the phone. It is a great customer that I also bow hunt and predator hunt on his property. He answers and says I forgot you were bow hunting call me when it rains. Just as I say Ok another buck comes running down the creek and jumps across and stands at 35yds looking for the fight. It was a young 12pt with a really wide rack but not very heavy. It walks over to where the deer that I just shot crashed. I get down to go recover my deer. As I walk over towards my deer as I crest a little hill I see its head is still up. So I knock another arrow and circle around behind him. I stop at 10yds and look at him through the bino's and don't see the chest moving. I find a stick a poke him with it and nothing. I walk around to where I can see its eyes and touch one. Still nothing. So I lay the bow down and grab my phone and snap a picture of how he was found.
I leave him and run back to town to get the trailer and my knifes and my son to help. We get back out there and as we are moving the deer to a better area to field dress it I notice that there is an arrow wound on the right side way high just above the spine. This is the same buck that I had hit using my dad's bow the Tuesday before. I had taken my father's(who passed away on July 1st from a very short bout with cancer) bow out to take him hunting with me one more time during the rut and had rattled in a buck from the same stand and would not have passed a nice buck up. I shot way to high and trailed it for a 1/4mile with one drop every 10yds. And finally jumped him again and found no blood in his bed. And this is the same buck. Here is the hero picture that my son took as the light was fading.
And one of the rack when it was loaded in the trailer.
Don't laugh to hard at the face paint it was all I had. So on Monday it was close to a $1000.00 day. When you add up the broad heads used, the cat mount with the skull bleached and the European mount and the processing of the deer. But to be out in the woods and get my first cat, the buck that I missed with my late fathers bow and equipment and having my son help me recover the deer. I know it has been said may times but. "PRICELESS"
And Dad this one is for you. Love you and miss you.
When I got out where I could get good phone reception I called the local DNR officer and he asked me what I was going to do with it. I told him that I was going to have it tanned and the skull bleached. He said to send him the taxidermist info and he would get a tag over for it. Called that taxidermist and asked if I could bring it by. He told me it would have to be the next day because he was on his way to have a mans roto-rooter done. SO I put it in the freezer like he told me. By this time it is pushing 11am. So I go into work for a couple hours to see how things are going in there.
At 2pm I head back home to go get back in the stand as I have seen some really nice bucks the last few days but not in bow range. I get out to the stand at a little before 3pm. I found out that I had left my face mask in the truck. So I dig in my pack and find some brown face paint to put on because the tree that I am sitting in the sun was shining right down on me and I would stick out like a sore thumb. I get my face painted up and sit down. I had no sooner sat down when a little forky is walking up the creek on the other side. As he walks out of sight I jump on the grunt tube a couple times lightly. As I am scanning I look to the east down the creek line and all I see is white horns reflecting the sunlight. I grab the bino's and see that It was a shooter. And this time he is on my side of the creek and walking up the cattle path that will take him down one of 2 paths that will put him at either 20 or 25yds. I loose sight of him for about 10min and when he shows him self again he is less than 70yds away and headed down a different path that will put him at one of two places both 20yds away one in front of me and one off to my left. When he get to 30yds he turns and heads to my left. Just as my phone starts vibrating with a call. It was super quiet out in the timber and I was afraid that the deer would hear the vibrating. I did not want to take the release off to hit the silent button. The whole time I am thinking who and the heck is calling me. As he walks into the same shooting hole that I had missed the coyote in earlier that morning I see the rose bush and the deer's vitals are above the bush. When his chest is completely open I merp at him he stops and the pin had already settled. The arrow is sent on its way. The arrow flight is true. The buck kicks its back legs and head back in the general direction. The deer stops at about 70yds and I can see through the bino's that his back legs are getting really shaky. He takes of running again for another 20yds and I hear him crash into some brush. I dig the phone out to see who called me and accidently hit redial while fumbling with the phone. It is a great customer that I also bow hunt and predator hunt on his property. He answers and says I forgot you were bow hunting call me when it rains. Just as I say Ok another buck comes running down the creek and jumps across and stands at 35yds looking for the fight. It was a young 12pt with a really wide rack but not very heavy. It walks over to where the deer that I just shot crashed. I get down to go recover my deer. As I walk over towards my deer as I crest a little hill I see its head is still up. So I knock another arrow and circle around behind him. I stop at 10yds and look at him through the bino's and don't see the chest moving. I find a stick a poke him with it and nothing. I walk around to where I can see its eyes and touch one. Still nothing. So I lay the bow down and grab my phone and snap a picture of how he was found.
I leave him and run back to town to get the trailer and my knifes and my son to help. We get back out there and as we are moving the deer to a better area to field dress it I notice that there is an arrow wound on the right side way high just above the spine. This is the same buck that I had hit using my dad's bow the Tuesday before. I had taken my father's(who passed away on July 1st from a very short bout with cancer) bow out to take him hunting with me one more time during the rut and had rattled in a buck from the same stand and would not have passed a nice buck up. I shot way to high and trailed it for a 1/4mile with one drop every 10yds. And finally jumped him again and found no blood in his bed. And this is the same buck. Here is the hero picture that my son took as the light was fading.
And one of the rack when it was loaded in the trailer.
Don't laugh to hard at the face paint it was all I had. So on Monday it was close to a $1000.00 day. When you add up the broad heads used, the cat mount with the skull bleached and the European mount and the processing of the deer. But to be out in the woods and get my first cat, the buck that I missed with my late fathers bow and equipment and having my son help me recover the deer. I know it has been said may times but. "PRICELESS"
And Dad this one is for you. Love you and miss you.
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