bhunterED

Decided to take my last half day of vacation today with the snow sticking and more coming. Got to my stand and the neighbors where making all kinds of noise behind me so I decided to move and go to a ground blind I had set up and not sat in yet on the edge of some thick pines and the hardwoods. With about 15 minutes of legal light I hear a stick snap and look and see a deer working through the pines. I put the binoculars up and as soon as I could see it was a buck I reached for the gun and he vanishes. I'm searching hard to find him and figure he's gone when up to my right I hear something and there he is 75 yards away and looking away from me. I got the crosshairs on him took a breath and squeezed the trigger. The deer bolts and now I'm thinking how did I miss there's no f'ing way I missed. I get out of the blind to go look and there's blood then more blood then alot of blood and there he was 30 yes away. The shot took the bottom of his heart and and one lung. I'm glad I stuck it out like everyone has said it can all change in an instant.

That's for sure.

Private ground in 7P. I call it my little slice of heaven.

Well so far my season has gone to hell in a hand basket real quick starting on opening day. 4 of my target bucks including my main 2 all got killed on opening day on neighboring properties following doe around. I had multiple encounters with each during bow and now kinda kick myself for not taking at the time what I thought would be risky shots. I've seen a bunch of dinks since then so not much to really talk about but did have one I'd like to get a closer look at show up on camera for the first time today.

Maybe it's just me but this pic just looks fake as hell. The one thing that does look big in the pic is the guys bow.

Got called to come in for work last night because some people are just incompetent or plain lazy but that's for somewhere else. On my way home to shower grab my gear and go. Now I have to decide what property and stand I'm going to.

That load will put em down for sure. Dropped one at 35 yards before with it.

This is the brushlot he went into after the shot. The field on the right is where the neighbor saw the 10 chasing the doe around.

Well 4 guys, 2 dogs, 3hrs in a 3 acre brushlot and couldn't find any evidence of the deer anywhere. After the showers we had last night and the 5 to drops of blood to start with it was pretty much a body search. We searched the surrounding woods and ravine bottom as well and still nothing. I can still remember the last one I didn't recover in Wisconsin (the landowner found him in the spring and he taped at 168-5/8") and this one bothers me just as bad. I practice religiously and strive for clean and quick kill shots. I know alot of things can happen especially with archery but it doesn't make it easier. The big 10 I saw early in the a.m. stuck around even with all the commotion in the woods, the neighboring land owner sent me a text at 4:30 saying a slob 10 was running a doe around the open field. Back in the tree tomorrow and try for redemption.

I was looking at some of my euros last night and there's just so many different scenarios. Unfortunately we had some showers last night and any blood that was there is gone so it just grinding through this thick brush now but not looking good. We did jump a big 10 that was on the shooter list just hoping he comes back now

I will say that he wasn't acting like any other wild deer does. When he was standing there in the brush he just kept looking around and shaking his head.The impact of the shot literally knocked him off his feet. Thanks, I hope I do as well. I hate to wound them and I hate that I can't even think of an explanation for what happened. My pin was settled right on that one hair covering his heart at 25 yes so how in the hell does the arrow hit him in the head.

There is just about 1-1/2" of broadleaf buried in his skull.

Well I don't even know where to start. About a half hour after daybreak I had a doe and fawn come through with showers shortly after. I sat until 10 decided to pull a stand and move it. Got done with that still showers on and off so I figured screw it I'm already wet might better climb into a stand. I decided to hit another property so I went there climbed in the tree at 1:30 and it was sprinkling with some flurries mixed in at about 2:30 it had stopped. 15 minutes later I have 2 mature doe a button buck and doe fawn to my left at 35 yards just milling around when a doe comes in from my right and I hear a grunt. I grab the bow and out walks a heavy 8. I draw the bow and he is at 25 yards and I let it go. I don't remember ever hearing such a loud crack and the deer literally is knocked down and starts kicking and scrambling to get up. While this is happening I see my arrow and realize I've somehow shot him in the head. I grab another arrow but he has gotten up and stands just inside of a brush lot with no available shot for 20 minutes. He dropped my arrow while he was thrashing but looking through binoculars I could see I hit him above the eye and below the base of his antler. I get down just before dark and I still have no clue what happened. I went to where he stood in the brush and there was 5 or 6 spots where droplets of blood fell. The side of his face was pretty bloody though. I will go in the morning and see if there's any sign of him. I hate this feeling.

So my oldest boy and me went out to sit when he got out of class yesterday afternoon for the last couple hours. He saw a single fawn that was wondering around looking for mom. I saw zero but just on the other side of the ravine from this spot the farmer started combining the 60 some acres of corn finally. Was hoping to get out this am but had work and it was pouring. Won't be out in the woods until Saturday but took Monday off for a 3 day weekend.

Just my view of the world waking up on a bitter cold morning from one of my favorite stands.