2017 HuntingNY Archery Harvest Thread

[The_Real_TCIII]

I got this small 8 first thing Saturday morning, I think he was just cruising back to his bedding area. 15 yard shot and he went about 40 and died in sight. I'm hoping to get another doe before Saturday but I'm pretty happy with bow season either way

[Lawdwaz]

Killed a nice 8pt last night but recovered this morning.  I'll write up a story in a bit..........

 

 

The buck first came into view at about 60-70 yards and was heading right for me, not surprisingly he started to veer to his right.  I his the new VECtor Grunt call once and he hit the brakes hard and looked in my direction.  Seconds later he started on the same course, away from me.  I grunted again and he stopped.  One more time we repeated the action and then he spun and started my way!

He came at a bit of an angle though and at about 20 yards ducked into a small brushy scrub tree and stopped to munch on something on the ground that he had to chew like an apple.  It was kind of weird as there are no apples or nuts right there, it turns out after going back today to check all my buddy and I could find were some mushrooms!

After about a minute and a half he started walking out to my right at about 20 yards.  I stopped him when I was at full draw with a voice grunt and it worked.  The arrow appeared to fly true and the buck tore off to the west with the arrow in him, no pass through, THAT concerned me.

I gave him 45 minutes and took up the trail.  We had some snow and I figured I'd know much fairly soon.  The arrow was found in 30 yards of trailing him.  The blood was minimal at best........

I took the trail about 120 yards or so between scuffed leaves/snow and some minute blood splatter.  He was headed down a seasonal driveway and then he went into the pines/hardwoods and I choose to not push him.  I heard a snort fro m the direction I figured he traveled while standing there and lost all kinds of hope.  I tied a piece of surveyor tape on a little branch and backed out, devastated doesn't describe my feelings good enough.

I went back to my buddies and didn't tell him the story.  He takes these things badly and I new he had seen this buck numerous times during the late summer/fall and I also had him on trail cams.  I don't like not telling the truth, it pained me to no end.  I figured I'd just head out in the morning and get on the trail at first light and see what I could find.

I thought about jumping in a stand until about 8:30am then going to look for the buck but soon changed my mind as that would be the wrong thing to do.........just what I'd need is to shoot a doe and then not give the wounded buck 100% effort.

So I got to my piece of orange marking tape and struggled to find any blood in the first 10-15 feet or so.  I went another 10-15 feet in the general direction I could envision him going and it was like, hmm, there's a little blood.  OK, here's some more, more, hmm more, holy cow that's good blood, OHHH wow, OHHHH WOW, DAMN, YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME, WTH, HE'S GOTTA BE DEAD RIGHT HERE, THERE HE IS!!!!!  (I cleaned up the language considerably to protect my reputation) 

So there he was, right in an old fallen tree top........stiff & stinky.

I made a quick phone call at 6:42am to a buddy (not a member here) to tell him.  Took a few pics with the phone then went up and got my camera & mini tripod.  Snapped a few pics and then got down to business.  

He was surprisingly a small bodied deer.  I didn't weigh him but I'd guess (I know, guessing is for hucksters at the fair) 110lbs !!

The shot was a touch high with the Rage 100gr Hypodermic, the entrance hole was something some of you have seen. Damn........

So if I didn't use the grunt call to turn him, you wouldn't be reading this.  If I'd have shot a touch lower, you'd have read this last night.  MY friend wasn't thrilled at first since I didn't tell him last night but understood my reasons and was thrilled with the outcome.    I didn't tell my wife last night either, I was not comfortable in doing that but she gets (understandably) upset too.  She wasn't too happy with me this morning after I told her but she was cool with it.

Here's a smile for you zag.......and a VECtor grunt call hero shot!

 

 

 

Edited November 13, 2017 by Lawdwaz

[sodfather]

Was busy over the weekend but shot this small 4 from my stand on Veterans Day after me watching him come hobbling through. Pulled this arrow out of him back end and to me he looked injured and don’t think he would have made it all winter. Not a prize but meat in the freezer and no longer suffering. 

[518BowSlayer]

Excited, Grateful, Shocked and Embarrassed all at the same time. Almost 10am Sunday morning, I'm about to pack it in and I see a small 8 chasing a doe hard. Already filled my buck tag so she's exactly what I'm looking for. they don't come in front of my stand but go behind it. it's open enough for a shot but I have to be careful not to hit my bottom bow limb on the back rest of this 2 man ladder stand. She gets within 25 yards and I stop her with a MEH. she's quartering away and I definitely rushed the shot. I really should've taken an extra second or 2 to compose myself but it all happened so fast. she went from a full sprint to a dead stop in an instant, right in the only shooting lane I had left. I thought the shot was just a touch high and back but she was quartering away and I thought I saw blood pouring out of her. I gave her a little time and started following blood. find a huge pool 5 yards from impact that within 15 yards trickled down to just a drop. now I start to worry because there was nothing beyond that. I'm about to back out and come back in a few hours when a sun ray through the trees is shining on my arrow. it's completely covered in light red blood. but still, nothing else I can see on the ground. I start to worry a little bit again but a big white belly catches my eye and all is well. she didn't go 60 yards. I turn her over to see how bad my shot was and find out it was way worse than I thought. you can just barely see it in the pic of me dragging her. so I'm really mad at myself because of this entry hole and completely stunned that she is laying here dead. to my surprise the arrow didn't even touch stomach or liver. must have went right over top of them because I have a nice big slice on the underside of one of the backstraps and one lung was turned to shreds. I'm so grateful for her but I don't think I'll ever rush a shot like that again. got extremely lucky this time. 110lbs dressed

[Thornthrower]

I usually pass smaller bucks but couldn’t at 10 yards. Heart shot. Went down after 30 yards. Allegany County.

[Five Seasons]

So a bittersweet, but nonetheless exciting and satisfying end to my bow season.

I have been bowhunting now for 9 years now. I bought a used Mathews switchback in 2008, the bow technology is now 12 years old and I am starting to get itchy for a new one. So pending good health and financial status this may be her last. I've been fortunate to harvest a deer with the stick and string all but 3 season including my largest buck. We moved to Mississippi in 2014 and I was only able to harvest a doe in 2014 on a return trip home. Last year marked my first full bow season back in NY in 3 years. I was going on a 3 year archery dry spell and 3 year buck dry spell. Despite my dry spell, I had self imposed not shooting yearling bucks with any weapon and had wanted to wait to shoot a doe until late bow. These restrictions did not void me of opportunity, but they did leave me eating tag soup.

My plan was unchanged this year, however as I passed small bucks and many doe early on it became clear that the fun of archery was starting to become lost. It was becoming work. If this season went without an arrow being flung I'd be entering season 4 without the satisfaction of that sound an arrow makes and the sense of joy and accomplishment of a good clean archery kill. As I entered this past weekend I had decided that anything but family groups, bb's and spikes were fair game. Add in 2 years of some really odd and funky luck, I was out taking a few shots Thursday and my drop away just snapped in half and went flying. I'm thinking I just cant buy a break and before swapping it for my old whisker biscuit i glued it with some 2 part jbweld plastic epoxy. I fired a dozen arrows Friday and she held. I still didn't feel super secure going into the woods Saturday.

However, at 7:45 on a very crisp cold morning this 4 pointer made his way down a run to my left at 20 yards. I drew as he approached the shooting lane, his vision obscured by brush and as he approached he gave me a slight quartering towards, but mostly broadside shot i let the arrow fly. Instantly i saw blood spurt from behind the shoulder. I watched him run about 40 yards through the pines, stop, then another 20 before he tipped. The tail fluttered a few times and I began fist pumping 25' in the air. For I knew he was no monster buck, but I was forever excited to have another archery kill.

Moral of the story for me is this. If you've been bow hunting less than 10 years, you really need to get out there and just keep flinging arrows. Time will come when I can be more choosy, but we shouldn't also deny ourselves what makes us happy. 

He weighed in at 113 lbs dressed and he will be tasty for sure. 

[Ryan3m]

My bow season was great. New truck, got a nice big doe for the freezer opening week, and October 21st I had this 7 point grunting and dogging some does around. I flipped the bleat can and he turned about 70 yards away and closed the distance for me to get a perfect shot at 30 yards. I have waited 4 years and passed up many opportunities at bucks, but I finally got a shot at one that I knew would put a smile on my face when I found him. I know he isn't big, but he will be the first buck of many in my lifetime. 

[TopGun270]

Shot my biggest bow buck to date Monday morning! This 9 pointer was number 3 on my hit list! Let see what gun season brings! Good luck all


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[ncountry]

Finally closed the deal on a buck.  Last morning of archery. He came wandering through about 9:00 . He looked tired and was just browsing some leaves off the honeysuckle as he did. I hit him high... (again). And he went down on the spot ,followed up with a quick 2nd shot and watched the air go right out of him.. a lot better performance than the 5 arrows it took to kill the doe I shot  few days ago from the same stand...lol.. I would love to have seen him in another year. But I'm not that guy yet.. this was a LOT of fun...

This is becoming my favorite spot at Letchworth.. 2 nine points and 3 doe in the last 3 years..

[buffalojay83]

Thank God. Got my first buck and first bow kill. Thanks for everyone's info and sharing knowledge. Now do it again tomorrow hopefully!

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[reeltime]

Well my quest to harvest picket this year came to an end 11/14/17

I had does and fawns milling through the beech trees feeding along with several small bucks. I see a doe break out into the field at a sprint about 70 yards from me with picket on her trail. She starts feeding and he is pestering her non stop.
Her button buck fawn came out and picket chased him around the field and then would chase the doe around.

The other doe in the woods all immediately retreated to my sanctuary to the west. Picket was still pestering the doe and chasing then BB around.

It was time to make it happen if possible by employing a trick I have done to success 8or9 times in the past. When the doe and picket stopped running I hit the bleat can and the doe locked on me or rather my immediate area so I tipped the can again.

She started marching to me as if on a string with picket right with her and still being bothered with the BB presence.

The doe enters the woods and is only 10 yards from me as picket is pacing the edge of the field. The BB goes to the west and then enters the woods and starts back east trying to get back to its mother.
Picket tries to enter the woods but had to step back turn his head sideways to get between 2 trees and as soon as he is in the woods he charges at the BB who tears off to the west and keeps running.
Picket turns around and starts back towards me and he stops in the only open spot over 10 yards from that stand high up in a hemlock as he is broadside at 15 yards with a basket ball size hole 5 yards in front of me through the limbs of a hemlock between us.

I was extremely calm and thought was ok this just got real. Anchor, sight picture, bend at the waste, this is just like hundreds of other times.

Sight picture is great as he is standing with a 8 inch beech tree over his front shoulder forward enough that I can see the white haired elbow of his front leg. There is a 12 inch beech tree covering his guts from his rear stomach back.

Ok Lee 2 years coming and you have nothing but vitals. Sight picture, follow through. Just an instinct reaction as I watch the arrow pierce his ribs high just behind the shoulder.

He wheels sideways knocking over the filed edge brush and then walks 50 yards and stops.

The doe is still standing under me as I hang the bow while watching him and trying to get the field glasses out and wondering why he is still standing.
I ease to a seated position so I had a clearer look at him and in disbelief I see him slowly hunching up.
I am sick to my stomach, he takes a couple steps and I can see part of his intestine hanging out the exit hole. I am in complete disbelief as to how I gut shot him. But I can see the exit but can't see the entrance hole but I KNOW I saw that arrow go right behind the shoulder.!
He slowly walks east towards the woods as the big 8 comes out and starts chasing a different doe and picket doesn't even look at him. I am about to be sick and trying to keep an eye on picket as he disappears into the woods headed towards his bedding area.

As I set there listening and watching I made a vow to myself that after 2 years and now what looks to be a poor shot by me that will be 100% fatal for the deer if for some reason I don't recover him he will be the last deer I ever shoot with a bow.

The doe under me walked back out to the field so I called dad and told him what happened, he gave me a pep talk cause I was not being so nice to myself over what I had done.

45 minutes passed so I climbed down the climbing sticks and eased over to the arrow and just as I thought dark blood and stomach matter.

I looked at the edge of the field and had good blood. I eased to the filed edge to the east and there was blood sprayed up the side of a cherry tree and the leaves were crimson.

Walked right to him and man There was no ground shrinkage!! Of course I called dad first and then sent a pic to just and a couple hunting friends as I was trying to calm down.
After last years screw up by me pushing the envelope and having him smell me thus blowing my chance at I'm the rest of last season I vowed to not make that mistake again and I was going to kill picket or eat tag soup.

The range of emotions was unreal, from elation walking up to him to the pangs of sadness for taking his life after being such a stellar opponent that really made me step up all aspects of my game this season, and for that I will be eternally grateful.

As it turned out somehow the arrow turned after entrance took entire top lobe off the right lung, turned and center punched liver out through the lower left stomach.

19 inches inside
18 inches tip to tip




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[Marion]

My Redemption Buck

Finally got it done again today. Sat from 2 to right around 430 when this guy decided my grunting was irresistible and was ready for a big fight. Got into the stand around 2. One of the landscapers decided 45 yards to my 2 O'clock was the perfect spot to take a leak. Apparently my camo was on point because he either A)didn't see me or was a weirdo exhibitionist. Anyways luckily the deer did not seem to mind. Around 4 I am soon surrounded by 6 doe all ranging from 50-70 yards out. A few fawns were closer to range but not what I was after. Shortly after I hear some major rustling behind me. Oh man it's a beauty 8. He gets to within 20 yards to my 9 O'clock and decides he's not feeling it and decides instead of jumping the rock wall into the open meadow I'm hunting he's gonna play hard to get and instead turn around and be like nice try Jerkman I'm out! I tried grunting. He was slightly interested but apparently not that interested.

Off in the distance about 130 yards up the hill ai see what I thought was a big doe headed my way. Then I decided to take a closer look with my binos. Turns out this doe grew a pair. Now under magnification I can see what appears to be the biggest 4 pointer I have ever seen in my entire life. So naturally I start grunting with my VECtor call. Either my grunting is totally on point or he thought the buck that ran back behind me wanted a fight. Whatever his reason he clearly made the wrong choice. He came in full of piss and vinegar. At 30 yards he stopped broadside. I buried my pin behind his shoulder and let'er rip. Shwack nice hollow thud. He trots off a short ways at a nice leisurely pace back up the hill he came down. I knew he must have been hurting. I picked up my binos to see if I could see any blood exiting. Oddly enough there was not. Then when he got to maybe 63 yards max he got the wobbles and I knew his fate was sealed. Down goes Frazier. Turns out he wasn't a four but a solid five that I have never seen before. He was the perfect redemption buck for me. For those keeping score the coyotes decided my last buck would make an excellent entree. This guy was brought to the processor to be donated to the needy. Going to do a nice shoulder mount for this guy. I broke two of my own rules with him. I usually only shoot solid 8s or better and I never usually take two bucks from the same property. This guy was quite convincing in breaking both those rules. The pictures don't do him justice. I wear a size large glove for scale sake. Hoping the processor remembers to take a weight for me. All I know is he was one heavy dude trying to put him on my tailgate. Without further adieu my Redemption Buck.

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[Rebel Darling]

Way late on this post... 

Tuesday, November 14

Story here:

 

[Renegade Hunter]

Haven't commented in a while but have been following along all season. Congrats to all the hunters that have taken deer this year! Little late on the post. I shot this guy on October 12th. I climbed a tree on a shelf in the middle of a ridge. I had a large field and a bedding area below me. Last year during mid October I watched two six points spar and had a big boy sneak up on them. I decided to try and mimic what I saw that day. I tickled the rattle bag and threw in a few soft grunts and wheezes. Not five minutes later I hear a deer running along the shelf toward me. He came barreling along, slowed to a trot, then stopped at 25 yards, looking through the saplings below me. He was quartered to me. I drew back and waited for him to make a move. He licked his nose and put it to the ground. I put the pin on top of his shoulder and released. (I climb roughly 25 to 30 feet in the air. I prefer ash trees as they are tall with not a lot of low limbs and the climber bites right into them). It hit its mark perfectly. He staggered backward then bound forward for about 50  yards. He stopped at the edge of a creek and looked back. He slowly crossed it then disappeared up the other side. I texted the guys and gave him a solid two hours. We found him on the edge of a small patch of golden rod 20 yards from where I last saw him. I had hit lung and sliced the side of his heart.... Another great moment etched into my mind forever. Truly grateful to have taken this animal. 

[Arcade Hunter]

Back from the butcher shop... I used Buck and Doe for the first time.... I'm very happy with the job they did. The head is getting dropped off at 6 tonight... Beatles are hungry!
One more shout out to the WNY crew for the help and support..@turkeyfeathers@TreeGuy ... couldn't have done this without you guys!

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[Lawdwaz]

6 minutes ago, Arcade Hunter said:

Back from the butcher shop... I used Buck and Doe for the first time.... I'm very happy with the job they did. The head is getting dropped off at 6 tonight... Beatles are hungry!
One more shout out to the WNY crew for the help and support..@turkeyfeathers@TreeGuy ... couldn't have done this without you guys!

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Dude......you didn’t put a 2017 tag on that buck, did you?!?!?!

Kudos if’n ya did!!!!!!

[The_Real_TCIII]

Back from the butcher shop... I used Buck and Doe for the first time.... I'm very happy with the job they did. The head is getting dropped off at 6 tonight... Beatles are hungry!
One more shout out to the WNY crew for the help and support..@turkeyfeathers[mention=1547]TreeGuy[/mention] ... couldn't have done this without you guys!

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I just got back myself. There's a buck laying there un-gutted , it jumped through a window in Amherst and the cop shot it in the house!


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[crappyice]

Back from the butcher shop... I used Buck and Doe for the first time.... I'm very happy with the job they did. The head is getting dropped off at 6 tonight... Beatles are hungry!
One more shout out to the WNY crew for the help and support..@turkeyfeathers[mention=1547]TreeGuy[/mention] ... couldn't have done this without you guys!

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Nicely aged meat!


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[Arcade Hunter]

LMFAO. ... No wonder I couldn't find it...

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