2018 HuntingNY Crossbow Harvest Thread

[Just Lucky]

I got my first  crossbow buck yesterday morning. A basket rack 8 point around 8 am.

I was on the ground sitting in a blow down watching a squirrel when the squirrel took of running down the hill. I looked over my left shoulder and seen horns coming through thick beech brows. I picked an open spot 30 yards and when he stepped in he stopped downwind and stared right at me. It was a quarting toward me shot.

I took the shot and he took off running in a circling direction and out of sight. I waited for my buddy before tracking.

We found him dead about 100 yards from the shot. I was disappointed to find the mechanical part of my hybrid broadhead didn't open but the placement of the arrow got if done.

The broadhead was a bloodsport, and the crossbow is a Barnett doa rated at 385 fps.

[Steuben Jerry]

Skipper doe. Bad shot, deflected off a branch and hit way high. Spined her, and put another through her. Would have liked that to go a little more cleanly, but she's hanging and the 2018 rust is shaken off.

[greensider]

First buck from our own land not the big one i saw Saturday but it means more than antlers to me 

[Gizmo285]

Opening day Nov 3rd 8:05 am. 50 yard shot w/ Barnett whitetail pro STR;  rage broadhead and headhunter 22" arrow. Dropped in his tracks. Young 7 pointer but my first attempt at crossbow hunting.

[Fredbear2]

Chased a doe 15 minutes later and walked 18 yards by my stand looking for her ! Dunzo

[WNYBuckHunter]

Post up pics of your 2018 crossbow season deer here!

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Feel free to start a new thread if you wish to have comments in addition to posting the photo / story here.

[Nytracker]

Got it done on a medium size doe this morning. Passed on 3 small bucks and when she came sneaking through by herself  I couldn't take it no more. 

She   popped out past  the tree use as a 30 yard marker held on with 40 yrd mark and spined her. Died before I could recock. I'm stoked  rage opened her up large.

[wolc123]

I thought this 99 pound field-dressed (per the PA chest-girth chart) was an average sized doe until I started to gut "her".    It stepped out onto a clover plot at 3:30 Friday afternoon.  When "he" turned broadside, I hit him behind the shoulder with a bolt tipped with a mechanical broadhead, fired from my Barnett Recruit.   He turned tail and I thought I heard a crash. I said a quick prayer for an easy recovery, walked over and saw him down 20 yards into the goldenrod adjacent to the clover.   This was my first deer from the ground with the crossbow and also my first DMP filled with one, having previously taken just three antlered bucks from tree stands with it. I was in one of them cheap pop-up blinds that Aldis was selling for around $30 last year.    

[Robhuntandfish]

Finally doe for the freezer. Three came in along the corn line . Then one went into the woods. She popped back out at 20 yards, and I shot her broadside at 16.  She ran into the corn and sounded like she piled up there. 

So I look and there are deer still at like 40 yards in woods. So I reload and have to wait a bit anyway . Then two more does come by and another good size one broadside at 28.   Thought about it.....lol.... Don't look Rob....don't shoot another one! Maybe if I saw the other one def down.

So there is another deer hanging back in woods in brush...buck?  Those two does go back and forth around stand and then even behind me for 20 minutes and I can see the other deer now and it's also a doe.  

Finally they walk away and it's almost dark dark by now. So I check the arrow and it's all good. Go to where i think doe is but no deer.  So I go do what I am supposed to and get on the blood trail.  Back and forth through the corn in the dark for 40 minutes.  And where do I find her.....laying in the trail I walk out on. Lol. Had I of gone 20 yards farther I would have tripped over her.  It's amazing how tough they are 10 ringer her and she still went a ways.

But not a big buck but happy to have a doe down.  Been a tough season this year.  

Not great pics but as you all know tracking and dressing and dragging a deer in the dark is just fun. So deer is hanging for the night. 

Edited November 13, 2018 by Robhuntandfish

[Lever action]

Finally after freezing my arse off all week (19 this morning) it paid off.

Shot her at 10yds , double lung, complete pass through, she ran 75yds.

Easy drag with all the snow.This deer is extra special as it is the 1st deer I have shot on my new property.

[ApexerER]

Got my first crossbow deer today.  Good sized doe. She came in alone and gave me every opportunity to shoot her so I took the venison on my last archery sit of the season. After she was down I had two spikes come in. Got to watch them spar lightly which I have never witnessed before. Saw two more doe and about 4pm got another encounter with the wide white horned 8 when he came into about 25 yds but just wouldn't clear the thick brush.  Would have loved to have harvested the 8 but I got an opportunity at a shooter...harvested a large doe and saw lots of deer. All and all it was a great archery season.  On to rifle Saturday. 

[Robhuntandfish]

My biggest buck ever!   Its a redneck (ring fits on it) 16 points!  I have to check today for which points are scoreable or not.  I know 13 are.  Possible 15.  4 brows on one side, junk all over.  Shot it about 4 pm at 35 yards with crossbow.  It went about 70 yards.  Thank goodness because of the storm that came in.  Hoping to get better pics later but with storm its prob gonna be a 12 hour work day.  Still cant believe it.   Went from my worst bow season in years to my best ever.  He came in and stood eating something under snow right next to a stump i ranged at 35 yards.  Had a branch in the way and he just stood there - please take one step ... please.  And i was actually very calm and sometimes im a mess and shaking with a doe.  He moved one step and whipped his head back up and looked behind him and i knew he was gonna bolt , took the shot and knew i hit him.  He ran about 10 yards and the slowly walked away and i couldnt see him anymore.  I waited til 4:30 and with the storm coming had to make a move.  So i got down and snuck over to find arrow.  Red and good blood for sure.  But from there almost no blood.  So i started to go on track real slow as i didnt want to jump him.  and uh oh theres a deer!  pull up to shoot and realize its no the same buck.  Big body but smaller rack.  He doesnt know i am there and he is pacing back and forth.  And i think ... i bet my buck is laying right there!!!!  The other buck finally notices me and trots off.  I walk over and there he lays!!!!!!!  Called a couple of buddies but had it dragged out to rd by the time they got there. Thank goodness they came cause i couldnt get it in the truck myself for sure.  Took some quick pics and got out of there as snow was starting to get bad.  

next to last day of bow season and it went out big! was shaking for hours.  A long long drag out of the woods and along cornfields and all could do was smile ! 

  

[RangerClay]

Harvested on November 4th!

[Hock3y24]

Climbed into stand at 0300, quickly saw this doe and a smaller one bedded 120 yards away. Slowly came my way and made a perfect 45 yard shot with a rage hypo +p. First snow blood trail. She made it about 80 yards on a double lung pass through.

[Will_C]

Got my first crossbow deer last Sunday. 40 yard shot with my Parker Centerfire XXT. Double lung-trailed it 60-70 yards.

[johnplav]

Got out for a morning sit with the crossbow before work.  Very little deer movement, saw a small buck and a really small doe (possibly button buck).  This good-sized doe snuck up behind me, and looped around in some heavy stuff.  She popped out on the trail to my stand.   She was  slightly quartered to me at just over 10 yards and I tucked one behind her shoulder.  When I checked the bolt, I was a little nervous because there was stomach contents, but I knew I made a good shot and there was tons of blood.  I slowly peeked over the edge of the hill where she ran, and I could see a red path leading to her about 30 yards away.  She weighed 133 lbs and the Rage did its job.  Took out front side lung, and caught bottom of opposite lung and cut her stomach as it exited.  Great to have some more meat in the freezer.  I have to be careful though... I might go all season without firing a gun