2019 HuntingNY Crossbow Harvest Thread

[Zag]

Well tonight was my last bow/xbow hunt until next yr. I decided to hunt in the backyard tonight and as soon as I climbed I to my homemade hut/stand I saw a dark blob walking the field edge of a neighboring property. Grabbed bino's and saw a wide buck (never checked him out for points) working an existing scrape. I gave him a few grunts and started heading in my direction, but between me and that field is thick tall brushy section making it impossible to see him very long once he started my way. I occasionally gave some grunts, bleats and a couple snort wheezes but after awhile I figured he must have changed course. After a long while maybe 30-40 min later I see a deer standing to my left (in range) he had just walked out of brush. I gave him a sound to stop him and sent the bolt thru the heart and lungs. 

Sadly my son was in the house doing his homework that he put off all day and missed the hunt. Luckily he was with me for the short track job.

Maybe changing my name from zag to bbd helped get me out of my funk.

[Nytracker]

Got it done last night finally . Went and sat just off a horse  pasture butting up to a  swamp .  Cut corn at one corner .  Narrow strip of brush bordering the swamp .  Slipped in with crossbow  followed deer tracks  until I found an opening where 3 heavily  used  deer trails  intersected .   Eased back into the brush about 15 yards down wind of intersection.  I had 2 shooting lanes I could use . After standing for an an hour  I started second guessing the spot .  Seemed silly to be standing in such thick stuff . But the deer had to use it or be out in the open cornfield...or the horse pasture.  

After a little while longer I heard a splash followed by the squish of something walking through mud.  I dropped to one knee and start scanning . I catch movement coming my way . First a leg ... then another leg .  I can tell it's small. Then another small one walks through my first opening . 3rd one looks bigger.  Looks to be a doe . 

 I track the larger deer  into my second opening   and squeak with my lips . As it stops I  send the rage to the cage . The deer crashes forward   making a small loop  circles back to where it came from . After A few seconds I hear a splash. Not what I wanted to hear. 

 It was getting on towards dark  so I gave it 20 minutes   and started track. . Handful of hair and a ton of blood . Found the bolt  just past the spot the deer was standing . Great hit  full pass through.  Tons of blood . Looked like a scene  from a horror flick  all the blood on the snow . Tracked the deer to where it fell through the ice in the swamp. 

Not wanting to take chances I backed out drove home grabbing  my waders and a rope .   Tying the rope off to the biggest piece of brush I could find  I waded in to my  waist and tied off the deer .  I  went back to shore and pulled the deer out with the rope.  

Deer was  covered in mud so I loaded  it  and drove home . Hosed it down and dressed it into a  contractor bag . 

I don't think I have worked this hard  for a spike in my life . But I'm thankful for the meat.. flash froze over night  made skinning kind of tuff.  I didn't take any pictures   but it turned out to be a buck. One horn missing and the other was 2 inches .

Edited December 8, 2019 by Nytracker

[hueyjazz]

Second year of hunting with crossbow but first year with success.  I really put two and two together this year and figured from my first year mistakes when I could believe I missed a buck at thirty yards.   I didn't realize was how different fix broad heads shot than the same weight field points.  Practicing during summer I fire the crossbow sighted in with field point but with using the fix broad head. 

What I was keeping on a half dollar at fifty yards with a field point was close to missing target.  I went to mechanicals and made a point of making sure they were on target.  Success was in the making.

Regular gun season was horrible in my area.  Many days of high winds, rain and no deer.  I saw all sorts of deer during crossbow and let quite a few pass until this seven point came out to make love to the two does I was watching

Edited December 27, 2019 by hueyjazz