2020 Archery Harvest Thread ONLY !

[Lawdwaz]

A quick version of my hunt......around 9:20am Saturday morning I had a small 8pt buck come from the south, slowly feeding in the pines.  A few minutes later something told me to look behind me, sure enough here is another deer and it's a bigger buck.  The two bucks are on a collision course!  My buck is maybe 40 yards from the other buck and I don't believe they've seen each other yet......my buck paws a scrape three or four times.  The 8pt snaps his head up and laid his ears flat back!  He advances towards my buck and my buck goes completely on defense; hair stands up on his back, ears FLAT back and his body all stiffed out, like a Battle Royal is going down!

They walk towards each other and when they get about 5-8 yards apart they start to parallel each other and head towards my stand.  Neither one would give the other eye contact....

I drew my bow when my buck was about 10 yards and coming straight to me. He turned to my right to face off with the other buck.  At full draw I had to lower my bow arm as I have a dead tree in front of my stand that wouldn't allow me to swing to him, then, after that he was very close at about 7-8 yards I think my left eye took over and I saw the pin on him and punched the trigger BEFORE I centered the pin in my peep?  I'm sick about that and need professional help.  Seriously......

The shot was too far back and low.  He ran about 40-50 yards and stood looking back at me.  I figured he was going to die a slow death and I may not find him so I better at least try and get another arrow in him.  I took a Texas heart shot and heard a loud CRACK.  I backed out and felt sick.....

Fast forward 5.5 hours; I get on the track fast, find decent blood, track him 75 yards very fast and find my 2nd arrow.  50 yards later I see him and he sees me, jumps and stumbles 30 yards to a small gully, goes down and can only go half way up before stopping.  I was shaking like a leaf and promptly missed him broadside at 30 yards with two arrows and hit him high with a third.  He went down and died but it took a bit of time.

I went back to the truck and got my camera and came back and field dressed him.  Then I went back to the house and grabbed the four wheeler and got him out but it was a struggle. Weighed him at 205lbs but during the middle of the night while laying in bed I remembered I left the heart and lungs in him!  So I'll say he weighed 195lbs to satisfy any questions!

I'm late for work now but here's a picture or two......

 

Edited November 2, 2020 by Lawdwaz

[LET EM GROW]

10/31/20 A.M. Action packed morning for both of us.. Ill try to keep it short..

My stepson Cole's first Mature buck... at 14 yrs old!!  He came home from his dads the night before to hunt with me after showing him some recent cell cam pics, I was so happy when he did this... I have a little slice of heaven i try to leave alone until The halloween time frame.. I put him there. Great spot between several bedding areas. I told him good luck, text me when your in and ready, and you should find it no problem at all.. Shoot straight and be safe. Lets bring one home today.. we fist bumped and off he went.. He informed me he will not shoot a buck he wont shoulder mount, it has to be a good one he says.. Even though on this property I told him he could shoot whatever he wanted to.. he insisted it has got to be a wall mounter or no go! lol.  Alright bud im cool with it if you are.. I said keep your eyes peeled bc they will be on top of you there when you first see them.. he had several deer and a shooter on him shortly after first light but no shots.. passed a couple small bucks waiting on mr big.. he text me at 915 saying he hadn't seen anything in awhile and his feet were getting cold.. I Told him we can get down if you'd like but if you can hold out, that stand usually gets hot again around 10am .. or we can leave no big deal to me, were here for his hunting pleasure i'm just watching and guiding from a long distance lol.. he wanted to warm his feet.. I told him ill head to the car and come get you now.. as i started walking out of my stand a giant 8 and  young buck appeared with a doe and fed in the corn in front of me for awhile.. I text him if your feet get cold go for a short walk if you need or hold out until 10, there's a slammer right in front of me taking his time... Long story short i moved on him and got 40 yards and couldn't seal the deal. so darn close but he went the other direction and i left the grunt call home.. there was another shooter further down the field too! All while this is going on, I get a text from Cole, I just missed a doe... twice! lol. First shot caught a branch and deflected the arrow and broke... the second shot went under her... Then moments i get the "just shot a buck" text.. and i start shaking! lol. heck yes heck yes!! he told me, as he hung his bow up, turned his head to look the other way around the tree, and there is this good buck and he's walking through his 20 yard lane, he had to act fast as there was one more small hole to shoot through or not shots will be taken.. in one motion he grabs the bow turns and comes to full draw, stops the buck in the small opening and lets it fly. The arrows connects just behind the front shoulder and the buck takes off... so we text back and forth I told him to stay put ill be right down with the car.. and we will go in and check it out. 

I meet with him at the road, we discuss things, go grab a coffee and a snack then come back. About 20 yards from the hit site we find the arrow, blood soaked about 12in deep and broken the broadhead plus 2 inches of arrow. We followed a scuffed up trail a running deer had made in a straight line from the direction of the hit site... no blood for a while but its the direction he went supposedly.. 100 yrds in we find a drop of blood.. awesome awesome awesome, this most certainly has to be the buck..  Finally after tracking a small drop of blood every 10 - 15 yrds or so,  the 200 yard mark was when the blood trail gets heavier steadier, and splatter everywhere. as we go over another nole, I pick the binoculars up and see him up on the creek bank 75 yards ahead.. he's laying dead right there...

He double lunged him with a rage, 2 big slashed holes in both lungs, and the cape stopped it upon exiting..  that deer had an extreme will to live..

Hes shooting 58# 27in draw.    

We almost got messed up on our tracking efforts as we began starting the track, another shooter buck came pass us all injured bleeding from the mouth hacking coughing, struggling to walk.. so we immediately thought it was him..  we stopped the direction we were going and began to tracked him slightly to check the blood, and couldn't find any sign.. But this buck was seriously wounded. So we decided that it was best we got back on to our initial trail and stayed after the evidence we found which instead, led us to the end of the right crime scene..  

So someone got an arrow in a good one and we have a wounded breeder running around .. 

I couldn't be more proud of this Kid! Our hunting trips together just keep getting better and better every time... from Deer to turkey and coyotes.. its always a blast and action packed with him! 

[mike103]

My nephew two days ago in Manorville Long Island on public Co-op land.

First year with the bow. Hunting from the ground . Shot him at 30 feet!!!!

[Otto]

8 point taken Friday, November 6, 2020. 20 yard shot, he dropped 30 yards later.

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[mattypotpie8S]

11/7/20. Got in the stand 45 minutes or so before legal. 15 minutes later a gray fox visited. Right around legal light 2 young bucks showed up one came right under me all drunk/rutty. Shortly after a big yote bound in close no shot. A few minutes later another came from the same direction and worked to a shooting lane to my left (perfect for a shot). Got caught drawing and it spooked. Then around 7:30 I hear this buck coming in from behind me and starts turning left. 15-20 yard shot that us right handed shooters love.Once he was broadside stopped him with my mouth floated my pin where I wanted and pulled pulled pulled and the shot broke. Arrow hit its mark. He mule kicked hard before jacking up a fence and crashed in sight. Memory forever, meat in the cooler and maybe I saved a few trees. **Edit** Forgot to add 160# dressed. Sliver away from 16" inside

Edited November 9, 2020 by mattypotpie8S

[Don_C]

I thought I would post this here being as a lot of us really do enjoy the "old" harvest thread format.

I decided not to hunt Saturday morning and instead head out for an afternoon sit. I walked the 1/2 miles through the loudest crunchiest leaves I have ever heard. I got to the stand, hung my bow on the rope, took off my pack, hung it on the rope, took two steps up the ladder and it creaked. Instantly I heard the "snap!" of a branch and looked up to see a very nice 8 point trotting away, not 30 yards from me. Directly down wind. He must have stood or was bedded right there and watched me over the last 80 yard approach and begin my climb. It was really cool to see and it was a buck we do not have pics of.

4 hours later, I'm getting ready for the last hour of the day and I catch movement from below as a deer moves up the hill on the trail I'm posted on. The setting sun made it difficult to really see what it was, but as he cleared a briar patch the left beam shined like a beacon in the sunlight. I thought I knew this buck! We have had pics of him since July. He looked to be a beast on camera. I started shaking. I thought to myself "come ON... this is nothing new, get it together." A few deep breaths and he walked behind a big oak, I drew and he stopped dead. For about a minute I held a full draw until he began moving again, another 15 yards into an opening, I grunted, he stopped and I let it fly. I could see the hit was high, it looked really high. I was a wreck. 

I watched him run about 150 yards from me before disappearing. I waited a few minutes and looked for the arrow. Nothing. Small amounts of blood. I figured I looked a little further and found good blood, but looked down the hill to see what appears to be his head bobbing left and right. I backed out.

Went in the next morning and found him right there. After comparing the pics and the videos we have, it was clear that this deer was not the one I thought he was, very similar, but not the same deer. The deer I thought he was has two brows, this one only has one and he was not as big-bodied. We do not have any pics of this deer on camera.  I am super happy with him and very thankful that I had the chance to take him.  Thanks to everyone for all the support and encouragement after the shot. He's going on the wall!

 

Edited November 9, 2020 by Don_C

[Slickfins]

Wow. Beautiful deer! Congrats!!!


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[DanielT]

Finally on the board....
I was in my stand by 6:00 am...it was so quiet and relaxing without any wind....
I watched a small buck step out of thicket at 60 yards and look around the hardwoods....after 10 minutes...he turned and went back in thicket....20 minutes go by and 2 does come running down the hardwoods hill......and the run into thicket on right......then nothing for an hour....
Then 60 yards to my left where the little buck came out....out pops 7 does...holy cow...so I notice theres the giant matriarch that has blown me out twice and is a pain in my bowhunting butt...lol...she is followed by 3 nice does and 3 fawns
So she proceeds to walk 20 yards broadside....never knew I was there....
I draw back ...noone notices....phew....release...
Double lung.....she runs 50 yards into open hardwoods stops ....then does the right handed wobble crash run.....bammm... she is down in view...she is big..
Bowhunting rules!!



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[Rebel Darling]

11/03/2020 - Election Day

It was a quick hunt, and just about everything went according to plan.

I saw a young buck nose down, and a doe group walk the trail the day prior, and figured I should set up on it first thing in the morning.  Given the expected snow on the ground, I figured the pine boughs would hang low, and decided on a ground hunt from a patch of Hemlocks downwind on the trail.  I was also feeling pretty lazy about setting up sticks and such to climb a tree.

I walked in an hour before sunrise, the snow crunched under my feet.  It was crisp, calm and clear, the forest lit up in a high contrast black and white.  No fresh tracks, so the deer hadn't moved off their feeding, I thought.  My bow in my right hand, my stool in my left, and my pack on my back, I situated myself under hanging cover of the point Hemlock, and sat still.

My wandering thoughts whipped back to attention at first light when a turkey blew out of the branches above me.  Snow drifted in my face like stinging down feathers, and I worked on lowering my heart rate.

Some time passed, and the sun crested behind me, bringing sharp focus to my surroundings.  It was like a late December morning, a holiday morning, and all was still, but for a tree bending on its way to break some yards up the hill to my left.  My head on a slow swivel, my bow resting up against the outside of my right leg, hands in my pass-thru pocket.

The turkey wasn't alone.  All at once, a flock busted out from the remaining Hemlocks, sending more snow down like a smoke-screen in all directions.  I looked to my right, through the settling drift, and caught deer legs moving along the trail.  I held still until I knew which direction they'd take.

The lead doe took the main trail upwind of me.  Perfect.  Turkeys clucking their way off, I pulled my hands out, and leaned a bit to get my bow, and the lead doe pauses, her front half behind a tree.  The train of does stopped and stared at her, waiting for some direction.  I knew it, she saw me move.  25 yards away, a snow screen, in the dark of the Hemlock cover, and she saw me move.  I couldn't see her head, but I felt her staring at me.  I raised the bow, and came to full-draw unsure of what would happen next.  

Crash...  The tree up the way fell.  The train of does shifted their attention, ears swiveling like radar dishes.  I didn't see a muscle move on the lead doe.  She was locked on.  Startled, but still sharp, I held at full draw.  

I saw her head peak around the tree trunk.  She left the trail, and started walking towards me, trying to get downwind.  She was alert, but not yet scared.  She kept coming closer, head-on, each cautious step ratcheting up the shoulder burn from holding at full-draw.

She closed the distance to what I thought was 15 yards, and held still, just in front of a small Hemlock bough.  My mind raced around the idea of a frontal shot, and just as I was about to press the trigger, she stepped to her left, and in a flash, I knew this was the moment she was deciding to bound off, and I was going to stay ahead of her.  She was staring right at me, quartered-to, pin in the V of her shoulder, I pressed the trigger, the arrow flew, I heard a pop.  Suddenly, the woods erupted with hooves pounding away, everything lost in swaying branches and snow floating down into deer tracks.  

30 minutes later, I left the security of the cover, and walked over to find my arrow stuck in a sapling trunk, blood and bubbles on the fletching, brown hair on the snow, a spray of blood behind where she had stood.  I took up the track.

I found her just over a stone wall, 115 yards from the shot site.  She stumbled a few times on her track, disoriented by the lack of oxygen.  She expired in a Hemlock grove, melting the thin layer of snow around where she lay.  I took the time to thank her and the woods for their offering, and was grateful for the harvest, and that just about everything went according to plan.

 

[Rebel Darling]

On Friday, I was able to sneak out of work some hours early. I hit the woods with my sticks and saddle for some run and gun fun. An either / or tag and a doe tag in hand, and a baby due in a few, if it offered me a good shot with the bow, I planned to accept.

After the fog rolled out for the second time, the sun shone, and the Blue Jays lit up over by where I thought the deer bedded. Not long after, I could see movement in the thick of the Hemlocks. Send a grunt. I did.

A short while later, this doe and another came in to investigate.

She gave me a clean broadside shot, but stepped forward as I loosed the arrow, and at 25 yards (elevated), she tried ducking the string. I hit her way back.

She offered me luck, as it turned out. A severed artery led me to her on an easy track, and my gratitude soared as the sun went down.

 

[Trial153]

On Friday, I was able to sneak out of work some hours early. I hit the woods with my sticks and saddle for some run and gun fun. An either / or tag and a doe tag in hand, and a baby due in a few, if it offered me a good shot with the bow, I planned to accept.

After the fog rolled out for the second time, the sun shone, and the Blue Jays lit up over by where I thought the deer bedded. Not long after, I could see movement in the thick of the Hemlocks. Send a grunt. I did.

A short while later, this doe and another came in to investigate.

She gave me a clean broadside shot, but stepped forward as I loosed the arrow, and at 25 yards (elevated), she tried ducking the string. I hit her way back.

She offered me luck, as it turned out. A severed artery led me to her on an easy track, and my gratitude soared as the sun went down.
 

Nice work Mike !

[Cabin Fever]

I just got permission to hunt a new property last week, so I have a lot to learn about the deer patterns on it. After the nasty storm last night, and being mid-Nov, I had high expectations for this mornings hunt. It would rain a while, then would sleet a while, and kept going back and forth all morning. About 8:15, I was kinda suprised that I hadn't seen anything yet. Just then, I glanced over my shoulder and saw a big doe hauling ass towards me and she stopped 15 yards away. Her mouth was open and panting, while she stared intently at her back trail. I had NO intentions of shooting a doe, but I didn't get any deer last year and I sure would like to have some in the freezer this year. As I was deciding if I wanted to shoot her, I kept watching her backtrail that I could see for 100 yards, but didn't see any bucks pushing her. I figured I would draw my bow, then make up my mind. (Yep, I fell for it!) I figured being my luck, it would be just a small buck/non-shooter chasing her and I would lose my bird-in-the hand freezer meat. The best I can figure, the brain must have told the trigger finger that it was "Go time" and that sealed her fate! The Hoyt launched an arrow her way! She spun, ran ~75 yards and tipped over within sight! NICE!!

I nocked another arrow, just incase, and watched her backtrail. 2-3 min later, I saw a buck about 100 yards away, running frantically and zig-zagging, nose to the ground trying to pick up her trail. At first, I didn't think he was a shooter, but as he got closer and I got a better look, I changed my mind!! As if it was meant to be, he stopped for the one and only time 18 yards away and broadside, about 5 yards from where I had shot the doe! I thought my shot appeared a little high on the doe, so I purposely aimed low for the heart. The Hoyt launched another arrow to it's mark! The buck ran ~75 yards and tipped over!! Thank God!!

 

Got to break in the new truck too! 

[ANTLERS]

Big 6 ptr chasing a doe grunting the whole time.

[buffalojay83]

Got another doe around 10:10 she ran 50ish yds n went down. The doe came running by just before her, but she stopped. She's all cleaned up. Back in the tree winning for her friends

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[buffalojay83]

She's waiting for me, good girl!

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[NYBowhunter]

5 minutes ago, buffalojay83 said:

She's waiting for me, good girl!

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Congrats, where is that will all that snow?

[buffalojay83]

Congrats, where is that will all that snow?

Springville-ish

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