2021 HuntingNY Bow Harvest Thread

[Chef]

Ok so for those of you who have been on and hearing about my weekend here is the harvest story. It was probably my best weekend in the woods ever. Saw my target buck twice. Messed up the first opportunity myself, over called. The second one was messed up by another hunter who strolled through at the worst possible time.

Besides that I was seeing deer left and right…. At least by my standards. Including the one i shot 9 antlered bucks In 3 days. The first 8 where from the same stand and I just couldn’t seem to close the deal. After consulting some other members I decided I was going to move stands for yesterday’s afternoon hunt.

Honestly it made me a little nervous to move.. I am a big believer in don’t leave fish to find more fish. I felt the saying applied here but I felt I didn’t have much to loose and went to a stand I have been getting tons of doe pics. After 3 hours on stand i heard a noise Stright ahead coming through the swamp straight towards the creek. This stand is set up with lanes left right and behind and after 8 yards it’s too thick to shoot straight ahead. It’s really set up to target the main creek crossing 20 yards to my left.

Well this buck decided to cross directly and front of me and popped up at 8 yards. The turned broadside and I could see he only had half a rack. I decided I was going to shoot anyway as he had a huge body and was probably a warrior which I though was cool. I tried to line up the x bow scope but with the sun directly behind me I was getting weird glare and could hardly see. I tried to move a little to cover the glare and he looked right up at me. We made eye contact as the reticle settled in behind the shoulder and I pulled the trigger.

I shot and he took 5 leaps corssing the creek, I could see the bold buried in him all the way to the fletching . He stopped for a few seconds before mule kicking and taking off on what I was sure was a death run. I heard crashing and splashing and then a big splash and quiet. I texted some friends, one who felt the need to let the forum know a buck was down… and waited about 15 min…. I know this is too soon but I couldn’t take it. I climbed down and went to check the spot where he stopped.

There was blood everywhere bright pink blood, there was a trail a blind man could follow and I couldn’t help but follow it. Blood spray on trees the swamp grass and leaves everywhere. After making it through the brush 10 yards or so I looked up and there he was 20 yards away in the deep water.

What a awesome weekend and he was huge body took up almost my entire truck bed. When I got to the butcher…. Something I don’t normally do but wanted to give this guy a try.

I opened the tailgate and his first response was holly shit that’s a big bodied buck… I wish I took more Pictures but here’s what I got










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[mlammerhirt]

Hunted dark until noon and didn't see a deer. Went back to camp had a quick lunch and went out with my buddy to set a blind so we can bring our boys to camp so everyone can go out together Thursday or over the weekend. After setting the blind my buddy dropped me at a stand and headed towards the swamp. He said to watch behind me because that's where all the deer have been coming from this year. Well a little over a 1/2 hr. Later I hear couching coming from the west and then spot a deer in the scrub making its way towards me. She basically came in without stopping. I projected she was going to cross a shooting lane at around 25 yards yard so I drew back and when she hit the opening gave a quick meeehh and released the arrow. It all felt good, and looked good until I noticed the arrow hit a bit high and didn't pass through. She ran around 20 yeards and the arrow fell out and then another 40 was outta sight but I heard a crash. Waited and hour and found her dead where she crashed right on the arv trail. Eneded up being 21 yard shot so I clipped high lung and stuck the broadhead in the opposite shoulder. Had to be real careful while cleaning her out, and tried pullIng the broken shaft out with the broadhead but it wouldn't budge. Happy to put meat in the freezer and I waited as long as possible and she didn't have a single buck in tow.

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[Zem18]

Posted in Live from the woods that it's been a while since I've visited but wanted to share a success story with some old members and maybe some new ones.
Every year I take Veterans Day off to bow hunt but this year I decided to take November 5th off instead as it was a Friday. My plan was to hunt all day as I had only been out with the bow once prior to the 5th and I did 2 sits during the youth hunt with my 15yr old son.
I was in the stand by 645am and it was dark and a very heavy frost was settled on the hillside. I didn't bump anything on the way in which is a miracle and I settled in. Was a beautiful morning reminiscing seasons past and just enjoying being out in a tree. Lots of chipmunks and squirrels had me standing up and then sitting down.

Around 9am I heard an unusually loud noise come from the thicket to my left. I scanned the area and didn't see any movement. 15 minutes later a doe pops out below me at 30 yards and was on the trail I walked in on. She turned and was headed on the same trail and would walk by at 15 to 18 yards. I never even picked up my bow and just watched her. She stopped where I turned to go to my stand and just looked around for about 20 seconds and then scooted to her left away from me fairly quickly. A few seconds later I heard a twig snap where she had come out and heard a low grunt. I picked up my bow and saw a racked deer headed on the same trail she just went by on so I started to draw and the buck stopped 20 yards down the trail behind a tree. I would catch a glimpse of his rack one one side of the tree and then the other. Surprisingly I was calm and not shaking but didn't know which way he was going to go. He turned right, away from the doe and was headed right below me. I was tracking his moves and he went behind a large oak which gave me chance to draw and he came out from behind it and stopped broadside at 7yards. I squeezed the trigger on my release and he took off running. 20 yards into his running I could see him stumbling and he continued to fall and snowplow for another 40 yards until he hit a downed log and flipped over it. A few kicks and it was over.

I was shaking so bad I had to sit down as I've never had a bow buck fall within sight as they usually run into the thick stuff (or a pond, Haha) and I don't get to see them go down. What an incredible feeling that was to witness. I texted my wife and called my retired neighbor friend and he came to help me recover and drag.
This is my first bow buck in 6 years since the pond buck so I was all smiles and still am. He was a fighter too as the tip of his main beam was busted off which would have made him a 9pt.
I'm still working on the euro mount as it's a tedious process to finish in between work and everything else going on, bit looking forward to rifle season coming up and getting away to camp for a few days.

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[FullDraw_9x]

11-14-2021

[Trial153]

Wrapping up my bowhunting for 2021. Had a great year despite no luck drawing any good tags.
Started the season in January hunting mountain lion and passed up a female and a small Tom.
It then went to British Columbia and got lucky and killed very nice Mountain Goat, he is a 7.5 year old Billy with 9.5 inch horns.
Next I hunted deer at home and got lucky and killed
a buck. And then I traveled back to WY for another go at mountain lion. Again got lucky and found a very nice mature Tom.
All in all it was great year and I am very thankful for opportunities and experiences I have had.

[heavuser]

Is no one bow huntn anymore this season?

[cdbing]

I will hunt through January in 1C, when I get a chance and the weather cooperates. Hope to get out Sunday.

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[BizCT]

Is no one bow huntn anymore this season?

I’m bow hunting tomorrow in 3S


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[heavuser]

20 hours ago, cdbing said:

I will hunt through January in 1C, when I get a chance and the weather cooperates. Hope to get out Sunday.

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2 hours ago, Biz-R-OWorld said:

I’m bow hunting tomorrow in 3S


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looking forward to updates!

[squirrelwhisperer]

I will be using my shotgun in January in 1C. Can't wait!

[cdbing]

I spent some time with my grandaughter (around lunchtime) practicing archery in the backyard before heading to the woods.

Got the spot I wanted (the spot I hunted Sunday) with perfect wind. Found lots of fresh sign and climbed the same tree I sat Sunday. Around 3:00 ish I saw what I thought was a 6 point headed my way browsing slowly. It took about 5 minutes for the deer to come within range, but behind brush. I kept thinking Crappie would say what a sexy six.

Twice I drew and had to let down as the deer took its sweet time to clear the cover. At 15 yards, I drew and held as the deer was facing towards me. Eventually, at about 10 yards the deer turned enough to expose vitals and I let the arrow loose. The deer ran a few yards and I could see my arrow and lighted nock stuck in the ground. The deer walked in a 10 yard circle as if it was trying to figure out what just happened. Then the deer trotted off.

That was the strangest reaction I have ever witnessed from a deer that had been wounded.

I took compass reading of last sighting of the deer and sat wondering what just happened. Curiosity got the better of me and within 15 minutes, I was on the ground checking out the arrow and looking for confirmation of the hit.

I found white hair and the arrow was covered in rumen. My heart sank. Did I blow a 10 yard shot? My mind raced as I tried to understand what went wrong between release and impact and trying to correlate that with the deer's reaction. Nothing made sense, so when in doubt, back out.

I packed up, marked the point of impact and headed out. My rout would take me in the direction the deer had headed. Eighty yards away, to my surprise, I saw the deer laying dead. I was so thankful and relieved. I went from one of my lowest of lows to the highest of highs. Turns out the sexy six was a fine five, but I was happy none the less.

From what I could tell, the arrow hit both lungs, liver and stomach. Not sure how that happened. Anyway, I am relieved that it was a humane kill. Better yet the deer ran 80 yds closer to the truck, so win-win. The 400 yd drag was all uphill, but I knew that going in.

I may still "hunt" in January, but it will be more about getting outdoors than anything else.



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[crappyice]

I spent some time with my grandaughter (around lunchtime) practicing archery in the backyard before heading to the woods.

Got the spot I wanted (the spot I hunted Sunday) with perfect wind. Found lots of fresh sign and climbed the same tree I sat Sunday. Around 3:00 ish I saw what I thought was a 6 point headed my way browsing slowly. It took about 5 minutes for the deer to come within range, but behind brush. I kept thinking Crappie would say what a sexy six.

Twice I drew and had to let down as the deer took its sweet time to clear the cover. At 15 yards, I drew and held as the deer was facing towards me. Eventually, at about 10 yards the deer turned enough to expose vitals and I let the arrow loose. The deer ran a few yards and I could see my arrow and lighted nock stuck in the ground. The deer walked in a 10 yard circle as if it was trying to figure out what just happened. Then the deer trotted off.

That was the strangest reaction I have ever witnessed from a deer that had been wounded.

I took compass reading of last sighting of the deer and sat wondering what just happened. Curiosity got the better of me and within 15 minutes, I was on the ground checking out the arrow and looking for confirmation of the hit.

I found white hair and the arrow was covered in rumen. My heart sank. Did I blow a 10 yard shot? My mind raced as I tried to understand what went wrong between release and impact and trying to correlate that with the deer's reaction. Nothing made sense, so when in doubt, back out.

I packed up, marked the point of impact and headed out. My rout would take me in the direction the deer had headed. Eighty yards away, to my surprise, I saw the deer laying dead. I was so thankful and relieved. I went from one of my lowest of lows to the highest of highs. Turns out the sexy six was a fine five, but I was happy none the less.

From what I could tell, the arrow hit both lungs, liver and stomach. Not sure how that happened. Anyway, I am relieved that it was a humane kill. Better yet the deer ran 80 yds closer to the truck, so win-win. The 400 yd drag was all uphill, but I knew that going in.

I may still "hunt" in January, but it will be more about getting outdoors than anything else.



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Fantastic five!!! Must have been hard quartering to? Where you in a tree or on ground?


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[suburbanfarmer]

4 hours ago, crappyice said:

Fantastic five!!! Must have been hard quartering to? Where you in a tree or on ground?


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With that exist in the belly , IMHO from the tree