First one for this year

[richhodg66]

The last two years haven't gone well for me deer hunting, just a small doe each year, I've gotten to where I don't seem to take deer hunting as seriously as I used to, but we still like to eat them. Anyway, I did a little better prepping and having a plan on my own place this year, we've had this 18 acre tract we live on five years now and this is the first one I've killed of of it. Almost didn't go out, haven't seen the rut activity we usually do by now and I'm not real fond of the crossbow. It was 60 degrees when I walked out this morning, set up in a natual blind I made buy brushing in a big cedar tree on a ridge overlooking a movement trail, plan worked like I figured it would. Always amazes me even after all these years how stealthy they can be and just suddenly materialize, I was being quite and alert and still didn't see him until I knew I only had a second or two to shoot before he was gone. Either my son or I will have to kill a couple more to fill the freezer back up, but it's a start.
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[falmike]

Nice!

[Thumbcocker]

Excellent. Crossbows will grow on you.

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[skeettx]

A DEER of a story
Thank you for sharing
Mike

[richhodg66]

Excellent. Crossbows will grow on you.

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I used to be quite the purist about archery equipment when I was younger and only used recurves of a long bow. They legalized them a few years ago here, so I got one so I could hunt more through the year (Kansas has a very, very long archery season, short, late gun seasons and the only way that you can hunt in the rut is with a bow), so I got one. I still dislike it, ugly, clumsy thing with no soul, but it is pretty effective if you hunt close from ambush positions like I do.

I made a bad shot on this one, though it ended well. As I mentioned, he just appeared out of nowehere and had already passed my planned shooting lane, I had to move fast, took the shot as he was starting to turn, figured the arrow would quarter through him from far back in the rib cage. He went up the adjacent ridge, obviously hurt bad, went down where I could see him for several seconds then got back up and moved down the far side. I know enough to not push a wounded deer so I sat and waited an hour before moving, but I figured he was mortally wounded and down. As it turns out, I threw the shot left and it went through his right hind quarter, breaking the femur and clipping the femoral artery, deer bled like a stuck pig and made it maybe 50-60 yards before piling up, was likely dead in two minutes. I had good day light and no problems, Ray Charles could have blood trailed this one, but I need to work with that crossbow more, no excuse for botching a shot that bad at that close range.

[Thumbcocker]

I shot a recurve a bit but hunted with compounds. I shot them enough to realize what they were capable of in skilled hands. My situation was that, for a variety of reasons, I couldn't make the time and mental commitment to the bow. I was ambivalent about crossbows as well because they are not bows. Then I made the mental shift of viewing them as one more legal means of putting meat in the freezer and me in the woods. I haven't done anything with a crossbow that a good archer could not have done with a compound. What I get from a crossbow is the ability to make very accurate shot placement. The skill is built into the tool to a degree.

I am still hunting a very wary critter at close range with essentially a single shot weapon. Try viewing your crossbow as a stand alone hunting tool with over 1000 years behind it instead of an archery "cheat". It made a difference in my hunting.

[richhodg66]

I shot a recurve a bit but hunted with compounds. I shot them enough to realize what they were capable of in skilled hands. My situation was that, for a variety of reasons, I couldn't make the time and mental commitment to the bow. I was ambivalent about crossbows as well because they are not bows. Then I made the mental shift of viewing them as one more legal means of putting meat in the freezer and me in the woods. I haven't done anything with a crossbow that a good archer could not have done with a compound. What I get from a crossbow is the ability to make very accurate shot placement. The skill is built into the tool to a degree.

I am still hunting a very wary critter at close range with essentially a single shot weapon. Try viewing your crossbow as a stand alone hunting tool with over 1000 years behind it instead of an archery "cheat". It made a difference in my hunting.

Same here. I always laugh at people who say they are 100 yard weapons, BS. Not sure they really extend the range over a good compound, but inside regular bow range, they are pretty deadly.

[koger]

Congrats on the fat buck, nice deer in my book. Thanks for sharing.

[ChristopherO]

Congratulations on your success. It seems that one doesn't have to work as hard for the victory when they are really good at the game. Years of experience has shaped you into a proficient deer hunter.
Your statement about not taking deer hunting as seriously hits home for me, as well. I love the hunt, but now if the sons aren't involved then drive isn't too strong. The wife got a wild hair nearly a decade ago to earn her the status as the ex-wife, kids are grown and receive the majority of the meat I package up. The crossbow I rebuilt 30 years ago lost it's luster about 24 seasons back. I used to build my own primitive and laminate bows, but the reward to practice being proficient isn't high enough to walk it to the back yard on a daily basis, as I once did. Compounds are incredibly effective, and yet, like the crossbow, if I have to pull a trigger for it to shoot a projectile then it needs to go 'Bam!'. Rifles have always been my gravitational pull, so I still work to have enough loads to enjoy the effect that flying lead creates. This year, though, I opted to wreck my Kawasaki in the mountains of North Carolina in September instead of saving my brownie points for Ohio's gun season. Due to the joints not realigning correctly the Doc said not to put any pressure on the left foot for 6 weeks minimum this past Thursday as he screwed a couple of the Tarsal bones together. I hope to be walking like a human again by Christmas. If the itch needs scratched I may just limp out afield for January's muzzleloader season. We'll see.
Funny thing is, I am not lamenting this scenario as much as trying to figure out how I want to spend my time productively this winter as I recuperate, and the days ahead. I'm older than I was when the fire to hunt anything and everything burned brightly, but I am not too old. The past 3 summers I've loved visiting my oldest out west to help reduce the prairie dog population. He is now back in the Midwest, but I still have the desire to go again come summer. We spoke about that just this this morning. A fellow has to have something of interest to look forward to. And for those of us who frequent this forum that normally involved a firearm, or some type of weapon, doesn't it?

[MrWolf]

A crossbow is a necessity if you have a screwed up back/neck. Even cocking it hurts a lil. I just have a fairly inexpensive one and it is deadly at 50 yards (what I sighted it in for). With those Rage broadheads and nice shot placement they do not go more than 30'. To me deer are a lot more "predictable " before the rut so for harvesting purposes they work fine.

[Texas by God]

That's a nice buck! I know its hard to sit still and wait after the shot, but it is the right thing to do if there is any doubt. He will be good eating, hats off to you!

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[pworley1]

Looks like you are off to a good start. Congratulations!

[winelover]

Congrats Rich, on your very nice buck. X-bows are almost too easy to master.

Went full circle with archery equipment. Recurves, compounds and now x-bow. At 69 years and severe arthritis in shoulders, the x-bow is the only way I can hunt Arkansas's five month long archery season. I prefer the early part of the season, the weather is milder with more foliage on trees............equates to less spooky deer. Take a nice buck, just about every year, sometimes two. Only go out for a couple of hours in the AM. Got a large 10 point on October 7th. but still go out daily, with a camera. Could have taken five other bucks, since then. Instead, just took their picture/video. The last two mornings, a nice wide 8 point came by, using the same route. Just took video.


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Taken with Mission Lite, using a Rage Hypodermic broadhead.


Winelover

[richhodg66]

After that shot and I watched him go over the adjacent ridge, I didn't bother to reload the bow, just sat back and waited, I learned the hardway about 25 years ago to stay as still and quiet as possible for a while when you have one mortally wounded. While I was sitting there, two young does came along down the same trail from the opposite direction, started to kick myself a little for not being ready but two deer in one morning proved to be almost too much a few years ago, so I just watched. They got to the point where I hit the buck and then got real interested, changing direction and following his trail almost step for step until they were out of sight too, sniffing around the whole time, almost like tracking dogs.

We're supposed to have a cold front tomorrow, so hopefully that will get them moving some more. If conditions are good next weekend, I'll try to go out and kill a doe. I really like using a vintage rifle with cast bullets best, but I have to get some meat in the freezer this year.

[SSGOldfart]

Congrats you did better than I did I passed on a nice deer yesterday do to not having a clean shot,but I know there will be others again Congratulations on some time meat and nice rack.:-D

[rtyler8140]

Congrats! Always nice to get one on family land!

[doghawg]

Congrats on the nice buck! I'm in agreement with you on crossbows. Awkward, clumsy and irritating but at my age with my shoulders it's about the only option with a stringed weapon. I had a dandy 9 point within 15 yards yesterday. At first I didn't dare move and when I finally could get into position in the cramped ladder stand he turned and walked straight away. No chance.

[missionary5155]

Good afternoon and Congratulations !!
Looks like a good eater to me ! And yes two corn crunchers at once is a whole bunch more work than I care to have to tackle.
I have been re-curving bean eaters for 30 years and pulling recurves since I was 14. I also am not looking forward to the day when the shoulder pain dictates no more strings and wood.

[Markopolo]

awesome job Rich!!!

[marshall623]

Good shooting , crossbows will get the job done . You made a wise choice in letting the does walk . That's alot of work tied up in 2 deer and even more when the temps are above 40 .

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[richhodg66]

Good shooting , crossbows will get the job done . You made a wise choice in letting the does walk . That's alot of work tied up in 2 deer and even more when the temps are above 40 .

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At least this was at the house, reasonably close to the truck and had my son to help. Still kind of rough terrain for dragging.

Four years ago, was in my favorite stand way down deep in some steep stuff and very thick brush and once you get out of that stuff, it's still a mile to the truck, but it's the best stand I ever used, I almost always see deer on it. Anyway, I was packing a 1907 Winchester, had two doe tags and decided to shoot two that came in together. No help, both sons were away. I had just turned 50 and it was a real eye opener,by the time I got the second one almost back to the truck, I had serious doubts I was gonna be able to do it and worried about a heart attack or something. I have honestly never been that fatigued in my whole life, before or since. I've only killed two in one sit a few times, but I swore off ever doing it again that day. Can't legally take any kind of a machine in there, so a hand cart was the best I could do.

Gonna sit in that same spot when the sun comes up tomorrow. Hope to see those does again. #1 son has guard drill this weekend, but I can handle one here by myself.

[richhodg66]

Out in the same blind this evening, heard something moving in, turned out to be a big, well grown coyote! My policy is to shoot at them with whatever is at hand no matter what else is going on, so I did and watched the arrow go right over his back, darn it! Ambushing a coyote with the crossbow would have been much cooler than shooting another deer. When I'm done deer hunting, I'll be back out with a call and the Mossberg 835.