#1913709 - 05/06/10 07:54 AM
My quickest kill.......
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Bottom Hunter
16 Point
Registered: 12/29/06
Posts: 15488
Loc: Hatchie Bottoms
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A few years ago, I had permission to hunt a small property owned by my brother-in-law. It was a decent place to go, especially when the Hatchie River is up. His land is across the River from the Refuge and on high ground (basically where a bluff ends at the river).
The wind was out of the South and I only had one stand that I could hunt. I went to it around 3:00 for an afternoon hunt.
The stand was a ladder stand on a set aside field that contained waist high sage grass. A great place for deer to bed down.
I climbed in the stand, laid my gun across the rail , took out my binoculars and began looking around the field. I did not see any deer the first time that I glassed the field, so I settled down for a long and enjoyable wait. Or at least that's what I expected.
Less than a minute after I stopped glassing, I got my phone out and began texting my wife to let her know that I was in the stand and that I was okay. During the middle of texting, I happened to raise my head and caught movement in the field. I stared at the area of the movement for a minute or so , but saw nothing else. I contribited it to the movement of the sage brush.
I went back to texting, finished that and put my phone back in my pocket.
As I raised my head again, I again caught movement. This time, though, I pinpointed the source. I could see a set of antlers (pretty nice) in the brush. I quickly got out my binoculars and took a closer look. Sure enough, there was a nice buck bedded down in the field about 75 yards away.
After some thought, I decided that the deer had been there all along, but must have had his head down. I had glassed the field pretty well and hadn't seen him before. I looked at him for quite some time before determining that he was indeed a shooter....(over 100 inches).
the wind was blowing pretty well and the buck seemed to not be in a hurry, so I had plenty of time to weigh my options.
The shot was not that far, but the wind was blowing , the sage brush was somewhat in the way and all I had was a neck shot. I've made longer neck shots but under more desireable conditions.
Like I said before, it was still early afternoon, so I suspected that the deer wouldn't be moving any time soon, so I had plenty of time. I thought about trying to stalk up to him and shoot him when he stood up, but I didn't know for sure if he might come up running....Instead, I decided to try yelling at him, hoping he would stand up to take a look.
After three or four attempts, I realized that since I was close enough to hear the steady roar of the interstate traffic, the deer wasn't paying me any mind. Also, living so close to people (I could see three homes from my stand)the deer had gotten used to the noises and they didn't alarm him.
I finally decided that I had two options. I could sit and wait for a couple of hours (if it took that long) until dusk when I expected the buck to get up or I could fire a warning shot across his bow, so to speak, and maybe he would stand up.
I rested the rifle across the rail and took aim well above the buck's head. I didn't want to accidently hit the buck. To make a long story somewhat shorter, after three warning shots, the buck still had not moved. I only had two more shells. The buck did, however, move around without actually standing up.
Now, I could see, through the scope, a clear opening to the buck's neck. Even with the blowing wind, I felt confident that I could place a shot into the buck's neck without much trouble.
Even with my confidence factor high, I still waited for a few minutes to see if he might stand up, he never did. I hate taking questionable shots, even if I know that I can make them...
As I again rested the rifle on the stand's rail, and found the buck's neck in the scope, I held it there long enough to pretty much tell that the wind was not blowing anything into my line of fire. Even then, I still questioned what I was about to attempt.
I held the gun steady and pictured the bullet traveling exactly where I was looking . I had no idea when the gun would go off, the pressure on the trigger was just that slow and light.
The entire adventure took less than a half hour and even as I admired my buck (115") I still couldn't justify the shot. Sure, I could see no reason why i shouldn't take the shot because nothing was blocking my view, but even then, there was still that possibility of error.
Thankfully, the bullet hit exactly where I was looking and the deer never knew what hit him. I did have some trouble finding the deer. Even though I marked him before going to him, the waist tall weeds made it far harder that I expected.
I have only taken another neck shot in my recent memory and that was last season. The result was the same. neck shots are devastating and deadly, but you must have the confidence that you can make them. I'm not the most confident shooter, but I always seem to make the right decision......except for that time...well, that's for another time.
BH
_________________________
There are some people who always seem angry and continuously look for conflict.
Walk away; the battle they are fighting is not with you, but with themselves.
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#1914085 - 05/06/10 11:57 AM
Re: My quickest kill.......
[Re: Bottom Hunter]
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mathews338
10 Point
Registered: 11/05/09
Posts: 3988
Loc: jackson co.
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i have had some quick hunts but one stands out and that is my very first bow kill 1992
i was in high school and every evening after school i would hurry home grab my gear and head up the hill behind the house
when i got in my stand i started to pull up my bow when i heard a twig snap so i looked up slowly and there stood a spike and a small 6pt both were 1.5 yo
i pulled my bow up real slow as they watched me from 20yds away, figured i had nothing to lose by moving because they had me pegged anyways, when i got it up i nocked an arrow, drew back and shot, the arrow just shaved the hair off the spikes belly because i thought it was only about 15yds when it was closer to 22 or 23 yards and the old Martin bow with the 2117 XX75's was a bit slow to say the least and i was never the best at judging distance
i nocked another arrow and new that if he stood there he was dead since i new exactly where to hold this time and sure enough they did and this time the arrow could not have been placed any better
i can remember (like it was yesterday) the deer's reaction after the impact of the arrow. he kicked his back legs up, ran right under my stand and fell over only 30 yards from me
i was so excited to show dad what i had done, i was back down to the house with my deer in record time, from the time i started walking up the hill and got back down with the deer, less than 45 min had run off the clock
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#1914086 - 05/06/10 11:57 AM
Re: My quickest kill.......
[Re: Bottom Hunter]
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BowGuy84
10 Point
Registered: 09/16/07
Posts: 4847
Loc: Nashville, TN and Louisville, ...
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Two come to mind. My second bow kill I walked into stand and 5 min after light had a doe beneath me at 5 yards. Done and done
My one and only kill with my encore pistol I was 16. I took my brother with me and as we were getting into the boxblind for an evening hunt deer started coming across the field. I never sat, brother saw the kill at 142 yards and the rest is history.
Ohh highlight of the second story...the temp was in the 20's and my little brother thought the steam when gutting was so cool. He still talks about it, and I am pretty sure it is that hunt that locked him in as my hunting buddy for life.
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#1914096 - 05/06/10 12:10 PM
Re: My quickest kill.......
[Re: BowGuy84]
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Chaneylake
Brownsville Mafia
16 Point
Registered: 12/18/07
Posts: 15298
Loc: on the wings of a snow white d...
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3 bucks in less than 10 minutes, I was hunting a spot just east of Oneal's lake, the 4th one was hit bit I lost the trail in backwater
I never carry but 4 shells with me
_________________________
"Don't piss down my back and tell me its rain", Fletcher, Outlaw Josey Wales
Living somewhere between this world and the other, Legends of the Fall
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#1914127 - 05/06/10 12:43 PM
Re: My quickest kill.......
[Re: Chaneylake]
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Winchester
Non-Typical
Registered: 12/05/03
Posts: 25245
Loc: TN
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I've killed a few with my treestand still on my back while walking in. I've also sat there from before daylight and killed them in the last minute of shooting light, goes both ways I guess! When I was about 20, one blustery windblown afternoon during the Early Nov MZ hunt, barometer was plummetting and a huge cold front and storm system was blowing in and the temps were tumbling. After a rain soaked morning I got dry clothes on and was heading to a favorite rut stand in a small patch of timber, surrounded by huge overgrown weed fields in Robertson co.
Treestand on my back I had to take the long way, due to the wind direction, and was almost to where I was going when I turned out of the weed field and into the timber, and thats when I saw the rack swivel around about 40 yards in front of me. I slowly sank to the ground and couldnt believe he hadnt saw me. The wind was howling and after gathering my senses and checking my surroundings I found out he was tending a doe and keeping 3 more small bucks at bay, one of which was a 6 pt about 15 yards in front of me and oblivious to anything but him and the doe. I finally got to ease my old Renegade hunter up and when he got broadside I let the smoke roll. After diving around the cloud of smoke I watched him bulldoze into a cedar thicket and the rest of the deer just stood there, like whats wrong with you?lol I quickly reloaded and found good blood where I shot him and immediately starting easing down the trail. I had literally tracked him for 50 yards before I even realized I was still wearing my Trestand on my back!  I was so excited I hadnt even noticed the whole time. lol
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#1914194 - 05/06/10 01:13 PM
Re: My quickest kill.......
[Re: Winchester]
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tickweed
10 Point
Registered: 11/25/09
Posts: 3551
Loc: medon,Tn.
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Great stories!
_________________________
The hardest thing about Bowhunting Turkeys is leaving the gun at home!
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#1914233 - 05/06/10 01:40 PM
Re: My quickest kill.......
[Re: tickweed]
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102
10 Point
Registered: 08/01/02
Posts: 3650
Loc: Tennessee
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Chaney,
I assume these 3 bucks were antlerless, shot by multiple hunters, or NOT in Tennessee! (or before regs changed)????
_________________________
God, Family, Job, Bowhunting
Luck is where Opportunity and Preparation MEET!
When in doubt...back out!
SCAPAS.stay calm and pick a spot.
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#1914250 - 05/06/10 01:43 PM
Re: My quickest kill.......
[Re: 102]
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102
10 Point
Registered: 08/01/02
Posts: 3650
Loc: Tennessee
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My QUICKEST deer kill happened on the way to my stand just at legal shooting time. I had to cross a field and spotted 3 forms on the other side of this cut hay field.
I put the sunrise at my back, and stalked into the field and across it until I was within 30 yards. There, I put an arrow through the vitals.
I then walked to my ladder stand beside a standing corn field, perced, and watched in dis-belief as the animal thrashed abour a few feer from my stand.
102
_________________________
God, Family, Job, Bowhunting
Luck is where Opportunity and Preparation MEET!
When in doubt...back out!
SCAPAS.stay calm and pick a spot.
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#1914270 - 05/06/10 01:52 PM
Re: My quickest kill.......
[Re: tickweed]
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Bullfrog
4 Point
Registered: 10/14/08
Posts: 398
Loc: Ky Lake
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I've killed several within just a few minutes of being in the stand but one comes to mind. It was back around 99' or so and I had been seeing this big 8 pt walk right past me for nearly a week, at about 60 yards(bow season)in a wide open field. The deer always went to a little grove of apple trees. Muzzleloader season opened in just a few days so I thought I might catch him then. Turns out I had to work on opening day, but I put the mz in the truck that morning, just in case. The day came to an end and I still had a few minutes of shooting time left, so I jumped in the truck and hauled tail to the farm. I parked the truck, walked 30 yards, and could see his rack sticking up over a little hump in the field. I got down and belly crawled another 10 or so yards so that I could get a better view, to make sure it was the same buck... and the rest is history.
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#1914592 - 05/06/10 04:10 PM
Re: My quickest kill.......
[Re: 102]
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Bottom Hunter
16 Point
Registered: 12/29/06
Posts: 15488
Loc: Hatchie Bottoms
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Chaney,
I assume these 3 bucks were antlerless, shot by multiple hunters, or NOT in Tennessee! (or before regs changed)????
Never though he'd told that story on here......!
Gonna give us chaneylake members a bad name...roflmao.....!
BH
_________________________
There are some people who always seem angry and continuously look for conflict.
Walk away; the battle they are fighting is not with you, but with themselves.
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