LessIsLess
Well-Known Member
My first trip to hunt in TN this weekend got cancelled due to work, so I decided to hunt some land in SC. It's their opening MZ today, and winds were 15-25....but I am still amped to get my first trad kill, so the stick stays in hand.
I moved my climber about 30 yards from the past 2 hunts where I've had no success, despite good sign and wind. I was only able to get about 15 feet up and still have shooting lanes.
At 10:55, I had a medium sized 7ptr sneak in behind me, approaching down the creek with the wind at his back. He was 20 yards and closing quick when I first saw him. He decides to cross the creek UNDER MY TREE - which always makes for a good predicament. His next step is to head directly away from me on the trail....I decided if he stepped left or right,I'd take a shot on him. And he did. one step to the left - I let one fly squarely into the back of his ribs, through the good stuff, and then into the dreaded shoulder - the arrow lodged in place, sticking high in the sky like some sort of awkward beacon as I watched him donkey kick, hop, then run down the creek 75 yards until I lose sight. I'm so excited at this point I don't know what to do with myself. I've just seen my second deer while hunting with recurve, and I've stuck him solid! Onto a day of gutting and dragging back out to the main road - no help available today on the property. Then I start thinking - wait if the arrow is really lodged in the shoulder...that means there's no exit....which means there's no blood......oh no. please don't let that be. If so, please let him be lying right where I saw him last. I need to get down. NO! I NEED TO WAIT!!. But I really want to get down.
The wind is over 20mph, so I heard no crashing...I am able to convince myself to give him about an hour, and then I get down to hopefully nullify my greatest fear.... but alas, my fears are confirmed. No blood at impact site. I crawl his exit route, still no blood. 4 hours later, 70 degree temps, and I'm soaked in sweat and without a deer. I've searched every direction. Circles. Crawling. Pine thickets. Chiggers and Ticks.
I'm calling the game on this one. I'm pissed off. I'm going to go pour a nice beverage and try to reflect on my hunt. Better than a day at work, I know, but I still feel like you know what.
I moved my climber about 30 yards from the past 2 hunts where I've had no success, despite good sign and wind. I was only able to get about 15 feet up and still have shooting lanes.
At 10:55, I had a medium sized 7ptr sneak in behind me, approaching down the creek with the wind at his back. He was 20 yards and closing quick when I first saw him. He decides to cross the creek UNDER MY TREE - which always makes for a good predicament. His next step is to head directly away from me on the trail....I decided if he stepped left or right,I'd take a shot on him. And he did. one step to the left - I let one fly squarely into the back of his ribs, through the good stuff, and then into the dreaded shoulder - the arrow lodged in place, sticking high in the sky like some sort of awkward beacon as I watched him donkey kick, hop, then run down the creek 75 yards until I lose sight. I'm so excited at this point I don't know what to do with myself. I've just seen my second deer while hunting with recurve, and I've stuck him solid! Onto a day of gutting and dragging back out to the main road - no help available today on the property. Then I start thinking - wait if the arrow is really lodged in the shoulder...that means there's no exit....which means there's no blood......oh no. please don't let that be. If so, please let him be lying right where I saw him last. I need to get down. NO! I NEED TO WAIT!!. But I really want to get down.
The wind is over 20mph, so I heard no crashing...I am able to convince myself to give him about an hour, and then I get down to hopefully nullify my greatest fear.... but alas, my fears are confirmed. No blood at impact site. I crawl his exit route, still no blood. 4 hours later, 70 degree temps, and I'm soaked in sweat and without a deer. I've searched every direction. Circles. Crawling. Pine thickets. Chiggers and Ticks.
I'm calling the game on this one. I'm pissed off. I'm going to go pour a nice beverage and try to reflect on my hunt. Better than a day at work, I know, but I still feel like you know what.
