Vince
Well-Known Member
I shot a buck with my crossbow Fri evening at 6pm. It was the biggest buck I have ever seen. (Some of you know I have not seen many deer except in 2021; I got my first deer only in my seventh year of hunting). Counted eight points via scope and didn't check if it had brow tines. I had actually gone to spray the shooting house with insect killer to prep for juvi on Sat and Sun. I wasn't wanting to hunt on Fri but knew I'll get 60 to 90 min to hunt after spraying so took my crossbow. Had my summit climber but ditched because carabiner on harness/lifeline wouldn't work. This is the first sit of the season and was not expecting to see any deer from the shooting house. Esp because I walked outside the shooting house and bent small trees that was obstructing the lane, using my hands. I know - was too late spraying and prepping, without handy tools. My bad.
Anyways an hour later, saw a buck like in rut running away outside bow range. I waited and 10 min later it came back. Scoped it in range and then caught movement behind it. Saw it was another buck with a bigger rack. It stopped right behind tree line - I can see only its hind legs. I look at the other buck in the lead and it walks away from shooting lane. Turned my scope to the other buck behind treeline, waiting for it to emerge from treeline. It does and I see the rack and it's the biggest i've seen. My heart is racing. It stops after one step, staring at the shooting house for couple minutes with only head and rack visible and full body behind treeline. Luckily my crossbow was rested on the shooting house. I wait until it takes couple more steps to be in broadside and took the shot. My nock light didn't work and I wasn't sure if I hit it. It ran away into the woods. I wait for 15 mins and take my flashlight out. Search the point of impact. No blood or hair or bolt. I followed in the direction it ran and nothing. Huge thickets so I stopped for the night. Still wasn't sad not finding the deer but very thankful to God for the memory of viewing the buck in crossbow scope and the adrenaline rush experience.
Sat morning I get there around 8am and searched the whole area until I couldn't move in the thickets. Very thick thickets. Looked as much as I could and nothing. I even thought of climbing a tree to look around in the thickets (but didn't). No blood anywhere. I gave up thinking I missed the shot. Went back home, took some rest and came back with my 11 yr old daughter for juvi at 4pm. Sat there until 6pm and nothing seen. Quiet day. I come back today afternoon at 3.45pm for juvi hunt for my friends' 15 yr old son. Been seeing a couple of birds making noise and flapping wings etc. a little away from shooting house, and we both thought they were turkeys. As time progressed, they were just moving back and forth between trees and down to the ground and back to trees, and making a lot of noise on the ground. Each time we thought it might be a deer. Waited till 5.45 and no deer seen. Around 5.50pm, the number of birds grew to about 15 and they were flying between trees and ground and flapping wings. then I doubted if they are indeed turkeys or buzzards (didn't have binocular). Then my friends son said "what if it's your buck" and these are really buzzards on the ground. Let's end my hunt and go check it out. We wrap up from shooting house and get to where the buzzards were and there lies my 10 pt buck. About 25 meters from where I stopped looking. It was stinking to high heavens. The shot entered in front of the ham into the chest cavity with no exit. Probably why no blood. The bolt was still inside the body. Checked in online; pulled it out to open area. I hold my breath and cut around the neck quickly to take the head out (only need to cut the neck bone). My lungs are toast from the stench. Unbelievable how I was able to do this.
Drove back home with all four windows down, avoiding highway (road noise). May be a truck would have been nice in this situation. Put the head in a trash can with 6 bags of ice and taking to the taxidermist tomorrow. My biggest buck ever. Bittersweet weekend where luck flipped couple of times to be finally in favor. Thankful to the Lord for this. Sad I lost the meat but may be meat is destined for another day…
Anyways an hour later, saw a buck like in rut running away outside bow range. I waited and 10 min later it came back. Scoped it in range and then caught movement behind it. Saw it was another buck with a bigger rack. It stopped right behind tree line - I can see only its hind legs. I look at the other buck in the lead and it walks away from shooting lane. Turned my scope to the other buck behind treeline, waiting for it to emerge from treeline. It does and I see the rack and it's the biggest i've seen. My heart is racing. It stops after one step, staring at the shooting house for couple minutes with only head and rack visible and full body behind treeline. Luckily my crossbow was rested on the shooting house. I wait until it takes couple more steps to be in broadside and took the shot. My nock light didn't work and I wasn't sure if I hit it. It ran away into the woods. I wait for 15 mins and take my flashlight out. Search the point of impact. No blood or hair or bolt. I followed in the direction it ran and nothing. Huge thickets so I stopped for the night. Still wasn't sad not finding the deer but very thankful to God for the memory of viewing the buck in crossbow scope and the adrenaline rush experience.
Sat morning I get there around 8am and searched the whole area until I couldn't move in the thickets. Very thick thickets. Looked as much as I could and nothing. I even thought of climbing a tree to look around in the thickets (but didn't). No blood anywhere. I gave up thinking I missed the shot. Went back home, took some rest and came back with my 11 yr old daughter for juvi at 4pm. Sat there until 6pm and nothing seen. Quiet day. I come back today afternoon at 3.45pm for juvi hunt for my friends' 15 yr old son. Been seeing a couple of birds making noise and flapping wings etc. a little away from shooting house, and we both thought they were turkeys. As time progressed, they were just moving back and forth between trees and down to the ground and back to trees, and making a lot of noise on the ground. Each time we thought it might be a deer. Waited till 5.45 and no deer seen. Around 5.50pm, the number of birds grew to about 15 and they were flying between trees and ground and flapping wings. then I doubted if they are indeed turkeys or buzzards (didn't have binocular). Then my friends son said "what if it's your buck" and these are really buzzards on the ground. Let's end my hunt and go check it out. We wrap up from shooting house and get to where the buzzards were and there lies my 10 pt buck. About 25 meters from where I stopped looking. It was stinking to high heavens. The shot entered in front of the ham into the chest cavity with no exit. Probably why no blood. The bolt was still inside the body. Checked in online; pulled it out to open area. I hold my breath and cut around the neck quickly to take the head out (only need to cut the neck bone). My lungs are toast from the stench. Unbelievable how I was able to do this.
Drove back home with all four windows down, avoiding highway (road noise). May be a truck would have been nice in this situation. Put the head in a trash can with 6 bags of ice and taking to the taxidermist tomorrow. My biggest buck ever. Bittersweet weekend where luck flipped couple of times to be finally in favor. Thankful to the Lord for this. Sad I lost the meat but may be meat is destined for another day…
