Anyway its a shorter haul from the road about 1/4 mile. I forgot my hang on bracket so that was one return trip to the truck. Then my old tree area was overgrown with no shooting lanes. So I'm fumbling around, dropping stuff, misplacing stuff, trying to find a substitute tree, trimming lanes, just being noisy as can be. It was truly embarrassing. Definition of a train wreck. By about 1:00 pm, I eat lunch at base of tree trying to reset. I finally get set up a few minutes after with my hangon only about 6 feet up. This spot is on the high side of a creek bank, about 20 feet higher than the terrain below. On my back side is the river about 60 yards behind and also a steep drop down. So a low set works fine.
I gave things awhile to settle down. Just before 3pm I dig my small 8 point rattling horns I bought this year out of my pack. I don't rattle often...maybe 2-3 times a day. It has never produced for me...not this year. Not prior years using the plastic gizmos. I thought to myself this has to work one of these times right? Knowing I have the wind advantage for where I think a deer would approach, and with the river on the downwind side, I know I will see anything that gets close. So I do a 20-30 second rattle. I turned to hang my horns back on the hanger and caught movement 60-70 yards out below me on the dried out creek bed. Then antlers....pretty big ones...shooter!! And the shakes immediately set in. CALM IT DOWN I say to myself. He moves to about 40-50 yards and stops at about the steepest part of the creek bank. I have seen deer get up that bank no problem before. He is thinking about going that way which is no good for me. I'm thinking...just go down the creek line....give me a shot...down the creek another 30 yards there is a real easy crossing to get up to my shooting lane...the very spot I got my first buck 5 years ago. YESSS! He makes the right choice. He moves along the creek below me about 30 yards out. He gets his antlers tangled in a busted hanging viny branch...thrashed a bit to free himself which was just cool. At this point I had a questionable shot but I knew I had him about 10 more yards. He cant smell me and I'm mostly hidden behind a tree...I got this. He kept coming a slow walk and got behind a big tree....time to draw...anchor...align....bend at waste.....for the first time ever I managed to talk through the shot sequence I practiced so many times. I hoped he would not stop forcing me to hold draw too long. He kept coming though right where I wanted him to go.. Broadside....under 20 yards....gave him the grunt...found my spot....hit the release......THWACK...shot was a little higher than I wanted but the angle was pretty steep. Seemed like he stood there for awhile but I'm sure it was merely a second. I saw blood starting and he bolted. He went into a tall CRP field where I was able to track him about 125 yards out before I lost sight. I gave it about 15 minutes and knew I could quietly pack out my set and get that part done. About 45 minutes after the shot I walk back in.
I am red green color blind. It is a bitch. It is darn near impossible for me to see blood on the fall leaves...Especially when they are wet. I found the arrow easy enough embedded in the muddy dry creek. Covered in blood. And BUBBLES!!! I try to find blood and just cannot on the leaves, the surrounding brush..nothing. My wife and young boys appreciate how much I love bowhunting and were on there way to help. But it was 5pm, with little light left before they got there. Dear wifey got going on the blood trail, while I decided to jump ahead since blood was good, and bubbly, to where I saw him last. I knew he either dropped or went into the tree line and into the ag field on the other sied. GOT HIM! Right where I last saw him. What a relief. I've lost two deer to screw ups on my end. This will be my 4th recovered. My anxiety is through the roof until recovery for I hate myself for fatally wounding an animal and not finding it. My shot entry was probably 2 inches higher than perfect but still got both lungs. Getting him out was a bear even though the distance was relatively short. My deer cart busted along the way...nice incline up. Stubbly field...arghh. I guess if you are going to kill something you need to feel a bit of pain too right.
