Blood like Water runs true, Part 2
Contributors to this thread:Whitetail Deer
From: Paul@thefort
25-Oct-19
first ever bow/arrow killed wt
first ever bow/arrow killed wt
While setting in the tree stand last Monday afternoon, looking out over the river bottom, I thought, "if I only had a dollar for every hour I had spent in a tree stand bow hunting WT deer". And here I am again, at least 50 years later, still doing it. I killed my very first WT while, 1962, in the UP of Michigan, shooting down from a tree. Not a real tree stand but a place, 10 feet off the ground where another tree had fallen over but landed in the crouch of it neighbor tree. I just climbed up and stood there. The doe WT never had a chance. My very first. Not a river bottom deer but there would be more of those to come.
From: Paul@thefort
25-Oct-19
I have no idea how many hours I have spent in a tree stand over the past 50 years. Not every year but enough. How many dollars for every hour? I guess it was not about the money, but about the great time hunting, being alone with the wild critters, and being peaceful and quite, away from other human interactions. Oh yes, wild game meat. Great stuff for sure.
From: Paul@thefort
25-Oct-19
So back to last Monday afternoon around 4 pm. I am in the same tree that I had killed a buck out of 3 years ago. That buck was killed, Nov. 10, at 1 pm and the shot was almost straight down. I used the compound bow for that hunt but this hunt I had the Great Plains recurve bow in hand.
From: Paul@thefort
25-Oct-19
Just a half hour prior, I had crossed the river and being low water, I just used my hip boots. In past years, chest waders were needed and a wading stick to keep balance against the strong current. Once on the bank, I changed to rubber bottom boots.
From: Paul@thefort
25-Oct-19
Ready
Ready
It did not take me long to settle in after placing out the buck decoy.
From: Paul@thefort
25-Oct-19
standing only 15 yards away, he sees the decoy.
standing only 15 yards away, he sees the decoy.
now right under the stand, he heads for the decoy
now right under the stand, he heads for the decoy
5:05, this small buck in heading right towards me. The wind is perfect for this evening's hunt.
From: Paul@thefort
25-Oct-19
From: Carcajou
25-Oct-19
I got the Popcorn ready!
From: Paul@thefort
25-Oct-19
after 5 minutes of interaction with the decoy, he walks back under the stand and leaves.
The buck was down wind of the decoy but smelled no human scent. I wear rubber gloves and spray down the decoy with a no scent spray.
From: Paul@thefort
25-Oct-19
ten minutes later this doe comes by and checks out the decoy.
ten minutes later this doe comes by and checks out the decoy.
after the doe left, this 4pt buck shows up in the trail, he is a shooter and now only 40 yards away. The recurve bow is still hanging and I have the camera in hand.
after the doe left, this 4pt buck shows up in the trail, he is a shooter and now only 40 yards away. The recurve bow is still hanging and I have the camera in hand.
From: Paul@thefort
25-Oct-19
Camera, bow? Camera, Bow? one more picture at 20 yards. Now bow in hand. He sees the decoy but stays on the trail not sure what to do. He is only 7 yards away and turns slightly towards the decoy but not committing to head that way. I make a smooth draw, a smooth release. I remembered killed my bull elk the second day this season and this was only the first day deer hunting. WACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
From: spike78
25-Oct-19
Nice Paul!
From: RK
25-Oct-19
Best part of this story will be getting that dead deer back across the river?? Good stuff
From: BigOk
25-Oct-19
Always enjoy read your threads!!!
From: Stoneman
25-Oct-19
Dang Paul, we are going to need these stories to take a few more days!
From: Paul@thefort
25-Oct-19
How many arrows have you shot in practice? Practiced on paper and 3d animals. Practiced from various angles and heights. I have a ladder stand in my yard and practice shooting down at a 3d deer target. I figured I did good out to 20 yards and 15 yards and under-- was a Slam Dunk. The recurve bow in my hand was like a magic wand.
Ok, back to the WACK!
From: Paul@thefort
26-Oct-19
The draw was smooth as in practice. The release was crisp as in practice. BUT, as the deer spun and ran off I noticed something different. The arrow was sticking straight up in the right shoulder. I watched the buck run off and stop at 60 yards. I said to my self., "fall over". He ran off another 50 yards and stopped, I snapped a few pictures. I did not like what I saw.
From: t-roy
26-Oct-19
Bring it on, Paul!!
From: Paul@thefort
26-Oct-19
Instead of the arrow hitting behind the shoulder blade and into the body cavity, the bh struck the shoulder blade on a steep angle and or, upper leg bone and then angled down along the leg bone and under the skin/meat, and then poked out near the elbow. The bh did not penetrate the body at all. I watched the buck walk away and into a thicket of red willow brush along the river. Later I searched for blood and found none. The same search the next day, no sign. I crossed the river and searched, Nothing. For the next two days, I did a search and found nothing. Yep, Bummer X10. A sad day for sure!
From: 'Ike' (Phone)
26-Oct-19
Dang it...
From: deerslayer
26-Oct-19
Oh man Paul..... That's a huge bummer......
From: Paul@thefort
26-Oct-19
So I am telling this story as it really happened and the disappointment that can follow a misplaced shot. Be it with a rifle or bow, a wounded animal can result. No matter how much one might practice, how many bullets or arrows one might shoot in practice, the end results sometimes do not turn out like one might imagine. I had imagined that I was going home with a great deer and some wonderful wild game meat.
If one hunts long enough, there will surely be some similar disappointment at the end of the day. I continued to hunt for the next few days, still hoping to see that buck limping around, but did not. I saw a couple of coyotes in the area, but did not notice any activity that might indicate a dead deer or a concentration of crows in the air above a kill site.
From: Paul@thefort
26-Oct-19
So the river bottom hunt continues with a few more pictures.
So the river bottom hunt continues with a few more pictures.
From: Scar Finga
26-Oct-19
Sorry to hear that Paul! it's just as you said, bad stuff happens sometimes! At least you made the honest effort to locate the deer. That's about all you can do in that situation.
From: Bowboy
26-Oct-19
Sorry about the non fatal shot. There tough animals and he probably lived to see another day. Good luck on your next outing!
From: Paul@thefort
26-Oct-19
From: Paul@thefort
26-Oct-19
From: Paul@thefort
26-Oct-19
400 yards away
400 yards away
From: Paul@thefort
26-Oct-19
setting up
setting up
spraying down the decoy
spraying down the decoy
the end of the day and this Part 2 hunt. I will return on November 6th after the rifle deer season.
the end of the day and this Part 2 hunt. I will return on November 6th after the rifle deer season.
From: SBH
26-Oct-19
Oh shoot! That’s always such a bad feeling. Sorry that happened Paul. Really appreciate you sharing that with us. Incredible pictures you got right afterwords too. I can’t believe the angle that arrow took. It’s a game of inches. I know you’ll keep at em. Looking forward to the next part of this hunt.
From: elkmtngear
26-Oct-19
Crazy outcome on that shot, Paul!
Looking forward to part 3!
From: sitO
26-Oct-19
Happens to every hunter, regroup...rebound...on to the next bud!
From: Ambush
26-Oct-19
Well Paul, we all know it was neither man nor equipment, but rather circumstance.
Good chance he’ll snap that shaft off and the broadhead end will slither out. Possibly be some puzzled rifle hunter that kills him, or you may see him again in November.
From: t-roy
26-Oct-19
Dang it! Sorry to hear that, Paul!
From: Bou'bound
27-Oct-19
Goes with the territory. Move on. You are doing you best. Keep the updates coming.
From: Beav
27-Oct-19
Dang! Keep after it Paul! You did all you could do after it happened and that is all you can do.
From: badbull
27-Oct-19
Paul.....,Bad stuff happens to all of us if we hunt long enough as you eluded to in your earlier post. I know that you did everything you could before and after the shot and sometimes there is nothing that we could have done to change the outcome. Please keep the posts and stories coming that I and others enjoy hearing and reading.........Bob
From: APauls
28-Oct-19
Agh!! Tough pill Paul. Love your candedness. I love your line about how much money if you had a dollar for every hour in the tree. I'd take it one step further and if I could just have every dollar BACK that I've spent to GET an hour in the tree I'd be a happy man lol. But I'd do it all over again.
From: Brotsky
28-Oct-19
Dang Paul, that is a hard ending to this segment. I'm willing to bet a lot that the buck will be no worse for wear after a few days and will resume chasing does in a week or so. Maybe you'll even get a shot at redemption on him! Great photos and love the stories as always! Best of luck.
From: BOWNBIRDHNTR
28-Oct-19
Hate it when it happens but the bottom line is it does....and you've done it long enough to understand and appreciate it more than most of us. Glad to hear you'll be back after em in November. Looking forward to part 3 for sure!
From: bowhunter24
29-Oct-19
I will have the Dot's ready for part 3!
From: buzz mc
29-Oct-19
It happens. I'm glad to see an update and the realities of what happens on occasion. I'm also glad to see you relay that you spend a significant amount of time searching for the deer. I'll be looking forward to the third installment in a few weeks.
From: cnelk
05-Nov-19
Tomorrow is Nov 6th! Go get em Paul
From: yooper89
05-Nov-19
Looking forward to it Paul. I won't be able to get out for a couple weeks so I'm keeping a close eye on this one.
From: Ambush
05-Nov-19
Looking forward to Part III
From: drycreek
05-Nov-19
Great thread Paul. It shows the good and the bad of hunting, which is just reality. Great pics too, as always. Looking forward to the next installment !
From: scentman
06-Nov-19
This thread and the pics are awesome... so is the author!
From: bohuntr
06-Nov-19
Well today is November 6th, good luck Paul! Really looking forward to the next installment, especially since I am stuck in the office for the next few days.
From: ryanrc
27-Nov-19
Great read so far. I am curious if you saw that buck you shot again during any of your subsequent hunts? I wonder how long it took that arrow to work itself out. Definitely a game of inches.
From: Paul@thefort
29-Nov-19
a good day with Chase, he retrieved both mallards and then flushed and retrieved both pheasants. I still marvel at his hunting ability.
a good day with Chase, he retrieved both mallards and then flushed and retrieved both pheasants. I still marvel at his hunting ability.
Part 3. I hunted deer two weeks and 6 hours per day. Saw a few good bucks but out of range of the recurve bow. Shaved belly hair off one buck at 19 yards that came to grunt and doe bleats. Had a couple of smaller bucks and does under the tree stand. The major rut was starting and saw some chasing from smaller bucks and following of larger bucks. If I did not have a bull elk meat in the freezer I might still be out there. I never found the buck I hit a few weeks before. The first split deer season ends this Saturday so I have switched my efforts to ducks and pheasants and Chase the wonder dog really appreciated that. Picture, two days ago. Colorado is a limited draw for deer so I will not draw this unit for another three years, so I will be hunting Nebraska the next few years. Thanks for following but stay turned for the next Yard Hopper local Goose hunt starting in mid Dec. my best, Paul
From: t-roy
29-Nov-19
You need to change Chase’s moniker to: Chase the “versatile” wonderdog!
From: arlone
29-Nov-19
I know just how you feel/felt. Back on Nov. 4 I did about the same thing. I shot and thought it looked like the arrow hit right behind the shoulder. The buck spun at the shot and almost lost his footing, took a couple of bounds and then walked away looking off the trail like he had no idea what had happened. I shoot cedar shafts and it was laying in the trail missing just the broadhead part. I almost think his shoulder blade swung around and snapped it off, but it could have hit "bone" too? I don't think he was hurt too much and my brother never saw any "birds" around. There was a gut pile from the youth rifle season on the edge of a field and the day after there were 6 eagles perched in the trees around it, plus ravens. It kind of shook my confidence!
