After 3.5 long years (1 year rifle, 3rd year with bow) I have finally harvested my first deer! This was back on 9/24 of this year, 6:24 pm. He showed up (no pics of him this year, only one video of him last year on 11/04 at 3am) behind me unexpectedly (wasn't able to clear branches behind me when setting this stand up because our limb cutter's rope had dry rot and kept breaking) 30 yards away. He came to literally the ONLY lane I had behind me, 25 yards away quartering away munching on some mushrooms. I must have jumped the trigger, as the arrow was where I was aiming height wise, but a little further back. Saw him running away, then slowly walk into the thicker timber slowly with tail tucked about 90 yards away. Figured I hit liver, so backed out and gave it 3 hours until I went back in with a buddy to track him. We tracked him for 800 yards and found no beds, so this wasn't looking good. We backed out and I called the dog trackers in the early am. We quickly got to last blood, and within 50 yards we found the first bed in the swamp with a small amount of blood (also no arrow recovered). Another 50 yards and another bed with even less blood in it. About another hundred yards away (now in someone's backyard) there was a nice puddle of blood where it looked like he was feeding on some apples. I stayed there at last blood while the tracker explored back into the woods behind me, and then in front of the house I was standing at. About 5 mins go by (felt like 20) and I hear him yelling his dog's name, but not sure why. He comes around the corner holding his dog and I could already tell from his facial expression they found him! He said, and I quote, "You better f*****g love my dog, because we just found him and he's a beaut!". Go around the house and he showed me what his dog was going on. Found a track by him and b-lined across the street to another house where he was laying in someone's flowers in their front yard (we had knocked a lot but nobody answered so we just grabbed him and left). This was my first ever deer, first buck and first bow kill ever. He dressed at 198.6 pounds, and grossed 132". I would have been just as happy with a spike as my first, but I'll take him. I named him 'Uno', as an obvious first buck.
Great deer and congrats! There is nothing like it when the wait is finally over to get one with a bow!
Great buck congratulations! And great job too the dog. I own a tracking dog myself, it's very rewarding to help others and watch him work
Congrats. I have been bow hunting for 20 years and have only harvested 4 with a bow. When you do get one it beats gun hunting by a mile. Nice looking deer for your first.
