The Set up This is my first year bow hunting. I love it. Being out in the woods, spending time with God, watching deer and other animals, it's wonderful. Earlier this yea I shot and killed my first deer, a doe. It was an unbelievable experience that I wont soon forget. Yesterday, was HOT, pushing 80 here in VA, crazy for November. I even wrote in my field notes that it would probably be a useless sit! If it wasnt for the members of this site constantly saying things like "it's November" and "ya never know what you'll see in Nov." I probably would not have even gone out. I left work about 3:15 and that only gave me two hours until sunset but I figured this was the time to be out. I settled into my stand just wearing a green shirt and my camo pants and OBVIOUSLY my LUCKY BOONIE HAT. about 4:30 a spike walks down a trail crosses the creek and starts looking at some scrapes I was set up over. I draw on him just for practice and after he walks away I wonder if I was going to regret not getting some meat. The Shot Well, not even an hour later I heard movement from where the spike walked away to, I assume it was him until I saw the beautiful rack poking up from the bushes. Hes probably 70 yards away and I grab my bow and get situated and my heart starts pounding out of my chest. Hes walking down the line, checking his scrapes and I start to get really nervous because I peed in one that day! Luckily, he keeps going down the line. Finally he makes his way toward my lane and pauses behind a bush. I waited at full draw for 8 hours (so it felt) finally, I let it down. a minute later he steps into view, I draw, center my pin right on him, he stops....and I let it fly. the shot felt good, but I was aiming further back then I wanted to. I watch the arrow hit and see him take off down the trail, I check to see of the arrow was still in him as he ran, it wasnt. I make a note of the last place I see him and try to calm my self down. I can just about see my heartbeat through my chest it was a wild wild moment. The Track About 30 minutes later I got down to look for my arrow, I couldnt find it right away and I started to get really nervous. Finally about 15 minutes later I find it. It was covered in thick dark blood dried on the shaft. Liver. I make the decision to back out. I went back at 9:30 with a flashlight and went to the point of impact. I start tracking the blood. It is pretty good at the point of impact but got thin pretty quickly. At points I am lucky to find one drop. Tracking this animal was an emotional roller coaster. I would go a few yards without seeing anything, start to get upset and then BAM a huge area of blood. I get to a spot with several trail intersections and had to go down three of them about 40 yards each before I found the right one. He crossed a creek which I was happy about because it narrowed into a single trail. About 10 yards across the creek I found him. I was so excited I actually screamed! The total distance from shot to recovery was probably right around 100 yards. Overall that was one of the most memorable experiences I have ever had.
Congrats, guessing that was the exit side. Where was the entry? Only asking so people(including myself) can learn from different shot placements and the results.
Congrats. Great deer. Glad it worked out. Lots of knowledge on here. Nice to see someone gain from it.
