This weekend I was hunting in Graves county, Kentucky. I had taken my new camper out on it's maiden voyage and I was camping less than a mile from my primary hunting spot. I'd hunted Thursday evening, all day Friday and hadn't seen much action. This morning I drove to my spot and walked in along Mayfield creek, which is just a drainage ditch that is about 8 feet deep, about 45 minutes before first light. The full moon was shining bright, so no light was needed. I sneaked through the small parcel of woods, got to my tree (my Summit Viper was already there) and climbed up with the moon shining above me to my right. I cinched the top section, strapped my pack to the tree and was putting my bow in my Third Hand Archery bow holder and suddenly it sounded like a horse bolted from my left. It bolted right from my moon cast shadow to my left. I cursed my bad luck and continued setting up. Right at first light I glassed two deer dropping down into the creek. I got a little excited, but they never materialized on my side. I sat there for another hour and a half and I fished my phone out of my pocket to text my brother, who was hunting about 15 minutes away, about the hunt so far. I hadn't much more than clicked send when I heard a twig snap to my left. I glanced over my shoulder and all I saw was antlers. There were three bucks less than five yards from my tree. Two were eight points that I would have shot on any given day (I don't have the same standards as some of you when it comes to a shooter) but one was a stud. I said in the live from the stand thread that he was an eight point, but I can't be sure. I only really saw the rack from almost directly below me. He had a rack that looked odd. From above it was shaped like a rectangle with rounded corners. I would estimate that he was around 19 - 20 inches inside spread with about a 12" spread front to back. These three bucks were crowding around the base of my tree smelling it. They knew it smelled different, but it was like they couldn't get enough of it. After about 2 minutes of having at least 24 antler points directly under my feet, the first eight point started off away from my tree at an angle of about 5:00 o'clock (this will come into play in just a few seconds). About 5 seconds later the big one started away too, and I quietly shifted my feet an got into position. When he was at about 8 yards I drew my bow with the other eight point still under my stand. The buck that was under me either heard me draw or caught movement and bounded out a couple of steps. The big buck took a couple of hops and stopped at around 12 yards quartering away hard right. I settled my pin, then just to be sure I closed my left eye again, centered and aligned everything, opened my left eye, re-settled the pin and touched the release. On the shot I heard a metallic "tink" come from the bottom of my bow. My cam had barely nicked the bottom of the top of my Viper causing the arrow to fly just a bit low and right. I watched my arrow impact low and just behind his right front leg. Needless to say I was extremely angry with myself. I haven't been bow hunting as long as most of you, but I know better than to not lean out, bend and get a clear shot. I posted on the live from the stand thread first, then I texted my brother. He said he was going to get down and head my way and I told him to wait because it needed some time. It was around 8:00 am and it was supposed to start raining at noon, so I couldn't give him too much time. I got down, did a huge circle out through the picked corn field and got back to my truck and went back to camp. We gave him close to three hours and we went to the impact point. The arrow didn't look good at all, but there was blood at the impact site. It wasn't long before we found fantastic blood, but only in spots. There are pics of the blood we found at first in the live from the stand thread if you're interested. To shorten this (too late, I know) we blood trailed this deer for well over a half mile, through woods and two different soybean fields with the blood growing weaker and weaker as we went. There were spots of great blood, but it was like he was just walking and the good spots were where he stopped for a moment and the blood dripped. We never did find any evidence of him laying down. Towards the end it was tiny little specks. Eventually the blood just stopped. We were debating trying to continue, but it was starting to rain and trying to figure out where this buck went would be like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack. It's small patches of woods in huge tracts of cropland. I keep telling myself he's still alive but somehow it doesn't make me feel any better. This is the THIRD year in a row that I've managed to screw up a shot on a buck in Kentucky. I went back to camp, hooked up to my new travel trailer and made the two and a half hour trip home fighting gusting winds hitting me broadside and also beating myself up for making such a stupid mistake. Now I just think I'll drink beer and beat myself up some more.
You think you have a tale? Just wait until november when he is showing off his new tattoo to all the ladies! I bet your buck will be fine, just sore for a litte while. P.S. where are you hunting in KY (roughly, if you don't mind me asking) I am working down in Louisville for a few weeks and you have me curious.
I don't mind at all. I was hunting just about 5 miles south of Farmington, KY, a tiny little town that you'll miss if you blink when you drive by. Ken Curtis (Festus from Gunsmoke) called towns like Farmington a "poke and clean" town. "You poke your head out the car window and you're clean out of town". Okay, so I'm old.
Keep your head up brother, he'll be back. I hunt Ballard, McCracken, and Livingston county so we're pretty close. Goodluck the rest of the season Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
Great story, although I wish for your sake that it had a better outcome. The main thing is that you learn from it. We're all on a learning curve no matter our experience. Blessings............Pastorjim Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk
Don't beat yourself up too much, I know you already have thou. Been there done that!!!!!!!! Keep chin up
Know exactly how you feel. Been there before. It happens. Sent from my iPad using Bowhunting.com Forums
Tried to shoot through an unseen grape vine once in Shepard county KY with much the same results. Good thing was my friend(the landowner) shot the very same buck three weeks later. Moral: Deer are very resilient creatures. Good luck on your next attempt.
Live and learn man. It’s easy to get all balled up when deer get in our bubble. Sounds like you took your time with your peep and your aim. Now you know to glance at your limbs. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
You're absolutely right about that. We never stop learning. I'll be particularly mindful of that rail from now on.
My brother just called me. He said that he did a drive by and saw vultures circling the northeast corner of the wood patch where we lost the blood trail. He did say they were up high and he said it was only seven or eight of them. Guys, I'm really hoping that buck isn't dead. I can't take off work again yet so I can't possibly get back up there until Saturday. Seven or eight vultures circling that patch of woods could be coincidence.
This is a satellite image of where this happened. The yellow star is where I shot him. The line is the trail we followed as best as I can remember it. There was a lot more zigging and zagging, but I don't have a perfect memory. He crossed the standing soybeans, through the patch of woods and the trail vanished just inside the soybean field on the other side of the woods. The blue star is where my brother said the vultures were circling. Well, he said northeast corner - he didn't necessarily mean the actual corner. It is possible that I killed him, but I really don't think so and I sure hope I didn't.
