Shot my first deer with a bow, now time to start tracking

What a morning. First, I overslept. I wanted to leave the house at 6:30 at the latest. However, I shut off the alarm a couple times and slept till about 6:15. I didn't get on the road until about 6:45. Shooting light here is 7:45 this morning, but I wanted to be sitting completely still by 7:15. I don't pull in to the parking spot until about 7:05. Ugh. So, I walk out to my stand. This is a climbing stand that I had set up yesterday and locked to the tree with a cable lock. The INSTANT I set my backpack on the ground, I realized that I didn't put the key to the lock in the backpack. Just wonderful. Oh well, I'm going to try it anyway because I don't have time to go back home. Do you have any idea how tough it is to use a climbing stand when you can only move it 6 to 8 inches at a time? A half hour later, I'm finally up 20 foot in the air. The entire climb was excruciatingly loud due to the creaking and groaning of the stand against the tree, and my heavy breathing and near cussing out loud.

I get all my stuff set up, pull my bow up, try to sit down and realize any movement causes the stand to creak. Forget it, I'll stand up. This is going to be a LONG day. It's already 7:45 and shooting light and I've made so much noise there is no way anything is coming in the woods. But I'm here and I'm too stubborn to leave. Then fifteen minutes later, I hear a twig snap. No way. It can't be. Sure enough, here comes a deer walking into the woods at the exact same point I entered the woods. So I strain to see and I can see antlers. He walks through and he's downwind of me, but walking toward the stand, slightly off to the right. I'm surprised he didn't smell me on the bushes where we both entered the woods, but I had put some vanilla extract in my fresh earth scent-a-way, so maybe that helped. I've already picked up my bow and struggled to get the release attached cause my heart is pounding, despite the fact that he's not very big. He starts sniffing the air, then turns around and slowly starts walking away. Well, crap.

He gets a few steps, and he's kind of stomping at the ground. Yep, I'm probably busted. But, he hasn't run off yet. He gets his head behind a tree so I draw back and put the sights on him. Sheesh, is it really that dark?? I can barely see the sights and can't really see the deer when looking through the peep. He turns around the other direction. I'm not sure I want to shoot. I can barely see, not sure this would be a great shot. But he stands there, as if to say, pull the trigger already. Fine, you asked for it. So I crane my head around the bow, then bring my eye back inline with the peep. Yeah, it's right on him.

Twang, goes the bow. THUD, goes the arrow. Bat out of hell, goes the deer. I watch him run off, tail in the air, then hear him start to slow down about 100 yards or so away, then hear the crash of a brush pile. I'm hoping he fell down and is going to stay down, but I don't know.

I sat in the tree for 40 minutes before beginning the climb down. It's almost more difficult to climb down with the cable lock still attached to the stand, but I finally make it down. Paced off the distance and it was about 22 to 25 yeards. I had estimated it at 20, so I'm pretty happy with that. No arrow, I'm assuming it hit the opposite shoulder. A tuft of white hair and a couple drops of blood. I put a stick in the ground at the spot, then left. Came home to get the key to my cable lock and my camera (which I'd also forgotten). It's now been an hour and 45 minutes since I shot him. I'm heading back to the woods. I'll post up pics after I get home this afternoon.

 

Funny how a morning can start out rough then then turn right around become a great day.:D

 

Good job ! ! Tough mornings can turn around very quickly !

 

Good luck!

 

A crappy season can change in 15 seconds....

Good luck with the track job

 

Yup I had a morning just like that. I didn't get a shot but rattled in a six and that made it all worth while.

 

Congrats! Good luck finding him!

 

good job! i remember my first shot at a deer i felt the same way!! Heart pounding can barley hold the bow still!

 

Didn't really have any problems finding him. He's a little 4-pointer. I took my travel tripod and camera out to the woods, but I'm at my dad's right now and his comp doesn't have a memory card slot. I'll have to upload the pic tonight when I get home from work.

The crash that I heard in the woods was the last step he took. I could have gotten down from the stand and gone after him right away. He was done. But, better safe than sorry. I hit a bit farther back than I would have liked, but due to him quartering away, the arrow went straight through to his heart. When I opened him up, the heart was split in half and was basically jelly. I've taken several deer with shotgun and muzzleloader before, but only hit one in the heart prior to this.

I may have lost a little bit of meat, but hopefully not too much. The broadhead must have nicked the intestine because as I opened him up, the intestines fell out then immediately lost a bit of green bile. I wasn't thrilled with that, but it only got on the back legs. Didn't have a horrible smell, but I still didn't like the sight of the green stuff. My arrow broke in half and I never did find the front half or the broadhead. The back half of the arrow was inside and when I pulled it through, it came out with some of the green crap on the fletchings. I'd really like to know where the front half of the arrow is, since there wasn't an exit wound.

I took the half hour drive down to the processors only to discover it's Sunday and they're only open from 4 to 5. Came back, got the 4 wheeler and the truck washed off, now heading back down to get him checked in and processed.

Pics to come later tonight, but it's nothing special. Just happy I finally got my first deer with a bow. From now on, I'll start passing on the little guys and just take antlerless or wallhangers.

 

Congrats on your kill and overcoming what must have been a very frustrating morning. Don't say he's nothing special. Every deer is special for your own reasons. Can't wait to see pics.
Just noticed you are a fellow Hoosier. In that case, double congrats!

Blessings......Pastorjim

 

Congrats on the harvest and getting him tracked down!! cant wait to see the pics! and reguardles how big or anything he is you will remember this deer for ever!!

 

Yeah Baby!!!!! Congrats! Great story and I can't wait for the pics!

 

Congrats on the first.

 

Congrats Captain!

 

Here are the pics. I do agree that I'll remember this forever. I still remember the very first deer I ever shot and that was back in 1993. I also still remember the biggest deer I ever shot, which was in 2003. So, I'm expecting to take a monster with the bow in 2 years. :D

Found a tuft of hair immediately. I almost wonder if the broadhead pushed through the chest, but I never saw any exit holes.



The blood started out slow, but then got better.







It wasn't long before I found him, right where I'd heard him crash down. You can see how far back I hit him, but he was quartering away, probably farther than quarter based on the angle I found the arrow inside him.



The arrow, or what remains of it. Never found the front part of the shaft and broadhead.



And here's the pic of me with him.




Oh, and just for the heck of it, here's the big boy I got in 2003 with a muzzleloader, showing off his Christmas spirit.

Looking forward to one like him with a bow. :D

 

Nice job! Good detailed pics too. I got my first bow kill last year and I've been dying to get another ever since. Welcome to the addiction

 

Yep, I'm definitely addicted. Already told my brother that I doubt I'll ever deer hunt with a gun again. Of course, it helps that Indiana's bow season runs all the way through gun and muzzleloader seasons (not sure if other states do that as well). I feel like I accomplished so much more with a bow.

Also, this was the first time I've ever fully tracked my own deer, which makes it even more wonderful. All other deer I've taken either fell within sight, or were found by someone else and pointed out before I ever got out of the stand.

 

Way to go !! First one is always the best!

 

As I was reading several other threads, it seems that people are listing what their equipment is, so figured I'd add this...

I'm using a used bow that I bought off ebay a few weeks ago. I was told it was a PSE "Buck" bow by the seller, but it turns out he had no idea what he was talking about as he bought it at an estate auction. Some research showed it to be built by Champion, for Buck Knives Archery. I had a new string and cable put on it immediately after receiving the bow, as the other string was clearly worn out. I spent $95 on the bow, including shipping, then another $30 for string, cable and installation. Draw weight is right at 60 lbs. I'm using a whisker biscuit rest and the sights that came with the bow (no clue what brand). Arrows are Gold Tip 5575 and broadhead was a G5 Striker. Just goes to show you don't need the newest, most expensive equipment on the market, although I think Burnie proved that the best with his first deer of the season.

After a couple days, I'm slightly regretting taking the small buck, but only because Indiana allows only one buck across all seasons. However, I'm still thrilled that I got my first deer with a bow.

 

Congrats!

Man i remember my first deer i shot a doe on the last day of the season in the rain and i was 13! i found him on my way back to the house and i swear i ran all the way back home lol

I dont know how to highlight your comment thingy and put it in here but 'Captian Morgan' I have never hunted a deer with a gun and never plan too. Bowhunting and gun hunting dont even compare!

Again, Congrats on the success!