I crawl up the richety old home made 2x4 ladder and climb on up into my stand pull up my bow trying not make any noise baninging it against the tree or the platform stand in which I sit. I place my bow behind me resting against the tree grab my binos and prop my legs up against a big branch and relax and start watching does headed in from the North. The wind has calmed down, its getting lighter, and I'm sitting really comfortable up in my tree just relaxing and watching the deer come into head to bed. As I'm watching 5 does come my way from the North about half a mile away I see a little buck about 70 yards to the west of me. Further investigation shows two more bucks right behind him. Nothing really big or catches my eye from them so I go back to glassing the hill side looking for a good buck that maybe headed my way. Not seeing anything but does headed my way and the three smaller bucks getting closer I decide I should range them just in case a big one comes the same route they did. I range them at 47 yards snap a couple pictures from my phone and keep looking at the bigger of three debating with myself if he is one I'd like to shoot or not. He is a 6 point or as they say on the East coast an 8 point. The 6 pt and a smaller buck do some light sparring which was cool to see and I say to myself "self you should invest in some horns so that you can do some light rattling." I keep looking at this 6 pt because when he came in he was probably in the 90 inch range which didn't strike my fancy what so ever but now as its getting lighter and these morons are staying around 40 yards from me he is getting bigger. I swear he doubled in size in 5 minutes. I decide I like this buck and start arguing with myself as to what I'm going to do during the rut and my week long vacation if I take a buck today. As well as what if I don't get this opportunity again this season as I've yet to find the right ingredients for tag soup to make it taste good. I've still got my legs propped up in the "V" of the tree with my bow behind me and not even an arrow nocked. I slowly move my feet back to a gentlemans way of sitting and reach back and grab my bow slowly as to make no noise thinking all along that one of these boys is going to see me and they are going to leave the country. Well they don't pay me no mind and I get my bow, nock an arrow, range this 6 one last time getting a 42 yard reading. Slowly draw my bow, settle my pin and release an arrow. This buck turns into a gymnast and does the splits, I swear all four legs were spread and his belly was touching the ground. I think great I freaking missed and they are all going to run away. At least I didn't wound him. Well none of them run away and this dumby now thinks I can't shoot so he decides maybe moving in closer a couple more yards will help me. (At this point he stuck his tongue out at me and said something vulgar about my mother.) So I slowly knock another arrow range him again this time he is 37 yards. I make sure to take note of his angle which is quartering slightly away from me and keeping in mind I need to aim for the off side shoulder. I draw and settle my pins once again and release. Thwack!!!
I smile knowing I made a good hit and will soon get my hands on the S.O.B. that made a snide remark about my mother. I watch him hoping he will run North and not south into the tamaracks that will make tracking a "female dog." He semi circles around starting north then gradually heading west, (Sweet he is going closer to my pickup). He runs off thirty yards and stops kind of gants up wobbles a little then falls! Yes my first archery deer down. I text everyone and their dog (sorry feb forgot what I saved your name under in my phone till later). BBD revised to well LBD then to just deer down. I watch this deer and others as they come up and smell him only to walk off. He gets up and I think crap he is going to leave but he can barely stand walks about 4 yards and falls back over. He is laying down and i can't see his head just his body as his head is behind a tamarack. Every once in a while he will lift his head and I can see his mouth open so I know I had to knick a lung at least but I can see my fletchings sticking out his side. I wait on him almost an hour, he hadn't lifted his head in about twenty minutes so I'm thinking he has expired. I crawl out of the tree and walk over to where I hit him and find part of my arrow brocken but covered in blood. I sneak over to him get about ten yards and stick him again right behind the shoulder. I call my buddy to have him bring my pickup down and take the pics. So thats all she wrote for the first archery deer taken by Cowboy Colby. Thank you to everyone for the congrats and keeping me occupied while in the stand.
Cowboy .... BWAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHHAA!! Great story! and Congrats again, my friend! Please tell me you have 2 pics with him and your bow .... I am texting you my # Well ... 5 hours in the stand produced nada ... I knew I shoulda went across the road ... it wasn't bad the first hour and then it got so windy I was going for a ride the last 4 .... to make matters worse, I kicked a deer up about 100 yards behind my stand as I was walking out ...
PT sorry about the weather that blows, (literally). Hope you get some good sits in soon. Yes I do have pics of me, the deer, and my bow 7 to be exact. I haven't posted them in the score card due to the fact I forgot some measurements. I left the rack and head at my buddies house so I could European mount him (the deer not my buddy) and will get the rest of the measurements to post on the score board along with the two pics. I'm kinda disappointed I went with the face mask as opposed to my usualy war paint. Hopefully I get the measurements at lunch as he lives right near where I work.
Congrats again Colby, great first bow kill! I always love the real life stories, too many we get are washed to protect egos. My son and I were able to hunt Sunday evening but unfortunately we were both blanked again. Not sure whats up with my property but so far this year it has been pathetic. Looks like the temps are falling hard Tuesday night, I'm planning on going out to another property Wednesday morning and possibly late afternoon if work load allows.
had a good time this weekend saturday i sat a total of 4 hours in freezing rain 50 mph gust and 44 degrees and my dads friend shot a 130 class 8-pointer looked for 2 hours couldnt find him and that night had i great time with the guys at deer camp.Sunday i sat for 2 hours but all my gear was soaked from the day before so i went in early i was walking down the trail to the camp and wouldnt you know a big 6 pointer is standing 10 yrds from me and in a slpit second he blots off cant wait for the rut
NYbowhunter good luck buddy glad you got see some sux about the weather though hope it get better for you and PT
Wow I go out of town and look what happens. Way to go Colby! That's a great looking buck. Great score for team 6!
I said it before and I will say it again..................I SUCK. I go to the stand lastnight, decided to hunt the back stand which is 20 yards from the swamp. 10 minutes after I am in stand there are two guys on 4 wheelers running crazy through the woods. While all this is happening I am texting Colby about his Deer and random B.S. Around 45 minutes later someone on the ajoining property is shooting a shotgun off. Now I am thinking "heck with this, I should go home". Then the thought hit me "last year people were cutting deadfall and 1 hour after they stopped I shot my buck" so I decided to stay. Around 5:15 the shotgun stops and the 4 wheelers have moved on. This is when I get stupid, at 5:45 I am looking to my right watching this racoon slowly make his way through this small creek bed, then he stands on his back legs and looks straight past me. I turn my head slowly,look to my left and there stands a doe and a fawn in the brush, the doe is looking my way but I can tell she is not looking at me but is keened in on the racoon. Stupid time now and I know better..........I raise my arm up and grab my bow.............bang she see's movement and freezes, the fawn freezes..........we all spend the next ten minutes having a stare down until she decides she had enough and trots off with the fawn..................MAN I SUCK. At 7:00 "can not see through peep now" I hear movement to my front and right. Here comes a doe with an average 115-120 Buck dogging her arse. They run right in front of me and keep going...........30 seconds later a spike, a six point and button came in and feed on the acorns. Then 2 minutes later 2 more doe come in to feed from straight out in front of me. Point is 30 plus years of bowhunting and for some reason I am making rookie mistakes and breaking my own rules. 1. If a deer comes in before you see it......DO NOT MOVE. 2. Stand the first and last hour of light while in stand. Did not do this several times this year and it has cost me. 3. Keep the landowner happy...........I am not doing this by thinning out the herd. Mr. Thomas has made that very clear to me recently. Costly little mistakes have ruined many hunts and oppurtunities for shots this year. Geeeeezzz what the hell is wrong with me this year? Dave
Dave sorry bout your luck man and it was good talking to ya yesterday. If they are still coming later in the evening my SWAG is that its still pretty warm. I don't know what your temps have been but in the evenings everything I've been seeing has been late. The atv's would be driving me crazy I'd have a hard time with that. Your luck will change I can feel it hang in there Dave.
your psyching yourself out, Bro .... remember what you told menlast year .... relax and kill something ...
You'll get it done soon Dave...I have a feeling. I sat through the rain tonight and saw nothing. I'm hoping I can hunt again tomorrow afternoon.
I agree with Tony, Dave. It sounds like you are trying to force an outcome. Slow down amigo and have fun...don't make this work. It'll happen and it will put a smile on your face! I have faith!
Colby, I haven't gone out yet. I usually start later than most because the big boys don't show up on our property until the end of October. I'm going out this weekend though. I have to work Saturday but hope to make it out for an evening hunt. I'll definitely be hunting Sunday morning. Clint
