eelgrass
Long Time Member
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I received this email from my niece the other day. She has been bow hunting for a couple years but hasn't taken an animal until now. She narrowly missed a bull elk last year. Her and her husband live on a ranch surrounded by National Forest in Oregon. I'm pretty proud of her!
Hello Uncle Steve,
I am happy to report that I bagged my first buck last night around 8pm with my trusty Hoyt Rintec. He was just a little forked horn black tail, but us bow hunters like to think that anything you stick with a bow is a trophy! I do have to say it is the nicest forked horn I have ever seen
Anyway, for the details...
We had been watching this buck with two does for a couple of weeks coming into the apple trees trying to figure out his pattern of apple feeding. He would show up around 7:45pm to feed when he did come out, but the days he came out were sparatic. The weather up here has been pretty warm and there was a storm to be coming in Monday night. So, what better chance would I have to get my buck then on the eve of a storm...
I was anxiously awaiting 6:45pm to roll around so I could head out to my blind and wait for my buck to show up. I had been replaying in my mind what I would do step by step, from getting to my blind to what I would do if and when I saw the buck and what the shot would be like. Well, my time had come. Brian was going to clean dinner up and put Wyatt to bed and I was off to sit in my blind.
I will have to admit the time I sat out there went very fast. I was really enjoying the quietness of the outdoors, watching the birds fly by and day dreaming of what my buck was doing. And let me mention the quietness again! Anyway, right on the money 7:45 the buck appears. He came in by himself, which was rare, and I got pretty excited. It would be that much easier to not have to worry about spooking the does too. Well, no such luck, a couple minutes later the does feed in and the buck headed right to the spot for the opportune shot. Just as he was walking I drew back. He saw my broadhead and hand so I froze. I am trying to be a steady as ever, but time passes by and I start to shake. He steps forward to eat an apple and I step to the side of my blind and fire off an arrow, right over his back. He spooks. I thought my luck ran out. How could I miss that shot! It was the perfect setup. Just as I was cursing myself, he comes back in to feed. What! This time heading the opposite direction broadside to me and I would have to move out in the open at least four feet.
Meanwhile, the does spook at the shot and are very leary about me. They wouldn't take their eyes off of the blind and were ready to head out. Then I thought, it's either spook them or get another shot off. I opted of the second and slowly drew my bow back and made my way into position. Thirty yard pin on the vitals and release. Thwack! I nailed him! He ran just past the apple trees and the does circled him. I thought for sure he would follow them into the brush, but he laid down!
One of the joys of hunting so close to home is that my husband was watching the whole thing unfold from the deck. When he heard and saw the second shot, he gathered a few things and tried to make his way to the blind. Just a few yards short of the blind, the buck got up and ran. I tried to see where he went, but dark was falling fast. I swore he went about 20 feet and laid back down. Brian finally made it to the blind and we decided to wait there until past dark and then head home and let the buck die. We waited two hours before heading back out. We went to the initial shooting site to see if we could find my arrow and blood. Sure enough, arrow with good blood, very cool. We then walked down to where he first lay and there was only a drop of blood. We searched and searched for more blood, then we decided to spread out a little to cover more ground. Lo and behold about 20 feet from where he first lay, there was my buck!
We dressed him out and hung him at Grandma and Grandpas. It was a late night for all but, I am happy to report, my first buck is aging nicely and will graduate to the freezer on Thursday! I will send you all a picture later...
Hello Uncle Steve,
I am happy to report that I bagged my first buck last night around 8pm with my trusty Hoyt Rintec. He was just a little forked horn black tail, but us bow hunters like to think that anything you stick with a bow is a trophy! I do have to say it is the nicest forked horn I have ever seen
Anyway, for the details...
We had been watching this buck with two does for a couple of weeks coming into the apple trees trying to figure out his pattern of apple feeding. He would show up around 7:45pm to feed when he did come out, but the days he came out were sparatic. The weather up here has been pretty warm and there was a storm to be coming in Monday night. So, what better chance would I have to get my buck then on the eve of a storm...
I was anxiously awaiting 6:45pm to roll around so I could head out to my blind and wait for my buck to show up. I had been replaying in my mind what I would do step by step, from getting to my blind to what I would do if and when I saw the buck and what the shot would be like. Well, my time had come. Brian was going to clean dinner up and put Wyatt to bed and I was off to sit in my blind.
I will have to admit the time I sat out there went very fast. I was really enjoying the quietness of the outdoors, watching the birds fly by and day dreaming of what my buck was doing. And let me mention the quietness again! Anyway, right on the money 7:45 the buck appears. He came in by himself, which was rare, and I got pretty excited. It would be that much easier to not have to worry about spooking the does too. Well, no such luck, a couple minutes later the does feed in and the buck headed right to the spot for the opportune shot. Just as he was walking I drew back. He saw my broadhead and hand so I froze. I am trying to be a steady as ever, but time passes by and I start to shake. He steps forward to eat an apple and I step to the side of my blind and fire off an arrow, right over his back. He spooks. I thought my luck ran out. How could I miss that shot! It was the perfect setup. Just as I was cursing myself, he comes back in to feed. What! This time heading the opposite direction broadside to me and I would have to move out in the open at least four feet.
Meanwhile, the does spook at the shot and are very leary about me. They wouldn't take their eyes off of the blind and were ready to head out. Then I thought, it's either spook them or get another shot off. I opted of the second and slowly drew my bow back and made my way into position. Thirty yard pin on the vitals and release. Thwack! I nailed him! He ran just past the apple trees and the does circled him. I thought for sure he would follow them into the brush, but he laid down!
One of the joys of hunting so close to home is that my husband was watching the whole thing unfold from the deck. When he heard and saw the second shot, he gathered a few things and tried to make his way to the blind. Just a few yards short of the blind, the buck got up and ran. I tried to see where he went, but dark was falling fast. I swore he went about 20 feet and laid back down. Brian finally made it to the blind and we decided to wait there until past dark and then head home and let the buck die. We waited two hours before heading back out. We went to the initial shooting site to see if we could find my arrow and blood. Sure enough, arrow with good blood, very cool. We then walked down to where he first lay and there was only a drop of blood. We searched and searched for more blood, then we decided to spread out a little to cover more ground. Lo and behold about 20 feet from where he first lay, there was my buck!
We dressed him out and hung him at Grandma and Grandpas. It was a late night for all but, I am happy to report, my first buck is aging nicely and will graduate to the freezer on Thursday! I will send you all a picture later...
