2013 Archery report 2013

[A-5]

Very slow day today in the woods. Scared this fawn to death when I was walking out. You can actually hear the thing bleat.

[Clark Kent]

Thanks for posting videos. I've been thinking of grabbing a camera mount for my tree stand to see if I can't capture a few vids myself. Are you using a mount or filming off hand?

I went out friday afternoon and it was slow for me too. Saw a couple of doe that were of size to harvest but never came within range. Then as the sun dropped a couple of fawns walked under my stand. 4th trip out and still my freezer is empty except for one leftover roast cut from last year. First year of archery for me since I was 12ish and I'm reminded of how more difficult it can be. If I had the shotgun, one of those larger doe would have been in my freezer by now.

[iamtommyboy]

Very slow day today in the woods. Scared this fawn to death when I was walking out. You can actually hear the thing bleat.

I am surprised at how long it stayed in the open rather than hitting the woods. Looked like you really caught it off guard there, lol!

[PAwhitetailbowhunter]

Missed my morning hunt because I slept in. Went out with the bow to my plot and saw a total of 10 deer, 4 were bucks. First deer I saw was a small 3x2 5pt. hitting two scrapes around 5:30 PM. Then a Big Momma Doe came in with two button bucks. Then a nice shooter 7 point came in. This 7 pt was nice but not the big buck I know is back at the food plot. Then a Spike came in. things calmed down for a while and around 6:30 had three more doe come in. Just when I started to take my arrow off the rest and pack up because I could no longer see the light of my pins, I heard grunting coming my way. Sure enough it was the big splitbrow that I am hoping to get this year. I could see his body with the naked eye, when I put up my binos I could clearly see his rack, but when I drew back my bow I could not get enough light through the peep site or the pin site to make out anything. This buck was at 10-15 yards. I was trying everything-opening both eyes anything to squint an image through the site---but it was not to be. I am certain that if I released an arrow I would have hit this buck, but where would I have hit it?? That was the question that made me lower my draw and not release an arrow. As the splitbrow walked off I could hear some other deer about 30 yards off high-tail it out of there, most likley not wanting to confront the dominant buck. Quit an encounter...just a few min. late. Extrodinary fun none the less.

Here is a trail camera photo of the buck I just could not see enough to shoot last night

[slim4x4]

I have not spotted any bucks since 9/28, when I got my first Doe.
Trail cam is picking them up everynight at about 10m.
This one has shown up five times, so I am going for some more Doe till the Rut kicks in.

[rovert97]

No deer today but did jump a flock of turkeys. And then had myself a snack.

[A-5]

Thanks for posting videos. I've been thinking of grabbing a camera mount for my tree stand to see if I can't capture a few vids myself. Are you using a mount or filming off hand?

I went out friday afternoon and it was slow for me too. Saw a couple of doe that were of size to harvest but never came within range. Then as the sun dropped a couple of fawns walked under my stand. 4th trip out and still my freezer is empty except for one leftover roast cut from last year. First year of archery for me since I was 12ish and I'm reminded of how more difficult it can be. If I had the shotgun, one of those larger doe would have been in my freezer by now.

That was on the ground, I carry the camera mounted on a tripod. I primarily hunt out of double tree stands so there is room to set up it on the stand. Thinking about getting a mount for the stands or making one. Canon vixia is the model. When I am with the kids I am just the camera ma I love it.

[Pector55]

Good news to report. I got a 6 or 7 point tonight. The deer is a horse with 6 clear points but at the base of one side, I measured an extra 1.75" point. Does that count to make it a 7 point? I wanted to double check before reporting it.

I hit him with my crossbow right around 6:30pm. I always sit around an hour before tracking now so it was dark when I got up to look for him. I got very nervous because I found my bolt and it was broken. There was blood where I found my bolt but I searched forever and found no drops of blood. My tracking experience tells me that deer run in a straight line after being hit so I looked at the pattern of the blood I did find and extrapolated a line that took me up along the edge of the woods. The woodline curves around so I guessed that he would follow the woods until the points met or there was an existing deer trail that would allow him to veer but not turn. To my surprise, I found this big boy in the dark without tracking any blood.

Anyway, enough blah blah.. here are the pics.
Oh, one other thing.. I weigh 215 and bench 360 but it took everything I had to figure out how to get this thing into the bed of my truck by myself. I want to see if the processor can weigh it for me because it's the heaviest deer I have ever had to deal with.

[GrumpyBear]

Congratulations on a very nice buck.The way I've understood the "point" system is any point an inch or over counts.

So IMO you have a 7 point.

Nice wide rack.

[Pector55]

Quick update..it is a 7 point and field dressed, he is 160lbs so this was a 200lb deer. Also, because of the flash I don't see the tag but I can assure you that it was tagged and already reported to PALS.