Opening day success!

[Handsome Rob]

Nice to be able to hunt again!

I missed out on the morning hunt, because I was busy packing for the afternoon!

The hunt club I'm a member of, has our land about 2¾ hours drive from my house. So, I packed for an overnighter.

I arrived at the site at 2pm, set up my campsite & got into my hunting gear. I threw my stand on my back, a book & a few bottles of water in my pocket, grabbed my beautiful Morrison Cheyenne & headed out for the trees.

I had a pretty good idea of where I needed to be after having an afternoon in a nearby tree last year & seeing good sign. I had a small hill to my right, a gravel road 20 yards to my left & beyond that a small backwater. The wind was coming nicely down the hill & hooking around to blow in my face (according to the Thermacell smoke)

After an hour or so, I began to figure out that I was probably in the stand a bit early (I live in the Central timezone, the club is Eastern ) so I dug into the Den of the Old Bowhunter for some inspiration from Chester Stevenson.

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Time passes.

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More time passes.

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Sitting there in a slight downpour I started to hear movement up the hill. Sqirrels.

Finally the rain gave it up & the woods began to spring to life. I catch sight of movement. A flash, nothing more. I started to twist & gyrate, trying to see through the trees in the failing light. I catch a glimpse of a leg & my attention focuses instantly on that spot. I'm so intent on seeing the rest of the deer in that tiny gap, 40 yards away, that I completely fail to see the doe walking calmly towards me. Finally my brain kicks in & I see the deer. I'm already on full alert now, bow in hand, vibrating like I'm on a caffeine high. Ever so slowly I bring my right hand to the string & locate the nock & begin to rotate towards my quarry. She stops. Facing me. Drops her head & starts to pick up the few White Oak acorns she can find. She turns away & I put tension to the 63# carbon & foam, diamond back-backed limbs. A step to her left. Feeding. Another step left & she's quartering away by a couple of degrees, my bow is up, heavily canted to avoid the bar around my climber, the arrow is suddenly not there & the deer is running away. Did I miss? I know I bent at the waist. I think I hit my anchor. I don't think I 'peeked' Can I see my arrow in the dirt? No. Hmm. Where'd it go then? I must've hit it. I hit it.

I.

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Hit.

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That.

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Deer.

I HIT THE DEER!! IHITTHEDEERIHITTHEDEERIHITTHEDEEEEER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, now the shakes kick in, big time. I struggle to remember how to sit down & try & compose myself. I try & remember where she was when I shot & where she ran to. OK, think I've got it now. Slowly, slowly down the tree I go (Terrified & shaking ever step of the way) to take up the trail. I can't see any blood in this light & my headlight is in the truck, dammit. No problem, I'll go to the last place I saw her & flag the spot before I go get it. I pace off 12 yards from my tree to where she stood. 12 yards, cool! 22 more yards to where I remember seeing her run. Oooh, there's my arrow. It's got all red on the end & the bleeder's missing from the big Magnus four blade head. Cool!

Ok, she went thattaway, over a small rise. Go on Rob, take a peek. There she lay. At rest, at the base of a small tree & very, very dead.

A quick peek at the wound tells me that I passed high through her right lung, through the middle of her left & smashed holy hell out of her left shoulder, leaving a small exit wound & lots of splintered bone.

Now the frantic texting & phone calls to everyone I've ever met or heard of to let 'em all know that I've just got my first deer with a bow!

Quick Robbie, grab the camera......****, ****, ****ing ****, it's at home, 2¾ hours away.

So, I don't have any 'Before' photos & no 'hero' shots. But I do have these.......

Hope this isn't too rambling for ya!

[my82cam]

not rambling at all, great reading and great shot! sounds like you had a great time. congrats on your first bow kill and if you need helping eating all that, you just let me know! lol

[whiskey]

Congratulations Rob! Nothing like the rush of taking a deer with a bow. You are going to have to get me started in traditional archery. That sounds so like so much fun.

[Guest clutepc]

Congrats!!! , I remember that feeling all too well from last year,

It's a heck of a rush that's for sure..!!

Thanks for the story, no rambling there, nice to hear someone harvested one opening weekend!

[kb4ns]

Congrats!

[Guest mosinon]

that's a nice story, really enjoyed the way you told it!

[Guest jackdm3]

Damn, you is GIDDY!

Wish I could, but it's work every weekend, one way or another.

Edited September 27, 2010 by Hunting101

[ShaunM]

Congrats!!!

[DaveS]

CONGRATS Rob! Nice story too! I enjoyed the reading.

[Mike]

Awesome, even better that it was with a traditional bow.

Mike

[memphismason]

Good job man. Awesome story telling.

[LagerHead]

Can't wait to get my first with a bow. For that matter, I can't wait to get my first with a gun. I've got the entire week of Thanksgiving off this year, so I will be in the woods for 9 days waiting for my chance. Maybe next year I'll try bow too.

[KahrMan]

Congrats! I wasn't able to get out this weekend. It really sucked. Hopefully I can get my butt up in a tree this week sometime.

[gregintenn]

Great story. Thanks for sharing.

[Guest pws_smokeyjones]

Excellent man - just excellent.

[Guest BEARMAN]

Congrats to ya, Robbie....you 'missed' your calling bro....you shoulda been an outdoors writer.

Heck, I felt as if I were on stand with ya!

What a great story, and blow by blow, at that!

We need more hunting and outdoor stories from ya Robbie...this one...it was just a teaser.

You have the talent for telling, my friend...now hunting season has just begun, so keep that keyboard 'popping'!

Cause...we demand more of dem!!!

[DaveS]

+1