Opening weekend of Central Florida's Archery season was thought to be devastating to the rest of my archery season, or so I thought!
I caught my bowstring on a pine sapling, jumping the string off the cam and slicing the cam and string in one fowl swoop. Bummer. Well, the next weekend I had to work and I was struggling to find a new cam and string as fast as I could. (I'm still gathering parts and services as I write this.)
The 3rd weekend I was able to get Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday off of work and I was bummed because my bow was still out of commision. However, my buddy Bryan suggested that I borrow his bow. It had been a bow his brother, Adam, had given him to hunt with and I am very familiar with it, so I said I would think about it. Tuesday night I was out back practicing with the Mathews LX and got it sighted in.
Soon, Thursday morning was upon me and I was headed up to the woods for an early morning hunt. (I had to be back home for a class that night) I decided to hunt a ground blind that we had setup and sit until 1pm if need be. The ground blind offers about a 20 yard shot max but a main trail to the left is hard to see and as we all know deer are amlost silent. I have to lean forward and look left occasionally to check down the trail.
Well, I leaned forward with no results all morning and at 9:15 I was rewarded to see this buck making his way up the trail. I sat back and raised my bow and prepared to draw as soon as he presented a shot. He walked left to right and when he passed behind a pine tree and some small myrtles, I was able to draw. He had no idea I was there as he proceeded to walk. I stopped him with a whistle at about 16-17 yards. He looked up and still had no idea where it came from. He then put his head back down to browse and I left her fly. He was slightly quartering away from me as the arrow passed through his liver and his left lung. (A little farther back than I would have liked but it was hard to keep steady to say the least) He bucked, turned and ran dead away from me. I could see the blood spurting from his wounds as he galloped down a trail.
I tracked him for a good while and was rewarded to find him piled up under some thick vines.
that a good size deer . did you cape it out?
Yeah, he went bout 150-160...neck was swollen and tarsals were black.
I'm havin a sneak mount done. Should be back here shortly.
And his work looks great.
