Well I finally got my first deer ever after five an one half Ohio archery deer seasons.While I had nobody by my side to teach me anything,I do wanna thank this forum an numerous other folks and forums for great advice an conversation..I want to thank my 8yr old son and James my squirrel hunting buddy/co-worker for helping me with blood tracking an the man who raised me that I call dad for hauling it out with the quad..I have learned a lot about archery tuning and hunting over the past 6 years or so and I have had plenty of encounters and clear misses.I have battled nerve issues with my eyes,and elbow injuries .I have switched to shooting everything LH because of this..But this isn't the way I envisioned it to happen,but I guess sometimes deer do weird things....
This season I have been very busy with work an family etc..Leaving little time to do any prepping,scouting, and even hunting.I own 3 trail cams an none have been put out this year.I gained access to a new place which is owned buy a company an they limit land access to the public,its about 300 acres of undeveloped land,which I have posted Google earth pics of on here ...I have hunted that area twice this year and scouted once...I saw 4 deer the first time an one the second time...The latter was a 15yrd low light encounter with a buck...He ended up behind some brush and I passed on the shot.He never knew I was there...
Today was the 3rd or 4th time I hunted 'My place' this year..Its land that is compromised of my residence,my step uncles an the next neighbor..Total wooded is about 12acres and my field which is about 3/4acre...My uncle has a few guys who he lets hunt this,but I had not seen them this year..I hunted this area a week or so ago and had a encounter with 4 slick heads but they came about 12yrds away offering now shot and crossed onto another neighbors property ...I had hunted a narrow treeline that they travel along a few times before that with no sightings.
Today I wanted to get out an hunt all day,but it didn't happen.I decided I would sneak in a afternoon hunt..I got suited up an headed out.I got in my backyard an a slick head was about 60 or 70yrds out along the treeline at the edge of my field .. Not having a range finder I didn't know the exact yardage an this was not a shot I wanted to really take..I noticed another slickhead about 60yrds trailing behind across the neighbors drive and the neighbor coming down her driveway in her SUV..The closest one trotted off and I waited an made my way in,hoping I didn't blow any chance I had for the day...I get in and find a spot a little better in relation to the last encounter I had with this group...I set up my armless lawn chair with some brush behind me,and decide to grab some brush for the front of me etc...I set it up,and put out a few scent wicks with tinks,which I cant say I have faith in,but what can it hurt?..I sit down with my crossbow still on the ground and a good little sweat worked up..I grab my face mask an put it around my neck,figuring I will cover my face in a minute once I cool off...
All of a sudden this group of four come moving at a fast rate from the treeline,into the locust thicket and right for me...I grab my Crossbow,pull out the cease fire secondary safety an click off the regular safety and the group is at about 20yrds at this point..The one in front is looking at me and standing quartering to me at a pretty sharp angle .So many thing are going through my mind and it all happened so fast...I just put the top cross-hair right about the shoulder an let it rip..Pretty fuggin sure I punched the trigger...I look up an 2 of the group split left an the other 2 right..The group that went right have tails in the air an are hauling off across the property line..The other 2 took off to my left an made a loop..I look cause I feel my deer is in the pair to the left..I see one deer in this pair with its tail tucked an blood coming out of it rear-end of off it side and the others tail in the air...I knew I had to hit the damn thing it was 20yrds tops..
At this point its about 3:30-ish PM I call my wife whom for the most part has been fully understanding an supportive throughout this journey.I tell her I am pretty sure I hit one and I found the arrow with mud an blood on it..I tell her I am going to call James my co-worker an see if he can come help look for blood..I call James an he says SURE and heads right over which is about a 35min drive one way for him..I grab all my gear and mark where I found the arrow,where it looks like the shot was,as well as some blood I found on the way out..I wanted to give it some time because I really didn't know what kind of shot I made,or how to judge it from the arrow...James got here and we headed out with my 8yr old son in tow..Its took maybe 10 minutes or so to find it and James was a huge help...We crossed on to the neighbors property an I let him(the neighbor) know what was going on and he was fine with it being a gun hunter an lover of meat..About that time I hear James yelling...The blood trail had
ENDED.It had made it about 100 yards..We took a few pics,when I realized it was a button buck...The shot was a little far back entering an the exit was out of the very back end just inside the deers LH leg. Not a shot I am proud of, but we found the deer .James has never killed a deer either and the shot looked like a mess,so I took the sissy way out an decided to have a butcher dress it and process it....We walked up an told my dad we needed a ambulance(quad an wagon)..He said if the deer is dead a ambulance aint gonna help it one damn bit...
So thats about it.....
