Just thought I’d add a little more to the story behind the hunt while I wait for my awesome supportive wife to come up with a list of choirs for me to do….
…..this is a private land parcel(roughly 300 acres) of farmland that I obtained permission on after getting in good with the farmer by killing multiple groundhogs(farmer’s top nuisance species in my area) with a Remington model 700 in 6.5 creedmore.
I have hunted this property last year with some success. I put down a doe last season in the same spot with a compound bow during November(needed to fill the doe tag so I could take a second buck) and I had seen what their typical movement patterns were like. I had also seen some nice bucks come out of this particular deer bedding area so I decided that I had to try and pick it apart in order to have some success.
In order to keep the wind in my favor and increase my odds, I had to have my wife drive me to the other side and drop me off(no parking available and if I walked in from any other area then I would be spooking deer on my way in).
I should add that I’m not the only one that hunts this property as the other hunters have been hunting this land for a number of years yet their tree stands and blind are all spread out on the opposite side of the farm from where I planned to make a move. So I had a good feeling about making a plan.
So when the wife stopped along the side of the road a very quick “thank you I love you. See you after dark” was exchanged while grabbing my bow and throwing on a turkey hunting vest as I then creeped down the tree line keeping note of any scrape, deer trail, etc that I might cross yet I wanted to avoid. Based on a prior sit(more of a scouting observation sit) I knew where bucks had created a scrape and the main deer trail was just upwind from the scrape. So I sat down at approx 3pm with the wind in my favor just 18 yds from the scrape and 20 yds from their main trail. This was also during a decent temp drop(cold front).
After removing sticks, leaves, etc out of the way so I could move when needed without spooking game I knocked an arrow and leaned the longbow up against a tree keeping the bow within instant reach in case a deer came in by surprise. I then donned the ghillie suit top and began my glassing with my binos. There bedding area is approx 300 yards from where I sat. And they would have to cover that many yards while following a strip of brush/trees that intersects the strip of trees that I had followed in. Once they reach the intersection of trees(my location just downwind of where they hop out in the eve to feed) I should be within 20 yards to make the shot if I am ready. “The Intersection Of Death”.
After a short wait of getting settled in, while glassing, there was a doe walking the edge of a pond up against the thick bedding area. This was a good sign that deer(at least the one I saw anyway) were already on their feet due to the cold front.
So nothing but good vibes while sitting this spot. I even decided to goof off with a few funny face selfies to send to all of my buddies who told me they weren’t hunting today because it was too windy lol.
A groundhog had popped up in front of me by less then 10 yards. He was on to me since I tried to get into position to launch an arrow at him but he decided that today he wasn’t going to be outsmarted. He zipped into the brush living to see another day. I was not disappointed as I knew it was just another learning experience about stealth and hunting.
A couple of hours and what was starting to feel like an eternity went by without seeing any action from any game animal. I was still just happy to be out.
Once the sun had finally lowered itself behind the mountains and I could feel the temp drop, I decided to keep focused as this is what I called “power hour” (last hour before dark when the deer are more likely to be moving). Sure enough, trotting down the brush line towards the intersection of death came a young spike and a young doe. As they moved behind some of the larger trees in front of me I then moved so they wouldn’t be able to see me. Moving to my knees and securing the longbow in my left hand while orientating my left shoulder(right handed archer’s strong side) toward where I knew they would move out into the open field, I moved into my shooting position as quickly yet as silently as possible. The young spike made a last second path change(totally unexpected but not surprising) and came in on the downwind side of the scrape(as bucks do so they can smell the scrape) bringing him approximately 10 yards from me. He hurried out into the field to eat as I held as still as possible with my “deer in headlights” look on my face. He did stop for a split second and looked at me knowing I was not a familiar bush that he was used to(this is where the ghillie really pays for itself) and decided to just move on and feed. Seconds later the doe came out and was right at what looked to be 18 yards as she hopped out onto the field. As her trot came to a slow walk she looked in my direction but just like the young spike, she might as well have just shrugged her shoulders and said “odd looking bush”. She then turned her head to see the spike was yet in no danger and everything was “ok”. As soon as her head had turned towards the field and her walk was slowing down to a slow walk, I was already at full draw. My broadhead(point on aiming point for me at 20yds) was lined up perfectly with the killzone(lower one third of the deer where the elbow of the front leg meets the body just above the brown to white belly line. Btw this is not only where the heart sits but it decreases the odds of the whitetail “jumping the string” (deer actually squats in less of a second once they hear your arrow release in order to sprint away from danger causing your arrow to fly right over the deer’s back and of course causing many bow hunters to say at least one cuss word knowing they just missed a deer at a close range).
“Smooth release” was the last thing that ran through my simple and still semi hollow brain before the string slipped from my fingers shortly after my right elbow was reaching for the moon creating enough back tension to cause the arrow to shoot as it should without “plucking the string”.
She did jump the string on me but not enough to miss. As she trotted away I could see my barred turkey feather fletchings on one side and what looked like a bloody tip of a broadsword protruding from the opposite side causing full penetration in the middle of the body just behind the shoulder. I knew it was a good double lung hit and she would be dead soon. I grabbed a second arrow from my bow mounted quiver as I made note of the direction she ran as she disappeared over the small open plain hill of the farm.
I knew I had about an hour left to hunt and since the deer I just shot wasn’t within my view and laying dead on the ground I decided to let her lay before tracking.
So as I sat there wondering what else might come in, I looked over towards the bedding area to see bucks working their way towards my little intersection of death. A couple more spikes, a young fork horn, and what looked like about a 2-3 year old buck that looked good on one side. With four points on his right side, he had just two long spikes on his left(maybe due to injury?). I decided to let him walk due to the possibility that he’s likely reaching the age where he can fend off a few younger bucks and breed keeping quality deer in the area. If anything more mature would’ve come in then I would’ve thought otherwise. Plus, my wife already has to drag one small doe out for me due to my injuries. So, if she has to drag a second deer then it better be worth it(last time something like that happened I had to beg my wife for forgiveness while pouring her endless glasses of wine while telling her how beautiful she is while buying her another dress that she’s always wanted while online(I think you married hunters out there know exactly what I’m talking about).
So while the bow rests against the tree again I could only video the buck as he hung out within 15-20 yards for a few fun minutes until he fed his way to being downwind of me. Of course he blew at me and what was now a small herd of deer in the field in front of me went running off into the now daylight dying eve. I then decided to pack it up(basically remove the ghillie and put my knocked arrow back in the quiver). I then sent the Mrs a quick text letting her now that I need to track and I’ll let her know when she needs to pick me up. With headlamp on plus flashlight in hand I scanned and scanned while walking tight zigzags in the dark from where I shot her to where she disappeared over the hill. No blood for 20 yards! I got a little nervous not being able to spot any blood. But this wasn’t my first track job. Based on what I knew about the hit I knew she might die before pumping out a trail of blood. Especially if the arrow was plugging the holes on each side of her. Thankfully, I had placed a small reflective wrap on each of my hunting arrows just between the fletchings and the arrow nock. Sure enough right after I had sent a text to one of my buddies that I might have to back out since I can’t find blood, I look to my left to see the godsend of a bright shine that the reflective wrap on my arrow gave me as my headlamp hits. I then notice the white belly barely sticking through the taller farm crops and grass. My carbon arrow was nearly bending in half as she laid on the side with broadhead attached. With pure excitement and relief I pulled the arrow by the fletching end in time to save it from breaking. While pulling I hit bone as this Helix broadhead has sharp beveled edges even on the back of the broadhead, it cut easily back until I hit what felt like heavy bone(probably shoulder as it moved like a heavier bone rather than a rib bone). With a slight turn of the arrow while I pulled back the beast of a broadhead was able to slide back through the self made hole it had punched through the shoulder socket. It then back cut its way out of the deer and was then placed back into my quiver.
The rest of the eve was a celebration of reheated dinner via microwave and then a good deep sleep while the deer I had just taken via longbow laid in the bed of my truck completely field dressed and a bag of ice inside the chest cavity until I get to the butcher when they open the next morning.
Sorry for the extra long story. I do enjoy writing and sharing about my hunting experiences and I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoy the sharing. Either way, if you’re patient enough to read this(this far) then you’re definitely patient enough to be a successful whitetail hunter
Thanks for reading,
DoubleLungerDanny
Northern VA Traditonal Bowhunter(no P.h.d)
