View Full Version : 1st Trad Buck tonight
Esquire
10-30-2006, 08:53 PM
It was a great morning to be out. I saw several bucks (no does today).
http://www.bowsite.com/bowsite/tf/LW/images/1006/CIMG9663-1X.JPG
I'm standing on the ground, BTW.
http://www.bowsite.com/bowsite/tf/LW/images/1006/CIMG9677-1X.JPG
Around 10:00 I was seated against a tree - soaking up the sun. My left knee was up with my left hand draped over it. My right knee was down and my bow was against the tree behind me, I saw a movement and glanced right, too lazy to move more. The buck was two yards away, rounding the tree and he glanced left. Our eyes met briefly. As he passed I reached my left hand across and secured the bow. I slipped my win & win tab into place and turned the bow horizontal, starting to draw. As I did the buck glanced back, sharply. Anchoring in the vicinity of my armpit, I shot from the chest and watched the arrow thump home right behind the shoulder where it was supposed to. The arrow only penetrated about 11", on account of my very incomplete draw. The buck trotted away about 45 yards then glanced back. I had leaned back against my napping/shooting tree and swapped bow for camera.
http://www.bowsite.com/bowsite/tf/LW/images/1006/CIMG9686-1X.JPG
There followed a 40 minute stalk where I closed from 80 yards to 8, then put another arrow in him as he broke from his bed and ran past. Because he was running, I missed and hit high, sliding the arrow into a high area between shoulder and spine.
When I came back from work I brought the whole family to help recover (a little tradition we have!). Incredibly, although he was where I left him, he managed to stand and move. after a complicated stalk I missed a 35 yard gimme over his back. The last arrow I had to hand was a flu flu tipped with a Magnus Stinger. I belly crawled though 60 yards of tall grass and briars to close within twelve yards of the buck. He started to leave when I released my last arrow. It took him behind the shoulder, ranging forward and exiting the trachea. The end was shortly thereafter.
Esquire
10-30-2006, 08:55 PM
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http://www.bowsite.com/bowsite/tf/LW/images/1006/CIMG9712-1a.JPG
Atlantis
10-30-2006, 09:23 PM
Nice shot placement! A big congrats...
Atlantis
10-30-2006, 09:26 PM
Really think that first one would have done it, even with the short draw...can't even imagine how you could stay steady on the second...you must have been pumped up to say the least...
Esquire
10-30-2006, 09:39 PM
Atlantis,
The first shot was quartering away so extremely that I got 1 lung only, I'm thinking, He just lived on the other, I presume.
Pinelander
10-30-2006, 09:39 PM
Hey, way to go Mike! :highfive:
Just couldn't do it the easy way, could ya?? :)
That sure is a pretty deer, congratulations to you!!!
tuffshot
10-30-2006, 09:44 PM
Congratulations, Mike.
I don't know how you could have gone to work and had any kind of focus knowing you were going back out after that Tuff buck when you got back home..
Nice job!:highfive:
That bow doesn't look like a PAW to me.:confused: :)
Esquire
10-30-2006, 09:48 PM
That's a Soza special! :)
It's the property of 1BJD and will leave me soon enough, I suppose, although it is loathe that I am to see it go. I've had it a few days and wanted to send a picture with it...
JackNZ
10-30-2006, 10:52 PM
Well it's a heck of a picture for sure.
Congratulations.:cool:
Mike,
You know sometimes you just outdo yourself. Thats the kind of pictures I love to see. Thank you for trying out the DAS and for taking it to the woods which is where it belongs. Great Buck, you have got to get that picture in Davids album. Nothing better than a great family picture doing what they love!
John
OZ in MT
10-31-2006, 04:23 AM
A good buck for sure, Mike, and well-earned. It's great to get the perfect shot in the first time, but reality and the need to be opportunistic close in quickly on the best hunters. I give you an A+ for capitalizing ethically on a less-than-perfect situation. Besides, it's a great story! Congrats!
Well done my Friend. I enjoyed the telling and the picks and hope to enjoy the retelling over some of your Wolverene Lodge Jerky.
Matt
Jaeger
10-31-2006, 06:10 AM
Outstanding job Mike!! Great pics too. There's nothing better than having the whole family involved.
You know, there are an aweful lot of successful hunt stories here for a bunch of "target archers". What's up with that? ;)
Bob Gordon
10-31-2006, 08:51 AM
Nice buck Mike, had me scared for a moment, thought you had swapped you collection of Warf's off for one of those DAS bows!...lol..First deer I ever heard of killed with a flu flu! Nice shooting...warf
Larry Hatfield
10-31-2006, 09:33 AM
case closed! great story. congratulations.
larry
Bob,
Mike thought that deer might be flight risk. :)
Sorry, I couldn't resist.
Matt
Lambow
10-31-2006, 12:11 PM
Alright MIke!!!! way to go. That sure was alot fun you had kiling him.
I'm like Bob, that's the first time i've ever heard of killing a deer with a flu-flu, but you did what you had to do.
Oh yea, them Soza bows work pretty good don't they.
danbow34
10-31-2006, 02:34 PM
Congrats! Now that wasn't hard was it?! Way to stay after him.
Dan
van_fl
10-31-2006, 04:17 PM
Way to go Mike
A DAS gets it done every time.
SubconsciousShooter
10-31-2006, 05:28 PM
Very nice buck and a very nice rack!
Appreciated the pictures as well.
I know they are hard to get, it's usually the hunt or the photos or so it would seem to the hunter, but you got them both.
Great shot placement, that buck looks similar to the racks on the bucks that I hunt. Hopefully, I will have one to show you myself, here in a bit.
:cheers:
Atlantis
10-31-2006, 08:07 PM
Esquire, that that was a new Warf I hadn't hear about and was going to get jealous...so who makes these Souza bows? Heard they're pretty good...lol...
...thanks for the well told story too...
Hornseeker
11-01-2006, 12:38 PM
Way to go Mike!
van_fl
11-01-2006, 03:04 PM
Mike
After re-reading my reply last night, I realized that some might misconstrue that I put all of the success of the hunt on the bow, it was not my intent. In fact I want to congratulate you on learning/knowing the woods-craft that enabled you to stalk and follow-through to a successful end.
:2cents:
Papabull
11-01-2006, 04:10 PM
Way to go, Mike! Great story and a very nice buck you took. You should be quite proud. Now get that DAS on to the next guy so he can go get a nice buck, too. :)
Beagle
11-01-2006, 05:53 PM
A nice one Mike. I'm so impressed that you pressed on and followed the saga thru to the end and got your reward. There are some that would have given up after the first arrow.
Esquire
11-01-2006, 07:46 PM
Thanks all. Van, I never took it anyway but positive - thank you.
When I reflect back on my picking up the compound in college and taking to the woods alone year after unsuccessful year with only a bare idea of what a deer track looked like and a worn copy of "The Tracker" in my hip pocket, I can't help but think of the quote from a favorite film of mine.
BCL: "You've come far Pilgrim. Far."
JJ: "Feels like far."
Mike
PS: Yep. The DAS does get er done! She sings a might compelling tune.
Esquire
11-01-2006, 07:52 PM
By the way, one of the highlights of my hunt was having the family gather in at the end. Watching my 8 year old son make a determined effort to drag the buck for his dad was a highlight.
The entire episode was 7 1/2 hours from hit to finish. That little buck gets mounted for two reasons. I list them in order of importance: (1) Respect. Period. With a lung punctured and a heavy blood trail, he was plenty game 6 hours later. With the final arrow perforating the other lung lung and trachea, he finally gave up the ghost 90 minutes later. I was kneeling by his side touching him when he went. (2) first tradbuck.
RianHorn
11-05-2006, 03:40 AM
I will have to start working on my armpit anchor, my arm's are so short i recon i would have to up pound's to get any penetration.
Could we call this an instinctive hunt? Or will this fall under target-panick aka short draw hunt?
Just fooling with ya.
You are blessed.
r
SubconsciousShooter
11-05-2006, 07:07 AM
Great pics of your son and the buck. Although we all do our best for a one shot kill, it SURE is nice to see the less than perfect shots followed up well by a skilled hunter.
It's always nice to get the family in on it, too!
Jaeger
11-05-2006, 07:29 AM
Is that Tom Brown's "The Tracker"?
Stagmitis
11-05-2006, 08:36 AM
What a FANTASTIC hunt! Truly an expression of of the freedom that shooting a stickbow affords us!
Esquire
11-06-2006, 09:06 PM
Thanks for all of the feedback, men. It was definitely a hunt and a deer to remember.
Jaeger,
It was indeed Tom Brown, Jr., who has a few books worth reading. :)
Mike
Jaeger
11-07-2006, 12:55 AM
I have them all!
Actually, I attended Brown's Standard class many years ago. My wife's step father helped him design his Tracker knife and produced it for many years. (Dave Beck) It was actually featured in the movie "The Hunted".
And none of this information is at all relevant to your excellent hunting story! I'll shut up now.
Esquire
11-07-2006, 04:05 AM
Jaeger,
That's very interesting. I have the field guide series, and the first two books. After that I thought his New Age mysticisms got a little hard to read around, and lost interest somewhat. But I always thought the school would be an interesting thing to do. I'd like to hear more about that sometime.
Mike
BTW, to me, a thread is like a conversation. I'm never offended when it takes an unexpected turn!
Jaeger
11-07-2006, 12:11 PM
I hear you on the New Age Mysticism stuff. It's not entirely for me either.
Brown definitely knows his stuff though. His system of reading pressure releases inside tracks is amazing. His woodsmanship is off the chart! Unfortunately, so is his ego.
Nevertheless, there is a LOT to learn from the man.
http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l97/Landjaeger/0998250-R1-021-9.jpg
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