Well it is complete.......all over........fineto..........and the fat lady has sung. I used the xbow for the 1st year (just legalized in Michigan). I have had a trail cam out for about a month. Lots of pics, a few of a nice 8 pt that I was hoping would come in while I was there. He has not shown up for 2 weeks so I guess he is looking for does else where. But I have had about 6 does (only one with a fawn) coming in fairly regular.
My problem is that, this year, I am hunting almost an hour away from home. I have permission to hunt on some private land (which is almost impossible to get around here) but am limited to hunt where the owner and his family don't hunt for rifle season. I have only been able to get out 3 times and the deer were definitely starting to pattern me as I walked out at dark. With a doe tag I figured I would wait as long as possible and then if the opportunity came one of the lone does would be my target.
It was a perfect night, although not a wiff of breeze, the doe was really skiddish. 3 times she came in and offered opportunities but I wanted to wait.....maybe the buck would finally show up again before last light. Well last light was here and the other doe (with the fawn) was in the brush just out 20 yds from me. She was nervous and making the other doe even more skiddish. I figured with the doe tag and the fact that it was going to get harder to see deer out of this stand it was time.
The lone doe came in again from my left. I put the xbow up and waited for her to put her near front leg forward and give me a good broadside shot. After a few minutes she moved into the right position. I aimed tight to her right shoulder and put the cross hairs at the top of her heart.
Now to me, while my Exocet trigger is fairly light, it is still mmmmm....a bit rough (for a better word). So I don't squeeze like on my rifles. I have found it best that on the shot I squeeze with a bit of authority. Not jerking the trigger, but not being "surprized" and the release.
So the shot was off. The doe whirled back to her left and in one bound was gone. Funny, the other doe and fawn just stood there.....I waited about 10 min and climbed down to look for my arrow. It was buried in the ground, along with its Muzzy 3 blade, to more than half its length. Good red blood on the vanes. I could see the marks from her first 3 bounds and at the 3rd bound there was blood. By now it was dark so I went back to the truck to get rid of my heavy clothes and make a few phone calls. I have had several eye surgeries and so do not see all that great in the woods with limited light. Any help I could get would take more than an hour to get there so I figured I would just wait until this morning and have one of my sons go with.
We got out about 8am this morning and after picking up 1st blood followed a good trail for about 100 yds where we found the doe. The entry hole was right behind the shoulder and a bit more than 1/2 way up. The exit was an inch or so lower. so she tried to duck at the shot. But the deer is home, and hanging up, and thats all good.
Now, with some meat heading for the freezer this afternoon, I can hunt just for a buck.
Thanks people for all the help and education on learning the ins and outs of xbows. I really appreciate it and hope in time that i can be as helpful to other 1st timers as you have been to me.
Long
.very nice...good job forum bros and babes for making this guy feel at home...