aghhhh!Last

[Panhandler80]

Last pm hunt I managed to forget my thermacell. Today I brought it and its broken. Sitting here with wind at my back while being devoured. This is not fun. Not fun at all!

[Panhandler80]

What the hell. I can't breath. The damn noseeums are in my clothes. Probably a dozen on my phone as I type
NOT FUN. I WANT MY SATURDAY BACK!!!!

[Panhandler80]

NO EXPLANATION FOR THE ALL CAPS. PLEASE FORGIVE.

I HAD TO LEAVE THAT SPOT. THEY WERE IN MY EARS AND I HAD LOTS IF DEAD ONES IN MY EYELIDS. ENOUGH! WENT FARTHER INTO THE WOODS (AWAY FROM SALT MARSH) AND ITS A LITTLE BETTER HERE, BUT NOT MUCH.

WTFFF

RAIN JUST STARTED.

IM HANGING IT UP.

HOT AS HELLLLL AND FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, I AM WISHING THAT I HAD NOT GONE HUNTING.

[georgiaboy]

I feel your pain my brother...had to use my thermacell this p.m.
Skeeter's in november...only in the south!!

[Panhandler80]

Deer down. Pics later. Not big, bit I hung in there with saltwater gnats all over me
excal delivered.

[Shotnbeer]

23 degrees last night. No bugs here.

[j.krug]

It's a lot cooler up here where I hunt so no bugs to deal with. The last 2 times I was out I was up in the tree with 300 mph winds (approximate?? ) so even if there was bugs my tree was swaying to much for them to land on me!

[Panhandler80]

As some of you may know, I lost a very nice deer on Friday, 11/11. Short version: It was a semi-risky shot and I tried to squeeze the arrow behind the shoulder of a quatering-to big buck. I got high and forward a litte bit and managed to hit likely the SE corner of his shoulder blade. Anyway, it was a risky shot and my first documented case if buck fever! Long story, but eventually backed out and went back in morning. Got down to high 20s that night. My cousin and I tracked him for almost 900 yards on GPS as crow flies. That was our last speck of blood, and we lost his tracks about another 50 yards when they became indistinguishable with other fresh tracks. Did a grid fir another couple hundred yards in same direction he was heading. No blood no deer. Went back on Tuesday for buzzards, but nothing.

No pictures of him, and not even sure just how big he was. I tried to just focus on the POI and did ny best to not let the antlers distract me. I do know that in low light at 27 yards there was a very bright white structure atop his head that was tall and wide. Probably a 180 lb deer pre-rut, too. Been waiting on that opportunity since 2004 at that property and I blew it.

Anyway, with confidence VERY MUCH shaken, I vowed to poke the next deer I could. Last night a little fork horn paid the price. I could hear more deer behind him, but when he presented a shot I had to let the arrow fly. Steep angle (close deer) and quartering away. Put the arrow in his right side and took out both lungs and broke the arrow off in his opposing shoulder.

I knew he was down, but I still gave it a solid 30 minutes. Got down, found my arrow and there was good blood. I knew I could walk straight to him (planted pines and I heard him crash), but I wanted to trail him anyway for practice. Well, I did and I found him in short order. From point of impact to dead deer was a WHOPPING 39 feet as the crow flies. Pretty impressive what a properly placed arrow can do.

Little guy out on the road waitng to be picked up by truck!


Dinner tonight!


Told you it was a steep angle.


Can't eat horns anyway, right?

[MarkMarine]

Congratulations on the young buck! What arrow and broadhead combo were you using?

[Panhandler80]

Axiom. GT Laser IIs with luminoks and Rage 2 blade 100 grain.

This my first year with a crossbow, but I have been bow hunting for about 5 years now. I have found Rage is hard to beat as long as a textbook shot.

That being said, I'm convinced that I would have found that big buck on 11/11 had I been shooting a fixed broadhead. I took a risky shot and got a little high and left. Hit the scapula and got one lung and maybe 4" of penetration.

[Big58cal]

Congrats on sticking with it and coming through with the meat!

[VixChix]

Congrats on the buck! Way to connect and recover your confidence!