Well my Pa. Buck Season came to an end at 7:10 this Wed. morning! I went out the backyard to my upper ridge stand. I finally got setup and looked at my watch and it was 7:00 ...It was pretty light out and I was settled in my ole man climber.
The Parker Crossbow was ready with a 125 Wasp SST Hammer on the end of my Super Carbon Magnum Bolt. As I was sitting there taking it all in, I just happened to look down to my left and I saw this buck 10 yards away walking towards my tree!!! I am hunting in pines and it is thick and silent. He stopped as he sensed something wasn't right. He looked up towards me a little. I am sitting there with my crossbow hanging on the tree!!! He slowly turns to the right and is walking behind my tree. I slowly get up and get the crossbow and turn the red dot scope on and release the safety. I slowly swing around, using the tree for cover. He is walking away, and is now almost straight away.
I thought of a spine shot , but said no...I mouth bleated to him and he turned slightly to his left. I took the shot at 15 yards, and he bolted out of there in a hurry. I watched him run and I heard him crash, and then I heard that suffocating noise as he choked on his blood. I safely climbed down and checked my bolt, and it was stuck in the ground, covered with bright red/pink blood. He traveled 70 yards and bled well.
It is a nice big bodied deer with 10 points... approx. 15 inches wide. I am guessing he was 185-190 lbs. on the hoof, and approx. 150 dressed. He is now at the butcher and I am waiting for all the goodies!!! I have 2 doe tags to fill, and might go back out tonight. I did see a real nice rub where he fell. The tree was really worked over well and was 4-5 inches wide. Don't know if he made that rub or a bigger buck! The excitement happened real quick this morning, as I was only sitting for maybe 5 minutes.
The Wasp SST Hammer once again really impressed me! The entrance hole was above the rib area, and exited between both shoulders on the bottom of his belly area. No blade damage at all. Those Wasps are really #1 in my book , as I have taken all my archery deer with them. And my cross bow was a lot of fun to use...my first buck with it, I am hooked...it was a blast and a lot of fun!
Can I email someone the pics to post for me?
Dave
1st Crossbow Buck!!!
Moderator: Excalibur Marketing Dude
Congrats Dave. That is a nice looking buck. By the way Dave, do you hunt in a county that has antler restrictions? If so do you think it has improved the deer herd quality or do you think it was a waste of time?
I have read so much about this controversy in Pa. I would like to hear from someone first hand about the pros and cons if there are any.
I have read so much about this controversy in Pa. I would like to hear from someone first hand about the pros and cons if there are any.
BUCKEYE
A man who makes no mistakes usually doesn't make anything at all.
A man who makes no mistakes usually doesn't make anything at all.
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devilsedge
- Posts: 676
- Joined: Tue Jan 07, 2003 4:10 pm
- Location: whitby, ontario
buckeye wrote:Congrats Dave. That is a nice looking buck. By the way Dave, do you hunt in a county that has antler restrictions? If so do you think it has improved the deer herd quality or do you think it was a waste of time?
I have read so much about this controversy in Pa. I would like to hear from someone first hand about the pros and cons if there are any.
Hello Buckeye!
Yes, I hunt in a county which has a 3 point or better on one side.
I honestly have seen more and bigger bucks since the start of the antler restrictions. There are some countys that have 4 points or better on one side. I feel that it has improved the buck quality and quantity thru the past few years... I closely monitor the deer in my area, and have seen some real nice bucks. The restriction is working for me in my area, and it gives the smaller bucks more time to develope into nice deer.
Best of Luck!
Dave
