I got off a little early today, came home, grabbed Trixie and sat behind where I keep my kayaks and trailer. Still in my work clothes, but, with a front coming in, I knew the local deer would make their way behind the house and around the bowl which makes my pond.
Well, they did. I watched two little ones come and go, then a big doe came in, with a button head and another little one. She didn't stop for a shot where I had hoped they would
, but instead went to the far side of the "bowl" and stopped. She was looking to my left, at the house. I thought "Well, she's too far now, game over." Then I looked, and judged the yardage to be 52 yards. I used to shoot in the semi-pro division at ASA and IBO 3-D shoots, and, statewide I won a lot of them. So my yardage judging is pretty good.Before I knew it, Trixie was up on my shoulder, the 50 yard cross-hair was hovering high on her shoulder, and THUMP
! My personal projectile leaped across the gap in a flash! I heard the unmistakable sound of broad-head meeting shoulder, and she took off! Wait, she's running kinda funky! I see blood pouring from her shoulder! She disappears from sight, into the woods. I sit and wait for about 10 minutes, I can't stand it anymore. I go to where she was standing, there is my arrow, coated in blood, with a fletching missing. The blood trail is immediate, and explosive! I follow for about 70 yards, and it thins out a little. I stop for a few minutes, listening so hard, I swear I can hear the woods thrumming in my ears. I follow the meager trail and it starts getting bigger, and higher on the brush. I stop again and strain both to hear, and see in front of me.
There she is! 10 yards away, down.
I say my usual prayer for the wild-things, and the gifts they provide. Go back to the house, get my rope and knife, and let my dog out. He goes straight to my arrow, still in the ground, and starts into the woods criss-crossing her trail. When I get to her, he is there, waiting for me, licking her in the face.
I know this was a long shot to take, I am ever so thank-full that it went my way. Would I do it again? I don't know. I never thought I would take a shot that far. It presented it-self, and I did.
I have passed on closer shots that were questionable. I felt it was not a shot to take. This one, however, came naturally and quickly. I hardly knew it happened, until after the fact. Guess I went on "auto-pilot".
