Car Crashes, Skeeters, and Snorting = #2

[nchunterkw]

Today is my daughter in law's birthday, and I was informed that we were going to dinner tonight, so that nixed my plan to hunt this afternoon. So I drug my lazy behind out of bed at 5:10AM and headed out to a spot on the other end of the property from where I shot a nice 7 point 2 Sundays ago. It was not supposed to rain, but after my short drive to the property, when I got out of the truck the wind picked up and it sure felt like rain. I got back in and waited a few minutes and checked the weather on my phone. No rain. Hmm...Even though it was cooler (68ish) it was still really humid. I got back out of the truck and got my stuff on. Every time the wind would blow drops of water would come off the trees, but it wasn't raining. I got setup after a short walk in and settled in. It was still pitch black but I just felt good about the morning. Still pitch black, and I hear off in the distance, I'm not even sure where or how far, some tires screech and then two low thuds right in a row. Holy crap! Someone just crashed their car, and it didn't sound too good. I prayed for them. I figured if that was what it was I would know soon enough as I should hear sirens. I did but it was a good 7 to 10 minutes before I did. I prayed for them again. The wind was switching around so I was a little worried about that, but there wasn't much to be done. I figured, hey it's keeping the mosquitos down. Even though I have a Therma Cell I try not to use it if possible as I think deer smell it. Well just as it's getting really light enough to see 40 or 50 yds to shoot, they decide to attack en-masse. I move my hand to swat them and it happens. From behind me SNOOOORT!! Dang it!. Stupid skeeters.....I look but can't see anything. I figured it was the buck I saw on my trail cam as it was just one short and that was it. He's gone and he busted me. Means this spot's probably shot for at least a few weeks. Then 5 minutes later....from a little further up then hill behind me....SNOORT, Snort, snort snort.......I turn and fumble for my grunt call. Did he come back or is this someone new....I have no idea. He gives one more snort and hops away. Just then I finally have my call and giver him 2 young buck grunts. Nothing. Well it really just got light like 10 minutes ago, so I turn around and hope for the best. Maybe some does will come in from the other direction. I really need to put a ladder stand in this area and get off the ground. Feels like I'm right in the travel corridor.....Another few minutes pass and ...SNOOOORT! Really? This time he is back. Maybe the grunt call worked. He never did figure me out as I had my leafy suit on and was sitting in some brush I piled up and behind a tree. I turn to my left and I can see him broadside at about 20 - 25 yds up the hill. He's facing right. I need to slide forward and turn to get a shot so my bow will clear the tree but I don't think he will wait for that. What to do? I am behind a tree.....so I turn back forward, switch the bow to my left hand and slowly turn to my right. I'm clear of the tree. He turns too and is now broadside facing left. I am sitting holding my Micro lefty and have the crosshairs on him. I'm feeling like 20 - 25 yds, so I hold the 20 yds cross hair behind the shoulder and at the top of the shoulder and squeeze the trigger. Whack! Looks like a good hit but maybe a bit low. I wait a little bit then go look for the arrow. Nada - but it turns out where he was standing was more like 30 yds. Now I'm a bit worried that the hit was too low. I go back and get my leafy suit on and re-check the line of the shot. Oh! I walked a little right of it. Maybe I will find the arrow and some blood. I take a slow walk on the correct path...nothing. Arrow is definitely gone. So it goes with ground hunting. I don't see any blood either. But I know the direction he ran and it's pretty open woods, so I go 5yds in that direction and walk back towards my stand...Bloood! Yes!! I hang my hat in the tree so I can find it, back track the blood a little bit to see exactly where he was standing and get a direction of travel, then go pack up my stuff and start the search. The ground is wet, but not like after a rain, but it makes the tracking job a bit more tedious than normal. In all he went about 100yds maybe a little more. The shot actually clipped his front leg and entered the brisket low but exited higher as he was uphill from me. The RamCat blew through him like butter and took out the bottom of the heart. I got him all cleaned out and started the process of walking my pack and bow about 50 - 60 yds, then going back and getting the deer and dragging him that far. Repeated that for about 400yds to the truck. I started tracking around 7:34 and was at the truck at 8:46. Not bad, but I was pretty tired. God did a great job guiding that arrow and guiding me to find that beautiful animal. Now that animal will help some folks who are hungry.

[vixenmaster]

Congrats on yer good deer, heck of a drag most a qtr. I had to cut mine in half to get him out. Nice story i was wid ya twistin n turnin tryin to get on the deer wid scope fer shot

[gunboy203]

Congrats on the deer.. Great story...

[Mark Rainbolt]

Congrats on the buck and that was one heck of a story!!!! One question tho HOW MANY POINTS WAS HE??????? Lol
God Bless,
Mark

[Kegbelly]

Congrats Keith! Great story and I'm happy to hear it had a good ending!

[mr meat]

Congrats on the deer!!

[DuckHunt]

Congrats on the deer. I've never attempted to take one 'lefty', but its on my bucket list. The key is thinking to go lefty when the situation presents itself. Good job.
DuckHunt

[bob watkins]

very nice keith good story

[ads1]

Congratulations, Great Story! Our season starts Saturday and can't wait.

[acreek]

Well done. And no doubt I will now be practicing lefty just in case. Haha

[SEC-ond 2 none]

Congratulations Keith. Lot of things going on during that hunt. Thanks for sharing your story with us. I enjoyed it. The best to you in future hunts.

Stephen

[gerald strine]

Hey nice job and nice story congratulations !
By the way what did you harvest ?

[nchunterkw]

Congrats on the buck and that was one heck of a story!!!! One question tho HOW MANY POINTS WAS HE??????? Lol
God Bless,
Mark

HAHA! I realized I left that detail out. He looked to be a 1 1/2 yr old 7 point. Good eater buck!

[nchunterkw]

Congrats on the deer. I've never attempted to take one 'lefty', but its on my bucket list. The key is thinking to go lefty when the situation presents itself. Good job.
DuckHunt

You are exactly right. This is the second time I did that. Oddly it's not as hard as it may seem. Of course a super accurate Excalibur Crossbow helps that immensely

[sproulman]

Congrats on yer good deer, heck of a drag most a qtr. I had to cut mine in half to get him out. Nice story i was wid ya twistin n turnin tryin to get on the deer wid scope fer shot

my deer cart is just great Mike.only 50 dollar one off e bay ..high wheels are best at 18.5 inchs .. i put my stand/bow on top of buck too all strapped in with rachet strap...i hunt in worst brush laural 8 ft high with only deer trails ..
in snow we use plastic sleds from lowes with high sides..

some are cutting meat off the deer and leaving it but my deer cart is just great ....