Other weekend news

[Scoot]

While I hunted ND on Sat, a buddy of mine took his nephew to Ada to sit. Although Ryan and I couldn't hunt there with a S wind, my buddy and his nephew could-- they weren't confined to the ladder stand like my son and I are (six year olds + hang on stand is asking for trouble in my book).

Brodey had a small buck come by mid-way through the night. The buck came by right on the trail he was supposed to and Brody let an arrow loose on him. His hit was good up and down-wise, but a few inches too far back. The buck ran off, stood out of range for a bit, then disappeared after a while. They give the deer plenty of time and then took up the blood trail. After tracking it into the river, they called it a night and headed back in the AM.

In the morning they couldn't find blood on the other side. The started doing circles and looking, but it didn't look good. The blood trail was very good before the deer hit the river, so they figured it was dead somewhere, but there simply was no sign to follow. After an hour or so they went back to the river to rethink things.

Brodey's dad, John, went downstream a bit and was very happy to see the deer piled up on a sandbar in the middle of the river not far from where they'd last seen blood. No wonder they couldn't find blood on the other side!

The buck is what I call a "spork"- half spike, half forkhorn. Brodey is 13 years old and this is the first deer he's shot with any weapon. Congrats Brodey!!!

Here was Brodey's method of transportation for crossing the river!

Here's Brodey with his buck right where they found him.

Proud uncle:

More importantly, a proud papa!

Brodey with his buck! Congrats again Brodey!!!

In other news, my buddy and I hunted ND on Sun morning. It was a very slow morning, but my Gabe did manage to help the deer herd out some. Great work Gabe!!!

[DonBo]

Awesome! Great job Brodey!

And WOW. That's a big 'yote!

[Hoyt4]

Congrats Brodey.

Them yotes are getting taken all over the place. I have put down two. Can't ever take too many of them out. Nice work.

[MUSKY18]

Awesome job and great deer. First one is always going to be remember not for the size but for the experience!!!

[archerystud]

Great Story!!

[sticknstring]

Good stuff right there! A first deer story and a dead fawn killer - perfect.

[huntnfish]

Congrats Brodey and John! I've never seen Brodey without a smile on his face. He's a good kid and loves everything archery. Even though he shoots a Hoyt.

[HNTNBUX]

Where I can see the blood in the photo it looks like a pretty good hit with a recovered deer. Good job.

[Scoot]

Where I can see the blood in the photo it looks like a pretty good hit with a recovered deer. Good job.

HNTBUX, I think a lot of people would describe that as a "perfect shot". The deer was perfectly broadside and you can clearly see where he hit it- end result was a liver shot that clipped a teeny, tiny bit of lung. Take home point, aim further forward than where you see the entry wound on this deer! The shoulder bone makes a forward V above where the leg meets the torso and this gives a lot more room forward from the kill shot above. Many people don't realize how much room there is- I certainly didn't until about five years ago. My aiming spot used to be about one inche forward from Brodey's shot above. Now, it's more like six inches forward from that...

I agree with you- the outcome was great. However, the deer would not have gone nearly as far if he'd have hit it further forward. Because it got in the river, he easily could have lost this deer because he aimed too far back. My point isn't to argue with you about this, just trying to provide a little info about a really common misconception in archery and what many believe to be the anatomy of a deer.

[HNTNBUX]

No worries here, it is a game of inches sometimes.

[certified jumbo]

awesome story. thanks for sharing.

[Archerysniper]

I agree scoot, you should come up and be right above where the leg connects to the body. A lot of shots that look good you have to remember the leg is back with aiming behind the shoulder with the leg back your clipping the back of the lungs and liver. I have been studying my pet deer and feeling how the bones and shoulder are when she's standing different ways. The best is quartering away, on broadside with their leg forward follow the leg up and about 3 inches above the knuckle will take the heart and both lungs.