First archery deer

[Bear83]

Bear with me, this might be long winded but I like to include details. This last weekend I was fortunate to have off from work on Monday (Columbus day), so made plans to head to the folks' cabin for some bow hunting. This summer I got the itch to delve into bow hunting, so I picked up a Bear Archery Encounter and the necessary gear and started practicing a couple nights a week. I've rifle hunted for seven years or so, but I really wanted to "extend" my season so got into the bow world. A little background on the property...approx 12 acres in the Brainerd lakes area. Not much land to work with, but surpising what a combination of mixed habitat can create for opportunities. There's two patches of mixed hardwoods that are a couple of acres each that wrap around the northwest corner of a swamp.

Here's a view of some of the swamp and fall colors:

Having cabins and dogs running all over the place doesn't seem to deter the deer one bit. Nocturnal, but probably not more than anywhere else for that matter. Had the trail camera out most of the summer and got to see a doe with her twin fawns grow throughout the summer as well as a pair of fox that showed up regularly. Opening weekend I had the doe and her fawns come in and start going to town on the acorns about 55 yards out. Wind was in my favor but got skylined by momma and that was all I saw for that weekend. Went out again the last weekend in September, splitting my time between the cabin and some public land close by, but I think the combo of a full moon and the warm temps conspired to have everything moving at night. Fast forward to this last weekend. Finally some cooler weather. Woke to a dusting of wet snow on the ground on Saturday morning. Sat and saw one of the fawns motor on through, but nothing else the rest of Sat. Sunday hunted public land because the wind wasn't right and did some scouting. Monday morning gave it one last go before I was gonna pull the plug to get back to the wife and kido. At 9:19 a yearling doe came into the North of me. I was in my climber about 16 ft up and was already standing because I was cold. I'll never know why that deer didn't bolt, because it had me pegged from the get go. She was downwind of me and had a clear line of sight as I pivoted and raised my bow. She gave out a snort and I thought it was over, but she dropped her head and started to slowly walk. Once I saw her head down I drew, but again she saw my movement. Locked up, at a nice broadside, I let fly at 32 yards.

She was standing just to the right of the two jack pine tree trunks in the center of the following pic:

All the practice and target shooting went right out the window. Needless to say I was shaking like an oak leaf in the wind. I saw her lurch and turn heel and move at a fast walk where she made a beeline for the heaviest cover on the property. I was already questioning my shot, and decided to give things a full two hours to settle down. Around 11:00, I climbed down and slowly made my way over to where I had made the shot. Arrow was stuck in the ground with green bile/stomach gunk. Confirming my fear that I hit her far back, I had to decide what I wanted to do. Since the forest floor was like walking on broken glass, I had a hunch that I would have already bumped her just going to where my arrow was if she was still alive and kicking. After hearing nothing, I hopped on the trail she took and found good blood after about 20 ft from the shot. Things looked a little more promising. Bow in hand with arrow nocked I followed the trail for less than 20 yards and could see where she had piled up next to a deadfall tree. In all, she went less than 30 yards. I was relieved and ecstatic to have such an easy recovery despite my poor shot placement.

Here's a view of her, not the biggest, but good to get some meat in the freezer this early in the season.

Overall, it was humbling to think how things could have gone differently. Thankful that things turned out well. The experience gained was valuable, and it's renewed my efforts to get out and keep practicing. D

[motley man]

Great Job - I had that same thing happen once, when I thought I had made a bad shot and found it to be a good shot. We always question ourselves after the shot!!!

[96trigger]

Great job and great story. My first archery deer had a similar story. Glad it was an easy track job and find. I'm sure you will now become addicted to it like the rest of us.

[archerystud]

Welcome to archery and congrats!!

My first deer was with a bow and it was a button buck. Definitely still a trophy to me. I had a similar shot to yours as a matter of fact.

[paceman]

Congratulations! A first deer is always a trophy that will not be forgotten!

[Scoot]

Super- congrats!!!

I wonder if the way this went had less to do with your actual shot placement (and by that I mean where your arrow as headed when it left the bow, not where you hit the deer) and more to do with a highly alert deer. I have no way of knowing if your arrow went where it was supposed to initially, but an alert deer can easily jump the string making an arrow that was perfectly on line for the heart end up missing or hitting where you did (or anywhere else).

Two quick stories: 1) a family friend of ours shot at a huge buck a number of years ago. He was shaking and panicked when he shot (did I mention it was huge?) and made a terrible shot- he immediately saw his arrow was headed for the buck's hind quarter. The deer jumped the string, did a complete 180, and was facing the other direction when the arrow got there, only to be double lunged and drop within sight. That's the atypical, happy version of when a buck jumps the string. That buck was also on high alert and jumped badly at the shot. 2) a guy I know had a nice antelope buck at a water hole. The buck seemed jumpy, but at 20 yards broadside, he took the shot. He "knew" the shot was perfect when he let it go (you experienced archers know what I'm talking about- it felt perfect and he saw the arrow out of the bow well). He saw the buck pile up 40 yards away. Imagine how shocked he was when he got to the buck and discovered his arrow had entered IN ITS NOSTRIL!

The point is- deer on high alert can and do jump the string.

Regardless of this, congrats again on your first deer! That's awesome and great news! Thanks for sharing the story and pics with us!

[NELS-BELLS]

Congratulations! Its an adrenaline rush, isn't it? Welcome to the addiction.

Nels

[DonBo]

Congrats!

[sticknstring]

Congrats on your first archery deer! The first of many I hope. Great job with the pics and recap.

[CANOPY SAM]

Great story, very well written, and fun to read! Congrats!

Scoot is dead on the mark. The behavior of this deer says I'm pretty young, and haven't learned much yet, but I know enough from Momma to stay as sharp as I can right now, except I don't yet know why. Oops, too late!

She'll be a tasty young doe! Good for you Bear! You scored on your first season in. That's a great accomplishment.

[nbadger23]

Congrats on your first archery deer! Great story to go along with it as well. Out of curiosity what did you find when you gutted her out, where did you hit her? I ask because 2 hours on a pure gut shot seems unlikely but maybe you possibly got liver?

That will be some very good eating.. congrats again and welcome to the addiction of bow hunting!

[snapcrackpop]

Great job on the story! Nice and neat write-up.

Congratulations!

[rbs]

Great job on your first archery deer!

[bigbucks]

Great job & congrats to you. I agree with whoever in assuming you must have hit the liver too. I don't think there's really any major arteries you'd have hit with that entrance. I've shot a couple about like that & lost them & a couple like that I couldn't believe how close they were. Shot one too far back once, it was some smaller then the one you shot & I was nervous about the hit. I don't think she made it 15 yards.

[Musky Buck]

Nicely done, good shot!

[gurkster]

Congrats - The first is always special. Great story!!

[Finlander]

Congrats on your first bow deer!

I once hit a nice doe a little too far back from the lungs and liver, but it was also high and the arrow hit an artery and only went 30 yards and piled up!

I also hit a buck at 35 yards as it was alert and jumped forward when I let the arrow fly, the arrow hit high in the hind quarters, but as it jumped forward it also turned 90 degrees an the arrow went thru the liver and a lung.

[Rippinlip]

Way to go and nice story.

[pascooter94]

great job

[Boar]

Awsome beans an great story telling, we love detail so dont fear being long winded. Congratulations!

[squints]

Great story. You never forget the first. You will definitely be hooked now, plan on spending an inordinate amount of money...

[Bear83]

Appreciate all the congrats guys, and yes, I can see how it is quickly becoming an obsession. Excited to hopefully get back in the woods with the bow the 27th and 28th and chase some antler. In response to NBADGER23 about field dressing: the heart, lungs, and liver were fully intact. Not sure about the internal anatomy in the back end of a deer but the shot hit just a couple of inches in front of where the rear leg articulates with the body and a couple inches up from the belly. Didn't really see any major arteries that I would have caught, but there was a solid amount of internl bleeding that had pooled in the back half of her. At any rate, it did the job, just not the cleanest. Best of luck to everyone as we get closer to the rut...can't wait!

[Bear55]

Congrats!