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Finally got a shot!!!!

mainbutter

By mainbutter
in Archery - Bowhunting

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mainbutter Grand Master

mainbutter

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Adrenaline is still pretty high. Arrow flew all of about 10 minutes go.

I've been feeling unlucky after putting in 24 hours in the woods over monday and tuesday. Decided rather than burn myself out, I'd go fishing. Came back with two small northerns in tow for dinner, park the car, get out, and see a group of 4 does in our clearing about 80 yards away from where we park our cars.

They look at me and I think "oh great, bad luck again, bad choice and BUSTED!"

But I try anyways, sneak around and get my bow, they move off into the woods. A half hour later I've snuck up on them somehow without being busted, take a deep breath, heart pounding, draw, aim for about 10 seconds, and fire.

PERFECT SHOT! It seems to go exactly where I pictured it going.

Wish me luck in tracking, I've got a short amount of light left, hope I can find it!

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mainbutter Grand Master

mainbutter

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Found it! Ran a good three hundred yards, but I found her quickly. I was a little disappointed after going out to look, found no arrow and no blood trail. I basically started walking straight north in the direction I saw her run. Sure enough walked a few football fields directly north parallel to the nearby road, and saw her. I got super lucky because I basically walked in a straight line and ran into her, even though it was further than I expected. Took me a good hour and a half to drag home, she sure didn't pick an easy place to bed!

The shot was a little far back, but she was 100% expired when I found her about 40 minutes after getting hit.

I had to drag through swamp, then thick brush, then about a hundred yards up a steep hill. Needless to say there were plenty of times I had to sit and rest for two minutes or so.

I got her hung and then gutted. Normally I like to do this on the spot, but I wasn't TOO far from home base, and I wanted to avoid the mud/leaves/dirt that would have gotten in the cavity because of what I knew I had to drag her through. I'm taking a bit of a breather and am going to rinse out the cavity with a hose. In the dark with a headlamp it was very difficult to tell what interior damage I had done. No obvious destruction of the stomach (thank goodness) though I nicked it a bit. I may have hit an artery of some sort, because there was a ton of blood pooled up inside. How far up is the liver on a deer?

In addition, I quickly realized I don't know how to handle the removal of the "lady parts", as this was my first doe I've cleaned. I basically winged it, hope I did a good enough job. All those dissection classes in middle school science and 9th grade bio were a definite help.

All in all this went better than either of my two deer last year, I definitely "butchered" the gutting process. My deer processing guy said that first timers are prone to "exploratory surgery" :P

I took a quick picture, by the time I thought of it I was too tired to do anything tasteful other than placing my bow by her while she was still attached to my 4wheeler that I used to get her the last 200 yards or so to my hanging station. No guts or anything but an obvious entry wound.. can I assume the community would be happy to see it even though it's not the nicest hunt photo out there?

Next time I hope to have a friend to get a nice photo of me with the deer.

Anyhoo, what a thrill. Back to cleaning, will get the picture posted tonight unless I crash after my shower!

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leech~~ Grand Master

leech~~

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Took me a good hour and a half to drag home, she sure didn't pick an easy place to bed!

Great job on your first one! wink

But, how does Drag home and Location Minneapolis work? Were you hunting in a park? grin

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mainbutter Grand Master

mainbutter

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oops lol "home" as in the building on the 120 acres of private property I hunt. The duplex we rent in Minneapolis isn't home, it's just where I sleep and keep some of my stuff so I can be closer to work :P

Deer is taken care of. Dirty hunting clothes are in the wash. I'm off to clean my tools, shower, eat, pour myself a relaxing beverage, and call about a dozen people to brag laugh

It's only a small doe, but it's my first, so it feels pretty darn special.

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mainbutter Grand Master

mainbutter

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Dude, you pulled a nondressed deer carcass 300 yards through brush up hill so you could do a better job of field dressing it? I tip my hat to you sir. Congratulations.

Not all the way, once I got through the tough stuff and up the hill I was able to get the four wheeler in! Hooked the drag buddy up to the rear of it and off I went.. which was good, because after climbing the hill I was spent. All in all I only had to drag it about half of the total distance from where I found it to my hanging spot.

By all rights they should have busted me. Never once did they seem scared or on extra alert, and they DEFINITELY heard and saw me. One or two looked up, would go back to eating, I'd move forward a bit, they'd look, I'd pause thinking that sooner or later my luck would run out, I've spooked deer half a dozen times in the past two days before either of us could even see each other.

Pictures will have to wait unfortunately, it seems the computer up here has an xD card reader without drivers installed, and I don't want to go around messing with someone else's drivers without their permission.

Before I eat and crash, I just want to thank the community for EXISTING. Without HSO, I'd probably be on a marathon of playing video games or glued to the television right now, instead of having a day filled with successful fishing and hunting. You guys are awesome.

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mainbutter Grand Master

mainbutter

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In the daylight looks like it was a liver shot, my work with the esophagus may have gotten some green stuff into the cavity which made me think I hit the stomach, but nope it was intact. Deer is off at my processing guy, and I'm still as excited (well, almost) as I was just after the shot last evening.

Here's some pictures!

My deer:

dscf2488y.jpg

THE knife (present from my parents, promised it'd get used on my first bow deer):

dscf2490c.jpg

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