Covey Leader
Member
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2009
- Messages
- 115
This was my first out of state hunt. I live in NJ and i traveled to Illinois for my first ever out of state hunt. I had a great time. Here is the story.
Earlier this year me and my friend mark booked an archery/gun hunt with Lighthouse deer hunts. This was my first out of state deer hunt. Me and Mark drove straight through 17 hours (mark drove 16 of them by choice lol). We arrived a day early. I thought we would be to tired to hunt but i was pumped. We both suited up and headed out. I saw a nice buck behind me that night. He was walking a small ravine up to an alfalfa field. I was able to get some good video footage of him.
The next couple days had slow deer movement. It was either the heavy winds, the bucks being locked up with does, or the remaining standing corn that was slowing down the movement.
On saturday, me and Mark did a little early afternoon scouting. Mark set his climber on a heavy trail about 40 yards away from a rub line on a ridge. We then took a walk down along the creek and found a heavy deer/cattle trail along the creek. There was a small rub line along the creek where the trail tightened by the ridge. I decided to set my climber along that trail but Mark suggested a better tree about 50 yards down the trail closer to a green field where the trail opened up a bit. The tree was a perfect tree for a climber. as we looked around we found another rub line behind this tree on top of the ridge. We set the climber on that tree. the creek made a 90 degree turn to my right and the green field was straight in front of me with the heavy trail about 15 yards in front of me.
Here is the view from the base of my tree.
We both hunted different stands on saturday and sunday. On monday, we decided to head out to our climbers for an afternoon sit. We got in our stands and up the trees at about 1 pm. Me and Mark were about 500 yards apart with a perfect wind for where we thought the deer would come from. After screwing in my bow/gear hangers, the first thing i did was range several spots to know where my shots were. I ranged a deadfall across the trail i was hunting. This was my farthest shot (25 yards) i felt comfortable with.
Here is a pic of the deadfall on the left that was 25 yards from me.
I was about 25 feet above the trail but almost eye level with the ridge to the left and behind me. Here is a pic from the base of my tree looking to the left at the ridge which got higher behind me. You can see the handle of my climber in the pic.
At about 1:15 i was settled in and good to go. At about 1:45, the 2 way radio went off. It was mark checking to see if i saw anything. At that point neither of us had. We wished each other good luck and agreed to check in later.
About 10 minutes later, I looked to my left and saw a deer running across the green field. It was too far away to make out what it was but i stood up and picked up my bow anyway. As the deer got closer i saw it was a buck. It was running directly towards me. I could not believe what was happening. He started to slow down a bit as he got closer. Eventually he stopped at the same deadfall i ranged earlier! 25 yard shot. The only problem was that he was facing me which gave me no shot.
At this point, my blood was pumping and i was shaking. I attached my release. The buck stood there for a few seconds looking around, but very calm. Then all of a sudden, he jumped the small creek bottom and started running up the ridge towards my left. As he was running i came to full draw and followed the buck. Remember, as he was running up the ridge he was getting more and more to almost eye level with me but a little to my left.
As soon as he got to an opening, I yelled (Mahhh) to stop him. He stopped dead in his tracks. I settled the pin behind his shoulder and let it fly. A 12 yards shot at almost eye level! I watched the arrow disappear behind the shoulder and the buck did a bronco kick. I knew i smoked him! I couldnt believe what just happened in a matter of minutes! I watched the buck run up the ridge and disappear. My adrenaline was so high that i dont even remember drawing my 70 lb bow! It all happened so fast. Fom clipping on my release, to drawing the bow, yelling to stop the buck, then releasing the arrow.
This is the pic of where i stopped the buck. 12 yards from this pic on the ridge. It is the same pic i posted above.
After the buck disappeared, i grabbed the 2 way radio and called mark. I told him i shot a nice buck. We both were puzzled because we had just spoke 15 minutes ago and we hadnt seen anything. I was shaking so bad that when mark got to me i was still in my tree staring in the direction of where i last saw the buck. Mark walked over to where i told him i shot and he found my arrow as i was climbing down. Complete pass through and it was soaked in good blood.
I told mark where the deer ran but we couldnt find any blood at first. About 15 yards later i told mark that he may have taken a different trail, a little to the right of the one i initially told him. I am color blind so i have a hard time seeing spotty blood on certain back drops. Mark picked up the blood trail and we followed it. The blood trail got better and better as we climbed the ridge.
After about 30 yards of tracking, Mark looked up the ridge and said "Lets go get your deer brother!" I will never forget Mark saying that to me. My buck was piled up about 80 yards from the shot.
Here are some pics of my bow buck.
Earlier this year me and my friend mark booked an archery/gun hunt with Lighthouse deer hunts. This was my first out of state deer hunt. Me and Mark drove straight through 17 hours (mark drove 16 of them by choice lol). We arrived a day early. I thought we would be to tired to hunt but i was pumped. We both suited up and headed out. I saw a nice buck behind me that night. He was walking a small ravine up to an alfalfa field. I was able to get some good video footage of him.
The next couple days had slow deer movement. It was either the heavy winds, the bucks being locked up with does, or the remaining standing corn that was slowing down the movement.
On saturday, me and Mark did a little early afternoon scouting. Mark set his climber on a heavy trail about 40 yards away from a rub line on a ridge. We then took a walk down along the creek and found a heavy deer/cattle trail along the creek. There was a small rub line along the creek where the trail tightened by the ridge. I decided to set my climber along that trail but Mark suggested a better tree about 50 yards down the trail closer to a green field where the trail opened up a bit. The tree was a perfect tree for a climber. as we looked around we found another rub line behind this tree on top of the ridge. We set the climber on that tree. the creek made a 90 degree turn to my right and the green field was straight in front of me with the heavy trail about 15 yards in front of me.
Here is the view from the base of my tree.
We both hunted different stands on saturday and sunday. On monday, we decided to head out to our climbers for an afternoon sit. We got in our stands and up the trees at about 1 pm. Me and Mark were about 500 yards apart with a perfect wind for where we thought the deer would come from. After screwing in my bow/gear hangers, the first thing i did was range several spots to know where my shots were. I ranged a deadfall across the trail i was hunting. This was my farthest shot (25 yards) i felt comfortable with.
Here is a pic of the deadfall on the left that was 25 yards from me.
I was about 25 feet above the trail but almost eye level with the ridge to the left and behind me. Here is a pic from the base of my tree looking to the left at the ridge which got higher behind me. You can see the handle of my climber in the pic.
At about 1:15 i was settled in and good to go. At about 1:45, the 2 way radio went off. It was mark checking to see if i saw anything. At that point neither of us had. We wished each other good luck and agreed to check in later.
About 10 minutes later, I looked to my left and saw a deer running across the green field. It was too far away to make out what it was but i stood up and picked up my bow anyway. As the deer got closer i saw it was a buck. It was running directly towards me. I could not believe what was happening. He started to slow down a bit as he got closer. Eventually he stopped at the same deadfall i ranged earlier! 25 yard shot. The only problem was that he was facing me which gave me no shot.
At this point, my blood was pumping and i was shaking. I attached my release. The buck stood there for a few seconds looking around, but very calm. Then all of a sudden, he jumped the small creek bottom and started running up the ridge towards my left. As he was running i came to full draw and followed the buck. Remember, as he was running up the ridge he was getting more and more to almost eye level with me but a little to my left.
As soon as he got to an opening, I yelled (Mahhh) to stop him. He stopped dead in his tracks. I settled the pin behind his shoulder and let it fly. A 12 yards shot at almost eye level! I watched the arrow disappear behind the shoulder and the buck did a bronco kick. I knew i smoked him! I couldnt believe what just happened in a matter of minutes! I watched the buck run up the ridge and disappear. My adrenaline was so high that i dont even remember drawing my 70 lb bow! It all happened so fast. Fom clipping on my release, to drawing the bow, yelling to stop the buck, then releasing the arrow.
This is the pic of where i stopped the buck. 12 yards from this pic on the ridge. It is the same pic i posted above.
After the buck disappeared, i grabbed the 2 way radio and called mark. I told him i shot a nice buck. We both were puzzled because we had just spoke 15 minutes ago and we hadnt seen anything. I was shaking so bad that when mark got to me i was still in my tree staring in the direction of where i last saw the buck. Mark walked over to where i told him i shot and he found my arrow as i was climbing down. Complete pass through and it was soaked in good blood.
I told mark where the deer ran but we couldnt find any blood at first. About 15 yards later i told mark that he may have taken a different trail, a little to the right of the one i initially told him. I am color blind so i have a hard time seeing spotty blood on certain back drops. Mark picked up the blood trail and we followed it. The blood trail got better and better as we climbed the ridge.
After about 30 yards of tracking, Mark looked up the ridge and said "Lets go get your deer brother!" I will never forget Mark saying that to me. My buck was piled up about 80 yards from the shot.
Here are some pics of my bow buck.
