Yesterday morning I went out and hit the woods about 5:30 a.m., a full hour before light. The morning was beautiful as it became light and everything around became visible. Nothing was moving as I expected with this new high pressure system that had moved in overnight. I heard some twigs snapping and that sounded like deer moving around behind me. I waited to see what might come down the draw. I thought that I was winded and my chances of seeing a deer from that direction were minimal.
Early morning came and went with no deer sightings. It was about that time when I thought to myself a couple of light grunts where in order, nothing was happening anyway, so I proceeded with a series of light grunts ending with a couple of light tending grunts. Again nothing happened so I thought, well if I don't see anything it is a great day to be in the woods.
About a half hour went by, I glanced over to my right and was shocked to see a buck with a good main beam about 30 yards away from my stand. I thought franticly were did that buck come from. As I grabbed my bow and turned towards the buck he was heading back up the draw away from me. I drew my bow as the buck was returning up the draw and if he didn't stop I was going to lose a shot at him, and all of a sudden he stopped! I could only see a hole through the brush at what was a good shot just behind his shoulder. I thought it's now or never, I released the arrow and the shot hit him right where I had my dot. In the boiler room! The deer kicked and took two steps then stopped with his tail tucked in real tight. He then took off at that point realizing he was mortally hit. I heard him crashing through the woods and I knew I hit the mark as I as shaking in my stand. Then silence, he's down!!! Good buck down !!!! Wow,I proceeded to call my friends. My buddy Steve said, "What are you waiting for go get him."
I got down from the tree stand and walked over to where I shot the buck. What's this, nothing, no blood, no arrow, what the heck, I know I hit that deer I said to myself. Ok calm down and mark your spot and let's find this guy. I took a walk around and nothing, I thought that I was just excited and I will find him soon. I decided to get changed make some phone calls and start the search again. I called Steve he said the same thing happened to him and you may not find him and I said, no way I hit that deer. I searched and searched, but nothing, what the heck is going on. It was three hours later and I thought maybe my friend was right. I was just about to go back to the truck and decided that it's my responsibility to find that animal.
So I started all over searching the spot where I shot the buck, nothing, no arrow, no blood. I started tracking hoof prints and followed the heaviest prints I could find. Steve said look for the white belly. I couldn't find anything!!! I thought I'd look over in this direction one more time and what looked like a log I saw my buck!!!!! Eureka !!!! There he is. When the buck went down one of his antlers got caught in the v of a tree and he was lying on his belly. No wonder I couldn't pick up the white. The buck only ran about 50 yards from the stand and crashed. Boy I was charged up I could barley breath.
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