At 8:30am I noticed legs coming my direction back to my left. It was three does slipping through the woods right toward the small opening in front of my stand. It was a large doe and two very mature yearlings. As they walked behind a group of trees I was going to draw but I glanced behind them and saw movement. Just like they draw it up, a buck was following the does a short distance behind them. He appeared to be a bit smallish in the headgear department; maybe four of five points. I decided the big doe would look much better on the table. By then all three doe had stepped into the small clearing right in front of my stand and were all very alert and standing within 12 yards. It is almost impossible to draw a bow with that many alert eyes gawking around. After what seemed like a minute all three of them looked away from me toward a couple turkey I had been watching. That was my break. As I came to full draw the big doe turned away then took a step giving me a quartering away shot at 13 yards. I released and saw the arrow make impact and saw red instantly. I waited about 90 minutes before going after her.
I expected a pass through, but didn't find my arrow. I did find 3-4 drops of blood within ten feet of the impact spot. I started trailing the tracks, but with three sets it wasn't easy. I was finding no blood. I made a circle about 50 yards downrange and found nothing. I returned to the point of impact and caught a glimpse of something shiny in the leaves. Interesting...
That is the chisel tip of my 100gr Sidewinder. It was quite shiny. Almost too shiny. Where was the rest of my arrow? Visions of striking the far side shoulder start dancing in my head. I returned to the few drop of blood and really got serious about following the sign. I followed tracks and disturbed leaves and found the front half of my arrow and broadhead about 30 yards from the impact point. I was able to find additional drops and specs and along with tracks in the recently soaked ground I was able to trail the deer for about 150 yards, then I jumped three deer. At that point I knew I got her. I just needed to find her. The ones I jumped had to be the yearlings not leaving the vicinity of the big doe. She went another hundred yards before dropping. All told she covered about 250 yards, mostly straight, and bled less than a half cup of blood before the last 25 feet. The last 25 feet she put down a gallon.
The arrow exit the arm pit on the opposite side then went through the leg. When I gutted here there was a lot of fatty membrane on the inside of the lower chest cavity. I can only assume that this fatty mess and the opposite leg were plugging up the hole keeping the blood on the inside. The entrance was a bit back due to the quartering angle so that didn't help the blood trail either. I also found the other half of my arrow.
Here is a picture when I stopped for a breather on the drag out. She was a whole lotta doe.
She will be a welcome addition to my freezer. Its chili time.
DuckHunt
