First blood for VaPredHunter (almost a oops)

[vapredhunter]

I got a nice 8 pointer to get the monkey off my back for 09 season. I was hunting a stand that I've killed two 8 pointers in past years.

This afternoon was cold and windy. The stand is on the very top of a ridge at the top of a mountain so the wind was really bad all evening. I did not have much hope but you can't kill them from the house.

Anyway I didn't see a deer all afternoon ten minutes before it was too dark to shoot a hear some rustling in the leaves. I look over and see a buck 20 yards away tending a scrape, in this stand the furthest shot is 28 yards so you don’t get to see them until they are right on top of you.

I saw he was wider then his ears and at least 8 points so I pulled up to shoot. As I released the arrow I felt like I may have jerked the trigger a little pulling my shot off but I heard a loud crack when the arrow hit so even though I could not see the arrow hit in the dim light before dark. I felt like it was in the chest.

He jumped like a heart shot then walked off staggering a little. I watched and noticed he seemed too hunched a little in the middle when I last seen him. So I decided to wait awhile after about 3 hours returned with my brother. We picked up the blood at spot he was hit looked good and red. Then lost all blood for about 50 yards. We then picked up some good red blood tracked for about 75 yard only to find the buck sitting there looking at us about 30 yards away.

We didn't have a bow / crossbow or any weapon only a knife. So I back out to the 4 wheeler and drove to the truck and got my concealed carry pistol since my bow was at the house. Drove back up the mountain, I had left my brother holding the light on him. As I got back Justin said he jumped up and ran when I pulled up on the 4 wheeler. We looked with the lights for a minute and saw him lying dead as a door nail 20 yards away. So I didn't have to finish him with the pistol. As I checked him over I realized I hit him a little far back.

I got one lung and the liver the arrow hit the next to last rib right in the middle so that’s where the loud crack came from. He was also quartering toward me some I guess I thought he was quartering away a little. Maybe hitting the rib deflected the arrow a little. Anyway all turned out for the best.

Thanks

Chris.

[kennisondan]

he is a beautiful buck, congrats.. a lot of hunters would have lost him..
good job..
dk

[dick195252]

Congratulations a Great looking Buck

[wabi]

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bkisel]

Congrats! That'd be a fantastic buck in the areas I hunt.

Off topic... Your pistol having been left in the truck, was it just that you forgot? I carry also and when in my car will put my pistol in the map pocket so that it'd be handy (out of car carry is pocket or Appendix depending on whether my .380 or 9mm) should the need arise. There have been a number of times that I started to walk away from my car without my gun but never more than a few yards before remembering.

Take care...

[R.J.]

Beauty buck ! .... Congrat's

[Rich]

Another nice VA buck. CONGRATS!!!! I like the little sticker point on his right antler.

Rich

[vixenmaster]

congrats very nice

[old fart jim]

great looking buck and you told the story very well. congrats

[longwinters]

Congrats. Like others said, in my area that is certainly a trophy....and a darned nice buck even in big buck areas. Well done.

Long

[frisky]

Congrats!! NICE DEER.

[Horizontal Hunter]

Congratulations on a nice buck. Thanks for sharing the story.

Bob

[vapredhunter]

bkisel, I don't carry mine on my person alot but I keep it in my truck.

I think the arrow got deflected when it hit the rib. Thats how it appeared after skinning him out this morning. I was almost positive he was quartering away a little when I shot.

Thanks

Chris,

[VixChix]

Very nice! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

[Kenton]

congrats