Wrecked a Firebolt!

[lvt01]

I watched this mature doe make her way up the brushy hillside for maybe 15-20 minutes. She keeps making her way closer to me. I keep silently sliding around in my seat to keep the Lumizone trained on her. She stops for a bit to let that silly little gray squirrel give her a good cussing out for intruding on his supper. She finally steps in the open into one of my shooting lanes at 20+ yards. I so very carefully put the 20 yard crosshair on her side just behind the left shoulder....just so gently I squeeze the trigger and zing! She does a little hop and skip...turns and looks behind her then continues up the hillside off to my left. I keep listening and waiting for a crash...maybe some thrashing....nothing...20 minutes goes by and I can't wait any longer. I ease the crossbow down and then scoot down my ladder stand. Quietly I walk down to where she was standing to look for blood. I'll be darned...can't see a drop! Its just getting dark enough that I start digging in my pack to find my flashlight with the UV bulb to get a better look for blood. Dang...I forgot it on top of my gun case. Oh well...I'll go back home and get it. Gives me a chance to get out of my heavier clothes so I don't get so sweated up tracking her. I get back with the flashlight and start looking...no straining to find some sign of blood...nothing...not a single drop can I see. Then I see it...the light from my flashlight picks it up. I did it....I killed than darn prickly ash sure as can be!!! Never seen anything so nicely sliced off as that! It was cut off right at the perfect height for the middle of her lungs. Gosh darn it any way! I kept searching for the arrow and I'll be darned if I didn't find it maybe 10 yards down the hillside just below that little pile of brush. Not so much as a piece of hair, but I sure got a bunch of slivers of bark. The Firebolt look pretty tough...cracked and broken in 3 places, but the Boltcutter is intact. A little bit of honing and it'll take its prestigious position on the front end of another Firebolt...this time a little wiser and hopefully we'll get some blood and hair on it instead of wood!! It sure was exciting for a while! I never laughed so hard after I realized that my arrow didn't find the mark I had hoped for. Oh well...always more adventures tomorrow!

[gerald strine]

I hope no one was hugging that tree you killed

[one shot scott]

hOPE YOU GET ANOTHER CRACK AT HER.

[lvt01]

No such luck! I was sitting that same stand tonight and had a nice little 4 pointer come up within about 10 yards of me. I don't think he even knew I was there. Sure wish we could take them that size. I like the taste of the young ones a lot better than those big old fellas!

[strum]

i took a shot cyote a while back ..same thing..ony my arrow was 18feet up in a small maple..had to saw it down..arrow was in good shape but the blades on my wasp was bent,,,dang cyote

[wabi]

Amazing how a tree (or limb) can become invisible when it's between you and a deer.

[OkXbowHunter]

...and this folks, is why it's called HUNTING and not SHOOTING!

Thanks for the story. Hope you get her the next time. You should hear what she's been telling the other deer about you