We drove up Sunday afternoon for a Monday morning hunt, Monday we are in tree stands well before sunup, My brother in his new location, got turned around a bit going in because he had no reflective tacks up as he had forgot then the day we set up his stand but was in at first light.
The first morning hunt I saw 5 deer all doe all in heavy feeding mode , one came in before it was even enough light to identify it , no chasing going on Oct 30th,The afternoon hunt I saw 4 deer one a spike, one a button buck and rest does all feeding heavy on natural brows as we do not bait a good first day for me but my brother only saw one doe all day
![Thumbdown :thumbdown:](./images/smilies/icon_thumbdown.gif)
The next days hunt was Oct 31 Halloween which I feel most years starts the chase faze in our area after seeing many deer the day before and no bucks on the does I am scratching my head a bit but hopeful.
Get in well before daybreak to a windless,overcast, cool temp, perfect day I sit until 10:00 with no deer sighted so decide to have a cup of tea and some nuts I take out hot water in a Thermos get my water poured and look up and see a rack coming straight for me at a good clip,
I have a home made sliding shelf built underneath my ladder stand seat that I set my cup on I get the nuts in my coat and start looking for shooting lanes I pick my first one guess yardage at 30 and the deer blows through and I was not comfortable with things , pick a bigger window same yardage , fast walking deer I lead a bit and fire Toink . I do not know why I did not try to stop him with a mouth grunt I have used it to good effect in the past but it did not come to mind .the deer runs a short distance then continues at a normal walk twitching its tail looking unharmed by my shot. I see him for around 40 seconds until he is concealed by brush no crash sounds.
![Confused :?](./images/smilies/icon_confused.gif)
I start to replay things in my head I do not remember hearing the bolt hit the deer , seams I may have been a bit high on target , was the lead correct ect ect that deer was to calm to have been hit I think I missed ,things happened very fast.
I have an hour before I am to leave to meat my brother for lunch so I decide to have my tea , snake and give it a half hour and look for the bolt and see what is up.
well I found the bolt covered in blood! but by the deers reaction I am thinking how good is the hit I do not want to make a lot of noise at this point as it has been only a half hour and I normally give it an hour but I can track about 50 yards in open terrain before the deer enters into cover so track that far very quietly and find one drop of blood I stop and go to the meeting spot for my brother.
My Brother is all excited by his encounter with the biggest buck of his life not seeing any deer the first 2 hours of light he decides to scout more he is on foot with his bow and has a giant ten point unaware of his presence he fires and the bolt goes under the buck poor yardage guess, the buck runs a few steps and then they have a long stare down over 5 min the deer decides the danger has passed steps behind a tree and my brother Steve decides to reload he steps behind tree gets the bow cocked a bolt in and when he steps out from tree the monster buck is locked on to him and he can not get the bow up and the buck is of in a flash.
Well I recruit my brother for tracking we find a steady blood trail on a runway that we follow a hundred yards or so until I see my deer laying across some fallen trees Oh yea a nice 9 point
![Dance :eusa-dance:](./images/smilies/eusa/dance.gif)
http://s897.photobucket.com/user/1642rem/media/IMG_20181030_121236717.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1
Take a few pictures check the shot entered a bit high , bit forward, exit very nice 3 in behind shoulder center body height all is well.
Ok now things get weird, time to turn him over and gut him well he has a wound/ hole ware his genitals are supposed to be
![Shocked :shock:](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
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Now my brother sees a wound on the neck that you can put your finger in to up to the knuckle, what the heck.
Well we figure this buck just had his butt kicked buy another deer or something.
all this not making a lot of seance well on with gutting the first step was all ready done, My shot took out the top of one lung and the center of the far lung.
More pictures taken.
http://s897.photobucket.com/user/1642rem/media/IMG_20181030_124621518.jpg.html?sort=3&o=3
http://s897.photobucket.com/user/1642rem/media/IMG_20181030_124539751.jpg.html?sort=3&o=2
get the deer home, skinned and it has neck punctures,ham wound, and side bruise not from bolt wound.
Not really sure what happened to this deer but he had a bad day over all.
http://s897.photobucket.com/user/1642rem/media/IMG_20181101_122917619.jpg.html?sort=3&o=4
http://s897.photobucket.com/user/1642rem/media/IMG_20181101_140328358_HDR.jpg.html?sort=3&o=5
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