Buck down! They're moving.

Crossbow Hunting

Moderator: Excalibur Marketing Dude

User avatar
DuckHunt
Posts: 2162
Joined: Sun Aug 20, 2006 2:07 pm
Location: Harpers Ferry, WV

Buck down! They're moving.

Post by DuckHunt »

This morning I put my son in law in my stand and he had the opportunity to launch two arrows with his compound bow unsuccessfully. A dreaded sapling stepped in front of his shot at a small buck that I had watched in bow range for more than a half hour. :eusa-doh: About an hour later, a doe busted him at the exact time that he released the arrow and he buried the arrow right where she was standing a second earlier. :eusa-doh:

Fast forward to this afternoon and he sat out. So, I was back in my stand and my daughter in hers.We were in the stands around 4pm. Out of no where at 5pm, I caught movement about 40 yards in front of me. A buck had came out of the ravine and was heading right to me. He was moving so fast, I barely had time to text my daughter I had deer under me. Since we're sitting relatively close together, we try to give the other a heads up just in case we both end up with an opportunity. Well, the buck made a beeline for the oak that is 15 yards in front of my stand. Right after I first saw him, I knew he was a shooter. It was certainly less than a minute from the time I first saw him until he was just barely quartering too at 18 yards under the oak. I sit about 24 feet up, so it was a fairly steep angle. I put the 20 yard dot about 3/4 of the way up just behind the shoulder and squeezed the trigger on my Matrix 350 SE. The Rocket Hammerhead tipped Zombie Slayer found its mark as highlighted by the Lumenok. The bucked jumped and headed downhill toward the ravine about 60 yards away. Just after he went out of sight, I'm fairly certain I heard a tumble or crash.

I sat for 45 minutes before climbing down. There wasn't much blood the first 20 yards, but I did find a little.
Image
When I ventured beyond 40 yards, the blood started to paint thicker.
Image
Sensing that the deer probably wasn't far from the edge of the thick stuff, I took the opportunity to try out a new thermal tracker. The buck is about 20 yards away. Can you see him?
Image
He's right there.
Image
Here is the way I found him...
Image
Here he is pulled out to more level ground.
Image

So far this bow season has been phenomenal. Although I really like how maneuverable my Micro is in my tree stand, this Matrix appears to be in the right place at the right time. This is the second 8pt I've taken with it in as many weeks and both were taken with the same arrow. At first glance, it may ride again. We'll have to see after a closer inspection. I wasn't going to shoot another buck unless it was larger than the last. This one appears to be a year older and is slightly heavier all around. If I take another buck this season, it will have to be even bigger so I'm really raising the bar now. Well, for bucks anyway. No mature doe is safe. :lol:
Micro Wolverine/Matrix 350 SE
Recovering Excalaholic :lol:
xcaliber
Posts: 12821
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2013 7:35 pm
Location: NW Indiana

Re: Buck down! They're moving.

Post by xcaliber »

Awesome and congrats!
It’s not the way you rock, it’s the way that you roll!
longbow joe
Posts: 4246
Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2015 9:55 pm
Location: south eastern pa (bucks county)

Re: Buck down! They're moving.

Post by longbow joe »

Yea ...that's a nice buck for sure.congrats.
I'm seeing really early rut activity here this year
Vixen 2, metal ibex,Phoenix,sapphire,matrix 330 ,matrix 355 ,vortex and baby grand piano y25 relayer.
Trigger tecs,leupold crossbones and nikon bolts.
Zombie slayers and mostly swat broadheads.
Stepnoutnb
Posts: 516
Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2019 7:17 pm
Location: New Brunswick, Canada

Re: Buck down! They're moving.

Post by Stepnoutnb »

Very nice, congratulations! :thumbup:
User avatar
Bcxbow
Posts: 1361
Joined: Fri Jun 30, 2017 5:44 am
Location: North Georgia

Re: Buck down! They're moving.

Post by Bcxbow »

Congrats DH :thumbup:
Hybrid Micro BD 360
Micro Mag 340
Boo Strings - Trinity Strings
Zombie Slayers
Swat & TOTA Broadheads
User avatar
ihunt
Posts: 760
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2016 10:30 am
Location: Montreal Canada

Re: Buck down! They're moving.

Post by ihunt »

Congrats! Thanks for posting
Micro Camo 335
Zombie Slayers
mr meat
Posts: 5236
Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2009 4:40 pm
Location: The land of ice and snow North Bay

Re: Buck down! They're moving.

Post by mr meat »

Nice Congrats
vixen 11
exocet 175 with Aging custom stock #27
Exocet 175
exocet 200

matrix 355
Micro Camo 335
Micro Nightmare 335
380 Lynx
BJ custom arrows
Boo string on vixen
gerald strine
Posts: 3421
Joined: Mon Nov 30, 2009 7:41 pm
Location: Southern Michigan

Re: Buck down! They're moving.

Post by gerald strine »

Way to go that's a good buck ,nice body on him congratulations !
What is the heat imagining thin you use can not see the deer at all in the first picture but he is on the scope looks to be a big help.
Hunt eat sleep repeat.
grouse
Posts: 830
Joined: Mon Oct 22, 2012 5:08 pm
Location: Missouri

Re: Buck down! They're moving.

Post by grouse »

Congratulations! Nice deer and a good shot.
axiom
350 SE
User avatar
elkaholic
Posts: 678
Joined: Wed Jul 26, 2017 6:27 pm
Location: Phoenix, Arizona

Re: Buck down! They're moving.

Post by elkaholic »

:thumbup:
User avatar
Reinyrooster
Posts: 465
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2015 9:08 am
Location: Kitchener, Ontario

Re: Buck down! They're moving.

Post by Reinyrooster »

Awesome hunt! Thanks for the pics.
User avatar
DuckHunt
Posts: 2162
Joined: Sun Aug 20, 2006 2:07 pm
Location: Harpers Ferry, WV

Re: Buck down! They're moving.

Post by DuckHunt »

gerald strine wrote:
Sun Oct 20, 2019 9:39 am
What is the heat imagining thin you use can not see the deer at all in the first picture but he is on the scope looks to be a big help.
It's a Leupold LTO Tracker 2. I like it a lot better than the FLIR One that I was using, but each has its benefits. The FLIR One connects to your smartphone, so you can take photos with it. But it has a built in rechargeable battery that only lasts an hour at best. The Leupold LTO Tracker 2 has higher thermal resolution and will run 10 hours on a CR123 replaceable battery. I can see squirrels at 50 yards with it. If you wait a half hour or more after a shot, any blood trail will turn cold so it will not help much in that case. But it makes searching thick cover for downed game a lot easier.

BTW, its on sale right now at Bass Pro (and Cabela's). I had been looking for a used one so I couldn't pass up a new one for 50% off.
Micro Wolverine/Matrix 350 SE
Recovering Excalaholic :lol:
gerald strine
Posts: 3421
Joined: Mon Nov 30, 2009 7:41 pm
Location: Southern Michigan

Re: Buck down! They're moving.

Post by gerald strine »

DuckHunt wrote:
Sun Oct 20, 2019 12:09 pm
gerald strine wrote:
Sun Oct 20, 2019 9:39 am
What is the heat imagining thin you use can not see the deer at all in the first picture but he is on the scope looks to be a big help.
It's a Leupold LTO Tracker 2. I like it a lot better than the FLIR One that I was using, but each has its benefits. The FLIR One connects to your smartphone, so you can take photos with it. But it has a built in rechargeable battery that only lasts an hour at best. The Leupold LTO Tracker 2 has higher thermal resolution and will run 10 hours on a CR123 replaceable battery. I can see squirrels at 50 yards with it. If you wait a half hour or more after a shot, any blood trail will turn cold so it will not help much in that case. But it makes searching thick cover for downed game a lot easier.

BTW, its on sale right now at Bass Pro (and Cabela's). I had been looking for a used one so I couldn't pass up a new one for 50% off.
I normally like to wait an hour after a shot before I do any tracking but I think it would still help with locating the carcass and at night it would be real handy.
Hunt eat sleep repeat.
User avatar
XB I GO
Posts: 634
Joined: Sun Nov 29, 2015 10:00 am
Location: Texas

Re: Buck down! They're moving.

Post by XB I GO »

Nice one, that's a wicked hole in that deer!
vixenmaster
Posts: 13618
Joined: Wed Sep 14, 2005 3:51 pm
Location: Western Ky

Re: Buck down! They're moving.

Post by vixenmaster »

Really nice tick toter congrats
Half Bubble Off BD360

[email protected] 417-505-9315
Post Reply