WoodOx
11-05-2009, 08:00 PM
headed out this morning with jjensen to a local hunting ground.
after tracking a deer all morning we were heading out of the area at about 9, when we drove by a small valley to see a nice wide buck running a doe. he was high and wide, and looked tobe a 5x5 through our binos...
we pursued the buck and do, and they dropped into my crosshair sights at about 80m. too far for my comfort, not to mention there were a few branches in the way...
the buck and doe skylined and dissapeared over a ridge. jjensen quickly circled around with the tuck to try and cut them off on a far edge. I took chase and upon breaching the ridge, they were gone..
i maintained my path along that ridge, while jjsensen skirted the botton of the ridge. we were hoping one of us would get a shot...
carrying along the ridge i suddenly saw the buck broadside and as soon as i got him in the crossbow scope, he turned to run with the doe.
I took chase once again, and upon catching upto the doe, the buck was gone. In his stead there were 2 does. I called jeff and heard him coming up behind me, so hung up. at the same time, I saw the buck again, running the doe down hill...
here we go again...down the hill to where I saw him last...
doe, no buck. well, we figured wed follow his tracks. sure enough after a few minutes, jjsensen spots him running the doe again. we both take chase but split in two this time, with the buck between us. about 3 minutes into this stalk, i saw a doe run off to my left. I figured id take my chances and follow her. i slowly made my way up a hill towards her, and she kept at least 80 yards between us at all times...
upon breaching the ridge she passed, she was gone. I tracked her the best I could, and upon doing a full circle towhere jjensen had left the road, I saw the buck with 4 does joggingup a hillside about 300 yards away. I felt exhausted as by this point we had been chasing for a good hour, not to mention the distance they now had between me and them.
I headed their way, and as I broke into an open area they saw me and start going up the hill faster, away. then,suddenly and to my surprise, the buck broke one doe off and drove her back towards me... my heartbeat sped up, i still had a chance.
I jogged down to a ridge right above where I saw him and her dissapear. upon breaking the ridge, i saw nothing, butheard a very off sound. It sounded like a horse or pig, but in any event I stalked towards it. Upon breaking another close ridge, I saw two large 5pts clash horns ar about 40 yards...
here was my chance! they were clearly preoccupied... I stalked about 10 meters closer and raised my crossbow as the hit one another again. BANG
the slightly smaller of the two was thrown back onto his hind and quickly turned tail to run. he ran and stopped broadside about 20 yards from me now...
up goes the crossbow on his vitals...
schwick! miss....
reload reload hurry...
schwick! miss..
oh my god how can I be missing... last bolt...
schwick! miss....
out of bolts.. and he ran...
I jogged back to the truck, very dissapointed...
until in my periphery I saw a doe running my way... and in hot pursuit was the bigger of the bucks...
I grabbed my compound and stalked to within 20 yards... I only had one arrow...
now there are 4 bucks - 2 5 pts, one small 4 and a 2pt...
line up and release...be calm...
thwack! hit, but it doesnt look good... he looks like he turned but a lot of blood is spewing from the wound...
he runs over a hill and leaves the group.. I take chase, not quite knowing what I should do should he not go down (dont even ask why i didnt have more arrows or bolts!)
I did catch upto him on his blood trail, and there he lay bleeding out. jjensen joined me, and with his bow we finished him off...
my first bow buck, with quite an exciting story...
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y258/agaucher/IMG_0775-1.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y258/agaucher/IMG_0784.jpg
and my partner, jjensen:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y258/agaucher/IMG_0782.jpg
.
after tracking a deer all morning we were heading out of the area at about 9, when we drove by a small valley to see a nice wide buck running a doe. he was high and wide, and looked tobe a 5x5 through our binos...
we pursued the buck and do, and they dropped into my crosshair sights at about 80m. too far for my comfort, not to mention there were a few branches in the way...
the buck and doe skylined and dissapeared over a ridge. jjensen quickly circled around with the tuck to try and cut them off on a far edge. I took chase and upon breaching the ridge, they were gone..
i maintained my path along that ridge, while jjsensen skirted the botton of the ridge. we were hoping one of us would get a shot...
carrying along the ridge i suddenly saw the buck broadside and as soon as i got him in the crossbow scope, he turned to run with the doe.
I took chase once again, and upon catching upto the doe, the buck was gone. In his stead there were 2 does. I called jeff and heard him coming up behind me, so hung up. at the same time, I saw the buck again, running the doe down hill...
here we go again...down the hill to where I saw him last...
doe, no buck. well, we figured wed follow his tracks. sure enough after a few minutes, jjsensen spots him running the doe again. we both take chase but split in two this time, with the buck between us. about 3 minutes into this stalk, i saw a doe run off to my left. I figured id take my chances and follow her. i slowly made my way up a hill towards her, and she kept at least 80 yards between us at all times...
upon breaching the ridge she passed, she was gone. I tracked her the best I could, and upon doing a full circle towhere jjensen had left the road, I saw the buck with 4 does joggingup a hillside about 300 yards away. I felt exhausted as by this point we had been chasing for a good hour, not to mention the distance they now had between me and them.
I headed their way, and as I broke into an open area they saw me and start going up the hill faster, away. then,suddenly and to my surprise, the buck broke one doe off and drove her back towards me... my heartbeat sped up, i still had a chance.
I jogged down to a ridge right above where I saw him and her dissapear. upon breaking the ridge, i saw nothing, butheard a very off sound. It sounded like a horse or pig, but in any event I stalked towards it. Upon breaking another close ridge, I saw two large 5pts clash horns ar about 40 yards...
here was my chance! they were clearly preoccupied... I stalked about 10 meters closer and raised my crossbow as the hit one another again. BANG
the slightly smaller of the two was thrown back onto his hind and quickly turned tail to run. he ran and stopped broadside about 20 yards from me now...
up goes the crossbow on his vitals...
schwick! miss....
reload reload hurry...
schwick! miss..
oh my god how can I be missing... last bolt...
schwick! miss....
out of bolts.. and he ran...
I jogged back to the truck, very dissapointed...
until in my periphery I saw a doe running my way... and in hot pursuit was the bigger of the bucks...
I grabbed my compound and stalked to within 20 yards... I only had one arrow...
now there are 4 bucks - 2 5 pts, one small 4 and a 2pt...
line up and release...be calm...
thwack! hit, but it doesnt look good... he looks like he turned but a lot of blood is spewing from the wound...
he runs over a hill and leaves the group.. I take chase, not quite knowing what I should do should he not go down (dont even ask why i didnt have more arrows or bolts!)
I did catch upto him on his blood trail, and there he lay bleeding out. jjensen joined me, and with his bow we finished him off...
my first bow buck, with quite an exciting story...
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y258/agaucher/IMG_0775-1.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y258/agaucher/IMG_0784.jpg
and my partner, jjensen:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y258/agaucher/IMG_0782.jpg
.