Long Live the Beast

Last night I climbed a tree for about the 25th time this season in hopes of flinging a sharp stick through the vitals of a whitetail. It's been really tough hunting this year. We've got a bumper acorn crop so they've got much more feed than normal. Plus they've been doing heavy construction on N. Parmer and don't quit until almost dark. The noise pretty much keeps the deer bedded. From the tree I was in last night I've got about a 30 degree shooting window to a creek where they often pass between their bedding and feeding areas.

About 10 minutes before legal shooting time ended the construction noise subsided. The noise ruins not only the hunting but the tranquility of watching the sunset. It was almost dark when I saw a couple deer behind me. They sometimes come from that direction but they stopped to feed. If I waited for them to quit feeding and reach my shooting it'd be too dark. The nearest one was broadside and I had a small hole to shoot through. However the setup was far from optimal. My bow was pointing the wrong way and there was no foliage behind me so I was silhouetted against the sky. Since the shooting lane was so small I hadn't planned on ever taking a shot so I didn't know the yardage and have never flung a practice arrow that way. The arrow shows it was standing.


The far deer was facing me dead-on so I figured she was wise to me, but I tried anyway. Though exaggerated slow movement I was able to the bow turned around without getting busted. I drew, anchored, aimed, and released. It was too dark to see the arrow in flight but I heard the telltale "thwack" of a solid hit. The button-buck dropped in his tracks - spine shot. I climbed down, put another arrow through the vitals, and choked him out.

Since it was cool last night I just tagged, gutted, and skinned it, and left it hanging so it could age a little before I butchered it this morning. I'll try to jerk some of it tomorrow & send a care package to RainBlow. 3 tags & 2 weeks left...