I arrowed my first late season buck yesterday afternoon. I am not ashamed to admit that I used a crossbow and shot him near a corn pile. 95% of the time I use my compound. I have on occasion used a crossbow to hunt from the ground, but this particular location called for a crossbow. I was set in a climber overlooking a big trail leading to the corn. In front of my climber was a blow down resting against a tree right beside me. It made for great cover, but nearly impossible to draw a compound from, so I used my dad’s crossbow. I hustled out after school and got tucked in just minutes before deer started moving. I watched a deer mosey in thick cover from about 4:30 until about the time I shot my buck. I am confident it was a different shooter that did not want to come out of the thick cover. I never did get a clear look at him.
I began to hear some steps out in front to my left, so I switched my attention that way. I see a good buck coming along the edge of thick cover left to right out in front of me about 75 yards. He headed straight across towards the other deer in the thick stuff. I was surprised that he was on his feet and and it wasn’t even 5:00 yet!! I figure he was headed straight to the other deer. I was happy just to see a good buck on his feet at this time of year, I didn’t really think I would get a shot at him. Minutes later, I see him coming from my right. He had made a big loop way out along the thick and was working his way back in towards the corn from down wind. Yes, I think he was headed to the corn, but he was smart enough to make a giant circle and come in from downwind. It almost cost me.
He continued his loop which put him directly downwind from me and he ended up being directly to my right so turning that way was not an option. Not to mention, I really couldn’t turn any further that way. He gets to ten yards and stops and starts wind checking. At this point I think I am done. He does the classic head bob then begins to turn and leave directly away from me on high alert, but still walking. I thought to myself now is the time to turn. I knew I could not move my body because of how quiet it was in the woods so, I pulled the bow to my chest around the blowdown and set up for a left handed shot (I am right handed). As luck would have it, as he exited, he began to curl to his right presenting me with a thirty yard shot. He stopped broadside and began to nose a lick branch over a scrape. That gave me just enough time to get on him and just enough room through the brush to kill him. Awkwardly, I was able to get steady and place the dot right behind his shoulder and let the Stryker eat. I hit right where I was aiming and heard a good thump. He shot off like a rocket and went over a small bank and crashed hard. He didn’t die in sight, but he went down within 50 yards of where he was hit. I would bet from the time the arrow hit him he was down in less than ten seconds. The silence of the woods let me hear him crash hard and I sat still and silent for twenty minutes before I felt safe to get down. I knew right where he was, so I peeked over the bank and their he laid. I was very relieved to recover him close. I gave a quick thanks to the big man and began to drag him out. A buddy came shortly after with a four wheeler and we got him out and taken care of.
This honestly has been the best deer season I have ever had. I got to spend a lot of quality time in the woods with my daugher, witness her kill a buck, come to full draw on the biggest buck of my life only to have a sapling get in the way and see more mature shooter bucks in a season than I ever have. I also got to cap it off by killing a good buck in January. I actually spent some time recently reading old threads on baiting and it really got me thinking. There is more to it than just throwing corn out. In the past couple years I have thought long and hard about where to put the pile. I think it does make a big difference along with many other factors. Do I believe putting corn out helped kill this buck? Absolutely! Did it make it “automatic” or “easy”, not a chance… My buddies that have seen this buck in person believe he is a 4.5 year old deer. I would agree with them. He has really heavy bases, but a weak side will keep him under just 140” gross. We came up with 138". I am very happy with him regardless. Thank you all for the generous comments. It is much appreciated. Good luck to those still out getting after them!
First two pics are of how I found him. The last was before the ride home.
I began to hear some steps out in front to my left, so I switched my attention that way. I see a good buck coming along the edge of thick cover left to right out in front of me about 75 yards. He headed straight across towards the other deer in the thick stuff. I was surprised that he was on his feet and and it wasn’t even 5:00 yet!! I figure he was headed straight to the other deer. I was happy just to see a good buck on his feet at this time of year, I didn’t really think I would get a shot at him. Minutes later, I see him coming from my right. He had made a big loop way out along the thick and was working his way back in towards the corn from down wind. Yes, I think he was headed to the corn, but he was smart enough to make a giant circle and come in from downwind. It almost cost me.
He continued his loop which put him directly downwind from me and he ended up being directly to my right so turning that way was not an option. Not to mention, I really couldn’t turn any further that way. He gets to ten yards and stops and starts wind checking. At this point I think I am done. He does the classic head bob then begins to turn and leave directly away from me on high alert, but still walking. I thought to myself now is the time to turn. I knew I could not move my body because of how quiet it was in the woods so, I pulled the bow to my chest around the blowdown and set up for a left handed shot (I am right handed). As luck would have it, as he exited, he began to curl to his right presenting me with a thirty yard shot. He stopped broadside and began to nose a lick branch over a scrape. That gave me just enough time to get on him and just enough room through the brush to kill him. Awkwardly, I was able to get steady and place the dot right behind his shoulder and let the Stryker eat. I hit right where I was aiming and heard a good thump. He shot off like a rocket and went over a small bank and crashed hard. He didn’t die in sight, but he went down within 50 yards of where he was hit. I would bet from the time the arrow hit him he was down in less than ten seconds. The silence of the woods let me hear him crash hard and I sat still and silent for twenty minutes before I felt safe to get down. I knew right where he was, so I peeked over the bank and their he laid. I was very relieved to recover him close. I gave a quick thanks to the big man and began to drag him out. A buddy came shortly after with a four wheeler and we got him out and taken care of.
This honestly has been the best deer season I have ever had. I got to spend a lot of quality time in the woods with my daugher, witness her kill a buck, come to full draw on the biggest buck of my life only to have a sapling get in the way and see more mature shooter bucks in a season than I ever have. I also got to cap it off by killing a good buck in January. I actually spent some time recently reading old threads on baiting and it really got me thinking. There is more to it than just throwing corn out. In the past couple years I have thought long and hard about where to put the pile. I think it does make a big difference along with many other factors. Do I believe putting corn out helped kill this buck? Absolutely! Did it make it “automatic” or “easy”, not a chance… My buddies that have seen this buck in person believe he is a 4.5 year old deer. I would agree with them. He has really heavy bases, but a weak side will keep him under just 140” gross. We came up with 138". I am very happy with him regardless. Thank you all for the generous comments. It is much appreciated. Good luck to those still out getting after them!
First two pics are of how I found him. The last was before the ride home.
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