Opening day and lessons learned

Opening day of bow season witnessed 20 mph winds.  Jake had to go to football practice in the morning and off with friends in the afternoon.  I headed back to the southern stand on the Suor property that Jessica had helped me sew a blind cover around just three days earlier.  This stand is exactly 3/4 mile due south of my house.  As I approached the stand I kicked up a doe that had bed down under the stand.....a good sign I thought.  From 4-6:30 I saw at least 12 does that moved from north to south, into the wind, all pausing below my stand eating acorns.  At dusk an 8 point walked out of the brush with his nose to the ground moving at a pretty good clip into the wind 30 yards west of my stand.  I drew my bow and barked at him to stop.  He did and as he took off my arrow flew.  It hit the front shoulder and made a loud crack.  He jumped and really took off.  Thinking I hit him good I decided to sneak out of the woods and come back in the morning.  I let the woods in a direction I believed to be far away from where he ran.....I found out the next AM that in fact I had actually walked in the exact direction the buck ran and I am sure this resulted in me pushing him.

That night Dave cooked JP and I an awesome steak with wild mushrooms in celebration of the successful hunt.

Well the next morning JP joined Jessica, Jake, and I to find this buck.  As we drove down the Suor field a large 50-60 pound coyote jumped out in front of us.  My heart sank as I knew if coyotes were in the area chances were pretty good that my buck had been their dinner.

Jake and JP on the trail

Jessica in field where the trail went cold

Arrow bit off by the buck

We immediately found the blood trail and followed it for 1/2 mile into the Krause property where it went cold.  We spent the entire day looking for that deer, but to no avail.

My lesson learned is, even though it was dark, I should have waited an hour in my stand before heading home so as not to push the deer.