I finished my yew selfbow that I had been working on yesterday. This week is fall break so I took the week off to be with the kids and hunt a bit. It was 40 degrees this morning and really calm. I eased into the woods at 6:00 a.m. and jumped one near my stand. I was seated and ready at 6:09. I was hunting over a very fresh scrape that has been hit twice in the past week for sure. There is a white oak in the same spot as well and full of acorns. At 7:00 I heard a deer walking off the ridge coming towards me. I looked over my right shoulder and didn't see him but he was coming fast and on the other side. I eased around to look left and he was going to pass right by me. I had to hurry. He was going to pass by at about 12 yards and then right under a big beach tree. I drew quick and took the shot. I hit him in the short ribs.
He exploded forward and when he came out the other side of the beach I could see the arrow stick out of him but it looked like there was only about 8-10" penetration. That worried me. He hit a draw at 50 yards and fell then right back up and trucking. I thought I heard him fall again but wasn't positive. I decided to give him 90 minutes. At 8:30 I got down and saw blood right where I shot him so that was a good sign but the hit was up on the back so he would bleed mostly inside. I went to where I last saw him and could see that he was on a good trail. I traveled about 75 yards and saw him. I had shot through a rib, his liver and right through the far lung, but when he ran the arrow was working out so that's why it looked shallow.
He was a young 10-pointer. The bow is a yew bow 42# @ 27.5" I was shooting a barrelled shaft POC arrow that Paul Jalon made me from Elite Arrows. I used a 2-blade 125 gr. point. I put the arrow on the chrono yesterday and it shoots 144 fps. Arrow weight is 450 gr.
