Report was for east wind before sunup. Walked out about 0500hrs with East of the Sun West of the Moon static recurve I finished about last Christmas time. The call was for mid 50's early and 91 later and being its October 5th I could not put off my second morning hunt any longer. The wind call was correct after days of 90 degree weather the cool 54 degrees felt like a clean cold shower after 100 days in the desert.
Hunted a sycamore flat near my river. No food source in there just a travel route to cross the river on a small shoal of gravel. The deer use when they shift or get the urge to move a bit. I thought maybe this would be that kind of morning, Deer moving to better oak stands or wetter ground to look for Pawpaws that maybe left hanging possibly.
Set up and for first hour I thought "geeze its rather slow but a great morning. Turkeys are coming off roosts and raccoons were all heading back to den trees". Slow, maybe I was wrong about my gut felling? Hung my bow back up and caught movement, buck coming off high ground travelling with wind. Yep, young deer with 5-7 pts just high stepping for the river. He made a loop[ and came back by. Same time a family group of six deer came off same high ground, saw the buck and trotted away from him. They did go down bank and cross river.
Well Shoots, went to hang my bow up again and saw movement once again but close, 35yds. Big doe with deer in behind following. I had taken my finger glove off for some thing? Had no time to put it back on, thought "oh well see how this goes". The glove had made its way to my elbow now as I got bow ready to make a 20yd shot. The deer saw me draw and jumped a little but she presented a slightly better angle. I let loose, arrow flew true 30" Tamarack shaft with a Magnus 125grn took her high in left shoulder with lots of down angle. Shot felt solid even bare fingered.
She wheeled and ran and as she did I could see the crimson well up on her side in bright instantly. Very dry here so I could hear her run up the hill and through some brushy area and thought I heard a crash and thrashing. I waited a good bit and got down to see what the impact site may reveal. Once there I saw it was splashed with bright red. I packed my gear and grabbed my bow as I was purty sure what I heard was her going down. The blood was clearly visable as if spilled from a full paint can. Found the back half of my Tamarack shaft after 60 yds. Twenty more yards and there she was. The rest of the shaft and broad head lay under her it had just made it thru. That little static selfbow shot well.
HH~
