- Joined
- Dec 16, 2009
- Messages
- 549
- Reaction score
- 110
">
Hello All
Although I haven’t hunted much this season (only 2 trips so far), I was fortunate to harvest a fine doe with the Excalibur Matrix 405 on Monday. It was an afternoon/evening hunt just behind the house on my neighbor’s 29 acre property. It’s been a number of years (4 or 5) since I’ve taken a deer there.
It was relatively quiet out given the incredible wind (~60 MPH) and rain storm (4.75 inches) that passed through on Sunday night into Monday morning. Just before sunset I caught some movement out in front of my treestand which at first I thought was a coyote, but, as it cleared some brush I could see it was a doe. I immediately pulled the crossbow off the bow hanger and got ready. She stopped about 35 or 40 yards directly out in front of the treestand but due to the leaves and the overall thickness of the cover, I totally lost sight of her. I was scanning the area behind her to see if there was any other deer with her. After a few minutes, I was really beginning to think she may have walked away from me, but I caught some movement and realized she was still there. She was heading for one of my shooting lanes but it was not clear if she would pass through it, or just beyond my clear line of sight. Fortunately, she actually turned towards my tree a bit as she began silently walking towards my shooting lane. This allowed me to get a clear shot. The shot ended up being about 25 yards slightly quartering towards me. I didn’t attempt to stop her as she was walking fairly slowly.
At the shot she jumped and took four or five bounds which I heard more than saw into some thick stuff to my right. I listened intently to try and hear if she fell but never heard another sound. I even donned my hearing enhanced ear muffs to try to hear her but no luck. I scanned the ground for the bolt but couldn’t see that either. I was losing light fast so I waited only about 15 minutes before climbing down to look for my bolt. I slowly made my way to where she stood when I shot and after a couple of minutes I did find my bolt. The bolt and fletching were completely covered in red blood which made me feel much better. By now it was getting dark. The heavy rain had matted down the leaves so irt was easy to see where she hit the ground on her jumps so I slowly followed the scuff marks for the first three or four jumps and there she lay, not 30 yards from where I shot her! Those three or four jumps from when I shot had been it.
I gave thanks for the harvest and put a light stick on a branch over her body and walked back to the house to get a better light, my deer cart and some other clothing. Within an hour I had her back to the house. Beautiful large doe 124 pounds dressed. No sign of her having a fawn this year. Either she wasn’t bred last fall or lost here fawn(s). Nice to have one down especially given the limited hunting I’ve been able to do so far. Hope everyone has a safe and productive season.
bob
BEWARE Shot Details follow!
Shot entered about 6 inches behind shoulder about mid body, caught one lung, liver, and clipped the stomach before exiting mid body on opposite side. 100 grain Schwacker expandable broadhead did the trick.
