Here is a hunting story for you:

Today was the first day of archery season here in my state. I went out after work despite very bad weather. There were gales blowing all day with rain and it was unseasonably cold and still is. I wore my deep winter hunting clothes.

I got out to my tree stand and got my kit up and the wind picked up intensity but there was some sunshine mixed in. The trees still have a lot of leaves so the tree canopy is still thick and not much sun gets through to the ground. What there was did not warm things up at all. I got down for awhile and was going to call it a day due to the wind which sounded like a freight train, but decided to look at some scrapes and rubs the bucks had been making. The wind seemed to die down after a bit so I went back up the tree.

Approximately 45 minutes later I heard some deer aproaching even though I was nearly asleep. Soon I could see them, it was a big doe and her weanling fawns. I waited for them to come in as I was going to take the doe for meat.

They all came in and were just below me, around 40 feet diagonally away. I watched them for awhile as they browsed and then the doe looked up at me and became nervous and I closed one eye. Somehow I have found that takes some of the fear out of game animals. She began stamping her feet, a warning call for deer, but I could hear another deer approaching from behind. I figured another doe was coming in. I was soon able to see the other animal coming through the leaves and it had a set of antlers. It was a six point buck, small rack but a big, fat body.

He came in oblivious to me and was looking the doe over. The doe remained and forgot about me too. Since the shot was there I decided to give it a whirl. I was so cold I was worried I would not be able to draw my bow. Desperate people can do desperate things! I drew and began to wait for him to clear the tree branches. He kept standing there so I picked a hole out and I shot my arrow through some leafy branches into his body, the heart/lung area. He was 12 yards away and perfectly broadside. He ran off and I heard him crash within seconds. I knew he was down. I lowered my kit down and proceeded to look for him. Light was beginning to fade.

I found him in the middle of a deer trail about 65 yards away lying on his back, all four feet in the air. Upon dressing, I found that I severed the aorta and took out both lungs.

I shot this deer with the very same arrow and broadhead (Steelforce)that killed the big boar warthog in August. The dried blood of the warthog was still on the arrow.

Neato!

This is a young deer and he will be very tender when I butcher him. He weighs about 175 pounds dressed and has a very thick layer of fat.

Three more months of deer season left. I can shoot another buck yet (if lucky enough to see one with four points on one side) and three does. One deer does make me pretty happy but the season is still very young!

Well done Ann!! Great start to the season. I can smell those back straps cooking!
I will be taking the Steelforce broadhead to the woods for the first time this year and hope to give them a good test. Do you use the bleeder blades or just the two?
Have a great season and I am looking forward to "the rest of the story".

These had the bleeder blades and best of all I got them free. Yep, won another raffle along the line . I am happy with their performance, it shattered a rib going through to the heart. Thus no pass through but the deer did not go very far.

Though he is not a large racked trophy buck I will get a photo up soon. He has a smaller rack than the one I got last year but seems bigger body wise. He is plump as a Thanksgiving Turkey. I suppose that would be because the bucks are not rutting yet and he has not expended any energy chasing does.

Ann
Sounds like grate hunt glade your hunt worked out for you. are season opens Oct18. I like those web.sights on the bodem of you screan I all ways wanted a little boy to hunt with ended up with to little girl's but now i would not have it any other way my oldest is 6 years old killed her first squirrel last year she hooked. She can't wate till sat.day opening day of youth squirrel season. She can't wate to shoot a deer so i thought i would let her try here luck this doe season or am i starting here out to early for deer.
Wish you luck on your next hunt.

Ann -
Way to go "killer".
I think your starting to get the hang us this
I'll be trying to copy you Saturday and am bringing my seven year old with me . He can teach me allot about staying quiet .

Get another and great work
DOA