just a yearling

[jaydee2trad]

I was in a climbing treestand on a black oak with my bow. The spot is now where several houses are located and I knew that my spot would be gone soon. I was about 100 yards up from a very good road crossing and knew that deer would come thru this spot due to the lay of the land and timber. It was mid day and warming up when I spotted the yearling working it's way towards me. I slowly stood up with my bow in my hand and the climber creaked a little bit. And the yearling heard it and stopped, I picked my spot very quickly and shot. Not sure if I plucked or what but I shot high and to the side. The deer took off immediately back the way that it had come and I just knew that I had totally missed. I sat back down as I tried to recall what I had done, step by step. About thirty minutes later, I could see my arrow at about 18 yards or so in the sunlight. As I stared at it, I could see something buzzing the arrow, several somethings. Then I realized that it was yellow jackets and they are attracted to blood and meat. So I climbed down and sure enough, there was blood all over my arrow. In fact, there was a really good blood trail heading back towards the road. Now I got excited and began following the easy trail. At about forty yards, it had run smack into a big Hickory tree, leaving blood and meat in the bark but as I looked ahead, no more trail and no deer. I was confused for a minute until I realized that if had fallen down into the narrow wet weather branch. The branch was undercut exactly where it had fallen and hid it perfectly. But I really wanted to know where I had hit it to bleed out that fast on a downhill run. Somehow I had managed to hit the lower neck and cut the big artery. I know that it wasn't where I had intended but I was happy to get some meat. The other positive was it was headed closer towards the truck, not that it was a very heavy drag. Never had one run hard into a tree like that and man did it. it might have been just a yearling but it was good eats.

[Elkman]

[Jamesh76]

My first derr , I hit the same artery. Bled everywhere and went 40 yards or so. November 11, 1994.

[jaydee2trad]

Arteries are gold to the bowhunter. the only reason this one made it that far was because it was going downhill. The older we get, the more tender the younger deer eat.

[Captainkirk]

Nothing wrong with tender young deer! Contrary to popular belief, antler soup is pretty nasty.