Today was my day after a very slow start to my rutcation. I am sure the warm weather has not helped. I went to one of the properties that I am hunting in a management doe hunt where I've been seeing pretty good action on the trail cameras, mostly at night. I pulled in at 2:00 and got settled into the stand and by 2:30 already saw three cruising bucks.
At 3:30 I heard some noise over my right shoulder and I turned and had a half rack staring at me from 20 yards. I've seen him before. He had me pegged but kept looking behind me. It was then that I heard the steady footfalls in the leaves of something coming directly behind me and towards my left shoulder. I quickly grabbed my bow and swung to the left and saw dark chocolate antlers already even to me and walking briskly. With no time to look at him closely I knew he was a heavy frame and big bodied deer. He had that mature buck swagger to him.
By the time I got on him he was about 25 yards quartering away and I stopped him with a mouth grunt and let one fly. I heard the hollow thunk we like to hear and off he took with tail tucked between his legs. He dropped over a hill and I lost sight of him but did not hear him crash. I could see my arrow sticking in a tree so I climbed down to inspect it and the blood looks good. I gave the buck about 20 minutes and slowly took up the trail. When I got to where I thought he would be I couldn't see him and started to get a little nervous. After 10 more steps I saw him. He died in a little depression. It was a perfect double lung shot. Shot him with the Excalibur Twin Strike which for those that don't know has two limbs, two arrows and two triggers. I thought I pulled the first trigger which is the top limb which is the one you are supposed to shoot first but after I looked at my bow I realized in my excitement I pulled the back trigger and shot him with the lower arrow which will hit about 2 inches lower than where you're aiming. It worked out well though.
Pretty darn stoked about this buck. It looks to be a nice mature Allegheny County buck and I really like his dark antlers. His brow tines are long and thickly bladed. I thought he was an 8-point when I shot him but he turned out to be a 9 point.
Good luck to all of those still out there trying to punch their tags. It's going to get really good over the next week. Hang in there and I look forward to the pictures. Thanks for reading.
