Here's the story...
I've been watching this deer for 3 years now, but passed him up a half dozen times the last two seasons with hopes of connecting on Plan A or Plan B. 3 years ago i had him at 5 years old so i am guessing he was 7ish this year.
This is what he looked like at end of season last year.
Anyhow, two nights ago was first pic I had of him at my feeder during shooting hours. He is very regular in his patterns so i knew i had to get out there last night. iSolunar said it was a 4 star day with the peak of a Minor Period occurring roughly at sunset. Sure enough, he shows up about 7pm.
Watched him walk across my oat plot from 100 yards all the way to my feeder pen and he enters the pen from the far side. Luckily, i had used some bolt cutters and cut several 16"x16" windows in the hog panels to shoot through. When he lined up with one, i let it fly. 28 yds broadside from my bow blind, but i pulled the shot a bit and hit him too far back. He jumps out of the feed pen and stumbled out into my plot and then he just stops about 80 yards from me and stands there for like 5 min hunched over. I'm thinking that at any point he is going to his knees, but then i see the hatchet wound in his paunch and knew i gut shot him. He then he stumbles across the plot to a tree line and then it gets too dark to see.
I knew he wouldnt go far, so I backed out and made the recovery this morning. Found him pilled up in the brush right where i had seen him last -- not more than 75 yards from where i had shot him.