My first archery deer

I bought a small ranch about a year and a half ago in northern Lampasas county. I have been working nonstop since with food plots, land management and a year round feeding program with protein and corn feeders. I decided to take the jump into archery hunting when I started seeing the best bucks during the pre-rut last October. I have been hunting for the past few weeks and finally connected. I had a really big ten point jump the string on me two weeks ago which left me feeling pretty low but I kept after it. Last Friday I had this guy come past at 12 yards. I have never seen him before. He just started showing up about ten days ago.
I made the shot and it felt good. He went and laid up 35 yards out but I ended up jumping him on my way out of the popup. I felt horrible. I thought he was stone dead. I was sorely wrong. I went and got my Catahoula and started the track. HE ended up jumping the fence onto my neighbors place. They gave me permission to look the next day and I was off with Pepper to find him. I found him but sadly so had the buzzards. I double lung shot him low and he still ran 750 yards! I ran a track on google maps to verify it. That guy had a lot of go in him. Thank goodness for a well trained blood dog. I have been working with Pepper for almost two years now and this is her first whitetail track job. I usually run her on hogs. She ran him down in no time. He is by far my biggest 8 point to date and my first archery deer with a 18 inch inside spread and long tall main beams. I can see why bow hunting is so addictive! Getting so close to a deer that you hear it breathing really gets the blood pumping!

Very nice slick 8. Congratulations! Good luck with your new ranch.

Very good buck for that area

Very nice congrats

thanks guys! I am very lucky to have like-minded neighbors that don't shoot every buck that walks past. And even luckier to have a good neighbor that let me go recover my deer.

Congrats on a nice buck! Bowhunting can be addictive.

congrats on staying the course.

Congratulations on your first stick, that is a very nice high rack 8

That's a lot of bone right there. Congratulations on a fine hunt and some excellent management.

That's nice , really like your pic pose

Great job all around!

congrats

Awesome Buck, Bow Hunting is like no other!

Congrats to you and Pepper on the recovery

Good looking 8 and to get him on your own ranch makes it even better

Great buck for the area, that is a tall rack on him. Bow hunting can sure be addictive and fun. Congrats, and give Pepper a treat sounds well earned

Brother in Law, it took me a while to figure out how I should take the picture. The dang buzzards had him really chewed up and the head was about the only intact part of him. I was actually pretty happy with how this turned out all things considered. And thanks everyone for the kind words. I am extremely proud of this deer and officially hooked on bow hunting.

and for first archery buck.

Awesome deer. Congrats!

Outstanding 8 point! Congrats!

That's an awesome story, thanks for sharing. And congratulations on a fine buck!

Great looking buck.
Congrat's.

Way to stick with it and finish it. I know it wasn't the ideal scenario, however you did it right. Good job.

Outstanding Capt!!!!

I bow hunted as a teen. Hit 7 or 8 deer solid. Found 3. Gave it up after that. Never could understand how a deer vitally hit could leave almost no blood trail and travel so far.

Maybe the vitals weren't always hit?

Straight though behind the chest. Arrow sticking in ground covered in blood.

Never found one drop of blood on trail (multiple times).

I'm sure the coyotes were disappointed when I put the bow down.

My best kill was on a deflection. Hit a small limb. Arrow went sideways hitting deer in hip.

Bled out in 40 yards. Femoral artery. Look like someone with a 5 gallon bucket had spread the trail.

Jrs, I understand the issue. This deer didnt bleed a drop until he stopped at 45 yards or so even though I knew with out a doubt it was a good shot. The blood trail was great at some points after he got up and would get to only a drop every 10 feet or so in spots. This entire thing has shown me how much shock trauma plays a part in killing a deer with a gun. The arrow that hit this guy was in and out before he even moved. Its a totally different ballgame with different ballistic outcomes. You should give it another chance. The way they make some broadheads these days you could kill pretty much anything in short order.

Heck of a first archery buck! My first was a doe i took last year. Still waiting for a buck to sling an arrow at!