Posted By: Las Colinas Hunter
Buck down (no pic) but lost and then found bolt - 10/27/15 12:40 AM
Two weekends ago I finally took a buck with my crossbow. Knowing this buck came in the feeding area about an hour before sun-up and stayed around till shooting light. I decided my strategy would be to sneak in well before his arrival. I got in the popup around 4:00 AM. I ended up dozing off a few times, but would wake to see nothing in the field. I was worried I may have scared off any game with my snoring.
The sun starts to peek through and still nothing. Several does came in and ate peacefully, then a few spikes. I was about to give up and saw horns coming through the tree line. It was the 8pt buck along with the bachelor group he was hanging around finally showing up at 9:00 AM. I guess they slept in. He gets to within 30 yards, I released the trigger, the bolt flew straight and I heard impact and saw the buck take-off. I waited and started to look for the bolt. Nowhere to be found and no blood. I was starting to get really sick, did I miss and the bolt hit his quarter and he ran off injured.
I continued looking for blood. Still nothing. I expanded my search grid in larger semicircles. I finally found a drop of blood 40 yards from the shot. My thought, crap, I wounded him. Then I started to see more blood spray. Not 10 yards from where I found the first drop of blood, there he lay.
After getting him back to camp to dress, I found the entry wound but no exit. So odd. It was a perfect shot, right where I was aiming. I finally found the bolt. It was still in him! It had gone through both lungs, impacted on his rib and went 90% down his body and perpendicular to the shot. I was dumbfounded, it was like the magic bullet. Anyway's it did its job, and now I have meat at the processor ready to be picked up this week.
The sun starts to peek through and still nothing. Several does came in and ate peacefully, then a few spikes. I was about to give up and saw horns coming through the tree line. It was the 8pt buck along with the bachelor group he was hanging around finally showing up at 9:00 AM. I guess they slept in. He gets to within 30 yards, I released the trigger, the bolt flew straight and I heard impact and saw the buck take-off. I waited and started to look for the bolt. Nowhere to be found and no blood. I was starting to get really sick, did I miss and the bolt hit his quarter and he ran off injured.
I continued looking for blood. Still nothing. I expanded my search grid in larger semicircles. I finally found a drop of blood 40 yards from the shot. My thought, crap, I wounded him. Then I started to see more blood spray. Not 10 yards from where I found the first drop of blood, there he lay.
After getting him back to camp to dress, I found the entry wound but no exit. So odd. It was a perfect shot, right where I was aiming. I finally found the bolt. It was still in him! It had gone through both lungs, impacted on his rib and went 90% down his body and perpendicular to the shot. I was dumbfounded, it was like the magic bullet. Anyway's it did its job, and now I have meat at the processor ready to be picked up this week.
pics coming??
