# first kill with my crossbow



## slippinaround (Sep 13, 2006)

I got a crossbow for my birthday this year so I could have an extra month of hunting and so I can be in the woods during the pre-rut. Well, with the full moon this past week and the little cool front that came in I took a couple of days off work and headed to the woods to try my luck. I caught a pic on my game camera of a nice buck back in Sept but that was the only pic I got of him since (I'm thinking that he's the same buck I was after last year that I never saw all season except for on my game camera after dark.) After thurs mornings hunt I checked my camera and saw that he'd been in there several times in the past 2 weeks; including the night before. That evening I saw a lot of doe and several baskets racks but not the one I was after. Fri morning I had 6 doe and a 4 pt at my feeder right after day break. Around 8 oclock I could hear something walking in the leaves followed by several grunts. So I shouldered my Horton Vision Crossbow and waited. About 5 min later I saw 2 doe step out onto the pipeline behind my feeder at about 50 yds. I could also make out a big bodied deer following behind them in the brush followed by more grunting. Man, my heart was starting to pump!! Then he stepped out and all I could see were horns! Now my heart is beating 100 mph and my breathing was heavy. The doe he was following and the doe at the feeder all took off and he was close on their heels/hoofs. Being that he was out of range, all I could do was watch as he went after them with his neck stretched out, lip curled up, and grunting. At about 80 yds he chased a doe back into the woods and I thought, well, he was a beauty!! But I didn't give up so I kept my bow ready just incase. The 4 pt was still at the feeder with a mouth full of corn just watching the show the whole time. About 5 min later I saw the the big one step back out on the pipeline and start walking towards my feeder. Now my heart is racing again and my breaths are gettting shallow. I had to tell myself to calm down and breath easy as he approached. At about 40 yds he turned broadside and stopped to look around. I thought that he probablly wasn't interested in the corn and this may be the only chance I get. I took a steady aim and reminded myself not to jerk the trigger--- then I let the Horton carbon bolt with a 100 grain thunderhead do it's thing.. Never saw the bolt fly and all I heard was a WHACK like the arrow hit a tree or stump. He took off and I could hear him running through the brush but heard no crash as other bow hunters describe. I was thinking that perhaps I was so nervous that I missed. Now I know you're supposed to wait 30 min until you get down but I just couldn't do it. I had to at least go find my arrow and see if there's any blood. So after a little searching I found it stuck in the ground and it was covered in blood. YES!!! And then i said a little prayer. So I walked back to my tripod to wait 30 min like I'm supposed to. Did that happen? Heck No!!! I waited for what seemed like the longest 10 min of my life and then I had to go after him with another bolt ready. Found a good solid blood trail on the leaves and up high on bushes. The further I got I could see foamy blood which I knew was an indication of a lung shot. Finally found him at about 80 yds. Man what a beauty!! Again I said a prayer of thanks and called my family and friends to tell them the news. I have a app on my iphone to field score racks. Using this app he scored 130 gross B&C. Below are pics from camera and after kill.


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## saltylady (Jun 30, 2010)

*Congratulationsons on a fine buck, an your first bow kill, nice story too,could almost hear your heart racing. my bow hunting hubby says that feeling never stops whether its your first or 50th hunt.*
*:cheers:
*


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## AirbornXpress (Sep 27, 2006)

*Congrats.*

Way to go, thats a beauty. Thanks for the story and pics.


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## Matagorda Mako (Aug 4, 2011)

Congrats nice buck.


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## rubberducky (Mar 19, 2010)

Great looking buck!! Congratulations 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk because Reeltime told me to


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## 9121SS (Jun 28, 2009)

Nice! Congrats.


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## muddyfuzzy (Jan 2, 2011)

nice~!


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## wet dreams (May 21, 2004)

AWESOME, great buck...WW


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## atcfisherman (Oct 5, 2006)

Awesome buck!!!! Congrats on the harvest!!!


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## royboy42 (Apr 28, 2007)

Nice buck


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## AvianQuest (Feb 7, 2006)

Very nice!


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## Bucksnort (Jun 29, 2004)

Great job and great buck. Congrats


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## sharksurfer66 (Sep 17, 2005)

Heck Yeah!!


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## BIG PAPPA (Apr 1, 2008)

*Great Read*

The Excitement in your story is what it's all about. Glad you had a Heart Pumpin Hunt with a Great Ending. Now next time, take a couple Beers with you and SLOWLY drink 2 before you go looking for that Bloody Bolt...
Congrats on the Buck and your first Sticks and Strings Harvest. I Remember those Heart Pumpin memories. They're Great.


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