Gduncan Report post Posted January 7, 2019 My 2018 Hunting included several firsts for me. I got my first bow and started archery shooting for the first time in September 2017 and my wife got her first bow in October. Feeling like we were shooting well enough to attempt hunting we got OTC Deer tags and on some vacation time the last two weeks of January 2018 picked an area we had seen deer in before while driving through. Since our ability to hike any real distance is limited and so far our stalking abilities suck, we found a water hole to sit to hopefully ambush a buck that might come in within our bow range. We saw quite a few deer come in, some does within 10-11 yrds from us! We both had shot opportunities at nice bucks but our inexperience along with Healthy doses of Buck Fever prevented us from connecting with only clean misses. We practiced all year and went back out to this spot on December 16. We got in and set up under a big oak about 7:15 and waited and watched, my wife just over an arms length to my right. About an hour later I saw a deer moving through the brush and trees about 70 yrds away. When it dropped into the bowl of the water hole at about 40 yrds I thought it was a doe due to limited visibility and not wanting to move enough to use my binos and spook it out in case a buck was following her in. When it went to the right past a big Juniper tree enough my wife saw it was a buck and tried to whisper "Shooter" which of course I couldn't hear but the buck did and stopped and looked straight at her. After a few moments it looked away and continued to the small water puddle back to our left. When it cleared the Juniper tree to my side I realized it was a buck not a doe. He stopped at the waters edge at 21 yrds and I released an arrow at 8:21 am. The sound of the Swhacker broad head hitting him was louder than I would have thought and seemed like it echoed! He jumped, kicked and took off tail tucked over the earthen dam of the water hole and we listened carefully and in a few moments thought we heard him crash. We forced ourselves to sit for 30 minutes before even going down to look for my arrow that I found covered in blood and buried about 6" in the ground. Following the blood trail about half way to where we found the buck down I saw motion to my left and had to run off what was either a coyote or Mexican gray wolf that looked like he was already scent tracking my buck! We found my Couse buck at about 60 yrds in a drainage double lunged. This is my first ever Deer, a Couse Whitetail and first Archery kill. He's not real big, but real Couse deer aren't big anyway! 12 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SO I HUNT Report post Posted January 7, 2019 Congratulations on great buck... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CatfishKev Report post Posted January 7, 2019 Wow! First deer and with a bow no less. Great job dude! Your very fortunate to have a wife that hunts with You. Since stalking might be difficult for you on rough terrain i would suggest just walking well used easy to walk trails where deer are slightly more used to people around. Maybe also river bottoms with trails. Youd be surprised how many chances you might get. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gduncan Report post Posted January 7, 2019 32 minutes ago, CatfishKev said: Wow! First deer and with a bow no less. Great job dude! Your very fortunate to have a wife that hunts with You. Since stalking might be difficult for you on rough terrain i would suggest just walking well used easy to walk trails where deer are slightly more used to people around. Maybe also river bottoms with trails. Youd be surprised how many chances you might get. Thanks Kev! I would not have believed that I could have done this (getting within 500 yrds of a buck during a hunt season with a tag in my pocket!) 1 1/2 years ago! But got talked into trying archery by a guy I used to work with years ago. I'm glad I did try it! He's glad too as I shared some venison with him! Surprised the heck out of my Dad, I hadn't told him we were into archery until I sent him a picture of me and my buck. I even one upped the old man by one point bigger than the Couse buck he got a couple months before I was born 60 years ago! As to my wife of 36 1/2 years, I can't even think about trying to go hunting without her and not expect to get in hot water! Got ourselves a jeep a few years ago that helps a lot in getting closer to the areas we can't hike to. She is the one that does the hide tanning and did the skull that I have on the wall now. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
turbo Report post Posted January 7, 2019 good job. Coues are small, and that causes issues with judging the distance, lol. Congratulations on your first bow kill. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Couzer Report post Posted January 7, 2019 Great job 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brooktrout26 Report post Posted January 7, 2019 congrats 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Duggaboy Report post Posted January 7, 2019 That buck is awesome..........Duggaboy! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Heat Report post Posted January 8, 2019 Great job man! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
muledeerarea33? Report post Posted January 8, 2019 Very nice first deer! And with a bow! I’m impressed!! Oh, and awesome!! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
paul navarre Report post Posted January 12, 2019 Regardless of size, they all eat well. Med rare, season, rap in bacon, and grill over charcoal. YUM........... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
randyolson Report post Posted January 12, 2019 Nice....Congratulations! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mina9000 Report post Posted February 19, 2019 Nice first deer! What's more, with a bow! I'm awed!! Gracious, and marvelous!!Bluestacks Lucky Patcher Kodi Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Clearwateralaska Report post Posted March 28, 2019 Wow! Congrats to you on first deer. You have done a great job man! Your very fortunate to have a wife that hunts with You. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
