I set as a goal for myself the task of taking a deer with all homemade archery gear. As described here on this site.
Over the winter I built a new 68 inch longbow that pulls 48 pounds at 29 inches. I then made a dozen arrows that I crested and fletched. Then I made a half dozen homemade broadheads (212 grain, single bevel) I also made a leather finger tab and homemade camo as other homemade items for this hunt.
I set up a ladder stand last week and sat in it for the first time on Saturday afternoon (Nov. 8th.) I got to the stand at 2:30 pm and hung 4 small sponges soaked in Tinks 69 upwind of my location and then climbed into the stand. It was COLD with a slight rain snow mix and hard Northwest winds. The soggy river bottom and the rain made it almost impossible to hear anything approaching so I sat tight with my hood pulled up to keep me dry.
At 3:30 I heard a noise to my left (down wind side) and turned to see a buck at 10 yards. He didn't smell me but I think he was focused on the Tinks sponges. I was busted sitting. I have never harvested a deer from a seated position but there was no chance in standing up with the buck so close. He took a few more steps towards the sponges and stopped with his head and part of his front shoulder blocked by a big cedar tree. I took the longbow that was resting on my lap and moved it to the vertical position. and got ready for him to step forward but he just stood there. I leaned back and could see the hair line on the back edge of the front leg so I figured I would take the shot.
I took the below picture the next morning to show where he was standing and made a poor attempt at sketching where he stood.
I had plenty of time to tell myself to pick a spot and to take a good aim and then release. The arrow hit a bit high and the deer lurched forward and turned to run back on the trail he came from. About half of my 29 inch arrows was still visible as he ran off. I gave 3 loud blows on my grunt tube and he stopped for a moment and then walked off.
I knew I had hit him high but I was not too far back so I was sure I had hit him in the lungs. I decided to sit for 20 minutes but waited 45 instead since he took off with my arrow. At 4:15 I got down and collected my sponges and went to where he stood to take up the trail. There was no blood to be found but the black muddy kicked up tracks made the trail easy to follow.
After tracking about 40 yards, I spotted a shed antler in the wet leaves.
A few feet further I found my broken arrow. the first 6 inches were missing
The first 5 inches of the arrow broke off after passing through the buck.
After going another 20 yards I found the only blood that I would find while tracking this deer.
It was getting dark as I kept following the muddy trail along the river. It took me all the way to my other ladder stand so I decided to walk out to my truck to drop off the bow and quiver and take up a path that would lead me back to the stand but would parallel the trail that I had just followed about 40 yards closer to the field edge. As I approached my truck, I jumped a deer and my heart sank. I never got a good look at the deer because it was too dark but I still took up the trail back to my stand and if I came up empty I would come back in the morning and take up the trail again.
As I re-entered the river bottom to walk through the tall grass, I stumbled upon my buck. It was just dumb luck to walk into the woods where I did but I will take a bit of good fortune anywhere I can find it.
I learned the next morning that the trail I was following branched off and he died about 30 yards past the branch on the other trail.
Then it was time to get to work. I dragged the deer out to the field and backed my truck into position to take a few pics with the self timer.
I then drove into Rosholt to register him and then back to the farm to gut and hang him. It was great to be back home and share the story of the event with my 73 year old Father.
After gutting I examined the deer to find that I had gone through both sides even though the arrow stayed with the deer. I expected to find the front half of the arrow and my homemade broadhead inside the deer but it no resides somewhere along the trail of his final steps. I had hit the top of the near lung and the upper third of the far side lung. He traveled less than 100 yards brfore it expired.
Exit side hole
I couldn't be more pleased with my good fortune. My goal was to take a deer with homemade gear and I was able to realize that goal in the same woods that I was brought up in. It doesn't get any better than this. I feel very fortunate to have achieved this goal.
