First Deer With Bow

[Buck]

With all the Razorback football games and school, I've been a little too busy to get out to my stand around Beaver Lake much. But last week I finally got the chance to get out there, and I capitalized on it. Got out there about 6:00 AM and had a little spike come in around 8:00 and decided to pass on him, and I'm glad I did. About 30 minutes later I heard some foot steps and looked over and saw a big, mature buck about 50 yards from my stand. I watched him eat acorns on the the trail, getting closer and closer to me. After a few minutes he was about 35 yards from me and broadside. I decided to take the shot, and watched him jump the string a little and got worried. The sound of him crashing a minute or so later was a great sound. I stayed up in my stand for a few minutes after I heard him crash, then got out, saw a huge blood trail (Rage Hypodermic China knockoffs), and then tracked him down about 50 yards from where I shot him. He was in a very, very steep holler about 130 yards from my truck. Being by myself, it took me almost four hours to haul him up and load him into my truck after I had him dressed out. I thought about quartering him on the spot so many times.... but didn't because I wanted to get him mounted. The whole time I was dragging him I was just thinking that duck season can't come soon enough. Dressed out and hooves cut off he weighed in at 170 and we estimated he was about four years old (though the rack doesn't reflect it, I feel a little robbed on that), take a look at that neck! I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to harvest this great, big, mature Ozark buck as my first deer with my bow. Ready to get onto some deer that are easier to drag though!

[MOPanfisher]

Nice big bodied rascal. 

[Buck]

Definitely a big body, ended up with about 65 pounds of meat from it when I was done processing. 

[nomolites]

Hopefully the first of many.  Congrats !

Mike