First Hunt Results

[huntingmike]

I just got in from hunting four days. I was going to hunt until Friday but they are calling for rain the rest of the week. My knee was not recovered enough to take the uneven terrain until now. I tried to go on opening day in September for an hour but could not endure the pain. I have taken vacation to hunt in the mountains for over 30 years and was determined not to miss it.
I had to use a brace on my knee but I made it with the help of The Lord.

I was blessed to see deer everyday but one. I was able to harvest a doe, a small buck, and a good 8 pointer with a broken brow tine. He field dressed 137 #. Around here he is a good buck. I would have taken pictures but the rain was terrible and it is warm (73 F.) and the deer had to be cut up to keep from spoiling. I capped the antlers for a plaque mount when it dries out. The shot was 38 yards with my Exomax crossbow. It was a double lung hit and traveled 90 yards on a death run. The other shots were 30 yards and 20 yards.

I had a blast to be hunting again. God is good to me !
huntingmike aka Rev. Mike

[dougedwards]

To me there is nothing like hunting in mountainous terrain. But it sure gets harder and harder as I get older. That Exomax is a mean killing machine isn't it Mike? What arrows and broadheads are you using? Sounds like you had a great vacation in spite of the rain.

Doug

[huntingmike]

Oct 14, 2009 19:20:06 GMT -5 dougedwards said:

To me there is nothing like hunting in mountainous terrain. But it sure gets harder and harder as I get older. That Exomax is a mean killing machine isn't it Mike? What arrows and broad heads are you using? Sounds like you had a great vacation in spite of the rain.

Doug

Doug,
The Exomax is a deadly weapon. I am glad to be able to use it during bow season as age and injury is making hunting more difficult. I hunted exclusively from a ground blind as I new setting in a climbing stand would be very difficult for any length of time also I was not sure that I could take the stress of climbing a tree so soon. It also seems the mountains must be getting taller as well. I had such a good time this year in spite of all the rain and knee pain. Our area is more than 10 inches above normal rain fall this year. October is usually one of our driest months ( not this year). I would have been able to have hunted two more days but the rain was forecast at 100% chance for the last two days and rain it did !

I was using gold tip laser 2 arrows with the wasp boss 100 grain 3 blade heads. These are what came with the right stuff accessories package 3 years ago. I did re fletch the arrows with a 4 degree vane off set to stabilize the arrows. All deer shot were hit at the POA. I love this bow ! I believe this makes 10 deer with this bow. I must return to work tomorrow but I would rather be hunting.
Mike

[kevin k]

congrats Rev Mike great hunting and shooting these crossbows are great im very glad you got blessed with your deer and the outing except for the rain. kevin k

[huntingmike]

Oct 16, 2009 7:01:06 GMT -5 kevin k said:

congrats Rev Mike great hunting and shooting these crossbows are great im very glad you got blessed with your deer and the outing except for the rain. kevin k

Thank you kevin k.

Rev. Mike

[davewolf]

Congrats on your deer! I had a bad experience with my 10-point x-bow shooting Rage Broad-heads. Traveled across the state to hunt, and was sitting in my friends stand. It was raining when the first yearling's appeared. I watched as 5 doe passed hoping for a buck, but as the day lengthened, a large doe appeared at 10-yards. Since I had xtra doe licenses I decided to see how the Rage broad-heads would preform. I shot found the arrow covered with blood, compete pass through.
I waited a half-hour and decide to try and find a blood trail. Not wanting to push the deer, but get a general idea of where she might have entered the thick stuff. Found blood, but not nearly as much as I expected.
Spent three-hours trying to find signs of a wounded deer, like feet digging in on the downhill she had headed for. Nothing. Spent 5-hours on Sat looking for her along with my hunting buddy. Nothing. I circled and circled and finally gave-up, finding no sign of the deer bedding or any thing that would have kept me looking. Circled and circled checking every blow-down, creek crossing and all around the small pond buried in the woods. It made me sick to my stomach...would have preferred a clean miss.
I found the arrow right where I shot her. This one really stumped me..having tracked and recovered more than 100 whitetails over the years, mostly for other hunters.
Have a great day!
Dave

[whyohe]

sorry to hear your luck dave. at least you really gave it a good try. i have hit deer and went under a pine tree and never saw here till i went spring gobbler 4-5 months later. no blood leading to her when i tracked but things look so different from a tree stand and then standing on the ground.

[davewolf]

Thanks whyhoe, Wonder what Rage will say when I send them an email to ask about their guarantee? On their two bladed heads they guarantee you will find the deer because Rage will make massive blood trails.
Hunted with the xbow again tonight but nothing showed.
Have a great day!
Dave

[dougedwards]

I know that sick feeling Dave. Has happened to me twice before when I know I made a good hit. It's like the deer just disappeared after a while. Don't let it discourage you. It is just sometimes part of the game. But to this day I can't get myself to bow hunt with a mechanical head. It probably wasn't the broadheads fault but you will always wonder.

Doug

[sw]

Dave,
I'm also sorry about your loss of the deer. My son and I have shot a # of deer with both 2 and 3 blade rage broadheads, as well as 1 bear. Fortunately, they have worked as advertised, so far.

[huntingmike]

Oct 22, 2009 12:06:37 GMT -5 davewolf said:

Congrats on your deer! I had a bad experience with my 10-point x-bow shooting Rage Broad-heads. Traveled across the state to hunt, and was sitting in my friends stand. It was raining when the first yearling's appeared. I watched as 5 doe passed hoping for a buck, but as the day lengthened, a large doe appeared at 10-yards. Since I had xtra doe licenses I decided to see how the Rage broad-heads would preform. I shot found the arrow covered with blood, compete pass through.
I waited a half-hour and decide to try and find a blood trail. Not wanting to push the deer, but get a general idea of where she might have entered the thick stuff. Found blood, but not nearly as much as I expected.
Spent three-hours trying to find signs of a wounded deer, like feet digging in on the downhill she had headed for. Nothing. Spent 5-hours on Sat looking for her along with my hunting buddy. Nothing. I circled and circled and finally gave-up, finding no sign of the deer bedding or any thing that would have kept me looking. Circled and circled checking every blow-down, creek crossing and all around the small pond buried in the woods. It made me sick to my stomach...would have preferred a clean miss.
I found the arrow right where I shot her. This one really stumped me..having tracked and recovered more than 100 whitetails over the years, mostly for other hunters.
Have a great day!
Dave

Dave,
I hate it for you as I have been there as have most hunters. There are places that look like good hits where deer survive the shot. If not, all of God's other creatures have got to eat also.
Rev. Mike

[kevin k]

sorry to hear about that loss out of 8 deer so far with my group 5 found with spitfires 1 lost with techen g8 2 lost with rage 2 blade theres alot more to go wrong with the rage with the mechanics all that slip cam stuff plus if you hit bone they dont pass through as good way thick ferrow the spite fire is tried and true get the 100gr for your 10 point they love them plus they work im saying this after a 1/4 mile track trough the swamp with the rage with good blood all night 4 foot grass and then no blood but in my group its been proved havent tried the 3 blade they look nice but its not looks or more moveing parts that make a good broad head simplicity and results do the spit fire has both. kevin k

[davewolf]

Thanks guys;
Deer like those tend to haunt me, and I will contact Rage to see if they will honor their guarantee. I'm not discouraged by any means. Just a little upset over the loss of a nice doe, that I let relax and turn broadside at 10-yards. No problem finding the arrow and it was a complete pass through and after all this practice I feel confident that my bow is on!
I did take a doe Wed night with the inline, and it did a real great job. I hope to get back out there for rifle season, and I'll see if I can find any of her remains. Expect a coyote has feasted upon her by now.
Thanks again,
Have a great day
Dave

[Deleted]

Dave, sorry to hear about your deer,I use the Rage 2 blade as well with 13 recoveries to date, so far they cut big holes but tomorrow might be a different story. my longest tracking job so far has been 80 yds with lots of blood ....Bill

[ozark]

It happens and it is natural to feel bad when it does. If you didn't see the arrow enter a specific spot on the deer then it could have been a non lethal shot. Regardless, you did all you could do to recover the animal and you should accept that as all that was possible. Put it aside and go on deer hunting. There are only two kind of experienced deer hunters: Those who have lost hit deer and liars. One isn't really experienced until they have lost one. Sorry it happened to you but we hunters understand.

[davewolf]

Thanks;
I've been hunting deer for 45-years which takes me back to my recurve days. I use to do some guiding and found one that crossed a waist deep river ran uphill, couldn't make it, came back down and swam back across the river. I tracked that deer for 12-hours--all night and found it at first light deep in a swamp..actually circling back to within 100-yards of where I first shot it.
But I knew I pulled the string and the arrow hit him in the paunch. This time at 15-yards I could not see where the arrow hit.
Thanks for your support.
Dave