** OFFICIAL 2012 DAILY DEER HUNT CHAT**

[fatguyinalittlecoat]

Scored with the Axiom today, about a 100 pound doe. Boltcutter went through and through and she dropped about 25 yards later.

Got to the stand late and after a half hour saw a small 5 point walking the creek about 70 yards away. An hour later two does come galloping down the trail and I chose the bigger of the two. They were moving briskly and it took two beys to get her to stop and I let the bolt fly.

This was the second deer I have taken, the first one when I was 16, 20 years ago with my dad with an old single shot shotgun. Dad's been gone for 4 years now, I feel his presence every time I walk through the woods as we buried him there, along with his brother at the entrance. I'd like to think he was around this morning...

 

[HICKMAN]

awesome stuff!

 

[IndianaSlim]

For the record there have been ZERO deer lost ever due to a muzzy not doing its job. Have there been deer lost to poor shot placement with a muzzy? Absolutely. The deer lost earlier in the thread was/is dead in my opinion. The right call(I know hindsight is 20/20) would har been to give him 6 hrs and come back. I rarely ever go after a deer sooner than 2 hrs unless I see them fall in sight.

 

[buckstopshere]

Very unproductive weekend. Set up camp Friday but with the rain didn't get out to our stands. Hunted all day Saturday, I saw zero deer and my buddy spooked two does when he stood up. They were behind him. Bad timing.

Had to come back earlier than expected today so no hunt this morning.

That's why it's huntin and not killin!

 

[knoxace]

Hope everyone had a good hunt this week and a safe one .

I had a great opening day watched 3 small bucks go through . Then I spotted 2 does one small the second was nice . It walked 8 yards from my stand . Thought It would be no problem . Took a great shot with compound bow using rage 2 blade . That doe ran with little blood . I found it , she ran about 450 yards . The wound was filled with flesh so she bleed internally . The shot was through the back and out the chest . I was looking almost strait down when I took the shot . field dressed she came in at 105# .

Been out most days sence then and I have not seen a thing . I hunted sat mornning but I could not today . That might be a good thing , thinking I need to lay off that stand for a week . Good luck to all and hunt safe !

 

[RGriff69]

I didn't go out today. I have some health issues and think I did too much walking to and from the stand. My chest has been sore for a couple days now. I'm going to stay out of the woods for a couple days and see if I get to feeling better. If I don't, guess I'm headed back to the doc.

 

[rkesar]

I hunted Saturday morning and all day today. I saw about 20 turkeys most were hens but saw 3-4 big toms. Only saw one deer, a small buck which was standing about 20 yards from my truck on my way out. I still have standing corn all around me, hopefully it will be harvested soon so the deer start moving

 

[Hookeye]

Public ground, nothing but the same little 6 pt I saw opening morning. This time he was way downwind, coming from a weedpatch, just after sundown.

Not a doe seen

 

[bucmaster]

are the turkeys in the fall archery season?---the corn is killing us in jackson county there not coming out until night---a few does are eating acorns in thr woods in the day, we may have to wait for the rut to get the bucks moving--good luck all

 

[HICKMAN]

yup, turkey's came in season on the 1st.

I have a tag and am not afraid to use it.

 

[spainy79]

Had a nice 3.5 hour sit this evening. Only seen 1 doe around 7:30pm. She was spooked and out of range. Once in the stand I realized I should've brought a saw...next time.

 

[herby31]

had a very disappointing saturday (disappointed in myself). had a couple "firsts", only one of them good. first time i had a shot on a live deer i could legally take (exciting!). First time i have ever had a bolt fall off the rails on my excalibur, and i didn't notice it (crappy). So the bolt slid off, i was unloaded but drawn and didn't realize it. First time i've ever dry-fired my excalibur (super crappy). Then I also lost another bolt the same way when i was out verifying that i had done no damage to the doe in question. in summary, 2 bolts gone, one dry fire with no visible damage, and no deer to show for it. I also screwed up the rest of the evening hunting by stomping around the property looking for any sign I might have actually hit her, because I didn't realize it was a dry fire until sunday morning. I guess its a financially expensive, pain affordable lesson that i should pay attention to detail even when there is fur in my scope. I'm going out today after buying more bolts and broadheads. hopefully my efforts at cranial-rectal extraction have been sufficient.

Edit: yes, i waited then looked for her for the express purpose of making sure i didn't leave a wounded animal suffering somewhere.

 

[UncleNorby]

Hunted Saturday evening and Sunday morning. Saw deer both times. Had some does barely in range at last light. No shots taken. Had a smallish 8 in range briefly Sunday. Too small for so early in the season.

 

[HICKMAN]

had a very disappointing saturday (disappointed in myself). had a couple "firsts", only one of them good. first time i had a shot on a live deer i could legally take (exciting!). First time i have ever had a bolt fall off the rails on my excalibur, and i didn't notice it (crappy). So the bolt slid off, i was unloaded but drawn and didn't realize it. First time i've ever dry-fired my excalibur (super crappy). Then I also lost another bolt the same way when i was out verifying that i had done no damage to the doe in question. in summary, 2 bolts gone, one dry fire with no visible damage, and no deer to show for it. I also screwed up the rest of the evening hunting by stomping around the property looking for any sign I might have actually hit her, because I didn't realize it was a dry fire until sunday morning. I guess its a financially expensive, pain affordable lesson that i should pay attention to detail even when there is fur in my scope. I'm going out today after buying more bolts and broadheads. hopefully my efforts at cranial-rectal extraction have been sufficient.

Edit: yes, i waited then looked for her for the express purpose of making sure i didn't leave a wounded animal suffering somewhere.

how did the arrow fall off of the rail, is the clip that retains it broken?

Was it one of the Firebolt arrows that came with the crossbow?

Glad to hear it survived the dry-fire, that's one of the reasons I went with a recurve crossbow.

 

[ViperJock]

Went out Saturday. Didn't even see a deer.

 

[RGriff69]

What do you guys think of the Excalibur? I looked into getting one them or a Horton Fury. Ended up borrowing a buddies Parker. The Parker is crazy accurate!

 

[HICKMAN]

love the Excalibur. Powerful, crazy accurate. Wider than most of the compound xbow's, but can take a lot more abuse, can live through a dry fire, can change string in the field instead of taking to a bow shop.

This commercial is what first caught my eye:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuIMzj2qtjw[/ame]

 

[HICKMAN]

I made this video right after I got it, was pretty much my first time shooting it after sighting in at 20 yards.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6MrGNNo3vk&feature=share&list=UUIo5RaGoiJac2jWgu7qilHQ[/ame]

 

[RGriff69]

Looks like it shoots good. I watch that Excalibur hunting show. That's what got me to looking at them. Is it lighter than a compound crossbow?

 

[HICKMAN]

I don't know how weights compare, as I never handled a compound.

I'll use a shooting stick if in the blind or in a stand that doesn't have a shooting rail.

I have a sling on mine so I can shoot "hasty sling" like a rifle if I'm stalking.