2012 Archery Season in the books

[olmos1010]

So Friday the 24th finally arrived and ive got my trailer all loaded up and ready to roll. Just waiting on my Pops to show up so we can head out.( Naturally he's about 2hrs late but thats okay cause ive got the next 10 days straight to hunt if needed) He shows, we hit the road and a long 4 1/2 hours we are at our camp. Im eager to get started so I pull out my tripod and binos and start glassing the hillsides below. Within about 5 min. Ive got deer not 150yds below me. I grab my gear and on my first stalk of the hunt. With the wind perfect I close the gap to 40 yards in only 10 min. 4 does and a spike and they have no clue Im there. The spike goes Broadside and I draw my Bow "now ive got this Spike dead at 38yds" steady my pin and let back down. Its way too early in the hunt I tell myself. I walk back up the hill and start setting up camp. After camp is all set up and I grab a bite to eat im off to my blind. Im kinda Bummed because every dip in the road and bowls in the rocks are holding water, I mean there is water everywhere. Dont get me wrong I like the rain and all but when your banking on a dry hunt (sitting water) water everywhere is the last thing you want. I sit my Blind until dark and not even a doe comes in. I go through trail cam pics that night and see that alot of my buck activity has slowed down since the 4 days prior of rain. Not to worried I eat good, crash out and im up at 4am. Shower up, grab a bite and off to the blind. In the Blind by 5am and ready to hunt. 12 hours later with only a doe coming by and feeling like ive been in the crock pot all day I decide to pull out. I figured being at about 5500ft elevation it would be a bit cooler but it sure didnt seem that way. I go to a near by ridge overlooking some nice bowls and start glassing. Within minutes ive got deer again. With the wind in my favor I decide to move down for a closer look. Ive got 2 bucks and one is decent. I begin the stalk and and within 30 min Im within 55yds. I clear one more small bush and Im busted. I think to myself its over, these deer are staring right at me. But they freeze. I slowly range the 3x3 at 49yds. I lower my range finder and draw my bow and the feaver sets in. I try and calm my breathing, steady my 50 and let one fly. "SWACK" My arrow connects and I see the clearly hit deer go up over the ridge with my arrow. Losing daylight I go straight to the spot where he was hit. I Find Nothing. Not even a drop of blood. Now I know the quartering towards me shot at 49 yds with a decent crosswind wasnt the best shot to take but I was confident at 50yds. I start tracking him by following where he was digging in running. After about 100yds I find the smallest drop of blood. I mark the spot and head back to camp. 15min later Im back with the ol man and the tracking continues. We find a little blood here and there but after awhile the trail goes cold. Head hangin low we head back to camp. After dinner in the dead of night I head back out. I comb and sweep all posibilites and after 3 1/2 miles of searching I head back to camp. Rough night of sleep. Next morning Im up at it and the searching continues. After looking all day and turning up nothing, seeing my distress my Ol man convinces me to throw in the towel. Bummed out I go back to the blind and sit the last few hours of light with no luck. Mon the 27th I switch things up and go hunt a new spot. At noon with only does coming in I decide Im gunna go look for my deer until I find him. I head Back to where I last found blood and in the distance I see a bird in the air. I instantly know thats where my deer is. I haul but back to camp and ask my dad if he's seen the birds circling.

He says he has, in that nasty canyon to the south. I pull out the tripod and binos and in only a couple minutes I spot my deer, belly up. After a rough climb down I find my deer but its a little to late. "he died that night I said to myself" Unfortunately the meat had spoiled But it wasnt all for nothing. Spending the time out there with my dad doing what we love is somthing I'll cherish forever.

Sorry for the long read!

[mpriest]

Props for tagging him. Alot of hunters out there would have left to try and hunt another deer.

[bonecollector]

Nice write up and good job not giving up on finding your deer.

[LAR DOG]

[AZBUCKEYE]

Your read and pictures was a good way to start the morning. Good Job 1010

[papa]

To bad you did not find your buck in time but you did not give up! Great job!

[Pine Donkey]

Way to finish the hunt!

[CouesWhitetail]

Way to stick with it and recover your buck!

[azffhunter]

Nice buck! Bummer about the meat but glad to hear you put the work in and tagged it. Always good to hear of a hunter doing it right!

[trophyhnter]

Great job! Its not the pretty side of hunting but it happens. In the end, the circle of life continues and the wildlife will benefit from your buck!

[brndog1]

Congratulations on finding the deer. Too bad the meat was spoiled but you showed respect to the animal in your persistence to recover him. Nice job.

[olmos1010]

Thanks to all for the kind words. I was more then happy to wrap my tag around this buck.

[Guest akaspecials]

With all the bad stuff we hear about other hunters doing on here it's awesome to read about someone following through and doing the right thing on their animal! Congrats on the recovery and nice buck!