ASH556
Senior Member
I was blessed to take a nice 8pt this morning in North Georgia while also accomplishing a bit of herd management for some friends. Their place is a little 2.5 acre parcel on a local reservoir. They are very avid landscape gardeners and have expressed frustration with the deer eating all their efforts. It's a win/win: meat in the freezer, a different pace of hunting, and helps thin the (potentially overcrowded) population.
I was halfway up the tree and just at legal light, but couldn't see well enough to shoot yet due to some fog when 2 deer came by at 20yds. I froze and they walk/trotted on by without noticing me. Based on their gate I had the thought it was a buck trailing a doe. After they were out of earshot I finished getting up the tree and got settled. Immediately I saw a doe about 80 yds across the way. Then I heard close footsteps, so I stood. I caught movement through some thick stuff and saw a rack at about 22yds. I got my binoculars up and confirmed he was a legal buck. I watched him for about 5 minutes just munching on some of the landscape, but had no shot. Then, I'm guessing that same doe came around and back down the trail they'd taken about 15 min earlier. The buck heard/saw her and started in her direction. I was worried he'd bump her and they'd both take off running, but about halfway back to the trail he stopped in an opening while they had a brief stare down. I'd drawn once he committed in her direction and that stop was all I needed to settle my pin behind his shoulder and let it fly. He made it about 40 yds and piled up; down in sight! Thank you Lord!
I'd changed the mods on my V3 31 yesterday afternoon from 70lb back to 60lb because I wanted it to be quieter. I was a little nervous about what that would do for penetration. I'm shooting a Swhacker #261 2" cut expandable in this setup, and at 70lb I blew through a doe and into the dirt earlier this season. This being a bigger/stouter bodied buck, I'm sure he absorbed a bit more energy. I got an entry and exit cut, good blood, short blood trail, but the arrow didn't pass all the way through. About 6-8" on the fletch end sticking out as he took off and found broken off along the trail. Given that, I'm a little torn about what to do. I like the 60lb draw for smoothness and quietness of the shot. Also, seeing those fletchings sticking out as he ran gave me confidence about where the hit was. Then again, it cost me an arrow. Got to decide whether to leave it at 60 or swap back to 70. Open to any thoughts there.
Anyway, pics:
I was halfway up the tree and just at legal light, but couldn't see well enough to shoot yet due to some fog when 2 deer came by at 20yds. I froze and they walk/trotted on by without noticing me. Based on their gate I had the thought it was a buck trailing a doe. After they were out of earshot I finished getting up the tree and got settled. Immediately I saw a doe about 80 yds across the way. Then I heard close footsteps, so I stood. I caught movement through some thick stuff and saw a rack at about 22yds. I got my binoculars up and confirmed he was a legal buck. I watched him for about 5 minutes just munching on some of the landscape, but had no shot. Then, I'm guessing that same doe came around and back down the trail they'd taken about 15 min earlier. The buck heard/saw her and started in her direction. I was worried he'd bump her and they'd both take off running, but about halfway back to the trail he stopped in an opening while they had a brief stare down. I'd drawn once he committed in her direction and that stop was all I needed to settle my pin behind his shoulder and let it fly. He made it about 40 yds and piled up; down in sight! Thank you Lord!
I'd changed the mods on my V3 31 yesterday afternoon from 70lb back to 60lb because I wanted it to be quieter. I was a little nervous about what that would do for penetration. I'm shooting a Swhacker #261 2" cut expandable in this setup, and at 70lb I blew through a doe and into the dirt earlier this season. This being a bigger/stouter bodied buck, I'm sure he absorbed a bit more energy. I got an entry and exit cut, good blood, short blood trail, but the arrow didn't pass all the way through. About 6-8" on the fletch end sticking out as he took off and found broken off along the trail. Given that, I'm a little torn about what to do. I like the 60lb draw for smoothness and quietness of the shot. Also, seeing those fletchings sticking out as he ran gave me confidence about where the hit was. Then again, it cost me an arrow. Got to decide whether to leave it at 60 or swap back to 70. Open to any thoughts there.
Anyway, pics:
