I could have started a different thread, but I'm too lazy. :smiley_coffee:
I have my first official miss with traditional gear. I finally made it up into a stand last evening. The rain held off here until later on, and I got settled in about 4:45. It was nice and calm, but the wind I had was blowing where I didn't want it to. Not saying I'm a total believer yet, but at 5:20, a nice plump four point came wandering down the trail at me with the wind to his face. He should have smelled me, but didn't. My clothes were smoked up and he acted like I wasn't even there. I had seen a few fresh scrapes on my walk in, one of them 15 yards from my stand. The youngster stopped before the scrape and browsed a bit on some leaves from branches I had trimmed, and didn't drag off. This lasted a few minutes, then he continued to the scrape. He didn't work the scrape, but he did stand up on his hind end and rake his rack in the foliage above. I watched him for what seemed like forever, thinking the whole time he would leave soon, or smell me and bolt out of there. Instead he turned the corner of the path and continued towards the two shooting lanes ahead. As he neared the second lane, I was locked on the crease behind the front leg. Once he stepped into the last lane, I gave him a little grunt, and he stopped with his left front leg forward exposing a beautiful quartering away shot. Before I knew what happened my arrow was flying clean over his back! Left and right I was dead nuts, but I shot about an inch over him. He jumped a few yards but didn't blow out. One thing that sticks out in my mind was how quiet that recurve was.
I watched him walk away into the thick briars. It wasn't long afterwards that the rain started. I climbed down and when my feet touched the ground, I looked up to see him feeding about 60 yards from me. I collected my arrow and smiled to myself as he finally walked away. Some of you might think I'm a nut for possible burning up my buck tag on a small buck. To be honest though, if I would have got him with my son's recurve, that buck would have meant more than anything I have ever shot. I will be back out there soon looking to get another chance at anything brown with his bow.
