Opening day of bow (archery) season was on Tuesday, Oct 1.
Went out about 6:30 am with my brother. At about 6:50, it was still pretty dark but saw a shadow coming from the north end of the food plot. I couldn't tell what it was until it got close enough to shoot then saw it was small doe. I let it pass. At about 7:10 am a 4 pt came out of the south end. It was still pretty dark but it soon got close enough as well. I let it pass.
When I uncocked by cross bow after the morning hunt, the string came off. First time that ever happened and usually you need a press to bend the limbs to restring it. I didn't have a press so I used rachet straps to compress the limbs.
Took it out to test fire it and couldn't get it to hit the target. Lost 3 bolts (arrows) before I got it on target but even then it was shooting high then low. Couldn't center it.
Didn't see anything that (Tuesday) evening.
My brother couldn't hunt on Wed so I went out in the morning alone. Didn't see anything that morning.
Still couldn't center the Xbow during the day hoping that if a deer got close enough I could nail it.
Went out that evening and there was a doe in the food plot near the north end. I back tracked along the trail, took the long way around through the woods and managed to get into my blind without spoking the doe.
Sorry for the crappy cell phone pics. She was about 70 yards at this point.
She stayed right in front of my brother's blind for over an hour. (It was a beautiful evening). She came down towards me but never got inside of 40 yards. She was pretty small anyway and I wouldn't have shot her.
Eventually she went into the woods on the west side of the field. About 10 minutes later she came back followed by 2 4 pt bucks. A pretty big, older one with a narrow rack and a younger/smaller one with a wider rack.
The one with the narrow rack.
As you can see the one on the left is bigger/thicker than the younger one on the right. The shorter legs/thicker body would indicate and older deer. Maybe 3 or 4 years old. The one on the right is probably a 2 year old. I would have taken the older one if he got close enough. Both different deer than the 4 pointer the previous morning. That buck was smaller than these two. They are about 60 yards away at this point.
The grazed for awhile. The bigger one started coming toward me. He got about 40 yards away, then alerted to to something at the south end of the field. Deer will often freeze in place and stare with their ears up. The little doe and small buck took off for the woods with their tails up. The bigger one stayed awhile then took off.
A short time later 4 deer, 2 doe and 2 smaller deer (one a button buck) came out from the south end. I was kind of surprised those bucks took off, usually they will wait to see what comes out and won't take off if they see another deer. The does and fawn came toward me and got out right in front of me when they alerted as well. They went into the woods. By then it was about 7:20 and was getting dark.
It was fun seeing so many deer but I started packing up. I uncocked my xbow and was getting ready to leave when I glanced up and there was a 6 pt and a doe at about 40 yards heading my way. By the time I got my bow cocked he was at 20 yards standing broadside to me. An easy shot. I center the crosshairs for a heart/lung shot and let one loose, it went a foot under him. How could I miss? Damn bow.
He jumped when the bolt went by him and ran about 20 yards and started looking around. Eventually he and the doe walked into the woods on the other side of the field.
Sorry, no crappy cell phone pics of the 6 pointer. I was kind of busy when he showed up.
I did not hunt this morning but got up and tried to sight in the bow again. Couldn't hit anything with it. Dragged out my dad's old crossbow and couldn't get it sighted in either. I had run out of bolt (arrows) and bought a new batch this summer. The only thing I can think of is I got a bad batch of carbon fiber bolts. A couple would be way high, then a couple more way low. Went through all 6 bolts and couldn't get any consistency with any of them. Eventually I either lost or broke 4 or the 6 I'd bought. Very frustrating.
Not hunting this evening as I came home this afternoon to beat rush hour. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning. I'll buy some aluminum arrows tomorrow and try to re-sight the bows in when I get back up north. Otherwise, I'll switch to my old compound bow and take my chances with it if I can even draw it with a torn rotator cuff.
As I said it was beautiful evening and fun seeing so many deer.
Update, I went and bought some aluminum bolts today (Friday). Will try and sight them in tomorrow.
.