Good morning friends,
It’s nice to be back posting on tradbow, especially today. Lots have happened this last 365 days. A very painful break-up here at home in NY and my mother’s disease and death in Switzerland, where I spent the better part of this year to take care of her, lead me to a complete shutdown of all things archery and bowhunting. In fact, it was on November 6th 2011 that the breakup took place. That day, I stopped hunting, put all my archery gear in storage, and moved back to Manhattan, NY after 17 years in the Hudson Valley. Exactly a year later, I kill a magnificent animal sporting a beautiful rack!! OK, enough pre-ambule, on with the damn story!!:D
The season in NY opened on October 1st. I’ve been hunting sporadically since, driving up to Beacon from New York City, staying at my daughter’s who kindly lets me use part of her garage as a gear room. Last Thursday, after Sandy calmed down, I drove up with the determination to hunt the steep, rocky Hudson Highlands everyday all day from Friday morning until Tuesday evening, before having to leave again on the road today Wednesday.
On Friday, at about 9:30AM, I was sitting inside a deadfall on an oak flat when I saw a deer walking on the shelf below. I hurried on all 4 to try to intercept him where the to flats join up. When I had him in sight again, he was heading towards me, stomping his feet. He heard me. He came to 15 yards and never spook. I was on one knee, trying to stop shaking. The stand-off lasted about 1/2 hour, until he had enough, bolted and stopped a hundred yards away and calmed down. He never made me out! A plaid jacket, a mask and a leafy boonie hat is what I was wearing. The buck seemed huge, eight point, with one side veering down like a race bicycle steering wheel. I decided to leave this area alone and come back in a few days
On Saturday, I was hunting back to my car and made what I thought to be a great downhill shot on a buck. the arrow hit him high and down in the vitals, but had no exit wound. I searched and searched for 3 days and never found him. The whole region being out of gas because of Sandy, no dog tracker could drive down. A friend advised to forgive myself and keep hunting. I did.
Yesterday morning was enchanting! 23 degrees, sky full of stars, and no wind ( a first !) I was back at the oak flat before day break and sat in a rock formation overlooking said flat ( remember, steep mountain ), giving me a tree stand kind of advantage and shot. Like Gene Wensel said, it’s not cheating, just good predatory skill!! 45 minutes after sunrise, I get busted by a spike while trying to get my binos to admire West Point across the river. But he also kept looking left and right. I was looking away from him when I heard steps on leaves. I slowly turned my head around and saw a buck coming to me from the left. I couldn’t believe I might get a shot!! 40, 30, 20, then he turns downhill!! With fresh memories of a great 22 yards downhill shot, a nightmare and a lost deer, I decided to release pressure on the string. A minute later, I hear steps again, this time on my right. It’s the crooked-horn buck from Friday!!! He’s coming to me like on a leash! When perfectly broadside at 10 yards, I released the Abowyer brown bear tipped arrow from my beloved Shrew Classic Hunter, but it hit him high and I spined him. He went down immediately. I quickly nocked and shot another arrow, this one piercing both lungs before burying itself 5″ in the ground. He died in about 45 seconds from the time of the first arrow. I saw him shake and exhale his last breath right in front of me, which was very impressive. I felt bad and sad for a short while. But when I walked to him, I felt so alive, happy, and proud to be a traditional bowhunter. Thank you, Deer, and God bless you!
