How to Make Your Own DIY European Mount For Under $30

So you just harvested a trophy animal but do not want to spend over $500 for a shoulder mount? Roll up your sleeves and make your own European Mount to preserve your hunt on the cheap!

A DIY european mount can be a very satisfying and budget friendly way to proudly display your trophy animals. Follow these steps to create a mount you can admire for years to come.

I strongly suggest you complete this project outside. There are some unpleasant odors that are associated with making a european mount. I use the side burner on my grill to boil my skulls. You could do all the work in your kitchen, if your marriage is strong enough. I'll pass on that.

Start Clean

The best way to start your european mount is with the least amount of meat and hide as possible. Use a sharp knife or scalpel to cut away as much flesh as you can. This will reduce the amount of time you need to boil your skull. While you are removing excess meat, you can begin to prep the "bath water" for your head. I use a 21 quart stock pot, filled 3/4 with water. Mix in some Palmolive dish soap, or any other degreasing agent to aid in the cleaning process.

Bath Time

Once the water has reached a rolling boil, reduce your heat and submerge your skull. The water should come up to the bases of the antlers. I will use a stick if needed to keep the antlers above water. This step takes the longest. I have finished boiling a skull in as little as six hours, and have also taken up to 17 hours. I will change the water every 3-4 hours. I will also pull out the skull periodically and scrub it gently with a wire brush or brillo pad. You can also use a hose to push water through the nasal cavities and eye sockets. Use an unsharpened #2 pencil to poke those hard to reach areas. I like to cut off the base of the skull where it meets the first vertebra. This allows me to remove brain matter quickly, and provides for an easier base for your mount to rest on. Be careful not to over boil your skull, you can damage brittle nasal bones. If they break, set them aside to glue back later. Once all the flesh is removed, set your skull out in the sun to dry for an hour.

Dye It

Once dry, wrap the bases of the antlers with painters or electrical tape. To get that stark white finish that will make your skull pop, use 40 Volume Creme Developer. This is available at any beauty supply shop for less than $4 a bottle. I use an old paintbrush and coat the skull with the creme generously. Once covered inside and out, I wrap the head in saran wrap. Place the wrapped head under an intense light to activate the creme. I use a 500 watt work light. After 30 minutes, unwrap and rinse the head. If you want your skull lighter, simply repeat the process. I usually only need to do it once, as the skull will continue to whiten after the product is rinsed off. Once completely dry, glue on any small bones that broke off during the process. Your DIY european mount is complete and ready to be displayed!

The initial investment for the european mount was:

• Granite Ware 21 Quart Steel Stock Pot $20.83 Walmart
• Salon Care 40 Volume Creme Developer 16 oz. $3.69 Sally Beauty
• Palmolive Oxy Dish Liquid, Ultra Concentrated 25 oz. $2.99 Walgreens

Everything else I had laying around the garage. Once the pot was purchased, every mount afterwards will cost under $10. When you want to preserve the memory of your next hunt, give this DIY european mount a try.

Archery 365

As the final days peel off the calendar in the 2016 whitetail season, an unimaginable fate looms for countless compound bows. The bow case. Far too many bows are tucked away at season's’ end, not to see the light of day until school busses crowd the streets and antlers are neatly wrapped in velvet. I, for one, cannot imagine going 8 months without shooting my bow. I find it therapeutic.  Every shot taken while practicing brings me 1 shot closer to making an ethical shot when the moment of truth presents itself in the fall. If that’s not reason enough, how about the fact that we all enjoy hunting, don’t we all enjoy shooting as well? Here’s a few ways to keep your bow active when you are not able to chase those monster bucks.

Join a League

Some diehard bowhunters will scoff at the idea of lining up elbow to elbow with “target archers” to fling three arrows 20 yards down range, wait for it, indoors. I get it, we do not hunt indoors, but an indoor spot league has its advantages. With a lack of daylight and much of the country engulfed in the icy grip of Old Man Winter, I seek refuge at my local archery clubs indoor range. Most leagues are cheap (about $10 a week) and run from January till April. I find it a great way to work on my shot mechanics, form, and develop more muscle memory. Plus, you can always pick up some pointers from other archers that may help you in the woods. The friendly competition and camaraderie of a spot league is a sure fire way to navigate through the winter doldrums.  

Shoot 3-D

I am lucky enough to live in an area where I can shoot a 3-D archery course every Sunday from March till November. The mistake I see made by most bowhunters is that they wait until August to dust off their bows. Bows are not bears. They do not need to hibernate. As soon as the local clubs open their outdoor courses I am there. After being cooped up for the last few months it feels great to walk through the woods again. Most courses consist of 30 foam targets laid out at varying distances. It is a great way to practice kill shots on life like animal targets, while shooting at different intervals, elevations, and terrain. If it is competition that drives you, than you may want to check out organized IBO or ASA shoot to test your skills against your fellow bowhunter. Either way, I cannot think of a better cure for cabin fever.

Techno Hunt

Still too cold outside and the thought of punching paper targets is sacrilegious? Find a Techno Hunt to have the comfort of the indoors, with the adrenaline rush of a true hunting experience. Most of these hunting simulators will place you in a dark room with a projector screen at the opposite end. A computer will load countless images of game animals walking through their natural habitat. You are provided mushroom blunt tips for your arrows that you fire at the screen. After the shot, the screen will inform you if your shot hit vitals, was non-lethal, or a clean miss. Some archery shops also offer Techno Hunts leagues if you are up for the challenge.

Turkey Hunting

Half way between the completion and the opening of whitetail season lies a magical time of year known as turkey season. Although most hunters will take their shotgun into the woods, why not take your bow instead? Some will say the challenge involved with harvesting a spring gobbler with a bow is second to none. The keen eyesight of a turkey makes drawing on a bird a feat in its own right. Plus, with the decreased range of a bow compared to a shotgun, it forces you to wait for a close encounter. At the end of the day, isn’t that what we crave as bowhunters?       

There are also less organized reasons to get out and shoot your bow. I have shot my bow because; it’s Tuesday, I don’t want to go grocery shopping, I fixed the faucet last week, or there is nothing on TV. The point being is that everything can become a reason to shoot your bow. Shooting year round gives you a more intimate feel for your bows’ overall performance and tuning. As bowhunters, we place a season’s worth of goals and anticipation on a single shot. Wouldn’t you want to be 100% confident that you can make it?

Crunch Time...

What started out as an endless string of weekends covering more than a quarter of the calendar, has dwindled down to the final three. Long gone are the "chilly" evening sits where a hoodie would be warm enough. Today's high temperature struggled to get out of the teens, factor in the wind, and we are talking serious cold temperatures encountered during late season. By this time of year, the deer have smartened up. They have been chased, bumped, driven, and shot at for the last four months. The only reason they need to leave the safety of their bedding area is to feed. Extremely cold temperatures get the deer on their feet earlier in search of food. Seems like an easy equation for a late season whitetail, Food + Cold = Deer. Well things in the woods are rarely that elementary, I throw in a variable x for weather condition, such as post front, high pressure, wind direction, ect. For those of you who still remember Algebra 101, the revised equation would read F + C(x) = D. Time to sharpen your pencil and figure this one out.

This doe knows where she can get a free meal.

Food is the easy part to figure out. If you have been in tune with your deer herd all season, you know what is left, and where it is. Food sources are less abundant this time of year, so deer tend to congregate around remaining feeding areas with regularity. It may be a cut cornfield, a food plot full of sugar beets, or a timed feeder. The deer know where to go, so should you.

Right Temp, Wrong Pressure

Cold is good, the colder the better. The deer will get on their feet earlier to feed the lower the mercury drops. Unfortunately it needs to be the right cold, that's the "x" factor. Last night I had the food source and cold temperature in my favor. The problem was I found myself in the middle of a front passing through, with snow falling and a swirling NNE wind. To go along with the winds, was a falling barometer in the 29" range. My experience told me it would be a long sit, but with limited time to fill tags, I put in my time in, in vain. My friend several states away was telling me that he was seeing deer all over, feeding in places he had not seen before. That's because he was on the other side of the front, cold temperatures around 13 degrees, with a rising barometer into the 30"'s. That "x" variable of pressure is very important in the late season. Deer will feed before, and after a storm, but if I had my choice, it would be to hunt post storm with rising pressure.

Now that I have the whitetails figured out, will I wait to hunt the perfect equation for the late season? Not exactly. Limited time to hunt makes any available time to sit in the woods a good time. If I do not have all of the F + C(x) ingredients in my favor I could still harvest a deer. If I plan on taking a day off of work to hunt, I will make sure that all the components are in place. Remember, this is crunch time, not couch time. The sofa will be there for you all winter long, now's the time to get after those whitetails one last time!

View from the blind on a snowy evening.

  

   

The Blind Leading The Blind

The Hoyt is ready to eat!

A light rain began to pepper the vinyl roof of the ground blind as I nestled in for my afternoon hunt. The second season of Pennsylvania's archery season had begun the same way as the September opener had, from the ground. I would much rather hunt from an elevated tree stand, but this year I committed myself to hunting from ground blinds in an attempt to add another dimension to my growing outdoor resume. Earlier in the year I would begrudgingly make my way to the blind, but on this rainy, dreary day, I welcomed the idea of being protected from the elements. I affixed my Hawk Hookster 360 from the blind's support beam and hung up my Hoyt Nitrum 34. As I watched the rain fall, I had high hopes that I would be able to harvest my first deer from a ground blind.

Early season view

Back in September, I took a shot at a doe that was quartering to me at twelve yards, about fifty minutes into the 2016 season. Although I felt confident about the shot, I could not find my arrow, any blood, and subsequently the deer. I spent more time practicing from a seated position, and vowed to only shoot if I was presented with a broadside shot. I had spent countless hours in a blind since then without any opportunities. This changed around 4:30 pm. The first doe made her way in, followed closely by a second, than a third. They all looked back in unison, as a fourth and fifth doe made their way in to feed on the dwindling browse. I drew back, but the large doe I had selected turned, and would not give me a broadside shot. After holding on her for over a minute, I was able to let down without any of the deer taking notice. I regrouped, and waited for her to turn around. When she finally did, I drew again, laid my top pin behind her shoulder and squeezed off an arrow. With that the five deer raced out of sight, unaware of what had just transpired. I felt like it was an accomplishment to be able to draw my bow back without being detected by five sets of eyes once, let alone twice. I waited a half hour before emerging from the blind to inspect the arrow. There was a mix of pink and deep red blood, so I figured she must of quartered slightly, resulting in a single lung / liver shot. I packed up my gear and waited 90 minutes before tracking the blood.

Late season, no cover is left on most trees

I had loaned my flashlight to my wife a week prior and had forgotten about the exchange. Luckily, I enlisted the help of my friend Jonathan to help track, who always has a couple lights handy. We picked up the trail pretty quick which led us across a field to an oak flat. That's when things went south. We tracked her making a figure 8 pattern, about 40 yards long, and 25 yards wide. After two and a half hours in steady drizzle, we decided to suspend the search until morning. When I entered the woods as the sun crept up, I went back to the last blood. The droplets were preserved under the trees, but the fields were washed clean from the overnight rain. Another friend, Mike, picked up a fresh set of tracks that led deeper into the forest. We walked another 70 yards with no blood when we decided we went too far and would go back to the last blood and start over. As we turned around, Mike glanced to his left and said, "There she is!" and just like that, my quest for a ground blind kill was fulfilled. Unfortunately, foxes had already found her and I could not salvage the meat. Upon inspecting the shot, we figured the height was good, but about an inch and a half too far back. That distance was the difference between a 30 yard track job and a full freezer and about 200 yards of tracking and and regret.

Foxes found her first

There are two things that I have taken away from my ground blind experiences so far. First, it is a lot harder to draw on an animal at eye level. You have to be statuesque, and when you move to draw, be slow and methodical. You do not realize what an advantage it is to be twenty feet up in a tree, until you are eye to eye with your quarry. Second, after the shot you need to listen hard to get an idea of where the animal has ran to. If the deer runs left or right, they are out of sight in a flash. I had to depend on listening to which way the deer ran to help lead me to blood. I have another month, and a few more doe tags left to work on my ground blind skills. With some more practice, and a little patience I should be able not to just kill, but to harvest a deer from the blind.                

September sunset from the ground

Stocking Stuffers We Actually Want

It's that time of year again where family and friends alike rack their brains to come up with the perfect Christmas gift for the bowhunter in their life. Although the department stores have had their fake trees and tinsel up for over a month, and I have heard every Christmas song over 600 times, we are now getting down to the wire for making a purchase. There are many hunting related tools and gadgets to choose from, and to the non-hunter (without the aid of a wishlist) this can be quite an intimidating task. Here's a list of items that won't break the bank (all items are under $20) and you can rest assured knowing that the gift you are giving will be put to good use for many hunting seasons that follow.



Tactical Duo Tree Hook - Hawk
Everything about this hook is great. It comes with a rubber tipped carabiner that clips on your pack for easy storage, no more stab wounds on your hands from fishing around in back packs and pockets. It's beefy, it is rated for 60 pounds, and has 2 rubber coated hooks that screw easily into most trees. It also curls up at the ends to prevent your gear from sliding off.
Suggested Retail Price $9







Hookster 360 - Hawk
For those of us that hunt public land, screwing a hook directly into a tree is frowned upon. The Hookster solves this problem. The hook is the same high quality construction of the standard Hawk hook, but is attached to a heavy duty twist tie. Just wrap it around a a limb and hunt. This hook is also great for hanging your bow in a ground blind.
Suggested Retail Price $10








Cinch Deer Drag - Hawk
I was sceptical of this product at first, but I'm a believer now. I first tried it on a 270 pound buck and did not get very far. Since then I've dragged out a handful of does with relative ease. It's light, compact, and easy to use. It enables the deer's head and shoulders to be elevated during the drag to prevent getting caught up on stumps and brush. Holding onto the pvc handle gives you a solid grip, unlike a deer's leg.
Suggested Retail Price $10






Twist Tie Hoist Line - Hawk
I have pulled my bow up to my stand on some suspect pull strings. I have also watched in horror as said pull strings have snapped mid pull. Never again do I worry about my gear when I'm using the Twist Tie Hoist Line. It's thick, silent, and does not tangle. It has a rubber coated twist tie on both ends for securing your gear. A 40 pound rating is more than enough.
Suggested Retail Price $13









Grime Boss Unscented Hand Wipes
Hunting is messy. Period. These unscented wipes are perfect for cleaning up after field dressing a deer. You can also use them to wipe away human odors before entering the woods after work, if taking a scent free shower isn't an option. Lastly, when you're in nature, and nature calls... Grime Boss has the answer.
Suggested Retail Price $12




Game Face Camo FX
Too warm for a face mask? Paint your own! Game Face Camo FX comes in a variety of color options, with 3 colors to a stick. Just pop the cap and apply to your face. The one piece stick means no missing applicators, and you never have to touch the paint its' self. It won't sweat off, and removes easily with a hand wipe. Best part is its not glossy, which I believe can spook a weary animal.
Suggested Retail Price $10




PhoneREAD'R - Whitetail'R
This card reader is a must for checking your trail cameras. Just attach it to your smart phone, pop in your SD card, and check your pics. The only draw back is that it only is compatible with android phones, although they do have an apple compatible version that is more expensive. This is easily my most used hunting accessory.
Suggested Retail Price $20

Cover Scent Comparison

The Whitetail Deer's best natural defense is his nose. Nothing will end a hunt faster than having a mature buck get down wind of you and catch a whiff of human odor, or gasoline, or something else not native to his natural habitat. To give you an idea of how keen a deer's sense of smell is, a human has 5 million olfactory scent receptors in their nose. A dog will have 220 million. A whitetail deer is equipped with 297 million, which will bust you before you even lay eyes on your quarry. Over the last six years I have used various different products to try to mask my scent, with varying results. I'll lay out my top 3, and give you unbiased opinions for each.

Hunters Specialties Fresh Earth
Hunters Specialties Scent-A-Way Max line has two options, odorless and fresh earth. I prefer the fresh earth, just because I would like to smell like something, rather than nothing. The fresh earth scent smells like hunting to me. I can take a whiff of a scent wafer in July, and instantly I'm taken back to the woods on a crisp autumn morning. The Scent-A-Way line has you covered for all facets of scent control. I use their laundry detergent and dryer sheets for all my hunting clothes. Before I enter the woods, I will generously spray down with their field spray. I also keep their scent wafers hanging from my tree stands, pack, and rear view mirror all season long, just remember to freshen them up every hunt to maximize their effectiveness. Hunters Specialties Fresh Earth is my go to product for scent elimination and control.

Nose Jammer
The theory behind Nose Jammer is to overload the deer's olfactory receptors with natural scents in an effort to confuse the deer into thinking you are not there. The main ingredient, Vanillin, is found naturally in deer habitat. The spray its self smells great, and reminds me of vanilla. They direct you to spray for 10 seconds on your boots, and while in your stand, apply an "X" on your tree behind you to mask any lingering odors. I used this product solely for the 2015 season and had great initial results. Deer would come in down wind constantly and pass by me without hesitation, even mature animals. Nose Jammer had one of my hit list bucks, "The 9" come within 17 yards of me dead down wind where I made a non fatal shot. That's when things got interesting. The 9 never would come within 50 yards of the tree if I was using Nose Jammer. After a good soaking rain would wash the Nose Jammer "X" off of my tree, I would see "The 9" at the base of the tree on trail cam pictures. I did a little research and found out that deer will associate smells with danger, more than location. It's my assumption that The 9 associated the strong smell of Nose Jammer with danger, thus eluding me for the remainder of the season. I know the poor shot was my fault, but I feel that Nose Jammer prevented him from giving me another opportunity. Nose Jammer will give you a shot opportunity, but you better make it count cause it won't happen again.

Evercalm
Conquest Scent's Evercalm is the real deal. It is harvested from pen raised deer to give you the most realistic cover scent on the market. When deer smell the Evercalm, they are relaxed, thinking that they are in a deer bedding area. I have watched as deer would smell a branch that I applied Evercalm to and dropped their ears from an alert position to a relaxed position and graze. I have harvested multiple deer from the same tree on consecutive days that has been treated with Evercalm. It comes in a deodorant style stick, and I apply it to my boots and surrounding trees. It is in a solid form, which is nice because it will still be effective on windy and rainy days. I have heard that if you are allergic to deer dander, you could have a reaction to Evercalm. Also, it is more expensive, I paid $19.99 for mine and I am on my second stick of the 2016 season. That being said, there is no way I am heading into the woods without a stick of Evercalm in my pack.

There are literally dozens upon dozens of cover scent products out there, and probably millions of opinions on which product is best. I like to pick a product and use it till I feel like it is no longer going to put me in the best position to take a mature deer. I am not paid by any company, so this is based on my successes with each product. I do not have unlimited time in the whitetail woods, so I want to get the most out of each sit. For my money, prep your camouflage with Hunters Specialties Fresh Earth, treat your boots and trees with Conquest's Evercalm, and leave the Nose Jammer at home.  


 

2016 Southern Illinois Trip

Everything was different heading into this years hunt. Sure I was going to be hunting the same farms, but this time I would be traveling solo for part of the trip. As we get older, priorities change, and most of my friends found themselves tied up with family obligations which kept them grounded for this years trip. There are very few things that will keep me out of the whitetail woods, so when I woke up on November the 6th, I loaded up the truck with two bags of gear and my Hoyt 34 Nitrum and headed to Philadelphia International Airport by myself.

Two hours later I was picked up in Nashville by my friend Cornell, and after taking care of a few of his family obligations, we headed west to Zeigler, Illinois. The drive to camp was full of deer talk and speculations. We didn't have a great weather forecast for the first half of the week, but what we did have was options. Two guys, two farms, over twenty stand locations, and six days to fill two tags. I felt like I would miss out on the camaraderie that goes along with a large hunting party, but having only two guys gave me confidence that I could really focus in on harvesting a mature whitetail.

Johnson County Sunset

The first morning was interrupted by a phone call only an hour into the hunt. My friend had wasted no time and sent an arrow down range, and I was on my way to help him search for it. By the time I reached him, he had already recovered his buck, which didn't even make it out of the food plot. At first, Cornell was upset at his harvest because it fell short of his expectations. After standing over the deer for a while he came to terms with his kill. This was the first time in the woods in two years for him, and the first buck he shot in the last four. As we loaded up the truck with the buck he began to realize that a stocked freezer beats tag soup every time.

With all the pressure on me now, I hunted the same farm for the next two days pretty hard. After only a small fork horn buck and a spike to show for it, I decided to make a move. I changed farms for Wednesday night and immediately had an up tick in activity. In three hours I saw five deer, including my first does of the trip. There was a small cold front in the forecast over night, so I figured I'd give the stand another sit in the morning.

When I woke up Thursday I was greeted with the coldest temps of the trip. I loaded my pack with snacks and hand warmers in preparation for an all day sit, and walked along the crunchy frost covered grass to my stand. As dawn crept through the timber, I saw the same two doe approach me from the night before. The doe was down wind of me and tried her best to pick me out. She knew something was wrong, but could not see me. After a brief stand off, she and the other doe continued to make their way to the adjacent field. The next thirty minutes were eerily quiet. I kept a vigilant watch for a trailing buck, but one never followed the script. I began to settle in for what I thought was going to be a long sit.

Before the sun had broken past the horizon the two doe came racing back towards my stand. I hastily grabbed by bow and focused past them. A young five pointer had chased them from the field directly under me. As I took a quick head count I noticed the true reason why the does were running for their lives. A tall tined, grizzled buck was thirty yards behind the five pointer and closing fast. He was coming out of the reeds and I was staring directly into the sun. I could tell by his face he was a mature buck, but had no idea how big his rack was. I wasted no time in preparing for the shot. He was far and away the largest buck I had seen in four days, and I knew if he presented me with a shot, I had to act on it. As he focused all his attention on the smaller buck, the two doe blew and took off running. I came to full draw and waited for him to step into a shooting lane. The larger buck took another glance at the five pointer and lowered his head to charge him. There was my window, 25 yards broadside, and I let the Easton Axis fly. I watched the arrow connect with the buck perfectly, as he ran about sixty yards and crashed into a sapling. Not fully knowing what I had just shot, I said a brief prayer and calmly sat back down.

The next thirty minutes were equally as surreal as the previous thirty. I figured it was a good buck, and I was almost positive he had expired a half football field away. It was that time of the morning when the woods comes alive, squirrels chasing each other, a few ducks landed in the creek, and then there was me, sitting twenty feet up in a tree trying to piece together what had just transpired. By now I had felt enough time had passed. I made a few calls to my friends, it was time to see my deer.

When Cornell and Mike showed up we first inspected the arrow. I explained the shot, and we all agreed we were going to find a dead buck at the end of the blood trail. As my friends tracked the blood, I lagged a few yards behind. This was all matter of fact to me, I didn't have to anticipate finding the deer, I just wanted to enjoy the moment and hoped it would last for days. I'll never forget Cornell's reaction when he first walked up on the buck. "Yo Cuz, you shot a monster!" Cornell never exaggerates size on a deer. if he thinks it's big, It must be big. I slowly approached the group, it was time to finally see what I shot.

Love at first sight

When I first saw the mass on the left beam I was overcome by joy. I had no words, or actions, for this moment. I hugged them both, than took a knee and gently took hold of the bucks G3 and inspected his massive rack. I thought he was good, but never did I think he was this good. After an impromptu photo shoot we grabbed a tape and scored him out. A touch over 155 inches of pure Illinois whitetail buck.

Mike and Myself

The whole experience has been extremely humbling, and I could not feel more blessed with being able to harvest such a beautiful animal. I know there are larger bucks in the woods, but for me, after only hunting for six years, this is a huge accomplishment. This buck is vindication for all the countless hours spent shooting twelve months out of the year, and all the times spent in a tree stand, with nothing to show for it but experience and sunsets. This buck also gives me validation as a hunter, that I can take my bow into the woods and drag out a mid 150's class buck based solely on the fact that I did it before. It has been almost two weeks since the shot, and I still do not think it has fully set in. People hunt their whole life trying to take an animal of this caliber and never get the chance. It may be a long time before I ever get a deer like this again, but I'm going to try again next year, and the year after that. My 2016 Southern Illinois trip is over, but it is one that I will never, ever, forget.             

The Pay Off

Too often than not, I descend from my tree stand and exit the woods without needing to pick up a blood trail. It's the hunts that result in an arrow being flung that keep me coming back for more. From the first spotting of the deer, to the anticipation of the animal coming into range, to finally reaching your harvest at the end of the blood trail is what I live for. Those are the special hunts that make all the long months of preparation, and endless hours in the stand worth it. The only thing more satisfying than harvesting a mature whitetail, is if that said whitetail is sporting a heavy set of antlers. That is when preparation meets opportunity, and that's what I call the pay off.

Blood on the Axis is a welcomed site

Like any pre rut sit in a new stand, the air was full of anticipation. Tonight could be the night. A cold front was making its way through, the wind was perfect, and the stand was along a beaten down game trail that led directly to a fresh scrape. The table was set, all I needed was my dancing partner to show up. As the minutes turned into hours, and the sun hung low in the horizon, my hope began to dwindle. This would make twenty hours spent in a tree stand over the last two days with only a spike and two yearlings gracing my presence. My mind began to wander into thoughts of next weeks weather forecast when I noticed a few tines in the distance.

I picked up my Nikon Prostaff 7's and glassed seventy yards to my left. A large bodied buck had stepped out along the edge of the wood line and began working some small trees. I checked my watch, 6:12pm, and began to anticipate his route. I would loose site of him as he continued along his path, but I could always tell where he was by watching the tree tops shake one by one as he rubbed each one. I ranged a few lanes and checked the wind one last time. If he continued in this direction he would never be able to smell me. I had the upper hand. He had no Idea. As he stopped at the last tree obstructing my view, I came to full draw. He paused, than began to trot to the opposite end of the wood line. My pin bounced up and down with each stride, and as he moved past a clump of small saplings, I squeezed my release, sending and Easton Axis 340 between a "V" in the trees right into his rib cage. He took three more steps, than tucked left into the thicket. Thirty seconds later I heard a drop. I checked my watch, 6:23pm, that eleven minutes seemed like an eternity.

I had watched the green glow of my nocturnal nock disappear into the bucks mid section, so I initially felt good about the shot. I still waited another half hour to climb down to inspect my arrow. Light pink blood with tiny bubbles means only one thing, lung shot. I felt confident of the shot, but the uncertainty of the deer's location had me rattled. I have been confident of my shot many times before, only to come up empty at the end of the blood trail. I decided to back out of the woods, try to calm my nerves, and call for backup.

The Pay Off

I knew a few friends would be finishing up their evening hunts and would gladly help me track the animal. As I waited for them to arrive, I called my wife and my mother. I asked for them to pray for me to be able to recover my buck, and after praying myself, I had a feeling of calm fall over me as if God was telling me it was going to be alright. When the cavalry arrived I replayed the shot for them before entering the woods. After inspecting the arrow, we began to track the blood. About thirty yards, and three minutes later, I had my hands wrapped around the rack of a beautiful Pennsylvania whitetail.

I checked my watch one last time, 8:34pm. In less than three hours time, I went from checking the weather to calling my taxidermist. Things change rapidly in the woods. It is up to you to stay focused on your goals and not let feelings of doubt and discouragement creep into your psyche. I practice shooting my bow twelve months a year so when I am blessed with a shot opportunity I can reap the rewards. Hunting is not only about the kill, but when a kill is involved, there is no better feeling in the world. I am thankful for every second I am able to spend in the woods, but the second you lay your hands on your harvest is the sweetest.   
     

Why Do I Do This?

The silence was shattered at 3:30 am on Saturday morning. I awoke with a jump, quickly muting my alarm as to not wake up any of the "sane" people I live with. I fumbled through the darkness to find my way to the bathroom, opening day 2016 has arrived. After a quick scent free shower and poor excuse for a breakfast I climbed into my truck and headed to the farm. A lot of thoughts race through my mind on the way to a hunting spot, did I grab my release?, what's the wind direction?, did I pack a snack? Opening day is especially hectic, with a whole season of expectations to sort through. After a thirty minute drive and a half mile trek along a moon lit trail, I crawl into my blind and finally exhale.  As I stared out through the shadows, both exhausted and exhilarated, I asked myself, "Why do I do this?"  

I did not have an answer right away. In fact it wasn't until an hour later when I had a doe and a fawn walk within ten feet of my blind and look in at me. She blew and stomped but could not pic me out. I did not move a muscle, and eventually she relaxed. That's it for me, the experiences. Not just being close to nature, but being a part of nature. I could never begin to take inventory on the experiences I have accumulated in my short time as a hunter. I have watched mature bucks lock antlers violently through the early morning mist. I have enjoyed witnessing two young foxes frolic through what must have been their first snow fall. While sitting in a tree stand, I had a nuthatch land on my knee. Twice. Every time I get to live one these priceless moments, I thank God, and feel sorry for those who may never get to observe such natural splendor.

Another thing that non-hunters have a hard time comprehending is that, for hunters, its not all about the kill. I am not a blood hungry savage whose goal is to kill as many animals as possible. The kill is the last thing on my mind when I enter the woods. I am there for the ambiance of the woods, the sights, the sounds, and the silence. If I have an opportunity to harvest an animal, It is a bonus. When that moment does arise, I do so in a very respectful manner. If I get to sit in the woods 50 times in a season, and harvest 4 deer, does that mean I had 46 failed hunts? Absolutely not. Some of my favorite hunts are ones that I never release an arrow. 



In addition to the experiences and the serenity, another aspect of hunting that fuels me is my desire to compete. Hunting is different from most sports because instead of man vs. man, its man vs. nature. I have played competitive sports my whole life, but I have never engaged with an opponent as relentless and unforgiving as nature. I feel I have gained more character and resolve by chasing mature whitetails than any other worldly endeavor. The woods will humble you time and time again, but if you can muster up the will to persevere, the rewards are unmatched. To me, there is no greater challenge than to harvest a mature buck, in his environment, and on his terms. If you can fool a whitetails senses to the point where his better judgement betrays him, you have accomplished greatness.

A full season of bow hunting will play out like a typical amusement park roller coaster. Peaks and valleys, adrenaline rushes, lulls, and the occasional "did that really just happen?!" moment. Much like the ride, it starts off slow, building with anticipation, and than it is over before you know it. Take the time to slow down your "ride" to appreciate the sunsets, the playful fawns, and serenades of the song birds. Every time I feel myself getting frustrated by lack of deer movement, or uncooperative weather patterns, I take a second to think about the experiences that I will reflect on later and just enjoy the moment. Every minute spent in the woods, is one more minute closer to an amazing, unscripted natural event. That is more than enough to drive me, that is why I do this. 

      

And Now, I Wait...

The more you look forward to something, inevitably it will take longer to arrive. Such is the case year after year, waiting for deer season. When I climbed down from my stand late last January, I was ready for a break. Last season pushed me to my limits physically, mentally, and emotionally. It took a few weeks for me to decompress and evaluate the many lessons I had learned. By the time April rolled around, I could not wait to get back after those white tailed devils. I usually start counting down the days around 150 days away from opening day. I start putting cameras out around day 120. Tree stands and ground blinds start going out by day 90. I make sure my bow is tuned, and shooting darts with 30 days to go. By the time the calendar changes to September, my prep is complete and I am ready to hunt.

Bushnell Trail Camera

Trail cameras have become an instrumental component in off season scouting. I will place a camera along a beaten down trail, or in front of a corn pile or mineral site. By placing cameras in May, I have a full five months of data to go off of, travel patterns, times of travel, and overall heard inventory. I know patterns of deer change with the seasons, but you can still get a good idea of how the deer on your property will behave. Any information you can gather will help your pursuit come Autumn. Another nice part about having cameras out early is you can watch your bucks grow over the summer. Nothing passes the dog days of summer like watching your hit list bucks grow inch by inch with every camera session.

Ground blind brushed
in along a field edge 

I prefer to get my tree stands and ground blinds in before the Fourth of July. That way the deer have a couple months to get used to them in their environment. I always wind up hanging a few in August, but not later than that. When I feel the need to move a stand in season, I try to wait for a rainy day if possible. It may be overkill, but I do not want to tip the deer off with unnecessary scent and human activity if avoidable. Remember, the whitetails greatest defense is its nose, the more you test it, you will loose.

Hoyt Nitrum, ready
for action!

I shoot year round, so getting my bow tuned is not terrible. I will test out all my equipment that I intend on taking into the woods. I will shoot my arrows with broadheads and nocturnal nocks to make sure my arrow flight is true and there will be no surprises when I let one fly. I will shoot wearing my hunting gloves to make sure my release feels the same in or out of the woods. Shooting sitting down, as well as from elevated platforms give me the confidence that I will be able to make any shot a deer may present me with. There are too many variables that you have no control over, being confident in your equipment is not one of them.

The off season does not have to be a never ending stretch of days if you stay involved with the sport. The most successful hunters will tell you that the more you put into the summer, the more you will get out of the fall. Scouting, shooting 3-D archery courses, and reading bow hunting magazines are ways I past the time between the last climb in January to the first climb in September. For me, the off season has finally ended. I hope I did enough over the last few months to put me in a position to harvest a mature buck. The sets are all hung, the bow is dialed in, and now, I wait...        

He's Back!

Over the course of 365 days, a lot of things change in the whitetail woods. As soon as the last patches of snow dissolve into the mud, the prevailing landscape transformers into a lush green carpet. As the time progresses, the greens turn to vibrant yellows, oranges, and reds. The leaves will eventually vacate their limbs and blanket the fields and forest floors. The first flakes of winter will follow, and the cycle is complete. The deer follow a similar pattern, a pattern that we as hunters pay close attention to. It was roughly a year ago that I scouted a property for the first time. I set up a camera, threw out a couple bags of corn, a bag of Big and J attractant, and hoped for the best. Two weeks later I pulled the camera card and began what has become a year long obsession with a buck I named, "The 9".

The 9 in June 2015

If you followed this blog last year, you know about much of my history with The 9. We had several encounters last year, with him having the upper hand in all of them. The last meeting we shared was in late January with two days left in the season. It was a bitter cold evening and as he made his way towards my stand, I began to imagine a story book ending to my 2015 season. The 9 had an alternate ending in mind, and veered off to the left 45 yards away, never to be seen again. I maintained a trail camera at the property through out the winter. The last pictures I have of The 9 were a couple of random nocturnal shots from February 21, still carrying both antlers. I searched extensively for his sheds on both my property and a joining wood lots to no avail.


Battle scar from last season

As spring time rolled around I decided to place some mineral sites around the property. In just under a month I had a few hundred pictures, but none were of my old friend. I assumed he was hit by a car, or just moved on to another property. Either way, he was gone. Two weeks ago I started my corn regiment in hopes to keep the herd on my property. I was pretty excited to browse the last couple weeks of activity. After picking off a few ticks, I popped the SD card in my phone reader and began to check my inventory. Seventy pictures in, and BAM! He's Back! The 9 was enjoying a corn dinner, sporting what could hopefully grow into a very impressive rack. He posed broadside to show off his battle scar from last season when my Easton Axis grazed his left side on what proved to be a too severe quartering to shot. With each picture I scrolled through, my anticipation for the upcoming archery season soared.

The 9 June 2016

So much has changed over the last year. The 9 is battle tested, bigger, and undoubtedly smarter. He has two more months to grow, and I have two months to scout him. I am looking forward to getting reacquainted with The 9 over the Summer, and ultimately chasing him come the Fall. One thing that did not change is 365 days later, I will be the same hunter, pursuing the same deer.

All But Over...

With each snow flake that tumbles whimsically to the ground, the likelihood that my 2015 deer season has ended is all but certain. Tomorrow, January 23, signifies the official last day of deer season here in South Eastern Pennsylvania. Unfortunately a massive winter storm is set to dump up to two feet of snow overnight and all day Saturday. You combine that with constant sustained winds over 35 mph, and deer movement should be nonexistent. That being said, our local meteorologists have been wrong once or twice, so I may still have one last hunt in me. So as I watched the sunset from my stand this evening, I began to reflect on the season that was.

This is what 4 degrees
looks like

This was a long season. As of this moment I can say I have been chasing whitetails for 8 months straight. From the first week of June setting up the first trail camera till this last week of January it has been a non stop adventure / obsession. I have ran the gamut of emotions, expectations, and weather extremes. For example, the stand I hunted on Monday I hung in August. The humidity was so oppressive that day it was hard to breath. The temperature with the heat index was 105 degrees F. On Monday, with the wind chill factored in it was a balmy 4 degrees F. That's over 100 degrees difference in the same tree, same season.

I feel like I fell short of my preseason goals, but I am proud of how I persevered in the face of adversity. If somebody would have told me in September that I would still be holding my buck tags for two states at season's end, and still be proud of my season, I would have told them they lost their
mind. It just shows how much I have progressed mentally in my fifth year as a hunter. Successful hunts have little to do with harvesting trophy animals, but everything to do with harvesting lasting memories. I spent more time in the woods this year than any other time in my life. I learned so many lessons from nature by just being in nature, that I can not help but be a better hunter for it. I worked on my calling and rattling, when to call, and how to execute a successful rattling sequence. I paid very close attention to the wind and the importance of wind direction. I feel like I read deer sign such as scrapes and rubs, to put me in better positions to harvest animals.

The 9 checking out a doe in mid December

The low point of the season was making a non fatal shot on The 9. It's amazing how many times I encountered him this season and he only presented one shot opportunity. I still replay that shot over in my mind and still can not believe I did not connect. When The 9 reappeared I was relived that he survived the shot and looked well. I saw him briefly last week and he looked very healthy. I am looking forward to searching for his shed antlers in a couple weeks, and than watching him grow a velvet wrapped rack this summer.

That is why there is much more to the hunt than the harvest. If I let the 20 second encounter with The 9, in which I failed to harvest my trophy, define the last 8 months of my life, I would be cheating myself. Don't get me wrong, I would love to have gotten my hands on a mature whitetail's rack, but it was not in the cards. I did harvested a hand full of does, enough to fully stock my freezer. I also learned valuable information to aid my pursuit of whitetails for years to come. Lastly, I made memories, that should last a lifetime.
                 

Prepping for the Final Push

Mired in one of the least productive seasons I can remember, this year's 2 week break for Christmas came at the perfect time. I am usually against any regulation that keeps me out of the woods, but I welcome the closure this year. Between the unseasonable weather, a hectic work schedule, and one regrettable missed opportunity, the whitetails have gotten the best of me. On the bright side, the camaraderie and experiences shared with my hunting buddies are second to none. However, sometimes you need to put an animal in the back of the truck to validate yourself as a hunter.

The first two weeks of December saw a slight up tick in deer activity. The temperatures were still above normal, but by the weekends they cooled down slightly. I think there was a few yearling does that came into estrous late for that "second rut", but nothing that brought in any quality bucks. Honestly, I have not seen a shooter buck since the first week in October. Friends that I hunt with have not seen any respectable bucks since mid October, and out of all of us, only one buck has been harvested this year. That buck, a true stud, was shot during the so called "October lull" on a day in the mid 70's. By the time the season reopens on December 26th, all rutting activity should be finished. I expect the deer to be on a feeding pattern, and with the mild temps, there is still ample soft mass and forage available.

I moved some of my trail camera locations to find out what deer are still around my properties. I set up some corn piles between bedding areas to see if I can get a picture of either G2 or The 9, but neither have shown up yet. I have seen more bucks reverting back to bachelor groups, another sign that the rut is all but over. I did notice a monster rub, fresh as can be, on a tree in someones front yard about 500 yards from my stand so who knows?  

The forecast for Christmas is a record breaking 71 degrees here in Southeastern Pennsylvania. So when I head back into the woods the following Saturday, I may be in a camo T-shirt. The extended forecast does call for more seasonable temperatures for mid to late January. That's a good thing for sure. The whitetail season here runs until January 23. That will leave me with 4 weeks to fill 4 tags, a steep challenge, but possible. There is little left in the way of prep that can salvage this season, so it's time for Lady Luck to make here annual appearance.                   

2015 Southern Illinois Trip

For the last four years, my group of hunting buddies have made an annual pilgrimage to Southern Illinois in pursuit of giant Midwestern whitetails. I have been fortunate enough to be a part of the last three trips. It is something we look forward to all year long, the opportunity to tag a true monster. For months we watch the pros on television knocking down stud after stud in the Land of Lincoln. There is nothing that compares to the feeling that at any moment, the largest buck you have ever seen could emerge from tangled thickets. We plan our trip months in advance to coincide perfectly with the rut, expecting these mature bucks to be moving around seeking out a receptive doe. To our credit, we have picked out some good weeks in the past with multiple hunters tagging out, or at the very least having opportunities. This year our luck had run out. Anyone hunting in the Midwest this first week of November thought the same thing, It's too damn hot!

I started looking at the weather for Ziegler, Illinois about three weeks before our trip. 70's, 80's, even 85 degrees was in the forecast. Last year when we landed in St. Louis it was 33 degrees at lunchtime. This year, 75. I tried to stay positive, the deer still had to move at some point. The first four days were an absolute grind. I hunted hard, sitting all day twice, only to see a few doe, a spike buck, and a small eight pointer. The small eight gave me some hope due to the fact that I rattled him in to 10 yards, showing obvious rutting behavior. The last 2 hours of my fourth day were washed out by a thunderstorm. I was hoping the weather change would jump start some deer movement, but I was the only idiot not seeking shelter that evening.

After that cold front passed things did get better. The day time highs struggled to reach 60, and the morning lows hovered in the mid 30's. The wind also shifted to the north west, but was relatively calm by Illinois standards. I took a chance and hunted in the timber that night, as opposed to the field edges I had been concentrated on. The move did not pay off, as my friend Tom saw 30+ deer working the field, and I had to settle for a beautiful sunset under a canopy of white oak trees. With one day left I decide to go back to the field edge, but slightly into the wood lot. It was the place on the property which had the most sign, 6 active scrapes, which at this point was more than enough for me to warrant an all day sit.

On the way to my stand on the last morning I was full of optimism. I could see by breath for the first time all week, frost covered the field, replacing the fog of previous mornings. I freshened up a few of the scrapes, climbed into my stand, and waited for dawn to creep over the horizon. As day broke, I interrupted the silence with a brisk rattling sequence followed by a few grunts. Within seconds I had two small bucks rush in to investigate. That was the theme for most of the morning. Small buck after small buck, with a few curious does in between. From 8:30 till 4:00 my only visitor was a 3 pointer who checked out the scrapes around noon.

Outfitter Mike Wright
field dressing a doe

Around 4 pm, 2 doe walked down the main trail into bow range. The larger of the two was alert, checking the intersecting trails and adjoining field. I did not want to shoot her, but she had worn out her welcome. The longer she hung around, the better her chances were to pick me out and blow out all the other deer with her. After watching her for 15 minutes, I finally released an arrow. She ran 35 yards and piled up in the thicket. The doe that was with her continued to forage for acorns, unaware of what had taken place. With 30 minutes of shooting light left, I decided to hit my rattling bag one more time. Almost instantly I had a 125" buck march in 40 yards to my right. As the buck continued towards me, he noticed the doe across the trail. I grunted and snort wheezed frantically, but he was much more interested in that doe, than with me. The dance continued till the sun set, the buck never giving me a shot, as he trailed the doe into the brush.

Southern Illinois Sunset

This years trip fell well short of expectations. We only harvested a handful of doe, and nobody had an opportunity at a quality buck. That being said, the camaraderie experienced at deer camp is tough to beat. We caught up with some old friends while making new friends as well. These are the people that I will look forward to seeing for years to come. If you only judge the success of the hunt by its harvest, than I feel you are doing yourself an injustice. You can experience all the unforgettable memories of a hunt without ever releasing an arrow. I am already planning for next years trip to Southern Illinois, but with all this talk of global warming, the second week of November looks better and better.  
               

Coming Up Short

There is a lot of planning and preparation that go into a successful whitetail hunt. Some of this takes place in the months and weeks leading up to the season, while some simpler tasks are left for the night before. I compile a mental checklist of things that have to be done, without exception, before entering the woods. Are my clothes clean? Do I have my lures, grunt tube, and rattling bag? Did I load up my bow, release, and arrows? (Arrows are now on the list since I left my quiver behind on a picnic table once) Also important are in season adjustments that need to be made based on in season observations of deer movement. I once was told that success is the at the intersection of preparation and opportunity. On Saturday my lack of preparation left me a block short of my destination.

When the alarm pierced the silence at 3:15 am, I instinctively hit the snooze button. If I left my house by 5 am I could be in my stand a full hour before first light. Than it hit me, did I put my clothes in the dryer? I shook off my slumber and stumbled into the basement. Of course not. Now I'm unloading a washer full of wet camo in hopes that it will dry in time. As I am waiting for the clothes to dry, I load up my gear with a pessimistic outlook for the day. I was going to be late, very late. After 45 agonizing minutes I threw on my damp camo and raced for the stand. By the time I got situated the dim light of dawn was upon me with the sun rapidly approaching the horizon. Lucky for me, this is not a great morning spot, but still a gaff that could have unknowingly cost me.

My second misstep was a week in the making. In the previous week I noticed the deer were gravitating more towards the perimeter of the property. I do not think they are educated on my location as much as it is the pre-rut and the deer prefer traveling the tree line more than the brush. I had loaded up a new tree stand and some climbing sticks last Sunday, but for one reason or another they spent the last 6 days in my truck bed. So it was no surprise to me that when the deer began to move, they moved directly along the trail I had intended to be sitting over today. 

On a positive note, all was not lost today. I had a new mature buck show his face in daylight for the first time. He is a Big 6 pointer, with one wide sweeping side, and one side that stopped growing out in July. I only have 5 trail cam pictures but I was able to study him for a while at 75 yards. Had I been in the other tree, chances are I would have tagged out on him. I tried a playful rattling and grunting sequence to bring him in, but only a curious 4 pointer answered the call. As I stood up for a better look, I noticed an old adversary to my left. The 9 was back, and looked to be fine. He too wanted to see what the commotion was about. When the young fork came into the clearing, The 9 took one glance at such an over matched opponent and meandered back into the thicket. He had what seemed to be an entrance wound and exit wound on his right side. Since he was quartering towards me when I shot him, the arrow must have deflected off a rib, resulting in a flesh wound with all his vitals untouched. I was happy to see The 9 was alive and well. It just proves how amazingly resilient whitetail deer are. The fork circled my tree for about 15 minutes before he too lost interest and wandered off. 

As the day turned into dusk, a doe busted out of the brush being chased by the same fork. A small 6 pointer popped his head out a minute later, followed by the Big 6 to round out the bunch. By the time the sun had set all 4 deer had spent about 15 minutes running up and down the trail that I had anticipated, which left me 80 yards away counting squirrels. Poor preparation, no success.

Fueled by my most recent failure, and the fact that the rut has arrived in Southeastern Pennsylvania, I stepped up my preparation exponentially. On Sunday morning I practiced shooting for 3 hours. I headed over to the wood lot with Mike and we picked out a great tree to finally hang my new stand. Lastly, I washed and dried all my camo so there will be zero excuses this week. The full moon on Tuesday should usher the first does into estrous. I will be in the woods Friday, Saturday, and possibly Tuesday night. This is setting up to be a great week for bow hunting, and with the preparation completed, all I am looking for is the right opportunity.                             

Black Monday

Ask me when I won my first bass tournament, and I'll give you the month and year. What was my worst tournament? June 28, 2009. I remember my wake up text, the Boston Creme doughnut, the sunrise, the fact that no bass would even look at a green pumpkin senko when 24 hours ago they were lining up around the shoals of Oneida Lake for a chance at that alluring soft bait. You never remember all the fish you caught, but you never forget the one you did not. Hunting is no different. I remember my best hunt because it was with in the last calendar year. The deer that I did not harvest, haunt me in my dreams for years and years. I was hoping this year would bring me good memories, achievements, and accomplishment. It still may, the season is young and the rut is rapidly approaching. One thing the early season has given me is another date I will never forget.

Monday, October 5 2015 was going to be a memorable day. The previous Saturday's hunt was inspiring to say the least. My pattern of my two target bucks, G2 and The 9 was spot on. I felt I could not wait till next Saturday to get back in the woods, so I made arrangements at work so I could leave early to get a rare Monday evening sit in. The temperatures were cooling off and it was the second day of high pressure after a weekend cold front blew through. On top of that, I had a light WNW wind that is perfect for my stand location. The table was set. As I walked to my stand I was filled with anticipation. There was no doubt in my mind I was filling my Pennsylvania Buck tag tonight.

I was not in my stand for 10 minutes when I heard a buck grunt faintly to my right. I noticed a doe appear 15 yards behind me. She was hurried out of the brush looking anxiously over her shoulder. With that, she walked into the open and G2 emerged right behind her. A mere 15 yards stood between  me and my top targeted buck. And a 40' chestnut tree. I watched as he made a scrape at the edge of the brush, gave one more glance in the doe's direction, than bounded out of view. What an encounter. He never presented me with a shot, but he was closer than ever. It wasn't even 4 pm and I had a solid buck sighting. I knew I was going to get an opportunity tonight.  

An hour and a half had passed and I noticed some movement in the brush about 25 yards away. I could see antlers shaking the saplings, coming my way. If this deer continued down this trail, when he entered the clearing he would be down wind of me. I grabbed my bow and readied for a shot. As the buck came closer, I could tell it was The 9. He was very cautious, repeatedly sticking his nose high in the air trying in vain to catch my scent. As he ducked under the last pin oak I came to full draw and focused on my target. There he was, 18 yards away, slightly quartering to. I put my pin behind his left shoulder, exhaled, and released my arrow. Upon impact I recall seeing my lighted nock glowing red behind his shoulder, exactly where I had aimed. The 9 did an about face and raced back into the thicket. I checked my watch, 5:35 pm. I hung my bow confidently on its' hook, beyond satisfied with my shot. I texted some friends to help me track my trophy, and celebrate a successful hunt. I had created a great memory tonight, or so I thought. 

It was close to 7 pm by the time the cavalry arrived. I reenacted the shot for everybody, and we inspected the arrow which had passed completely through, Mike, who has 25 years experience in tracking deer took one look at the arrow and said, " That's a dead deer." As we tracked the first 30 feet, the blood trail was widening. We were all giddy with anticipation, but at the same time I was trying to temper my expectations. Call me a pessimist but I have seen this before. I could not breathe easy until I had my hands firmly around The 9's chocolate rack. By the time we lost the blood trail some 300 yards later, my fears were becoming a reality. We decided we should resume the search in the morning. Tiered eyes and dimming flashlights had did all they could. Hopefully the daylight would lead us to The 9.

After a sleepless night, Mike and I resumed the search. We followed the blood trail from the beginning, nothing. We crisscrossed through the thickets on our hands and knees, nothing. We walked the perimeter of the property, and through neighboring properties, nothing. In all we spent 6 more hours walking in circles trying to forensically retrace The 9's last steps. In the days that followed, I tried to drive around the area looking for any signs, hoping to see turkey vultures in the sky circling the carcass that would give me closure, but nothing. How could a day that started out with so much promise turn into such a nightmare? I had no answers, only questions that may never be answered.

My final assessment? The 9 is dead. Somewhere. When the brush dies down and the woods thin out, I may find him. When I search the property for sheds come February maybe he will turn up. The worst feeling a hunter can have is feeling that he or she wounded an animal. I feel terrible about this, but I do not believe that The 9 is wounded. All indications point to a fatal shot. The arrow, the blood trail, my recollection of the shot itself. I pray some day I will find The 9 and give this story the proper ending it deserves. Until than all I have is questions, and another date that I will never be able to forget.