Arkansas nanny down!

[lightsoutcalls]

Neither the morning nor the hunt were ideal textbook.  It rained most of Friday, which we needed desperately, but the timing was less than desirable.  Arkansas bumped the start of archery deer season back from 10/1 to 9/15 this year.  Saturday morning, 4:30 am came early with rain still falling.  Last minute, I grabbed my rain gear and slipped on the "plastic pants" and rain jacket before walking in to my stand after the 45 minute drive.  I made it past the land owner's anatolian shepherd and her sister's great dane and german shepherd at the front of the property without a bark and edged back about 300 yards to my setup.  I had several weeks of pictures of 2 doe and a fawn in this area and was ready to put some doe meat in the feezer.  I was in my stand by 6:30 and waited.... and waited... and waited.  Around 11ish the fawn walked in and began feeding.  I knew it was only a matter of time before the doe would join it.  For 20 minutes, the fawn fed alone.  I took the opportunity to get my bow from a limb where it was hanging, move from a sitting position to standing and prepare for the shot I hoped would follow.  I enjoyed watching the fawn alert to cardinals flying in and sitting nearby.  The fawn alerted to something further into the woods from 2 different directions.  I hoped it was the doe .  A few minutes later the fawn spooked and bounded about 10 yards into the woods and just to my right.  Minutes later, it came back out and began to feed again.  It eventually raised its head to alert to something to my left.  With ears up, it walked calmly towards whatever it had alerted to.  Within a few more minutes, I noticed movement through the brush... without spots.  Shortly the doe came out, followed by the fawn.  She tucked her head to feed with no clue that her day was not going to be like the day before.  I settled my second sight pin tightly behind her shoulder and squeazed the trigger on my release.  I watched as the arrow sailed cleanly above her back... (sound of tires skidding on pavement in my head) HUH!?  At 27 yards, somehow I missed.  The doe and fawn bounded off to my right, but didn't go far.  I waited, took some breaths and tried to regain my composure.  I could see the doe slowly, cautiously coming back.  As she neared the shooting lane I had cleared weeks earlier, I thought I would draw as she edged behind a series of cedar tree trunks.  I drew, she stopped.  She hadn't seen me, she was just cautious... too cautious. I was beginning to shake a bit after holding draw too long.  I had to lower my string, as she had stopped.  As I lowered my string, she spooked again... grrrrr!  She didn't blow, and she didn't throw up her tail, so I decided to be still and wait.  Within another few minutes, both of the 2 doe I had on camera and the fawn came back in.  They looked occaisionally in my direction, but at ground level.  Fortunately they were not looking up as they looked my direction.  As one would lean down to feed, another would raise its head.  I raised my bow slowly in the direction of the doe to my left. As I started to draw, the fawn stepped behind her.  I slowly turned my bow to the right to sight on the other doe.  About mid draw, all 3 heads raised my direction.  AAAGGGHHH!  I hesitated for a split second just about where the cams of my bow were about to break over... the point of the most string resistance, of course.  I went ahead and drew with all eyes my direction.  (Had I been on pressured public land, it likely would have been game over.)  They just stared as I settled my FIRST pin on the doe to the right and squeazed the trigger.  There was an impact sound, but it didn't seem right, more like it hit something more solid.  My arrow fishtailed beyond the deer as the doe I was shooting at ran right and the other doe and fawn ran left.  I am shooting FOBs for the first time this year, and didn't see my fob on the ground where the doe stood.  I was very frustrated in myself at this point.  After 5+ hours in the stand, most of it in rain or drizzle, I was ready to call it a day.  I stood there replaying the morning in my mind as I noticed a male cardinal fly in where the doe stood.  There had been as many as 5 pair of cardinals coming and going throughout the morning.  I looked at the cardinal, then noticed something I hadn't noticed in the minutes since I took the second shot.  There was more red o the ground around the cardinal, and it wasn't more birds.  Could it be?  I lowered my bow down on my rope.  I then climbed down from my stand and unhooked my lanyard from my safety line.  I put my pack down and took of my harness and walked to where the doe had stood.  The ground was covered with crimson, the signature of well placed Grizztrick!  From the bloodtrail, I knew the deer had not gone far, so I collected my arrows.  The clean miss had sunk 6" deep in the ground.  The other, with missing FOB, had a white wrap painted red.  I trailed the blood for 40 to 50 yards to find my doe piled up only 15 yards from the trail out.  I rolled her over to check out the damage.  The entry was in typical Grizztrick style - skin peeled back in a nice + pattern about 3" from the bottom of the chest and about 2" back from the crease of the shoulder.  The exit was through the front/middle of the chest... a nice quartering away shot.  The opening morning doe was a real blessing.  I'm pumped and ready for next weekend!

[Woodsman4God]

Congrats Wendell hoping to tag one myself this weekend as our early doe season is coming up, ever figure out what happened to the first shot? Did you misjudge the distance or something?

[surehuntsalot]

congrats on the nanny

[flintlock]

Nice work, I have yet to get out bowhunting.  Maybe in a few weekends.....  Enjoy that backstrap!

Wess

[BowBendr]

Congrats on your 1st of the season Wendell. 

About ready to get out there myself.

[lightsoutcalls]

Did you misjudge the distance or something?

This is the first year I have used arrow wraps.  I shoot a QAD Ultra HD rest, and noticed a little scuff mark on the rest.  I suspect the wraps are hitting the rest and catching on the moleskin that goes in the rest.  I trimmed the moleskin back yesterday and shot a few times.  At 27 yards (distance I took the doe) 2 arrows hit in seperate golf ball sized spots on the target.  The other 2 arrows hit about 2" low and 4" right.  Grrrrr!  All of these shots were using the 1st sight pin. From a stand, this pin works from 10 yards to just under 30 yards.  I still have some shooting to do before Saturday.

[lightsoutcalls]

Here's what I found at point of impact...

[drenalinld]

Did you misjudge the distance or something?

This is the first year I have used arrow wraps.  I shoot a QAD Ultra HD rest, and noticed a little scuff mark on the rest.  I suspect the wraps are hitting the rest and catching on the moleskin that goes in the rest.  I trimmed the moleskin back yesterday and shot a few times.  At 27 yards (distance I took the doe) 2 arrows hit in seperate golf ball sized spots on the target.  The other 2 arrows hit about 2" low and 4" right.  Grrrrr!  All of these shots were using the 1st sight pin. From a stand, this pin works from 10 yards to just under 30 yards.  I still have some shooting to do before Saturday.

Congrats on the kill! I love the crimson trail!!
With the QAD rest, it should be out of the way long before the wrap gets there or there is a timing problem with the rest setup. If the wrap touched the rest, there is no way the rest could get out of the way in time for the FOB to clear the rest. If you are shooting targets with the FOB's and the FOB is remaining in place, the rest is falling out of the way well before the wrap/arrow crest gets to the rest. I hope that makes sense. Did you ever find your FOB???

[lightsoutcalls]

I did find the FOB... about 3 feet beyond where the arrow landed.  It was like it got catapaulted rather than dropping off at impact.    Shooting targets they stay in place as they should.  I just can't figure out why there is a slight scuff on the rest arm??? 

[tomstopper]

Congrats. Cant wait for October first (opening day NY).

[redarrow]

I did find the FOB... about 3 feet beyond where the arrow landed.  It was like it got catapaulted rather than dropping off at impact.    Shooting targets they stay in place as they should.  I just can't figure out why there is a slight scuff on the rest arm???

Are you sure the scuff isn't from the arrow shaft sliding along the rest while drawing back.Please educate me on FOB

[drenalinld]

Fob's are vane or feather replacements. Using some aerospace technology this design will stabilize broadheads at higher speeds of new bows much better than three or four vanes can.

[redarrow]

Thanks. I have seen them but didn't know what they were called.

[lightsoutcalls]

Are you sure the scuff isn't from the arrow shaft sliding along the rest while drawing back.Please educate me on FOB

The way my QAD Utra Rest works, I nock the arrow and put the shaft in the "V" shaped arrow rest.  It has a thumb button that is used to lift the arrow into position and activates the "containment" rest.  The scuff is at the lower portion of the rest arm, which does not contact the arrow during draw.  The arrow rides on the moleskin layer in the "V" shaped portion of the rest.  I started using the wraps this year, and never had the issue before.  Due to the accuracy of my target practice, I know the FOBs aren't contacting the rest.  I don't feel good about asking the folks in our local archery "proshops" about the issue.  In years past I have found that my limited knowledge of the technical issues experienced are about as good as theirs, and they do it for a living.   

I am pleased with the FOBs so far.  I will be contacting their maker to see if he can give me an idea of what happened with my recent hit.  That is one of the things I really like about the FOBs.  Technical support is given by the guy that designed and makes the product.  He is very down to earth and happy to take the time to help answer any questions and work out any issues.  They are much easier and quicker to put on than fletchings and require no glue, which means no mess.  I am also shooting the ACCU NOCKS with the FOBs and love the way they shoot.  Check them out...
http://www.accunock.com/

[drenalinld]

The guy who designed, makes, and sells them is a great guy and will do anything to help you. I would agree your FOB's are not hitting or you would see errant shots and probably the FOB would come off of the arrow on contact. You might cover the spot with some tape or something and shoot a little to see if it hits any more.