Lightning - in a Bottle!!!

[Dave]

I took my daughter, Sarah (AKA LightningInABottle on FNF from last years youth hunt contest), out with the crosbow yesterday afteroon to try for a spike that a friend has been seeing on a horse farm.  Tried to get set up by 4:30 so we wouldn't be seen trying to get into the "blind."  The blind is a three sided tin shed that the horses must use during windy/nasty weather.  It's in the middle of the pature (at this time of day all the horses are in their stalls, and nothing is out in the fields).  When we got there, there were already a 1/2 doz deer (all does) out in the far end of the 4 to 5 acre pasture.  We managed to get into the shed without being seen and unrolled a 20'x3' length of burlap and hung it across the open side of the shed.  Set up the chairs in the enclosure with the shooting sticks (complements of HuntNCarve AKA HnC) set up to look out the corner of the blind.  I tied up the bottom corner of the burlap so she could shoot out underneath of that corner.  
Here's a pic from last year showing the set-up




Sarah started doing her homework while I watched our gals.  



(Last year she got a 6 pt from this spot-and we'll find out later if Lightning can strike twice!)
This year she is a junior hunter, so she can shoot a doe (last year she was "youth-Mentored" and was only allowed a buck).  Anyway, the does were slowly working their way towards us and more doe were piling into the field/pasture.  A fox appeared and hunted his way towrad us.  It got to about 30 yds.  



I let it see some movement and it got nervous and went back to were it came from (didn't want it blowiing out of there and alerting the deer).  Close to an hour passed and there were 19 doe and one spike all to the right of us.  The spike was getting closer - 90 yds, then 80, 70, 60, and then 50 yards.  Just 20 more yards and Sarah was getting the green light on him.  He then turned and started moving toward a few doe.  I rolled the doe bleat box back and forth a few times until he finally looked up (everything else in the field was looking at this point), but he had no interest in coming closer.  We were running out of day light.  Now everything is nervous and starting to move in every direction except ours.  After 10 min I popped my head out and around the side of the shed and saw 4 doe feeding behind us and lasered them at 40 yds .  I grabbed the shooting sticks and popped out of the other end of the shed to get ready for them to pass by and maybe she could get her 30 yd shot.  I turned and looked back at the far end and started telling Sarah to get around the corner of the shed with me, and then saw Bullwinkle about 90 yds away looking towards us.  I whispered to Sarah to stay in - a really big buck is looking at us.  I was hunched while doing all this, so I'm figuring he only sees a little movement off the end of the shed and maybe wants to know what it is.  I grab my custom HnC grunt call and give a few grunts.  He perks up a bit, but then continued on toward the does.  I grunted a few more times - he stopped and looked, but continued on.  He gave em a sniff and moved on to the next group.  Same thing - sniff and move on.  We could hear him grunting between checks.  Nothing of interest there, so now he starts coming in our direction.  My heart starts picking up the pace.  The course he was on would put him about 30 yards broadside right in front of us.  80 yards.  70 yds.  60 yd.  50 y. 40. Sarah had to lift the crossbow off the shooting sticks to shoot free-hand as it was moving too far to the left of her set-up and everything was happening too fast to re-set the sticks.  When it was 30 yds, and broadside I reached down and lifted the lower part of the burlap up so Sarah could shoot under it.  I'm looking through the burlap and see the buck become VERY alert to the moving floor.  I heard Sarah take a deep breath with no exhale.  Twang! - - - -> thhhhuunnkk!     It sounded like a good hit!! He wheeled around and headed for the far end of the pasture.  "Come on" I'm thinking, "come on - drop,  -  wobble  -  COME ON."    He ran right out of the end of the field, over the pasture fencing, through a hedgerow, and right accross someones million dollar estate lawn, cutting up to the left towards some overgrown brush and someone elses driveway (I think, but not sure what is over that way).  I mentally marked where it went through the hedgerow, and where it entered the brushy area, trying to burn the skyline of both spots into my mind.  I asked Sarah how she felt about the shot.  "I was shakey, dad.  At one point the crosshairs were on its head."    
"Is that when you took a deep breath?" I asked.  
'Yes.  And as the 30 yd marker went accross the kill zone I shot."    
"OK, well the hit sounded good to me."  (but I'm not really sure - have no idea).  We packed up all our gear and quickly looked for the bolt.  Nothing - no bolt, no blood.  We gave it only 45 min and started to look for blood where it went through the hedgerow at the end of the field.  
Nothing.  
No blood.  
No kick-ups where I thought it crossed, no nothing.  
Now it went accross this guys lawn - toward his house and then through a treeline and into brush toward someone elses driveway.  Wow, the joys of suburban hunting.  Well I instructed Sarah to never shine the flashlight in the direction of the house.  Always keep your body between the light and the house and we'll try and figure out where this guy went.  
We moved up along the edge of the property to about where I last saw it.  We spent about 1/2 an hour or so looking for some blood, but nothing.  The moon was almost full and I turned off my light and did a body search around some thick cover.  I came back out to the edge of the lawn and noticed a 10' wide grass pathway cut through a bit of woods.  As my eyes were adjusting to the moonlit night I noticed a patch of white about 40/50 yds down the grasscut path.  I anxiously moved toward it and saw it was the buck.  
I rushed back toward Sarah and said "I found the buck!!"  
She dives into the brush.  
I said, "no, no, I said I found him.   Come on! Come on!"      
She said "Oh, I thought you said duck."  I didn't realize how nervous she must have been (this type of tracking happens quite a bit in suburbia).   She was SOOO excited!!  After the hugs and congrats were out of the way (and tagging), I pull out my trusty hand-tied HnC drag rope and start the tug-of-war back toward the horse farm.  Got it back to home turf and snapped a few pics!  
Gutted it, drug it some more and took a few more pics.  
Her hit was perfect behind the shoulder for a broadside shot, but the buck must've shifted toward us slightly when I lifted the burlap, the target angle from behind the shoulder to just in front of it, but neither of us noticed this (I figure this as the entrance hole is right behind the shoulder, but the exit hole is far back in the chest cavity, with the broadhead going through a small portion of lung and a lot of liver).
And, yes, as you must've guessed from above, Lightning does strike twice.



How about this bruiser!





In this one you can see where the arrow exited.



20-1/2" outside spread!  

[slagmaker]

Congrats! that is one might fine looking buck!!!!!

[FOsteology]

Lightening indeed struck twice!

I think the cross-hair would have been wavering around for me as well! Extremely nice buck. Simply fantastic. Congratulations Sarah!

[Bills Custom Calls]

Oh yeah!!! Excellent Job on the very nice buck

[coyote101]

Great job and great story. Congratulations Sarah and dad, that is a beautiful buck. 

Pat

[FinsnFur]

Oh yessssss!  absolutely awesome Sarah
Dave you gotta be proud as a peacock

[KySongDog]

Heck of nice story and a beautiful buck!  Congrats to Sarah and Dad!!  

[weedwalker]

WOW!! VERY nice buck Sarah!! Congradulations.

[pitw]

That there is a story I ain't forgetting any time soon .  Great buck and congrats to both of you.

[HuntnCarve]

That's my Girl!!!   I knew I gave her that nick name for a reason.  I'm so proud of you Sarah!  When your dad and you called last night it made my day!  What an awesome buck, for an awesome young lady!

Dave

[vayotehowler]

way to go , been huntin 25 years and never taken a buck that big . She is hooked for life now

[Yotehntr]

   WOW cangrats to you both!!! That's a fine looking buck!

[Bills Custom Calls]

Is there a reason this is not in the bow contest 

[HuntnCarve]

"Is there a reason this is not in the Bow contest?"

I told Sarah's Dad that she's a genuine member here.  So by all means her buck should be entered in the contest.  So get to it Dave!  Now we know what the rest of us are going to have to try and beat. 

[Bopeye]

That was a wonderful story and pics from start to finish. Thank you sooo much for sharing with us Dave and Little Miss Sarah (Lightening in a bottle). Congratulations on a true trophy. 

[bigben]

very nice buck and congrats.

[Hawks Feather]

That is one AWESOME looking buck and will look much better than than the spike Sarah went looking for when she started the hunt.  My only hope is to get one half that size someday.

Jerry

P.S.  Being a retired principal I have to ask.  Did you get your homework done?   

[alscalls]

WTG!!!!!!!!   A VERY fine buck !   

[Carolina Coyote]

I think the look on her face tells it all, way to go Sara, being with your Dad will be something you will cherish the rest of your life.    cc

[Todd Rahm]

What ever she has in that bottle ya better start selling to all the kids by the case. 

Thats a great story and experience, congrats on the fine buck.