PeterM
12-10-05, 02:00 PM
I made a phone call to my old hunting partner in New Castle and gave him the bad news that I had lost my beloved Darton to thieves! He was livered as I have been of late. He soon told me that I could borrow his Darton Maverick, since the arrival of the second child and his work load so heavy he could really see himself getting away for a long time. I was very grateful to say the least.
About 10 days later the bow was dropped off on there long drive to Melbourne to see all the relations there, the next day I setup the old girl, this didnÃ*t take to long as my mate has all the same equipment as I used to have (you know you have been hunting with one a long time when you both shot the same gear!). A few draw length adjustments and re-turning for my arrows and some sight checks and it felt like I had my old girl back in my hands, just a half a dozen pounds in draw weight lither, I can live with that till the new BowTech shows up. (Well it's been and GONE!)
I wanted to head out after the goats and pigs this weekend but the keys didnÃ*t arrive for the farm gate so I thought the bucks would be in bachelor groups well and truly by now or at least they would be by them selves, so I grabbed my fox whistle and headed off to my mates place have a look. I made my way down to the back paddock and the wind was good blowing a steady pace all the way up the creek line so there would be no chance anything would be able to smell me as I travelled down the now very full and well running creek from the four to five inches of rain in the last two weeks.
The first whistle produced one big dog, but he came in from the other bank and down wind so as he got to about shooting distance and cut my sent and disappeared as quickly as he had come. On the second attempt only 100 metres down the creek line I started the usual loud shrieks of some distressed bunny and to my surprise I saw a fallow buck stand up some 80 to 100 metres down the creek! He had made himself a nice bed in the tussocks and had gotten up for a stretch, I dropped the whistle and slowly slipped into the creek, the wind was perfect so I studied the terrain along the creek as far as I could see to plan my attack. I could sneak all the way, right up too or next to the buck and have most of my stalk obscured from his sight by the four to five foot high walls of the creek, this made some short work of closing the gap, with the water running fairly hard also covering some of noise and the banks obscuring his view it was only a matter of a five to ten minuteÃ*s and I was around 35 metres out from the buck.
Now came the hard stuff as I peaked up and over the bank to get a the lay of the land, I could see he was bedded down with what look like him facing me, but I had no I dear which way his body was or what angle it might be on either, all I could see was his antlers and the outline of the top of his head thought the tussocks. I couldnÃ*t sneak all the way down the creek and past him as he was not that far from the bank and the wind would have given me up for sure if I tried to get a broad side shot, but still moved down the creek a little further to small kink in it and just around it there was a game trial lead up and out of the creek, at only about 25 metres what luck! I carefully positioned my self half way up the cut-in, and just stood there ready to rock and roll, I was watching him like a hawk, waiting for him to get up for another stretch, but after 30 minutes had past and he had not gotten up I decided I couldnÃ*t just stand here anymore (how long can anyone stand dead still for really!) so I made a conscious decision the force the situation, a picked up a rock from right at my feet and carefully squatted down a pegged it down the creek to about inline with his position, and quickly re-attached my release in one smooth motion and waited for the response from the buck, and he did NOTHING! What, ok now I thought I would try something a little more aggressive, I came to full draw and got set and started to squeak like a mouse (you know like when you want to draw a fox in the last 15 metres to you when whistling) and again NOTHING from the buck! So let down and waited a few more minutes.
By this time I really decided to make a push, I drew and anchored and slowly moved up the cut-out in the bank, with the 20 metre pin floating on where I though the deer's general chest area was. I began to rinse from the creek, I slowly moving up and onto the bank, this gave the result I wanted, the buck stood up and now I could see his eyes widened trying to focus on what was emerging form the creek (the new 3D Leafy Ware pro top was performing well). The buck was now standing and I could see that he had been bedded down with his head turned over his shoulder so now I had clear view on where I had to place my shot, it would have be quick and the old Texas heart shot was on offer so I took it. The Goldtip shaft disappeared into the buck, in a flash and he exploded off the bank two bounds and across the creek as he turned and ran up the hill I could see the occasional glimpse of light reflecting of the Magnus Stinger broad head protruding from his chest, then he was gone.
I started tracking him straight away, with good blood trial evident I carefully made my way along his chosen exit. As I moved up the slope and I followed him to a small patch of trees I found where he had turned and gone under a fence, I could see he had turned and headed back down toward the creek as I jumped the fence. The sand made short work of following him, but this soon changed as I got closer to the creek again, I ran into a small problem, there where now several fresh set of tracks from other deer in the mix, I had slow the pace down again as I made way down the creek trying to follow the now diminishing blood trail.
This is where things became interesting, I had made my way further down the creek and I couldnÃ*t see a drop of blood, plenty of tracks, too many in fact, this had me stumped as I doubled back to pick up the blood trail, it was clear as day right along the creeks edges with the drops of blood showing quite well in the wet sand, but it had just stopped, it had turned out that I had followed which what turned out to be the wrong tracks, as all the other deer had been on the same path in last day or so. I was mystified at this point the creek had widened to about some 10 metres across and I though he would have stayed on this side and followed the game trail like everyone else, but the blood had just stopped, so I though to myself, he wouldnÃ*t have jumped into the creek surly, I had to put my hand into the air to shield my eyes from the blinding sun (it was late afternoon now) so I could look across the creek to the opposite bank and to my surprise there where tracks and I could see the blood trail!
I moved quickly down the game trail I was on and crossed to the other side and started searching again but from where the buck had emerged from out of the creek there was plenty on blood but up and over the bank, there was nothing I could follow, the ground was barren and rocky and the rose coloured rock made it impossible to see and blood let alone there where no tracks in the hard ground. So I decided to look further down the creek line along its edge as there was allot of deer tracks on and around the edges still. As I know the country well I though if he heading down this way there is only a few places to cross, and this is where I picked up the blood trail again in the wet sand, but like before with the large numbers of tracks I was draw off up and out into the open green paddock but with no blood trial to be seen in the fresh green grass which should have shown even the smallest blood trial! It seamed that I had following the wrong deer tracks again!
It was getting late now and I started to become a little frantic as I knew he couldnÃ*t be too far. Again I doubled back and really spent the time looking at which way the blood had fallen onto the sand and looked for the right tracks, I seamed to be on the right trail again. He was hugging the creeks edge and after he had crossed back again to the side that he originally started on, but now I could tell I was close, I could see where he had fallen in the sand and struggled by the look of it, to get up. Then as I rounded the bend in the creek I found him slumped in it, finally I said!
On inspection the arrow had exited a little high which meant most of the blood had been captured in his body cavity, otherwise it might have given a better blood trail and maybe from all the swimming he had done it would have dissipated some of the blood trial as well, this explained why I could locate any blood trial for some after each time he crossed the creek and was let of the garden path so to speak.
I pulled out the old trusty file Nikon compact camera out and set up for a few self timed photos (my Canon had not be replace by the insurance company yet) it was good setting with a nice water back drop and late sunset which turned out really well I thought.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/peterm/FallowBuck2005150.jpg
Since I have written this I have acquired another Darton (thanks Mozza for the tip)! Who though eBay would be so bifacial.
About 10 days later the bow was dropped off on there long drive to Melbourne to see all the relations there, the next day I setup the old girl, this didnÃ*t take to long as my mate has all the same equipment as I used to have (you know you have been hunting with one a long time when you both shot the same gear!). A few draw length adjustments and re-turning for my arrows and some sight checks and it felt like I had my old girl back in my hands, just a half a dozen pounds in draw weight lither, I can live with that till the new BowTech shows up. (Well it's been and GONE!)
I wanted to head out after the goats and pigs this weekend but the keys didnÃ*t arrive for the farm gate so I thought the bucks would be in bachelor groups well and truly by now or at least they would be by them selves, so I grabbed my fox whistle and headed off to my mates place have a look. I made my way down to the back paddock and the wind was good blowing a steady pace all the way up the creek line so there would be no chance anything would be able to smell me as I travelled down the now very full and well running creek from the four to five inches of rain in the last two weeks.
The first whistle produced one big dog, but he came in from the other bank and down wind so as he got to about shooting distance and cut my sent and disappeared as quickly as he had come. On the second attempt only 100 metres down the creek line I started the usual loud shrieks of some distressed bunny and to my surprise I saw a fallow buck stand up some 80 to 100 metres down the creek! He had made himself a nice bed in the tussocks and had gotten up for a stretch, I dropped the whistle and slowly slipped into the creek, the wind was perfect so I studied the terrain along the creek as far as I could see to plan my attack. I could sneak all the way, right up too or next to the buck and have most of my stalk obscured from his sight by the four to five foot high walls of the creek, this made some short work of closing the gap, with the water running fairly hard also covering some of noise and the banks obscuring his view it was only a matter of a five to ten minuteÃ*s and I was around 35 metres out from the buck.
Now came the hard stuff as I peaked up and over the bank to get a the lay of the land, I could see he was bedded down with what look like him facing me, but I had no I dear which way his body was or what angle it might be on either, all I could see was his antlers and the outline of the top of his head thought the tussocks. I couldnÃ*t sneak all the way down the creek and past him as he was not that far from the bank and the wind would have given me up for sure if I tried to get a broad side shot, but still moved down the creek a little further to small kink in it and just around it there was a game trial lead up and out of the creek, at only about 25 metres what luck! I carefully positioned my self half way up the cut-in, and just stood there ready to rock and roll, I was watching him like a hawk, waiting for him to get up for another stretch, but after 30 minutes had past and he had not gotten up I decided I couldnÃ*t just stand here anymore (how long can anyone stand dead still for really!) so I made a conscious decision the force the situation, a picked up a rock from right at my feet and carefully squatted down a pegged it down the creek to about inline with his position, and quickly re-attached my release in one smooth motion and waited for the response from the buck, and he did NOTHING! What, ok now I thought I would try something a little more aggressive, I came to full draw and got set and started to squeak like a mouse (you know like when you want to draw a fox in the last 15 metres to you when whistling) and again NOTHING from the buck! So let down and waited a few more minutes.
By this time I really decided to make a push, I drew and anchored and slowly moved up the cut-out in the bank, with the 20 metre pin floating on where I though the deer's general chest area was. I began to rinse from the creek, I slowly moving up and onto the bank, this gave the result I wanted, the buck stood up and now I could see his eyes widened trying to focus on what was emerging form the creek (the new 3D Leafy Ware pro top was performing well). The buck was now standing and I could see that he had been bedded down with his head turned over his shoulder so now I had clear view on where I had to place my shot, it would have be quick and the old Texas heart shot was on offer so I took it. The Goldtip shaft disappeared into the buck, in a flash and he exploded off the bank two bounds and across the creek as he turned and ran up the hill I could see the occasional glimpse of light reflecting of the Magnus Stinger broad head protruding from his chest, then he was gone.
I started tracking him straight away, with good blood trial evident I carefully made my way along his chosen exit. As I moved up the slope and I followed him to a small patch of trees I found where he had turned and gone under a fence, I could see he had turned and headed back down toward the creek as I jumped the fence. The sand made short work of following him, but this soon changed as I got closer to the creek again, I ran into a small problem, there where now several fresh set of tracks from other deer in the mix, I had slow the pace down again as I made way down the creek trying to follow the now diminishing blood trail.
This is where things became interesting, I had made my way further down the creek and I couldnÃ*t see a drop of blood, plenty of tracks, too many in fact, this had me stumped as I doubled back to pick up the blood trail, it was clear as day right along the creeks edges with the drops of blood showing quite well in the wet sand, but it had just stopped, it had turned out that I had followed which what turned out to be the wrong tracks, as all the other deer had been on the same path in last day or so. I was mystified at this point the creek had widened to about some 10 metres across and I though he would have stayed on this side and followed the game trail like everyone else, but the blood had just stopped, so I though to myself, he wouldnÃ*t have jumped into the creek surly, I had to put my hand into the air to shield my eyes from the blinding sun (it was late afternoon now) so I could look across the creek to the opposite bank and to my surprise there where tracks and I could see the blood trail!
I moved quickly down the game trail I was on and crossed to the other side and started searching again but from where the buck had emerged from out of the creek there was plenty on blood but up and over the bank, there was nothing I could follow, the ground was barren and rocky and the rose coloured rock made it impossible to see and blood let alone there where no tracks in the hard ground. So I decided to look further down the creek line along its edge as there was allot of deer tracks on and around the edges still. As I know the country well I though if he heading down this way there is only a few places to cross, and this is where I picked up the blood trail again in the wet sand, but like before with the large numbers of tracks I was draw off up and out into the open green paddock but with no blood trial to be seen in the fresh green grass which should have shown even the smallest blood trial! It seamed that I had following the wrong deer tracks again!
It was getting late now and I started to become a little frantic as I knew he couldnÃ*t be too far. Again I doubled back and really spent the time looking at which way the blood had fallen onto the sand and looked for the right tracks, I seamed to be on the right trail again. He was hugging the creeks edge and after he had crossed back again to the side that he originally started on, but now I could tell I was close, I could see where he had fallen in the sand and struggled by the look of it, to get up. Then as I rounded the bend in the creek I found him slumped in it, finally I said!
On inspection the arrow had exited a little high which meant most of the blood had been captured in his body cavity, otherwise it might have given a better blood trail and maybe from all the swimming he had done it would have dissipated some of the blood trial as well, this explained why I could locate any blood trial for some after each time he crossed the creek and was let of the garden path so to speak.
I pulled out the old trusty file Nikon compact camera out and set up for a few self timed photos (my Canon had not be replace by the insurance company yet) it was good setting with a nice water back drop and late sunset which turned out really well I thought.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/peterm/FallowBuck2005150.jpg
Since I have written this I have acquired another Darton (thanks Mozza for the tip)! Who though eBay would be so bifacial.