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- Dec 16, 2009
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Finally saw a deer and then.........
Then did I mess it up! Been hunting for a few weeks now with the crossbow. Probably 10 or 11 "sits". Mostly evenings but a couple of mornings as well. Last Saturday I finally saw a deer from stand. Let me back up a bit. We've been seeing very few deer in CT this year. Partly due to an abundance of acorns, and in part I believe due to two incredibly bad long winters in years with absolutely no acorns (2013 and 2014).
Saturday I decided to hunt a stand (new this year on state land) where i'd seen a couple of rubs and a half hearteded ground scrape. It would be my third time sitting in this stand in the evening. On my way into stand i noticed a brand new scrape on the filed edge. The print was clear, it was from a small deer. I put some scent on my boots and still hunted to my stand. I placed a scent wick with buck lure out about 30 yards from the tree.
I climbed my tree, hung my pack and pulled my Excalibur crossbow up to my perch. I settled into my afternoon sit and after about 30 minutes I pulled out a copy of "One Second After" by William Forstchen. I saw a gang of turkeys and then about 30 minutes before sunset I saw a deer angling towards my stand from in front left to right. I waited till it was behind some trees and pulled my crossbow off the hook, slipped the safety off and shouldered the croosbow.
I trained the crossbow at the first main opening and when the nice fat spikehorn stepped in I bleated anf he stopped right in his tracks and looked in my direction. I settled the crosshair right behind the near shoulder and pulled the trigger. The crossbow barked (Excaliburs are loud). Nothing. The deer stood stone still staring in my direction. I couldn't believe I missed. I couldn't tell if i was low high or what. I had to wait about a full minute before the deer finally put his nose to the ground and walked right to my lure wick. I got out my stringing tool and began to try and cock my bow but i noticed a large splinter coming off one of my bow limbs.
I couldn't believe it, my crossbow had broken! I was bumming but there was nothing i could do. The deer walked my trail back towards the field where the scrape was and was gone. I waited about 20 minutes and started to gather my gear to climb down. I wanted to find my arrow. When i grabbed my quiver to place it back on my bow i was in shock. There were still 4 arrows in my quiver! I had neglected to reload my bow after climbing the tree! I was sick. I was embarassed that I had been so careless. It was safe. I had remembered to unload the bow before climbing up the tree, but not to reload the bow? Bad. And now my crossbow was out of commission with the rut rapidly approaching.
I guess I'm just relating the story to help others to remember to reload once your back in your stand. Update: Been out 3 times since. I hunted two days with my compound. Called Dan Miller Excalibur rep) on the Monday and had two new limbs on my doorstep on Wednesday! Put bow vback together on Thursday and under the spotlights out back on Thurday night took 5 shots with first crosshair on my ranging reticle at 25 yards, 5 bullseyes. The next day took a shot with my longest ballistic dot at 55 yards, 1 inch low! Never had to touch the scope. Love Excalibur.
Going to hit it hard this week. Hope to tell a more satisfying story later this week. Good luck all.
Then did I mess it up! Been hunting for a few weeks now with the crossbow. Probably 10 or 11 "sits". Mostly evenings but a couple of mornings as well. Last Saturday I finally saw a deer from stand. Let me back up a bit. We've been seeing very few deer in CT this year. Partly due to an abundance of acorns, and in part I believe due to two incredibly bad long winters in years with absolutely no acorns (2013 and 2014).
Saturday I decided to hunt a stand (new this year on state land) where i'd seen a couple of rubs and a half hearteded ground scrape. It would be my third time sitting in this stand in the evening. On my way into stand i noticed a brand new scrape on the filed edge. The print was clear, it was from a small deer. I put some scent on my boots and still hunted to my stand. I placed a scent wick with buck lure out about 30 yards from the tree.
I climbed my tree, hung my pack and pulled my Excalibur crossbow up to my perch. I settled into my afternoon sit and after about 30 minutes I pulled out a copy of "One Second After" by William Forstchen. I saw a gang of turkeys and then about 30 minutes before sunset I saw a deer angling towards my stand from in front left to right. I waited till it was behind some trees and pulled my crossbow off the hook, slipped the safety off and shouldered the croosbow.
I trained the crossbow at the first main opening and when the nice fat spikehorn stepped in I bleated anf he stopped right in his tracks and looked in my direction. I settled the crosshair right behind the near shoulder and pulled the trigger. The crossbow barked (Excaliburs are loud). Nothing. The deer stood stone still staring in my direction. I couldn't believe I missed. I couldn't tell if i was low high or what. I had to wait about a full minute before the deer finally put his nose to the ground and walked right to my lure wick. I got out my stringing tool and began to try and cock my bow but i noticed a large splinter coming off one of my bow limbs.
I couldn't believe it, my crossbow had broken! I was bumming but there was nothing i could do. The deer walked my trail back towards the field where the scrape was and was gone. I waited about 20 minutes and started to gather my gear to climb down. I wanted to find my arrow. When i grabbed my quiver to place it back on my bow i was in shock. There were still 4 arrows in my quiver! I had neglected to reload my bow after climbing the tree! I was sick. I was embarassed that I had been so careless. It was safe. I had remembered to unload the bow before climbing up the tree, but not to reload the bow? Bad. And now my crossbow was out of commission with the rut rapidly approaching.
I guess I'm just relating the story to help others to remember to reload once your back in your stand. Update: Been out 3 times since. I hunted two days with my compound. Called Dan Miller Excalibur rep) on the Monday and had two new limbs on my doorstep on Wednesday! Put bow vback together on Thursday and under the spotlights out back on Thurday night took 5 shots with first crosshair on my ranging reticle at 25 yards, 5 bullseyes. The next day took a shot with my longest ballistic dot at 55 yards, 1 inch low! Never had to touch the scope. Love Excalibur.
Going to hit it hard this week. Hope to tell a more satisfying story later this week. Good luck all.
