# Finally gave in & arrowed one...



## NDTerminator (Aug 20, 2003)

Two afternoons ago I accepted the fact that I wasn't going to draw on a good shooter buck this year. With two days off and a week of Night Shifts starting tonight, I decided it was time to shoot one of the toy bucks I have been seeing all season.

I resisted taking a really neat 5x7 that we've seen almost every day since October. He's one of those "almost" bucks that probably would go 120 or better, but I really want to see what he will develop into in the next couple years. The unlucky winner was a 2.5 year old 4X3 that might go 110 or so. I don't believe he would have ever developed into anything special but he had a nice big body so he would provide a nice load of Winter meat.

Nothing remarkable about the shot either. 20 yards slightly quartering away, I angled it through to take off the top of his heart. He didn't go 30 yards.

Once again I saw that unless they were standing there and were spooked by the arrowed deer taking off, other deer pay little attention to a dead deer or blood.

Not 5 minutes after he went down a three legged doe (got her right front leg wrecked during firearms season) who we see daily and three fawns came in. When they walked in they all passed within 15 yards downwind of the dead buck and didn't react at all. One fawn paused for a moment to sniff the blood covered pass through arrow sticking out of the snow, the others paid it no mind whatsoever...


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## ohio_coyote (Jun 20, 2008)

nice goin! got some pics?
merry christmas


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## bretts (Feb 24, 2004)

Congrats. I do have one question though...why not just shoot a doe? A 2.5 year old 4x3 with proper nutrition can blow up into something worth shooting. From what I gathered it was just a "whatever" type of buck. Why not shoot a doe instead?


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## NDTerminator (Aug 20, 2003)

The only does I've seen lately, other than that three legged one which I won't take due to the possibility of infection from the gunshot wound, are fawns that made it through rifle season. It would take three of those little runts to equal the meat I'll get off this cull buck. That and 2.5 year old bucks like this are a dime a dozen around here....

I still have a second season doe tag too, just don't see much chance to get out again before the season ends...


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

> That and 2.5 year old bucks like this are a dime a dozen around here....


So the buck/doe ratio is good/bad in your opinion? You are somewhere very special to have all bucks and only one doe. Are you sure you are still alive and haven't passed through the pearly gates of Heaven? :lol:


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## Goldy's Pal (Jan 6, 2004)

bretts said:


> Congrats. I do have one question though...why not just shoot a doe? A 2.5 year old 4x3 with proper nutrition can blow up into something worth shooting. From what I gathered it was just a "whatever" type of buck. Why not shoot a doe instead?


Shooting a doe in December is shooting 3 deer. It's the double edged sword, you know dead hens don't lay eggs and dead small bucks don't get bigger. :lol:


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## NDTerminator (Aug 20, 2003)

Most of the does around my place are yarded up in a couple posted cornfields a few miles away, thus the lack to choose from. I see these little fawns and the three legged gal almost daily as they've taken up residence on or near my property. The crippled one seems to be getting along OK, so I haven't asked NDGF permission to put her down.

Oddly enough I've been seeing more small bucks than does after firearms season got over. Had one little 2 point stumbling around my place with a front leg shot off & hanging by a thread a couple days after. NDGF gave me the go ahead to shoot him and drag him out in the field behind the house, but the coyotes must got him as I haven't seen him in awhile.

I think all the older bucks are laying low and have gone nocturnal...

Have the last couple days of the season off, so if it isn't 20 below I'll probably get out one of my recurves and take one of those little baldies that will provide a couple meals...


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## Goldy's Pal (Jan 6, 2004)

Last day here for our season and I'm off for one last outing. Clear and calm, so the rattling horns and grunt are going to be out in full force, letting it all out there now, anyways good luck to everyone at their end of the season. This is it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :x


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