Someone once told me if they hunt long enough, every bowhunter will experience three things. You will cut yourself on a broadhead, fall out of a treestand, and shoot a deer and not recover it. I’ve been very fortunate that in 30 years I’ve only experienced one, and hope I can avoid the other two. But I’d like to add a couple more to the list of eventualities, both of which I recently experienced, one for the first time.

The place was Croton Creek Ranch in western Oklahoma. The ranch owners, Scott and Joni Sanderford, provided the deer and the land to hunt them. Scott and his guides put us on stands with several nice bucks, and even told us which to seek. I would be after a 10-point with a split G-2.

The weather was ideal for bowhunting, with one exception. This time of year the wind typically blows from a southerly direction. Unfortunately, a cold front with prevailing north winds settled in. The cold helped prod the deer into moving more, but the northerly winds made them more jumpy.

All the same, I saw several deer the first afternoon, including six rack bucks, but not the split G-2. Light was fading and most of the deer activity had slowed when I spied a nice buck materialize out of the brush. He was a no-doubt shooter, so I immediately went into action.

When an errant gust blew directly from me to him he locked up, then turned back toward the brush.Leaning precariously to my right but held safely by my harness, I drew, made a quick estimate of the range and released. The glowing trace of the Nockturnal arrow nock showed the arrow’s arcing path heading directly toward the buck’s vitals, but at the last second the edgy deer ducked and the arrow flew harmlessly over his back.

It wasn’t my first miss and almost certainly won’t be my last. In fact, I’d venture to guess that a miss is far more likely than any other item on the bowhunter’s list, but every so often all the pieces fall into place.

Light was fading when I saw a buck pop out of the underbrush, and he looked like a giant — 10 tall tines and thick bases. Thoughts of the split G-2 quickly vanished from my mind. This one was close, a chip shot if he cleared the overhanging branches. The wind was good but he still sensed something wrong and reversed his path. I had one opening, so I drew, and when the buck stepped into it I blatted, hoping to stop him long enough for a quick shot.

Unfortunately the buck spun sharply to his right just as I released my arrow, which struck, but not where I hoped. I felt sick and feared I might experience another item on the list. Rather than track right away, we decided to wait.

We picked up the trail several hours later. We’d gone just over 100 yards when my beam washed across a motionless patch of brown and white.

Walking up on the buck, I was filled with relief and elation, and then something new and different. The giant I’d shot at suffered from a malady known among deer hunters as ground shrinkage. I’d heard about this phenomenon but had never experienced it. He was a good buck by any definition, but not nearly as big as my mind’s eye perceived. I was delighted but also humbled, and able to check off one more item from the bowhunter’s list.

Bob Humphrey is a freelance writer and registered Maine guide who lives in Pownal. He can be contacted at:

bhhunt@maine.rr.com

 

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