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First ever bow kill for me.
This is my second year bow hunting and I have been practicing almost every night and my maximum range for this year was 40 yards.
I had been spending quite a bit of time in the stands with no luck with the moose. I decided to go buy a single person ladder stand and hang it in the area with good moose sign and where they always seem to want to cross over from the neighbouring property.
I walked out to the stand at about 4:45 yesterday and as soon as I turned the corner into the willows I bumped a whitetail at 30 yards. It wasn't the normal route that I would walk in so I was kicking myself that it may well be a busted night for me. I continued on to the stand walking with purpose now as there was no point in being silent as possible anymore. I made it to the stand and climbed in. I then secured two hooks as I had yet to do that, one for my bow and one for my pack.
I then realized that I didn't have my harness on and laughed to myself about that so I quickly donned the harness and settled in.
I started to call about 5:20 and sat tight. I was getting antsy around 6pm as I get easily bored so in between calls, I was playing on my phone and not paying much attention. To the east is a nice swampy area and to the west is thick willows. I thought I had spotted a dark patch earlier in the swamps, but upon pulling out the binoculars it proved to be nothing.
I sat till 6:20 as I remember timing it to do my next set of calls and after I had finished I thought I heard something in the willows and focused my attention that way. I spent a few minutes being silent and still. When I looked back to the East to the swamp I was shocked to see a bull staring my way from about 200 yards away. He was silent as he moved North for a bit then turned West towards me. I got my bow down and an arrow nocked and started the waiting game. At about 100 yards he cut away from me and disappeared behind the willows between us. I almost grabbed my birch cone to let out a call, but then remembered all that I had read about being silent when one is coming in. I sat tight for what felt like an eternity. A few moments later I hear a twig snap and it is headed my way, but I still cannot see what it is.
The bull eventually presents itself on the other side of the fence at 40 yards. It made its way back towards me along the fence line and when it got exactly parallel to me it stopped looking around. I sat still as it surveyed the situation. In one sudden motion it cleared the barbed wire fence and made its way to within 20 yards. No shot was possible as the angle was off and there was poplars in the way. After a slight pause the bull made its way directly out in front of me and paused with a tree in the way, I waited and when it stepped forward I went to full draw. It stepped into a lane that I had cleared and presented me with a broadside shot at 10-12 yards. I was at full draw and was waiting for it to step forward to the next shooting lane and actually remember telling myself what in the f*** are you waiting for. I don't remember getting my anchors and my peep in sight but as that silly thought ran through my head I released. It was a hard hit and the bull took off straight into the thick willows.
HOLY SH**. What an adrenaline rush. I sent a text to my wife to tell her what had happened and then to a few select friends who would be as excited as I was.
I heard the bull moving about in the bush and then a crash and heard him trying to blow out his lungs.
I waited till help arrived and the first thing I found was the broad head part of my arrow which had snapped in two. I found the rest of the arrow covered in blood 15 yards later. 10 minutes later we found the bull down.
My friends all offered to help but myself and my hunting mentor sorted out the rest of the heavy lifting. The bull was to the butchers by 12:30 last night.
Dropped the head off for a Euro mount todayand we measured the paddles at 40 1/2 inches.
Thanks Lefty for the tip on the Grim Reapers. Shattered a rib on the way in and punched through the other side.