Hunter: Edward McBride
Points: 9 (5L, 4R)
County: Floyd
Season: 2016-2017
Hunt Story
After deciding to spend Saturday afternoon in the woods, I opted to bow hunt Rocky Mountain Recreation & PFA. Having seen just one doe all afternoon, I began my hike off the mountain. Right at sunset, I heard a twig break behind some large boulders to my left. When I first spotted the deer, I thought it was a large doe, then I caught a glimpse of its mature rack. He appeared to be trailing a doe as it walked with its nose close to the trail. As it passed within about 25 yards, it raised its head at which time I quickly determined this was a shooter. I drew as it passed behind a tree and picked the best shooting lane available. With the 20-yard pin on his front shoulder, I let loose on him. It sounded as if the arrow struck plywood with a loud slap. The buck first nose-dived, then reared up on its hind legs, spun 180 degrees and raced into the holler below. I sent my wife a text letting her know I'd be late for dinner and began to trail him. Blood and hair were abundant and trailing fairly easy even as the woods quickly darkened. I recovered my Gold Tip arrow within 200 yards. The Muzzy broadhead was missing two blades and 2/3s do the shaft was covered in blood. He appeared to be heading down the mountain for what little water was left in the holler, however I learned a tough lesson and pushed him too soon. After reaching the bottom of the holler, he turned and started back up the mountain. After trailing him for the better part of 3 hours, I called it a night, marked the last blood sign, and headed for home, hoping I'd not lost a quality buck. After church on Sunday, the family decided to join me on a recovery mission. I also used this as a teaching moment to share woodland skills, primarily tracking wounded game and reading sign. We quickly picked up his trail and with persistence located the downed deer. He was even more beautiful than I had thought. A mature 9-point buck with deeply pigmented antlers. Apparently, my arrow did strike a tree before entering the buck. Instead of a clean heart lung shot, my arrow struck him in the hind quarters and pierced his lower abdomen without puncturing his intestines. Had I allowed him to settle he would likely have bedded down and expired thus shortening the recovery. Regardless, the lesson here is even when the shot is less than perfect, we owe it to our game to make every effort to recover our harvest. This is easily the best deer I have taken with a bow in north Georgia.
