Mission Accomplished

November 11, 2008

By Kim Hiss

I'm psyched to be posting two bow kills from among our competent ranks in two days! Following Jan's javelina yesterday, our own Paula Smith just sent me this photo and great story about her hunt last weekend. Congrats, Paula! -K.H.

As a follow up to the article on "Field Goals" & "Risky
Business" I wanted to let you know that I have attained one of those
goals. Saturday night I shot a doe with my bow: second shot at an animal
with my bow, first time I hit target.

It was getting dark and I was ready to pack it in when I saw a doe come out
of the woods across the field from me. She made a beeline across the field
and stood right in front of my stand (divine intervention?) 17 yards away.
I lifted my bow and she looked my way but not up and then continued to
eat. When I drew, she looked again and I couldn't tell if she spotted
me or not as there was not much light. (I did think, cripes now I have to
shoot you before you go tell all your friends where my stand is). I
sighted her in and shot and she tore ass across the field back into the woods
where she came from. I sat there for 15 minutes or so cursing myself out
for missing, thinking it was probably too dark for the shot. You see, I have
never seen a bow kill, and was expecting a similar reaction as I got when I
shoot a deer with a rifle -- they fall over.

I got down and proceeded looking for my arrow with a flashlight, still
cursing myself out. I spotted my arrow standing straight up out of the
ground and knew I blew it. Grabbed the arrow and went OH YUK!, I had
talked myself into the fact that I missed and didn't even check the arrow.
It had gone through the deer.

I went back to camp not sure what to do next but I did know that I should
wait, so I did and drove back out with a spotlight about 2 hours later.
As soon as I walked in the woods and shined the spotlight I could see her
(dead) at the top of the hill. My entrance shot was on the money; the
exit wound was back further than I would have liked.

   Now the work begins. Since nobody was around anywhere, I did drag her out,
then towed her to camp. I couldn't lift her into the bed of my truck no matter
how much I tried. I then gutted the deer by the headlights, and got her hung and
skinned. Then I slept at camp with a spotlight on her so the coyotes
wouldn't come and eat it, and then butchered it up in the morning.
   I'm
happy to report that I did not have a heart attack, but every muscle ached from
head to toe and I about sliced off my finger sharpening my knife :( I was
proud of myself not only for the good kill but for everything that needed to be
done afterward. I did it, not perfectly by any means, but I got the job
done and this is the first time I have done everything from beginning to end
(deer hunting) all by myself.
   She's not a trophy
but she certainly was my top goal for my first archery season. Now I
can concentrate on turkey hunting unless I see a nice
buck!

from Janet wrote 3 years 11 weeks ago

Congratulations Paula!! Your doe sure is a trophy! The trophy isn't in the antlers - it's in the hunt! Proud of you! Killed my 1st deer ever last yr w/ muzzleloader. 1st rifle doe this yr on opening day. 1st buck ever on Sat aft. Only 7" spike horn & 135 lbs dressed (little disappointed with the lack of size) but he was tough! By the time I dragged him home I was almost glad he wasn't any bigger. I know what you mean about no one there to help. Amazing what you can do when you're the only 1 there to do it huh? Hoping to finally tag my 1st bow deer next season - missed my only shot this year. ): But at least found my arrow & knew she wasn't injured. Took 2 morn's of searching before work & a friend's metal detector to find the arrow in a hay field. Kinda funny now - she blew when I shot & I jumped higher than she did! Glad she made it. There's always next year to try again. Happy Hunting!!