Date: October 25, 2009
Time: 7:30 a.m.
Location: Westchester County
Temperature: 52 degrees
Skies: Sunny
Wind: From NNW at 9 mph


I haven't been writing many field reports this season because I haven't been seeing any shooter bucks or letting any arrows fly at does. Well that all changed this morning when I was out filming myself on my first New York hunt of the season.

This was the first time I would be deer hunting this spot and my buddy Joe directed me to walk 50 yards off the main trail, cross the stone wall and set up in the third tree to the right of the fallen pine - yea, okay, you try doing that in complete darkness!

So onwards into the darkness I went until I crossed the stone wall and found a tree I could get my climber around. As it got light out I noticed I wasn't going to have many shot opportunities due to the vines and branches that surrounded me. I set up with my back to where I thought the deer would be coming from so they wouldn't see me. At 7:30 a.m. I looked to the trail about 80 yards away and saw a big bodied deer. I quickly got the camera on and started filming.

At first I thought this was the big bodied 6 pointer Joe had told me about on the ride over, but then I quickly realized it was a nice 8 pointer and one I would like to shoot. Now I had to film the buck and grab my bow at the same time - the video shows my disorganization quite well.

I had ranged a few trees earlier and one was at 40 yards which was where the buck was headed. When he got to the small opening I grunted with my mouth and he stopped. I thought I had the camera on him, but I had bumped it so I was just off - another rookie mistake!

As I held the bow at full draw I started to think that he was further than 40 yards and I should maybe hold high, but then I thought, maybe I'm just thinking too much, I already said he was at 40 so just shoot him like he's at 40. That's what I did and that's how I missed. The arrow flew on course the entire way before dropping right under the deer. The buck turned and ran out of there as fast as he could.

I thought it was a little odd that the buck ran out of the area so fast, but it was probably because he was an older smarter deer that had been shot at before. Well, when I found my arrow it turns out I did hit the buck, which explains why he ran off. However, the arrow looked as if it skimmed right under the rib cage. There was white hair on it, some fat and a spec of blood. Even though I was confident the buck would live and it was just a superficial wound, I searched for the deer with Joe anyway. We came up empty handed and couldn't find a single drop of blood or hair. We're both confident he's still alive and hopefully I'll get a second chance!