I have been busier than usual with painting work and haven't been able to put in any mornings hunting. I was working near some State land that I have hunted before but not since maybe 2003. I went in after work with only a couple hours till sunset. With my climber I had a tough time getting into an area that I thought might have some Chestnut acorns, seeing that the area had gotten much thicker in the last 15 years. When I got near the edge of the Chestnut acorn Grove I started to see a few Acorns and sign of good deer activity. I found a good tree to climb where I had a few trails and could pick a few holes to shoot through. As soon as I was all setup about 25ft high, I gave out a few deer calls to make the deer in the area think the noise I had made coming in was another deer. 30 minutes later I called again after hearing something on the Oak flat below me. Immediately after, I heard something coming and seen a good set of antlers heading directly to my downwind side. I had my ozonics running but hadn't showered since I had come straight from work. The buck got to about 30 yards and stopped behind a blow down, then started the foot stomp and as he headed across in front of me, I had a small hole to shoot through at 30 yards and as he was turning away, I took the shot and heard the dreaded sound of an arrow hitting too far back. As he ran I grunted loudly and could hear that he stopped at about 65 yards. Soon after 4 doe came by and I thought I heard him move again. I got down and sneaked over to where I had hit him and couldn't find my arrow or any sign of the hit, so I got out as quietly as I could and came back in the morning, after a sleepless night, with help at first light. We tracked in the thick laurel but didn't find blood for about 35 yards then good blood for another 30-35 yards, then no more blood but circled around and found him about 30 yards from the last blood, dead in the first place he bedded no more than 100 yards from where he was shot. Ended up hitting him behind the last rib and it came out a little lower and just behind the diaphragm nicking the liver. The Arrow was sticking out with just the fletchings blocking the exit wound.
One of my better CT Archery Bucks, holds antler mass of over 4 1/4" out to the third point! Weight dressed was 198 lb's Rough scored him at 127" P&Y
I used an Elite Pure Compound with Rage Hypodermic Broadheads.