Mainframe 12 Point with a Bow
Well, here I am in unfamiliar territory. I have killed my trophy deer in October. It all started this year during the early summer with the purchase of a slightly used DNA from TBH’r Leftridge then adding all the goodies and final tuning at West Houston Archery. I’ve really enjoyed the bow although it is a hand full to shoot. If you do your part it’s deadly accurate and very fast.
Moving on, I spent the summer clearing a few trails, setting up a protein feeder and 275 gallon water station. I then had to repair feeder pen damage the cows did after first trying the protein feeder in the feed pen. I’ve now moved it to a small fenced area that the cows are only on from August through October.
I was getting good pictures of three different legal deer, one a 130ish 10 with crossed brow tines. I had him on camera at the protein and corn slinger as well as two sightings while scouting and performing doe counts. He virtually disappeared shortly after season started.
I then got 2 night times pics of what I thought was a really good 10 around the third week of October. I thought he might be a chooter.
The Hunt.
This past Friday evening I was in my ground blind without any thought of seeing a shooter. I’m casually taking pics of deer and driving Physhstyx crazy with text while he was stuck at work. All this time with my release hanging from the stab of my bow I had 4 bucks at the feeder when a doe and her two buttons came in. One of the young bucks got excited and thought he knew what to do with that hot little doe. He chased her around the pasture for about 10 minutes and then returned to the feeder. At this point there was quite a buzz around the feeder so I strapped on my release. Shortly thereafter a broken 9 postured up and locked in on the tree line about 80 yards to the west. Sure enough this 12 steps out and heads to the feeder with the 9 postured up and staring the entire time. As he approaches the feeder the 9 laid his ears back and faced the 12 at a 45 deg angle really bowed up by now. The 12 enters the pen and they circle a few times and lightly spar for just a brief minute then separate.
Once they all settle in and start feeding again, I had to draw three times in order to get a clear shot. The first two times I drew another deer stepped into the shooting lane. On the third time, I drew just as the lane cleared and took a 25 yard quartering away shot. The shot was very good but not perfect, I’d say about two ribs back but exiting at the edge of the off shoulder. He bolted away at the shot making a right turn and heading into the brush. I walked back to the truck giving him about 40 minutes before taking up the track. It took about 30 minutes in the dark to make the 135 yard track where he had circled back and died only 50 yards from the feeder in some very thick brush.
The shot was with a 125 grain 1.5” Ramcat and an Axis arrow weighing 435 grains at 285 fps out of my 60 pound DNA. The arrow was found with the lighted nock 30 yards past the deer.
All in all, one of my most memorable hunts and my best buck with a bow. He’s a mainframe 12 with a 1” kicker at the base of his left brow tine scoring 130 & 6/8”.
Moving on, I spent the summer clearing a few trails, setting up a protein feeder and 275 gallon water station. I then had to repair feeder pen damage the cows did after first trying the protein feeder in the feed pen. I’ve now moved it to a small fenced area that the cows are only on from August through October.
I was getting good pictures of three different legal deer, one a 130ish 10 with crossed brow tines. I had him on camera at the protein and corn slinger as well as two sightings while scouting and performing doe counts. He virtually disappeared shortly after season started.
I then got 2 night times pics of what I thought was a really good 10 around the third week of October. I thought he might be a chooter.
The Hunt.
This past Friday evening I was in my ground blind without any thought of seeing a shooter. I’m casually taking pics of deer and driving Physhstyx crazy with text while he was stuck at work. All this time with my release hanging from the stab of my bow I had 4 bucks at the feeder when a doe and her two buttons came in. One of the young bucks got excited and thought he knew what to do with that hot little doe. He chased her around the pasture for about 10 minutes and then returned to the feeder. At this point there was quite a buzz around the feeder so I strapped on my release. Shortly thereafter a broken 9 postured up and locked in on the tree line about 80 yards to the west. Sure enough this 12 steps out and heads to the feeder with the 9 postured up and staring the entire time. As he approaches the feeder the 9 laid his ears back and faced the 12 at a 45 deg angle really bowed up by now. The 12 enters the pen and they circle a few times and lightly spar for just a brief minute then separate.
Once they all settle in and start feeding again, I had to draw three times in order to get a clear shot. The first two times I drew another deer stepped into the shooting lane. On the third time, I drew just as the lane cleared and took a 25 yard quartering away shot. The shot was very good but not perfect, I’d say about two ribs back but exiting at the edge of the off shoulder. He bolted away at the shot making a right turn and heading into the brush. I walked back to the truck giving him about 40 minutes before taking up the track. It took about 30 minutes in the dark to make the 135 yard track where he had circled back and died only 50 yards from the feeder in some very thick brush.
The shot was with a 125 grain 1.5” Ramcat and an Axis arrow weighing 435 grains at 285 fps out of my 60 pound DNA. The arrow was found with the lighted nock 30 yards past the deer.
All in all, one of my most memorable hunts and my best buck with a bow. He’s a mainframe 12 with a 1” kicker at the base of his left brow tine scoring 130 & 6/8”.
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