Skin a Deer Destroy a Phone

As you can see in the video, I'm a happy guy.  I just got my new electric hoist,  I got a deer hanging (not one I shot-- it was donated) and I have my beautiful wife in the barn with me ready to record my very first YouTube Instructional video. Unlike many other instruction videos on the web, I was going to make mine quick and to the point.  All was going well until the end of the video...   The golf ball shot out and we had to stop the shoot--- unfortunately you cannot do second takes on a project like this.   I intended to start back up after tying the ball back in the hide, but my wife had a different plan.   After laughing at my deer skinning failure (her snort is the last sound you hear before things go black),  she set my phone on the back of the truck and ran inside to check the kids.   Well... the phone took the same route as the golf ball except it didn't bounce quite as nice.  So...... what you see is what you get.  The rest of the skinning was flawless, although it happened without quite as big of a smile as the first half.

Bow Kill During Gun Season

 

Shooting a deer with a gun seems to carry less satisfaction than taking one with a bow, and that is the main reason I generally opt out of taking a gun into the woods when I can take the trusty Hoyt.  Don’t get me wrong, there is still a certain satisfaction of letting a round fly out the end of your gun barrel and having it meet up with a perfect kill shot on your desired prey, but I prefer the up close and personal  (and sometimes frustrating) challenge of the bow. 

That is why on Sunday, November 18, 2012 I decided to sit in the lower bank stand with my bow.  After watching four mature doe walk by at 60 to 70 yards, I feared I made the wrong decision on my weapon choice.  But then from the north came my chance at redemption.  A single mature doe was heading in my direction.  It was walking directly into my wind so I feared that I would be winded at any moment, but it didn’t happen.  She gave me a 30 yard shot and I took it.  It must have jumped my string a bit (at least that is my excuse) because the shot was high and it the spine. 



 

 

I would say taking a doe that is on edge from gun hunting pressure with a bow at 30 yards is a pretty impressive feat.  I have gone bow hunting during gun season in previous seasons with no luck so this kill makes me feel pretty good.  All glory be to God for letting me make this harvest.  It may not be a trophy but it was another exciting hunting challenge. 

Stats:
Weapon - Hoyt CRX35
Shot Distance - 30 yards
Sex - Female
Weight - 95 lbs
Shot Placement - spine
Stand - Lower Bank Stand

P.S. Just so you know Brad, my Burt Coyote Lumenock failed me.  I know your shocked.

Rage in the Cage

Friday October 12, Chrixus and I decided to head down to Hastings and try our luck at getting a deer.  Turns out it would be the night that I get my first deer on the Hastings land that my buddy Chrixus is allowing me and Chad to hunt with him this year. 

I had only been in the stand for a half hour when I recieved a text from Chrixus letting me know that there was a doe heading my way.  It came into some thick brush, but after 15 minutes of walking around it stepped into a shooting hole through the brush about the size of a basketball.  I took advantage of the opportunity and let the arrow fly.  The lumenok worked this time and I instantly knew I had a good shot.  I sat the rest of the night in the stand hoping for a chance at another deer.

Once it was dark and Chrixus and I were done hunting for the night, we got on the blood trail.  I was a fairly easy trail to follow.  After about 80 yards we came up on my deer.  To both of our surprise, it was a yearling.  I did it again.  It bothered me at first that I still can't tell the difference from a yearling and a mature doe, but after thinking about it for awhile, I must say I am still happy to have had the rush of the hunt and some nice tender meat for the family. 

My first deer in Hastings and my first deer with a Rage Broadhead.  I reported back on my last deer that I took with the Bloodrunner Broadheads which I was pretty pleased with, and I must say I am equally pleased with the Rage Broadheads.  The entry hole on the Rage broadheads was much larger, but the exit hole was smaller.  The blood trails were about the same for similar shot placements and both were pass through shots.  As for right now, I have to lean toward the Bloodrunner just because it is $29.00 for a three pack versus $40.00 for a three pack of Rage.

Entry hole at 1 1/2" to 1 3/4"

Exit hole at 1 1/2" Max

Stats:

Weapon - Hoyt CRX 35

Broadhead - Rage

Shot Distance - 13 yards through a small hole in the brush

Arrow - Carbon Express Maxima Hunter

Sex - Female

Weight - 60 lbs :(

Shot Placement - Perfect double lung

Nock - NockTurnal lighted nock that actually worked this time



Eleven Point Buck!?!



October 1, opening day of bow, I shot an eleven point….    Yeah, that’s right, it is an eleven point.  This will teach you to never assume that just because a buck has a lot of points that it is a monster.  I like to call this little guy the sticker monster. 

 

He is really a five point buck, but thanks to those stickers, I get to boast that I shot an eleven point.  Of course, the bragging rights end once people ask to see pictures.  None the less, he felt good to take considering I had an antler dry spell last year.  Yes, the curse has been broken. 

 

 

I camped out in Hastings, Michigan for the early doe weekend and hunted the land I mentioned in "The Season is Upon Us" post with my buddy Chris Korreck.  The first morning I didn't see anything, but the remainder of the weekend had plenty of deer (mostly bucks) but no shots.  So once opening day arrived, I was excited to try sitting out by the bank.  Chad and I headed out there after work at around 5:00 pm.  We flipped the Doberman head key chain, as is tradition now, and it was determined that I was going to be in the lower stand. 

 

 

As I headed down there, I spooked a spike from under the stand.  It wasn’t a big deal since I had planned on refraining from shooting spikes this year anyway.  After getting in the lower stand, I took some ranges and got familiar with the new lay of the land since the power lines were mowed and clear cut this summer making everything look very different.  The night went on and just as I was starting to think that the spike I scarred out was going to be the only deer that night, a buck stepped out into a clearing at the very last minute of shooting light.   I knew it was not a monster, but I also knew it was not a spike so it was game on.  This buck was on a mission and was not slowing down so by the time I stood up and grabbed my bow the buck was in the last possible clearing for me to shoot.  I drew my bow, made a grunt noise with my mount to stop him, and looked through my peep site to see nearly complete darkness.  I finally made out the front leg, placed my pin right behind it and let the arrow fly.  I heard the thump of what I thought was a gut shot followed by the deer crashing through the woods and finally what sounded like a crash in its final resting place. 

Chad and I got down from our stands only minutes later and found the arrow full of bright red blood.  Jackpot!!  The well-defined blood trail easily lead us to the deer only 40 to 50 yards away.  It was the first time ever shooting Bloodrunner Broadheads and I must say I am pretty pleased.  See the video below.  

 

Stats:

Sex - Male

Points - Eleven

Weight (dressed) - 125 lbs

Shot Distance -17 yards

Weapon - Hoyt CRX 35 Bow (first whitetail deer taken with this bow)

Broad Head - Blood Runner (first time ever shooting this type of broad head)

Lighted nock by Nocturnal (failed to work) Note to self - Go back to Burt Coyote Nocks.

Location - Lower stand at the Bank

Dads Doe Show

Dead eye Dad took out this doe with a shot that will make us all forget about his former arrow slinging adventure. Although this deer was taken with a muzzle loader, it's not always easy to put a bullet EXACTLY where you want.
Krack Boy Outdoors does not want to be known as a bunch of cold hearted killers, nor do we want to be too descriptive or gory when it comes to stories or pictures. But on this occasion I want you to see a picture of this deers heart. It must have taken a very direct hit, I think we can assure you that this animal did not suffer. (See Photo Below)
Another part of this story has to do with the "clean up". I'm talking about field dressing and gut piles. Not every day in Krackville is a day in paradise, typically we all get along very well. Unless a couple of thoughtless guys leave a big ole nasty stinky gut pile 15 yards from a tree stand that Old Bro Krack is intending on hunting the next day. All is well now, but it did bring up some interesting conversation about gut piles. PLEASE COMMENT and let us know how you think gut piles affect deer behavior.


Shot Placement: Heart
Distance: 40-50 yards
Weapon: Knight 50 cal. Muzzle Loader
Bullet: 245 grain Powerbelt hollow point (90 grains black powder)
Location: Lower Stand
Date: November 17, 2011
Weight: ??

The Hunters Helpers

My first wall hanger came to me this year on opening day of the Michigan gun season. It always looks impressive when you see someone holding up a nice set of antlers, and it is usually assumed that the guy in the picture did most of the work. However in this hunt there should be a few others standing by my side. My own Father, my Father in-law, brother in-law, and a gracious land owner all played a part in this story.


Weapon – Mossberg 20 ga. Pump
Ammo- Slug
Shot Distance -20-30 yards (first shot, I'll not mention the others)
Dressed Weights -170 lbs
Shot Placement – GUT (yes it says gut, and yes it also says 20 yards, and yes I did win Krak Shot this year---Buck Fever)
Sex - Male
Points – 8
16" inside spread

Banking'em At The Bank.

October 22, 2011 – Saturday morning, it is the first time this year that all the Krack Boy’s would be in a stand at the same time.  It gave me hope knowing that all three stands would be occupied.  The odds of someone getting a deer were in our favor. 

I took the “Killer stand/Hotspot/Upper stand”  (I think we need to nail down a name for this stand).  Dad took the “Poison Ivy Palace, and Chad was in the lower stand. 

My last encounter with a deer was in the Poison Ivy Palace (PIP) where I shot a nice eight or nine point buck.  The reason I’m not sure how many points it was, is because we never found it.  I hit just a bit too high.  We had good blood for about 100 yards and then it shut off.  It was very disheartening to say the least.  That was two weeks ago and every hunt in between then and now I ended up getting skunked. 

Now that you know that story, you can understand why I got so excited when two deer came walking in this Saturday morning after only sitting for probably 45 minutes.  I was out to redeem myself and prove that I can hit what I’m aiming for.  My heart was racing and my legs were shaking.  The deer came in so fast that I had no time to stand up.  The first deer pasted over the bait pile without giving me a shot, but the second deer came in right behind and was not as lucky.  I drew my bow from sitting position and took a perfect 20 yard shot.  It was a money shot! 

Because it was so early in the morning and Chad and Dad were still hunting, I decided to just continue to sit in my stand.  About 45 minutes after the last excitement, a doe and two button bucks came running in on the same path as the earlier deer.  I could tell the story but it would sound like I was repeating what I just said.  The only difference is that these deer were much more wary and I had better shooting light.  It took a bit longer for the mamma to give me a shot, but it finally happened, and it was a shot that most hunters are not proud of.  I spine shot her.  I shot another arrow and finished business.  It’s sad, but it is true what they say, “you spined it, you find it”. 

Two deer in one morning was very exciting, but some of that excitement quickly faded when we found the first deer and shot and discovered it was a button buck.  I’m a baby killer.  I thought I was done with these days.  I could make a bunch of excuses, but the reality is I shot a button buck and I have to man up to it.  I need to get better at judging the size of deer from my stand......

Or I am going to have to get used to taking the abuse from the other Krack Boys.  They are not going to let me forget this one.   

Funny stuff guys!!!

Deer #1 Stats:

Shot Distance - 20 yards

Dressed Weights - 63 lbs

Shot Placement - Double Lung

Sex - Male

Deer #2 Stats:

Shot Distance - 20 yards

Dressed Weight - 92 lbs

Shot Placement - Spine

Sex - Female

Meat in the Fridge

October 4, 2011 - It was a Tuesday night hunt, the temprature was in the mid 70's, and I had already been skunked in the "killer stand" during the firts two times out since opening day of the regular season, so I decided on trying the "lower stand".  I got in my stand around 4:15pm (plenty early considering it gets dark around 8:30pm). 

By 7:00pm it looked like I was in for another night of being skunked when out of no where a couple of deer showed up to the north of me.  With all intentions to harvest another doe because of the low inventory of venison in my freezer, I prepared for a shot.  The deer came in to about 10 yards in no time at all.  She looked as if she may have been a little on the small side, but I knew it was not small enough to be a yearling so all lights were green to take the shot.  I drew my bow and followed her as she walked to the backside of my tree stand.  Just as she gave me an open shot, I realized my bow was tangled in the bow holder on the side of the tree.  I quickly cleared my bow of the holder while still at full draw, crouched down below it, and took the shot. 

It was a double lung shot and the deer was down only 20 yards away.  Andrew came in to help me drag it out despite of his allergic reactions.  We didn't have a great camera or any lighting so sorry for the poor picture quality.  Thank you Andrew and sorry about your puffy, red eyes.

This makes two doe for the year already so the pressure to fill the fridge up with venison is off, and I can hold out for the big boys now.  Did I mention I love bow hunting!