2011 Buck

So I've been trying to get my dad onto a critter to shoot with his bow. Animals finally started coming into my "honey hole". I went up last night, 10/14/2011, to try to shoot an elk. I went into my spot at about 1:00 pm and sat until about 7:00. Didn't even see a critter at all. Dad called me at about 5:00 and told me that he had made it up and would be coming in to where I was sitting. I saw a deer on the trail that he would be taking and was hoping that he would spot them and get a shot.
There had been four decent bucks in the area and knew it was just a matter of time before I or my dad would fill a deer tag. Well, my dad finally came into where I was sitting and I was happy to see him. I met him not far from where I was sitting and asked if he had seen any animals. He stated that he hadn't seen anything and I could tell he was a little bummed. We started the hike back to the truck since it would soon be dark. The whole way back my dad and I were talking and shooting the bull, not really thinking we would see anything. Just at legal shooting light and about 50 yards from the truck Dad stopped on the trail and peered out into the bushes. I asked what he was looking at and after a short while said "nothing". He started walking toward the truck and I looked to see what my dad was looking at. As I looked I saw a decent little 4x4 buck looking right at us. I told Dad that there was a deer there and told him to hold still and not to move. I thought the deer was going to take off. I ranged the buck and found him to be 52 yards. The buck was broad side and provided a great shot. I knocked an arrow and let one fly.

Instantly I heard the "thunk" like I had just punch the chest cavity. The "thunk" was a definite hit sound and I knew my arrow had found it's mark. I nudged my dad and gave him the "how about that luck" kind of look. The arrow looked to be a perfect shot.

We waited about 5 min before going and looking to see if there was blood where he was standing. It was getting dark quick and I knew we had little time to find the buck. We found were he was standing but didn't find an arrow or blood. We continued to search around the area and about 50 yards from where the buck was hit, I bumped him. It seemed as if he was not feeling well and bedded down. He jumped up real quick and took of like a bolt. It was too dark by this point and I could hear him run. It didn't sound natural. I could tell he was sick. We could hear the buck running off into the bushes then stop. I found a puddle of blood where he was bedded and where I had bumped him. We decided to back out and come back in the morning.

After a sleepless night, morning finally came. I picked up my dad and we headed to my "hole". I went straight to where he was bedded the previous night and started searching. There was very minimal blood so my dad, myself, and my brother-in-law started walking the grid. I decided to walk toward the bushes I had last heard the buck in. Not five minutes after walking toward the bushes....I found the buck. He was piled up and looked as if he was running and then collapsed over dead. My arrow was sticking through the other side with about 6 inches of fletching still in his side. While cleaning him out I discovered that the arrow took off the aorta right at the top of the heart. I couldn't have asked for a better shot. I was totally surprised that he lasted as long as he had.