Pa Big Woods Archery Success

98XJRC

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 30, 2022
Messages
280
Figured I’d share the story behind my PA archery buck from this year.

A group of us do a backpacking style hunt in the Pa big woods. State forests allow for camping and we carry in camp and set up base camp. Unfortunately no matter how hard you try your always within a mile or two of road, even if they are shut down for the season.

Anyways I had an area I had e-scouted that I wanted to check out as a buck bedding area. I made the trek from camp primarily walking closed roads and found a trail that wasn’t on any of my maps and ended up 3 miles from camp by mid morning. I had been scouting along the way but decided after finding some pretty fresh rubs that I would setup for a few hours and then move on if I didn’t see any movement.

I was in the tree for no more then 35 minutes when I heard grunting coming from my left. Shortly thereafter a doe busted out of the area with a nice buck 10 yards in tow. I already had my bow in hand and drew back as soon as I saw the buck trailing her. He was a decent buck wider than the ears and fairly tall and one that I gladly would have shot. Unfortunately he was moving too quickly and ignored everything I did when I tried to get him to stop. I watched him trot off out of sight and while bummed was still pumped as I had never gotten to experience that before while hunting.

Five minutes pass and I hear noise again coming from the left. I grab my bow and go to full draw this time knowing I needed to be quicker. Out bounds a basket 6 or 8, but significantly smaller then the one who just came through. I made the decision not to shoot in hopes that the bigger one would circle around again. After he ran off I really doubted myself and was kicking myself for not shooting a legal buck. Out of the group of guys who travel north this was the 8th year a version of the group had gone up. They have not had success in harvesting a buck. Last year was my first trip up and I was successful on the first night with connecting with a nice 7 point.

Another 5 minutes pass and this time I hear movement from my 10 o’clock. As I’m looking I see the largest buck I’ve ever seen on the hoof. His nose is down making a bee line for the trail the doe had run down 10 minutes prior. I didn’t count points but just saw mass and height and knew he was good. I anchored back and as soon as he stepped into a shooting lane I let my arrow go. I’m shooting a Kudu Point 125 gr single bevel and total arrow weight is around 515gr. I knew that even though he was quartering to me I could make the shot. I watched my arrow hit the shoulder and disappear into his chest cavity. He turned and took off, but ran out of sight and then I didn’t hear a crash. I was filled with adrenaline but forced myself to wait an hour to get out of the tree.

When I got down I started tracking small dime and nickel sized blood drops. After about 20 yards I found my arrow completely covered in good blood with one fletching missing. After that I was confident he was dead, just needed to find him. As I continued to track blood I began to smell him as the wind was in my face as I crossed the hiking trail I saw him laying there 25 yards in. A wave of relief and pure astonishment washed over. I couldn’t believe what I had just done. I was able to FaceTime with my family as I was lucky and had service and sent a satellite message to the group as I was the only one with cell coverage. My arrow had punched through his right side scapula and exited out the bottom of his chest cavity hitting the heart. I then began the process of capeing and quartering him for the pack out. The group was able to get a truck a little over a mile from the kill site and came and helped me pack him out. My K4 performed flawlessly and handled the weight without any issues. My hip flexors where my biggest weakness.

I’m not big on score but threw a tape on him after I got home and if I did it correctly he grossed around 135. By far my biggest to date and will be hard for me to beat going in blind for PA big woods.

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4cMuley

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 6, 2021
Messages
134
My gut would’ve told me it scored higher… which is why scores are dumb sometimes. Super nice buck!
 

westonhoma

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Dec 28, 2021
Messages
222
Oh hell yeah! As a PA guy as well who also loves to make an annual hunting trip out West.. love to see the backcountry hunting style in the East as well!
 
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98XJRC

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 30, 2022
Messages
280
Congrats. What wmu were you in? My guess is 2g or 2f

You are correct, I was up in 2G. Amazing country and while it’s not wide open like out west still allows for an adventure. I can’t quite seem to convince my wife that I should make a trip west quite yet so this will do until I make something else happen.
 

Zak406

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Aug 29, 2021
Messages
146
You are correct, I was up in 2G. Amazing country and while it’s not wide open like out west still allows for an adventure. I can’t quite seem to convince my wife that I should make a trip west quite yet so this will do until I make something else happen.
it is beautiful country up there I have a camp in (2g) benezette “elk country”. There are some nice bucks up that way and is indeed a beautiful area.

You can always tell the wife if she doesn’t like it there is the door 😂
 

FritzHlzr

FNG
Joined
Feb 14, 2022
Messages
3
Location
Western Pa
That's a stud of a mountain buck, congratulations. 2G is beautiful country, 2 of my inner circle have a camp just north of Renova.
 

Lurch12

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 5, 2021
Messages
209
Location
Western, PA
Beautiful buck and great story. I have a camp in 2G. Karthaus, love it up there..

Do you guys do an annual trip to the Same area. How far is ur pack in from the truck. Lots of big country!
 

ScottinPA

WKR
Joined
May 13, 2016
Messages
605
Location
Russell PA
Congrats on a very good buck. I've been thinking about doing this on the ANF. I have the stuff just need to do it.
 
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98XJRC

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 30, 2022
Messages
280
Yeah generally we’ve been in the same area. Usually most of the guys have only hunted within a mile of camp. I’ve been the one pushing further in and have had success for both trips. I foresee them all pushing outside of where they typically go in order to find some success.

ScottinPa all I can say is do it I highly doubt you would regret the decision. I typically go in blind minus e-scouting and spend more some actually scouting during the day then hunting.
 
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