As I reported earlier this season, I decided to hunt with my recurve bow this year. I didn’t hunt much, and when I did I had no deer come close enough for a shot — even if I had been using my compound.

I could have taken the muzzleloader Saturday morning but was hunting a stand that is well-suited for bowhunting. The best trails are within 25 yards.

Well, this deer walked down one of the trails. As I wrote in my column in Sunday’s Roanoke Times, I actually thought I missed this deer, which was 25 yards away when I shot. I sometimes shoot to the right with my recurve. This deer was facing to the left and I didn’t want to shoot back, so I compensated slightly. I ended up shooting high and to the left. Again, I thought I missed until I retrieved my arrow and found it covered from broadhead to feathers in blood. Good blood.

The blood trail was so massive I didn’t have to rely on my well-documented Cherokee tracking skills to find the deer, which went only about 60 yards. (Unfortunately that was 60 HORIZONTAL yards. It was also 50 VERTICAL yards, down. I actually opted to haul the deer a quarter mile down the mountain because it was an easier option than hauling it back up the hill!)

Anyway, I hit the deer in the jugular. As I wrote in the column, I’d rather be good than lucky, but I’ll take lucky.

So, gear details. I was shooting a Samick Deer Master takedown recurve, which pulls 50 pounds at my draw length. I bought the bow used, for something like $130. My arrow was a Gold Tip carbon and the broadhead was a Magnus Stinger.

No hunting for me today but hope to get back out there soon. Buck movement really seems to be taking off. I will be hunting most of next week (but will have my laptop with me so I can post hero shots) and will be using a muzzleloader. I think I may stick with the recurve this week.