Doe down 10-19

Had a small doe pop out close, was seated 18 ft up in my stand........around 8:30. Was content to watch, partner said he had her by him, text 'd a heads up about 20 min's earlier.

My bow had an arrow nocked, was hanging on a step -a hanger at proper height for standing (not a close reach).

So I decided to just kick back, stay still, scrunched a little left (away from bow) to hide my outline better- so deer coming from behind wouldn't see me sky lighted.

Hear a crunch and look straight down, adult doe. Hear some rustling to my right, two button bucks.

Watched them for 10 mins, the group left, center and right of me, with nothing I could do. Doe moves right, behind a split trunk of my tree (where bow is hanging), so I slide my hand up along my chest and through the bowsling and onto the blood red Torqueless grip of my Mathews Switchback XT.

I figured if I could get to that point I could be in the money.

I start standing up, folding my stand's metal seat with Thermaseat foam cushion (just laying on it) back and up. Was hoping the pad wouldn't fall off. Keeping my back close to the trunk I manage to get upright, bow unhooked off of the treestep.

The small doe is way left, the other 3 to my right, and moving back up into the thicket. I have to bring the bow back to me to have the arrow clear the trunk, rotate to my right and extend my bow arm through the fork of the trunk. It is slooooooow and smooth. I have 3 deer at a 10 -12 ft elevation difference, within 20 yards, and they see nothing, suspect nothing (and this group is not stupid, seen them before).

Of course there's a branch over the doe's kill zone. I draw the 70#'s like it's nothing-straight back, no bow arm movement........nice slow draw too. My HHA with Viper front is set for 20 yards.

I hit anchor, pin is centered in the peep and on the brush covered vitals. One step and I can pop her, two and she's safe for more brush.

To clear the closest branch I stand on my tiptoes and she moves forward, the pin slides to the right for the hole and the shot is made.

She jumps hard to the left crashing into a tree, down, but then up after two plowing strides...........books the ridge for 30 yards like she's been blasted from a cannon.

She slams another tree, bounces off, stands for a split second then falls over. Legs are up, and they quickly fade to down. She's dead that fast. Not a quiver afterward.

I did see some arrow sticking out when she plowed the first tree, so knew I blasted the off shoulder on exit.

One blade of the G5 Striker was busted, the Goldtip 55/75 ProHunter was splintered about middle. Found the upper end about 20 yards down the blood trail. 3" section missing (not found during evisceration).

Blood trail was not great, due to high entrance and shoulder blocking more rapid exit of fluid. That plus she was bounding/running hard.

Exit was right where my pin was, but the branch forced me to run it a little hot. I'd like an exit about 3" lower, just couldn't risk it any more than I did (must have missed the close branch by the slimmest of margins). It was either going to be a kill or a deflection/lost arrow way high and over.

Examination of the organs revealed the onside lung's top was clipped by one blade, a rib shattered on entrance, the off lung taken in a 2/3 cross section path, the off rib clipped, lower shoulder blown.

Took about 5-8 seconds from shot to drop. 8 seconds being max.

Impressive result, for a mediocre bloodtrail (the hit indeed good, external evidence not so hot).