wtnhunt Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 So things finally came together and the wife had a real nice buck at about 60 yards yesterday afternoon about 20 minutes before legal shooting light end. This is a field with a couple clover plots and brush pile that comes in a low area like a finger that deer will bed in some times. A fair sized hardwoods to the east side of that finger. I think he has been bedding somewhere in the hardwoods Question 1. She fired with the black diamond and replaying it she thinks she probably missed in front of the deer, probably pulling the trigger early as he cleared a crest of a hill and exposed his vitals. I spent close to three hours in the dark looking for any sign of blood and nada, drizzle turned to rain and we called it. Body language of the deer sounds consistent with a miss too, I think. Deer took off hard when the smoke cleared then she saw him slow to a casual walk and even stop look around, like what just happened and then walk of. Sounds like a miss? She doesn't usually miss, but this was the biggest deer she has ever seen. Question 2. Deer from what she said seemed to be casual walking off after the initial circle he ran around about 50-60 yards to get next to that finger where he relaxed, I am sure with does around there is a chance he will be back but she probably won't get another opportunity on a relaxed big buck like that. She saw 4 does the buck never did see. Does were acting nervous, she said it looked like they wanted to go to feed in one of the clover plots, so sure they will. What are the chances he comes back to that field in daylight with does around? We seem to get pics of the deer on a scrapeline at the back of the property about every 5 or so days, but most in the middle of the night. We have flash flood warnings today through tomorrow so scent not be an issue. We get a frost again Friday morning, hunt the same field, or better chances in the woods? Hunting that field in the afternoon is a no brainer. Our rifle opens this weekend, trying to figure out where to send her for her best chances to get a second chance before the rifle opens, of course taking the wind into account. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerClay Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 Q1 Yes this sounds like a miss to me. Q2 Yes the deer can return if no one else pressures him too much. Two weeks ago I flung an arrow at a buck and hit him really high. So high that it slid just under the spine. Here is a deer that was hit and I have him on camera checking a rub 30 yards from where I shot him less than two weeks later. The rut is on and deer will do anything if there are red hot does in the area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted November 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 Wife is pretty down about things not turning out different than they did. Told her it happens. Even guys like Tim Andrus miss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archerjg Posted November 18, 2015 Report Share Posted November 18, 2015 Sounds like a miss from the description. With the rut on he is likely to be back especially if he wasn't hit. I've seen and had deer come back to the same spot after being shot at and missed. My uncle shot at one (hit a limb he didn't see) out of one one the best stands we had a few years ago on a Wednesday and on that Saturday the deer was back to the same routine. As long as they aren't terribly spooked they seem to return to normal patterns quickly. Archerjg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly Posted November 18, 2015 Report Share Posted November 18, 2015 I'd say yes - a miss. I don't think you'll see him again during the day unless he is on a doe in heat. In which case I think he'll go where she goes. If she goes into the clover during the day so will he. I'd hunt the woods until an hour before dark then hit the clover - if you can do that without spooking anything. If not then just the clover. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin R10 man Posted November 18, 2015 Report Share Posted November 18, 2015 (edited) Missed, he will be back with does hanging around, doubt he got too jumpy I'd sit at same stand, put your time in and be patient Edited November 18, 2015 by Mathews XT Man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted November 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2015 Thanks for the replies. Missed, he will be back with does hanging around, doubt he got too jumpy I'd sit at same stand, put your time in and be patient Kind of what I am thinking, especially with everything around the hills underwater right now. Stand I was going to have her sit in the woods is on a ridge, a good chunk below it is 2-3 feet under MOVING water right now. Field is higher ground to an adjacent rolling hardwoods. If it was not for the moving water I might have her go to the woods in the morning and move to the field in the afternoon, but don't know if the water is going to go down enough. Real good chance he will slip up(maybe even more so with the high water may push them to move across the field), just hope he does while she is in the stand and not me, because I am not so sure I can pass him up given the pressure we get around us. A 16 + inside 9 with 8 inch 2's and 7-8 inch 3's around here is a nice deer, wall worthy for most. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adjam5 Posted November 18, 2015 Report Share Posted November 18, 2015 He will be back William. If anyone has shot at anything, we have all missed.Good luck to the Mrs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arrow32 Posted November 19, 2015 Report Share Posted November 19, 2015 I'd say he will be back. Hope she gets another crack at him. I know I've missed a big one atleast once or twice. On the other hand after missing one of them I killed my biggest buck to date the day after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted November 22, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2015 No close yote activity since but lots of buzzards all over. No tc pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted November 27, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2015 Last pic of the buck she thinks she shot was this one the evening before she shot it, turned out to not be the deer I thought she had shot at. This one appears to be a 10 we had not gotten any pics of on the scrapeline where we usually get so many pics. Activity on our cams has been very poor, scrapes are dead. Maybe if he is still alive she will get another crack at him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted February 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2016 Last pic of the buck she thinks she shot was this one the evening before she shot it, turned out to not be the deer I thought she had shot at. This one appears to be a 10 we had not gotten any pics of on the scrapeline where we usually get so many pics. Activity on our cams has been very poor, scrapes are dead. Maybe if he is still alive she will get another crack at him. Was no more pics or sightings of that buck. Cannot say for certain the blurry pics above are the same deer? She is however certain the skull i brought back was the deer we thought she missed and is the deer in the tc pics below. I got a text from the neighboring landowner yesterday. They found the skull about 150 yards off our property of this deer it was the one she shot, so turns out she didn't miss. Real shame the weather moved in that night, i probably would have been able to get permission and walked the edge on the other side that next morning had we not had flooding and probably would have picked up blood somewhere. A real nice 9 point, probably 118'ish gross? Using hunt stand ap used gps and the distance was only about 317 yards from where she shot it, down and back up a steep river bank and not far from there. I tracked all directions going off our property to the line(old river channel) and never found blood. Not sure what went wrong with the xtp's, had never had an issue before with no blood. Huge thanks to the neighbor for letting us know and letting us retrieve it. Will get a pic of the head uploaded and posted later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted February 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2016 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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