Nick Posted November 6, 2005 Report Share Posted November 6, 2005 Well Saturday morning I got up well before day light to head out to my spot where I got the 10 point a couple weeks ago. My dad was up so I told him I had a spot about 70 yards from me on a rock pile he could hunt. So we headed out. We got there a little late and by the time I got situated in my stand it was dang near light enough to shoot. I knocked an arrow and not 2 minutes later I heard foot steps behind me. I figured it was the morning raccoon run. But as I sat there, out of the corner of my left eye I caught a deer coming to a scrape 15 yards to the left of my treestand. I got my bow down and the deer walked a path behind me about 5 yards from my stand. It was a button buck, so I let him pass and he worked the scrape over for about 5 minutes before disappearing into the corn field in front of me. I sat my bow down and waited but didnt have to wait long before I could hear another deer coming in behind me. I got my bow and this deer sounded like he was coming in to my right. As I peaked around my tree I could make out a deer with antlers. He had his head to the ground giving me the opportunity to stand and turn around in my tree to take a shot to the right. He stepped onto the trail and stopped....no shot so I waited. He began to walk foreward and I drew my bow and as he walked into a shooting lane I grunted with my voice stopping him for what I figured was a perfect boradside 30 yard shot. I let the arrow go and it hit right behind the shoulder a little high, about 3/4 the way up the body. The arrow stuck right in the center of his body with each end hanging out about 6". He bolted within 5 yards of my dad on the ground giving my dad a good look at the arrow placement. He said it looked a little high as I figured but we figured it would still kill him. We watched the buck run 300 yards across a picked corn field to another section of woods. So we decided to give him some time. We went and got some breakfast and came back 4 1/2 hours later at noon to look. We were able to cut out the corn field in tracking and found where he entered the woods to the east. There wasnt a whole lot of blood but enough to keep a steady tracking pace. It was pretty much bright red. We followed him another 150 yards into the woods and lost blood. We searched for another hour looking for another blood spot but couldnt find anything. I was even on my hands and knees. So finally I decided to walk in the general direction he went and was hoping I could see him laying in the hardwoods. I circled the entire section of woods to find no sign of him. So I began down the trail through the woods to go back to the truck. I was hanging my head low in disgust dragging my feet when a bright red spot of a leaf caught my eye. Sure enough, more blood, 250 yards from where we lost the trail and he was heading the opposite direction we thought he was heading. I followed that blood for about 75 yards before we lost it again. But the trail lead to a small finger in the woods narrowing down where he night have bedded down. My dad and I walked that small section of woods looking in every brush pile there was and found nothing. We drove the fields surrounding looking in the ditches but couldnt come up with the deer. Even went back today to look. We are totally exhausted and have looked soo hard. Ive hunted for 8 years killing several deer but this is the first one I couldnt find. Im absolutely disgusted and feel horrible.......he was only a small 6 point but I take pride in all my kills. As much as I practice with my bow, this just isnt supposed to happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VermontHunter Posted November 6, 2005 Report Share Posted November 6, 2005 Re: Lost My first Deer I hear ya Nick and know what you are feeling..... As it has been told to me you hunt long enough it's bound to happen.... I know that doesn't make you feel any better... Keep your head high in knowing that you gave it every effort to recover that deer, and that's all anyone could ever ask.... Sorry about the deadful misfortune and better luck next time.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruttinbuc Posted November 6, 2005 Report Share Posted November 6, 2005 Re: Lost My first Deer You gave it your best effort, Nick. It is one of those things that happens to most everyone who hunts with a bow at one time or another. You should have comfort in knowing that if the hit was fatal the deer will turn to earth and carry out mother nature's plan. It happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longislandhunter Posted November 6, 2005 Report Share Posted November 6, 2005 Re: Lost My first Deer Sooner or later it happens to almost everyone. Take pride in the fact that you worked as hard as you could to find that deer. Like ruttinbuc said, the deer will not go to waste, nature wastes nothing and this deer will feed alot of others creatures and eventually return to the earth from whence it came. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdoc Posted November 6, 2005 Report Share Posted November 6, 2005 Re: Lost My first Deer sorry nick--just remember you did all you could to attempt recovery and that should give you some peace of mind. todd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoyt03 Posted November 6, 2005 Report Share Posted November 6, 2005 Re: Lost My first Deer A shot like that should have caught high lung, but if he went that far obviously it didnt. Who knows.. thats a bummer for sure. Get them next time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckee Posted November 6, 2005 Report Share Posted November 6, 2005 Re: Lost My first Deer Real sorry Nick. It sounds like you did everything humanly possible to find him. That's the only comfort in these situations, and it happens to all of us, sooner or later. Chin up bud...you and your Dad did your best Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowhunt101 Posted November 6, 2005 Report Share Posted November 6, 2005 Re: Lost My first Deer Dont feel bad buddy I know a fella that shot a buck with a 30-06 this past weekend and couldnt find him after a LONG blood trail.... Just something that happens sometimes and if you hunt long enough its gunna happen....-tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin R10 man Posted November 7, 2005 Report Share Posted November 7, 2005 Re: Lost My first Deer Nick..we all have been there at least once...sometimes thats the way it goes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuntnMa Posted November 7, 2005 Report Share Posted November 7, 2005 Re: Lost My first Deer i lost the first and only doe i have taken with a bow, it was heartbreaking, but if you learn form this , it won't be in vein.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrud Posted November 7, 2005 Report Share Posted November 7, 2005 Re: Lost My first Deer I had that same feeling for a while Friday night, Nick. It's too bad you couldn't find him. Hopefully he'll still be around somewhere and you'll get another chance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beagleboy Posted November 7, 2005 Report Share Posted November 7, 2005 Re: Lost My first Deer The important thing was that you and your Dad gave it your best in trying to recover that deer. It happens to all of us. Chin up. There's a monster still waiting for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VtBowhunter Posted November 7, 2005 Report Share Posted November 7, 2005 Re: Lost My first Deer See, Nick, even the greatest bowhunters will lose one eventually..........I've lost one in the past also. Stumbled across him 4 days later while tracking my brothers doe over a mile away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted November 7, 2005 Report Share Posted November 7, 2005 Re: Lost My first Deer Yep, hate when that happens Nick. It's happened to me now about 3 or 4 times. Never gets any easier. Just have to try your best, and sounds like you did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAbowhunter86 Posted November 8, 2005 Report Share Posted November 8, 2005 Re: Lost My first Deer sorry to hear that buddy, sometimes that happens. Its a part of hunting no one likes. pick your head up and get back out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cutter Posted November 8, 2005 Report Share Posted November 8, 2005 Re: Lost My first Deer Sorry about the turn of events nick ,chin up ,better luck on the next one. shoot straight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mitrrophybowhunter Posted November 8, 2005 Report Share Posted November 8, 2005 Re: Lost My first Deer Agh I know how you feel. Hopefully you can recover him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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