So this is what it feels like...(long)

[c_lou]

Thursday Sept. 28th.

I got my stand around 3:45. I got set up for the evening. Around 5:30 or so a Coyote came in from downwind. He sniffed the air like he knew something wasn't right, but just walked away not in any hurry.

Now the bad news, around 6:45 I was just about ready to get down when I heard a deer coming from behind me. A doe was coming down the trail fast. I get my bow ready buy scraping it along the tree. She stopped for a second, but kept walking like thre was no problem. I heard a second deer coming as well. By time I got my bow ready the first deer was out of my shooting lane. The second one however, was making her way right to it. "MAAAAAA", but she didn't stop. So at full draw, I have to wait for her to come to another shooting lane. Once she steps foot into the lane, and I see vitals, I relase the arrow. WHACK is all I heard. She took off but only ran maybe 15 yards and stopped. By the time I got down it was dark. I called my wife to ask her dad to come out and help. Being that it was almost dark in the woods, I wasn't sure here she stopped after being shot. We didn't find any blood, but the arrow showed complete pass through. We looked with light for about an hour and then left.

I went back out this morning and found blood where she was standing. Dark Red and lots of it. I followed it up to the corn field. After a half mile and 3 hours trailing through the corn field, some on hands and knees, I lost the trail. She apparently went out of the corn field into a neighboring woods. That's were I lost the blood trail.

In hindsight, I think us looking with lights may have pushed through the corn field. I guess 'When in doubt, pull out.' I have said that to myself thousands of times, but it's different with adrenaline pumping through you.

So 4 years of bowhunting and my first lost deer. Man I am dissapointed in myself. I plan on taking a 2 weeks off to let the area cool down.

[Guest deadeye270]

Re: So this is what it feels like...(long)

I gaurentee you'll find the remains of that deer when the corn is cut. You may want to try looking for blood on the leaves of the corn. Good luck finding her.

[c_lou]

Re: So this is what it feels like...(long)

I did that. I had a good trail through the corn.

[wtnhunt]

Re: So this is what it feels like...(long)

[ QUOTE ]

Around 5:30 or so a Coyote came in from downwind.

[/ QUOTE ]

That in mind Lou and knowing what I know about the yotes here, I would have exhausted all efforts to find the deer last night too.

[Hoyt03]

Re: So this is what it feels like...(long)

Any idea on where the hit was? My guess is that you hit it low near the leg area and got good blood but no vitals so that deer will go a long ways and eventually the blood will stop. Hope you find her but as others said if she died and yotes are in the area they most likely already found her.

[Buckslayer]

Re: So this is what it feels like...(long)

I know the feeling, same exact thing happened to me three or four years ago. Its a shame, soory lou... this doesn't mean you're a bad hunter or you have to punish yourself by fretting over it or taking a break for two weeks. I know you can't help it, get back out there and keep hunting, thats the best way.

[PAbowhunter4life]

Re: So this is what it feels like...(long)

Lots of dark red blood, sounds to me like you hit her lower than you thought in a non lethal area. It's not bright red, no bubbles, so that means no major muscle, organs or arteries were hit obviously. Could be a liver hit, but still.

I'm willing to bet she's doing fine right now and is just going to be a little tougher to kill next time out.

[Turkeygirl]

Re: So this is what it feels like...(long)

Possibly a liver shot? Andy has had a few liver shots and the blood is usually dark red and while he has usually recovered them they have gone quite a ways. Sounds like a deer I shot last fall. Came out of my stand, walking into a corn field, a doe comes walking up the corn field right at me, she probably came about 25 yards broadside and I shot. Found dark red blood, good at first, but couldn't find her. Went out the next and picked upthe trail again but then it stopped and didn't find her until the spring, then just a skeleton. Don't let it get you down, keep at it!

[mo_hunter]

Re: So this is what it feels like...(long)

Sorry to hear that, could happen to anyone. You worked at it and did your best to recover your deer. The yotes need to eat too. Like I said could happen to anyone of us.

[Ravin R10 man]

Re: So this is what it feels like...(long)

Did she bed down at all.?? If anyone EVER bumps a bedded deer after the shot..PULL OUT... not sure if this happened in this case, if she did not..I bet your hit was not as good as you thought.

[c_lou]

Re: So this is what it feels like...(long)

Martin, It didn't look like she bedded any where, just stopped and bleed.

I am assuming for as far as she went that it was probably a non leathal shot. I do feel bad, but as was said other critters need to eat.

I am taking a week or so off just to let the area settle down. I walked through alot of good deer area last night and today. It's raining today so hopefully that will wash some of the human scent away.

[dartonman]

Re: So this is what it feels like...(long)

Get back after the rain buddy...and be patient....it happens to the best of us........sorry to hear of you losing one...but it doesnt sound like a major part of her was hit...more than likely a leg...she will heal...and you'll get another shot at her....here is a true story for you...my buddy three seasons ago ( Mossyhorns) shot a nice big 10 point through the lungs (so he thought)...not alot of blood, we lost the deer...THREE WEEKS LATER he is rattling, and low and behold, here comes the big 10 point...this time he blows through both lungs....we open the deer up...his first arrow IS IN THE DEERS LUNGS....the deer spun when the bow went off, took the whole shaft in the lungs, and carried the arrow for three weeks....sharp broadhead and all.....AND came into rattling.......get back out and get one.............al

[GWSmith]

Re: So this is what it feels like...(long)

If that arrow showed a complete pass thru when you found it that night...what did it look like?

All covered in blood or did it have anything else mixed into the blood?

I would not put too much into the color of the blood you found the next morning...but the fact that you "Found blood and alot of it" says to me that the deer died sometime after leaving the cornfield if not shortly after. Sounds like you cut an vien or artery but that the wound was high and back(hence the diminshing blood trail through the corn field).

If it was high and forward you would have hit shoulder blade or spine. If you had hit the spine and damaged any nerves at all you would have seen an immediate response and she would not have been "standing there" but more than likely dragging her hind legs.

The way you described how she left the area, from what you were able to see that night and what your tracking revealed, also tells me that she was not hit in the spine.

From the information you've stated the best I can figure out is you hit her mid to high lung near the back of the ribs. If you didnt hit ribs with your shot the sound you heard possibly could have been the arrow hitting something on or in the ground when it passed through. The shot area behind the ribs lends itself more towards you hitting the liver with your shot because of the amount of blood you found. If you it there you did not hear the arrow hit bone but something after it passed through.

I like hunting when the deer are out there(it is alot more fun that way)...but I hate trying to find a deer at night.

I know that the only way I have a chance if I hit one late, and I dont see it fall, is to go home write down what happened and come back in the next morning and go CSI all over that area.

I too have learned what not to do when hunting in the evening...except my experience came from hitting a doe that was only 18 feet from the base of my tree with a 30-30...in the shoulder

There's no way anyone could have convinced me that I would not have found that deer shortly after starting to look for it. I caved that shoulder in so far with the shot it moved her sideways...so I went looking for her right away

3-1/2 hrs that night and 13 more hours the next day because it was cold here at the time and she would have been good if I had found her.

In retrospect what doomed me from the start was me looking for her "Right Away"

I did not take into account that with the angle of me being 20ft up in the tree and her being only 18 ft from the base of that tree. It's highly likely that the bullet slid down along the shoulder blade.

IF I had not pursued her early she could have bedded down and I would have found her the next morning.

From that point on if I shoot one late and dont see it fall, either with a bow or rifle, I'd rather go home and have a sleepless night instead of pushing it.

MAKE THE CALL IF YOU SEE IT FALL...but

IF YOU HIT LATE...WAIT...it will be the same deer in the morning.

[Stinger-Hunter]

Re: So this is what it feels like...(long)

Worst feeling you can have out in the woods. good job trying, sounds like you really put forth the effort.

[TOMSD5]

Re: So this is what it feels like...(long)

don't beat yourself up...it happens...i to opted to wait until morn on a doe i shot this week but theyotes found her first...yes it gives you a bad feeling but it happens...this was not the first i have ever lost and surely will not be the last...keep hunting...