Bad shot tonight....


Turkeygirl

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Went to my new found honey hole of a spot, kickedo ut some deer going in..later found out they had been bedded only about 100 yards from where my blind is. I threw some more brush onto my blind and got settled in, digital camera rolling. After about an hour, I finally see a deer up browsing along the old track. Eventually she works her way down in to the apple trees, exactly where I was hoping. I drew back, and settled my pin on her, estimating about 25-30 yards but I didn't calm down and shot over her. She didn't spook, in fact turned around and came back out from behind the tree, I estimated about 30-35 yards. I settled my pin on her, released (I think I dropped my bow arm) and I hear WACK! She jumps way up in the air, crashes into a tree and runs through the brush then stops about 50 yards out by her momma, I see her far side front leg dangling around the knee:(:( Oh no! I watch her bed under this pine tree, the mom is looking around, I turn back to my camera, wait a little bit, then I go out to see they are gone. I didn't look hard for my arrows as it is snowy, and by the time I finished waiting, it was almost dark. Some hair and a little blood on the snow, not alot, and in the bed just a little bit of blood, not very much at all. I think i found her tracks whereshe ran out but I didn't go tracking her, no blood in the tracks, figured I'll go back in the morning and maybe sit in my blind till it gets light out, then go see if she's near by...maybe if I can find her bedded, I can get a 2nd good shot.

I feel bad about it....I hate to lose a deer...I know it happens to all of us so I'm not going to let it get me too down. What do you think the odds/chances are of finding her? She's sticking with the mother so for all I know, she could go quiet a ways....What do you think.

Darn it all....oh yeah and I get home and find one of the Fitzfibers on my site is broken...managed to pull it through and have enough, but I couldn't get the tip melted right so it was bright and clear, not kinda smudgy...any tips about that?

Thanks for listening.

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Well, it happens...sorry to hear that. What i have learned through the years is that a low leg shot really doesn't yield much of anything, she may heal up and be alright in a year, or it will never really heal correctly and it will calcify, and she will learn to use it again...Don't think you will recover her, i don't think she is going to pile up any time soon either. on the other hand, a high leg shot has the potential to produce a lot of blood loss which will cause an animal to expire; not always, but it can and does happen. if i were you, i would take a peek tomorrow and see what you come up with, but i wouldn't get my hopes up if its a low leg shot. Good luck and keep us posted.

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deer can run faster on 3 legs than man on two legs

tomorrow try to track it and be fully prepared to shoo t it again take all the arrow you have

the deer may keep just out of range as you try to stalk her/it/.

I have seen dozens of 3 legged deer breeding and fighting and it wont bother them that much

if you have YOTES they will take it:(

Keep your Chin up Ruth:rolleyes:

Happy trails...

old Tink

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Thanks guys. A buddy from camp actually called me tonight to see what I was up to and I told him and he said he hit one in the leg one time and it healed up and he saw later on in the season....

Being a young deer, I'm hoping she'll heal up quickly. I'll check tomorrow but yeah, I think she may be hobbling for a bit but be ok, especially since she didn't bed that long and the tracks I found were running....

Unless I find her and can put my tag on her, the next deer that comes in, I'm waiting for a closer, better shot, and making the shot count....don't want to wound another one...

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Hang in there TG! Anyone who says they haven't made a bad shot, hasn't been bowhunting long. It happens to all us and don't beat yourself up over it. I have had a terrible season and after a few swift kicks in my hindquarters got myself back on track. You are doing right by following up on the deer this morning and let us know how it comes out. Good luck girl!;)

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