I've got a long sleepless night ahead of me now....(kind of long story)

Illinois Buck Hunter · 11-17-2008, 07:58 PM

Well guys to sum up my archery season so far----its has been one of many close calls.

Opening day I had a 130ish 10 pointer and a 150 class 10 pointer feed directly under my stand after shooting hours. The next day the 130 class came back and fed by me without a shot. I have since seen this buck about 5 times. The last was on Friday when he came into a rattling sequence but saw the decoy and took off.

I had a really good old 10 pointer chase a doe by me and never got it stop. I have seen some really good ones chasing off in the distance over the last week.\

Every year I am allowed to take off work all weekends and 4 days during the week in November. I usually take 3 of those days to bowhunt and 1 for the opener of shotgun. Well this year that started on Friday. From Friday-Sunday I only had 2 deer in range, a button buck and 110-115 8 pointer.

I went out this morning to hunt a funnel stand that is always good for seeing some bucks. I shot my last buck from this place 2 years ago. I got settled in and at 7:30 I saw a buck chasing a doe behind me. This continued for the next 30 minutes but never came closer than 100 yards. The buck was a solid 8 pointer.

I headed to the stand this afternoon that I had been seeing the 10 pointer from. It is in a corner of a cut bean field. I had the decoy set up as a doe. I had not seen a deer and at 4:25 I grunted and bleated. Right at 4:30 I hear some leaves rustling and catch movement heading towards the field. It was the same 8 pointer from this morning and he was headed right to the decoy. I stopped him at about 15 yards and released.

All 4 legs came off the ground about a foot and he took off. Tail tucked and running like a hurt animal. My first thought was dead deer---heart shot. It was a tad low, but I still thought it was good. I thought I had seen some blood on the opposite side but was not positive. I then saw a piece of my arrow laying about 20 yards away in the field.

I had to meet my family for my dads birthday dinner at 6:30 so I just did a quick search around the field and found a few drops of blood. He still has over 2/3 an arrow in him, but I'm not positive there is an exit hole. I got done eating and decieded it was best to wait until the morning to take up the trail. Temps are in the 30's here and I have until 10:30 to look things over. I have already got the neighboring land owners permission to cross the fence to find the deer if need be.

Tonight is definantly going to be a sleepless night.....wish me luck.

dukemichaels · 11-17-2008, 08:05 PM

Uggg.. I hate those nights.

Good luck IBH.. you'll find him.

Illinois Buck Hunter · 11-17-2008, 08:05 PM

Let me also add....

After he hit the woods about 50 yards away, he stopped and blew twice. I have seen a doe I shot with a shotgun do this before and blow a bunch of blood out and fall over dead. After he blew I heard him run a little more then nothing else. I'm hoping he tried to bed down and will bleed out over the night.

Walleyefever · 11-17-2008, 08:05 PM

I wish you Luckhope you find him tomorrow.

BOWHUNTER818 · 11-17-2008, 08:06 PM

Keep your head up man i know you will find the deer sounds like a really good shot...GO FIND HIM..rest easy you should find him in the morning.

TEAM 12 BABY

BH818

Illinois Buck Hunter · 11-17-2008, 08:08 PM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: BOWHUNTER818

Keep your head up man i know you will find the deer sounds like a really good shot...GO FIND HIM..rest easy you should find him in the morning

If I do find him, then I can definantly give some thanks to the ol Dead Red scent

with the mock scrapes set up around the field. They had been getting worked over until recently when the bucks ditched the scrapes

BOWHUNTER818 · 11-17-2008, 08:16 PM

Ol' Dead red is the stuff man...used it Saturaday and had does and a buck come to it the buck was really nice needed 3 more steps but the does got a wiff and off they all went but i need some more of that stuff!!!! But from the sounds of it that buck is in the woods that you heard him blow..have had 3-4 deer do the same as you discribe blow blood and guts all over the place..

You go find that deer in the morning REST EASY he's dead

BH818

Illinois Buck Hunter · 11-17-2008, 09:10 PM

I've read over Rob's recovery thread a few times now and studied the anatomy diagrams over and over and over. I picked a point on a picture of a deer then compared it to the anatomy diagrams. It looks like a low lung/heart shot, but I can't be for sure.

I know if there isn't an exit hole, then the cavity must fill up with blood before it starts pumping out, so that would explain the lack of blood in the field. I did shoot a doe some years ago where she ran about 100 yards with the arrow lodged in the offset shoulder, and didn't have but a few drops of blood and then it was everywhere right where she crashed.

I'm still confident I'm making the right choice by waiting him out, but I still can't make myself climb into bed. I've been getting up at 2:30 for the past few days and running on very little sleep, but yet I'm still sitting here wide awake.

Illinois Buck Hunter · 11-17-2008, 09:17 PM

What I keep coming backt to and reassuring my hit is the fact he literally flew off the ground when my arrow made contact, and he carried his tail tucked. I have hit deer and not recovered them and nearly all of them had their tail waving for all to see.

Schultzy · 11-17-2008, 09:18 PM

Wow, excellent read there Buck hunter!! Yes, It's no doubt going to be a tough night for ya. I've never had a deer snort at me after I've made a lung shot on them. That's Interesting, I'll have to remember that If that's where you hit him. Best of luck to you!! I'm pulling for ya!!