Monday morning I decided to take a friend hunting with me. When we got to the farm we checked the front fields right at first light. On the far side of the field I saw a doe standing at the tree line. After we found a good rest I told him to take the shot when she stopped walking. Well he must have got excited cuase he let her have it before I could finish whistleing at her. He said he didn't think he hit her but when we walked to the other side of the field it looked like a masacare. There was a stream of blood 8 inches wide for 12 feet into the woods. I got excited and went on in thinking she would be laying just inside the woods. Well I got caught up in trying to find his 1st deer and think I ended up pushing her. We tracked for 3 hours and even got a fairly good tracking dog and still couldn't find her. After about 15 yards the blood trail turned to tiny drops then after 150 yards it just quit. I am sure he must have gut shot her. I have killed many deer with that rifle and haven't had any run farther than 75 yards. Oh well, maybe next time things will turn out better. I know I'm gonna give them time to lay down and expire if I don't see them fall from now on.
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A good ol mountain boy from Southwest Virginia transplanted to Sussex Co.
Good post and I agree with letting them lay at least 1 hour, especially if you shoot them first thing in the morning...you have all day. With that much blood, she is dead within 200 yards, bet on it.
hard lesson learned
