ORIGINAL: NY Bowhunter
**another example**
It's just about last light and you shoot a deer. Not exactly sure where it's hit but your feeling is not a great shot. There's probably 10 minutes of light left. You get down and check for blood. There is a decent amount of blood but definitely not pure lung blow out blood. You push on anyway because it's going to be dark soon. About 100 yards away you jump the deer. Can only find very little blood after that and never find the deer!
Is this being lazy or lack of education on what to do after the shot?
Backing out and coming back may involve too much effort for some people IMO. Again you have to make an extra trip back to your vehicle. Tracking at night with lights is too much of a burden to them. You have to go slower and it's not as easy. The person probably has plans that night or would rather be in a nice warm house watching TV.
I think maybe location may play into your scenerio. Since we don't have a large number of deer here in New England as compared to other states/provinces, we will do whatever it takes to find the deer and do it with the best possible chance. If that means waiting hours and looking with a light, amen. We have done that in the past.
I know no one here in NH that has hunted at least 15 yrs and has shot a deer every year. It's kinda like a batter in MLB, if you can do something successfully only 1/3 of the time, you're doing pretty good. That said, we will do whatever it takes to locate a wounded deer because it's the right thing to do but also, how many chances will we have in one season to shoot at a legal deer?
Maybe, just maybe, those who see and shoot deer every time out, do not have the same determination. When you see deer every day, maybe one becomes less intense on searching for a wounded deer. I mean, why look for a deer at night with a light, when you can always shoot another one tomorrow?
No finger pointing intended, just expresing my (well thought out
) feelings.