I just have a funny feeling about this...

I wouldn't have jumped on you. First I would have congratulated you, becuase you do have to deer at home now, not rotting out in the bush because you couldn't find it. As long as the deer died and you were able to find it, you did your job right? Sure, some of you will say "You have to put it out humanly, and quick and wait for the perfect shot, etc" But thee are SOOOOOO many factors in hunting that nothing is granted... a little twig, wind, elevation, BUCK FEVER(on does too, don't fool yourself), pulling the gun a little when you squeeze the trigger. You want my story? I powdered it up a bit earlier, but in this light here's mine.

We saw a buck chase a few does into a bush. So me and my dad set up a drive, I waited on a treeline so I could see the small bluff he ran into. Dad pushed out the 3 does first and my heart pounded like you wouldn't beieve. Then about a minute later the buck came out. Full tilt, broadside. I had about 5 secs to take the shot. I made up my mind "I'm taking him".I lead him by about 3 feet and pulled the trigger, He fell and started kicking in the air. I thought he was down. Then he got to his front legs and tried moving like that, by crawling on his front legs. I was shaking like a leaf when I fired my next shot. Snow and dust EVERYWHERE! clean miss. Then I got a better rest and took one more, (he was facing me now, on the ground up on his front legs) This one dropped him to the ground and he didn't move.

Turns out my first one hit way back and high, breaking his spine (that's why he couldn't use his back legs) and then my third shot entered the riight side of his neck and exited the left side just behind his back leg.

Was it a perfect shot? hell no. I had 5 secs to take the first one. I was shaking, my heart was pounding SO hard. My first running shot, My first shot EVER at game. Odds aren't that great are they? But he was out in less thn a minute and a half.

That's my story of my first buck. I don't hunt in a stand or ground blind. We see a deer go into a bush, we push it out. We see many deer, and we both got deer this year using this tactic.

My point? People hunt MANY ways and just because you don't like it doesn't mean you can take away their hunting rights. (Exaggerateed for all you who are gonna jump on that one) I think he did the right thing. He was able to take 2 deer, the first one was right underneath him. He saw the bloodtrail and let it expire. What's wrong with that? Then he went for lunch...to let it expire! He shot the second one and it dropped. He left to let them expire, so he wouldn't have to chase them cross country. He came back to the one that droped and in the same position. Got out of his truck and finnaly saw that it was still alve. He walked a few steps to his truck to get the rifle...Nothing wrong with that.

Withthat taken care of...I have one question for chris, and I mighted missed it... But did you recover the first deer that was gutshot?