Maryland's bow season ends on 31 January and with only 3 days left, I went to the woods yesterday to see what would happen. With a clear sky, bright moon that was due to be high overhead...I was not very optimistic.
Got in my tree at 4:00 p.m. and settled in with a good size holly tree behind me for cover. About 4:45 I spotted a group of 3 deer (all does)moving through the woods at about 60 yards away...going into deeper cover. I was surprised to see them moving...especially that early. I kept an eye on the three as they worked their way through the holly and laurel and toward my general direction. They finally came outand into an area clear enough for shooting. After milling around for a few minutes the lead doe seemed to get sight of me and began slowly walking directly toward my tree...looking right at me...stopping every few steps to bob her head and take a closer look. After a few moments of me standing motionless, she finally settled down and simply turned and walked straight away...never offering a shot. One of the other does then came into a good shooting lane which I had previously ranged at 30 yards. She was quartering away and offered a shot which I took. As soon as I shot, she lunged forward. I saw the arrow hit and pass through, but knew she had gotten the jump on me and it was too far back. Thishappened at 5:05 and knowing that the arrow had entered low and back, and due to the angle probably exited low and more forward...I figured gut shot. I gave her an hour before getting down and checking my arrow to find it covered in blood, white hair (belly) and tallow. Only a few drops of blood were to be found so I backed out and waited another hour and a half. Going back at about 7:30 I still could not find a blood trail to follow. My next step was to look in the place where I thought she had vanished into the thick under cover, but I could not be sure where she went in as all three does took off at the sound of the shot, crossed paths and I was not sure which deer went in where. It was only 29 degrees outside and I knew that if I waitedmy chances of recovery were better than pushing the gut shot deer at night.
Got out at first light today and after checking the 3 areas where the deer went into cover, I finally found blood. It was about 70 yards from the shot location. Tracking was difficult at first, but the kicked up leaves helped to I.D. the path she took through the under brush. After about another 90 yards of tracking...I saw my doe laying ahead of me. As I got closer I could tell that she had been partially eaten by the critters of the night. [:@][:'(][&o] I was mad, sad, upset and disappointed. I sat at the base of a tree for a few minutes and contemplated my actions of waiting over night. Hard as it is to accept what happened, I still think I made the right choice. The arrow did in fact enter low and back...exiting low and little more forward. Stomach matter was ooozzzzing out of the exit hole. The critters had eaten most of her exposed side and actually ate out her butt. I was able to salvage the back straps, one hind quarter and one shoulder.
I'm happy with my efforts and recovery, but will second guess my decision of waiting forlong time to come.