RE: My First Doe! :(
Badger,
You did well young man! Congrats on your very first deer!
Let me tell you a story.
I shot a huge bull elk one time. I put one right in his boiler room while he was broadside. He trotted off and stopped in an opening. Eighty yards seperated him from me. I watched him for 20 minutes through my binoculars. His entire left side was blood soaked. I was confident he was going down for the count. He eventually walked slowly out of sight. I waited another twenty minutes and began my pursuit.
Long story short, my, what I thought was a dead, elk got up and ran away never to be seen again. A blood clout the size of a loaf of bread was the only thing I foundafter the bull crash away from his resting place. Sadly, I failed to place a second, a third, and a fourtharrow into this elk when I could have.
That experience taught me a couple of things:1) If given the chance for another shot,TAKE IT!2) Be prepared for the worst. Shoot every arrow you have if necessary (and make sure you have the necessary equipment when you take to the feild! We owe the animals we hunt that much.
There is nothing glamorous about watching an animal die.But, it happens and you need tobe readyfor it.Had a game wardenbeen watching your event unfold,he may have cited you for killing and abandoning wildlife, failing to tag your animal immediately upon kill,etc, etc.Youwould not have been able touse your age as an excuse.
I salute you for asking questions. I tip my hat to you for hanging tough and going back. You nowhave a foot hold to continue your journey. Make sure youput this experience to good use. I wish you the very best...You did well!
By the way, how old are you?