So i have to vent a little here, I'm not even angry, just very frustrated. There's a 500acre farm across the street from a house I started renting 4 years ago. Each year, the president of the hunting club that leases it comes by to chat and ask what I've been seeing as he knows that I am a hunter as well. Last season he came to me and said there was an opening which i jumped on. Needless to say, I am very grateful to this man and even before I got invited to the club, thought he was a very good guy to speak with so I have no issues with him.
As he was showing me the land, he was pointing out stands that he "Hit" deer from. Seems like for every two he got, one went unrecovered over the years. Flash forward to now, I've spotted a real nice 6pt a few times this summer and once bowhunting. Today was the first day of a 3 day blackpowder season. It seems I'm the only one that bowhunts the land so when firearms come, I let the guys have their usual spots and I find my own section thats out of the way. Well I get home from hunting at 9am (had to work at 11) and got a call from the president saying he's tracking a 6 point with 2 other members that he shot that morning. I gladly go help as they were a 10 minute walk from my home. They already tracked a good 300yards and we found some more blood drops and then it just stopped all together. We looked for 1.5 hours more and couldn't find a drop or the deer. I felt bad for the hunter and was mad the deer wasn't recovered since I knew from the description and location it was the 6 I was seeing. Bad shots happen, lord I know, I've been searching for blood on my hands and knees numerous times. So when we gave up and I had to go, I finally heard the story. The guy took a shot at 175yds, maybe a tad more, at a walking deer, quartering towards him from the way it sounded. Again, I wasn't there so I can't judge, maybe he really thought he could make it but knowing his track record, it just really aggravated me. Especially since there is still 2 months of bow season and at least 3 weeks of firearm hunting still to come and he didn't wait for a better shot. Wounding deer happens, part of the game but this one really seemed needless to me. They won't be hunting that area this afternoon, I think I am going to take my golden retriever with me on a long line and see if he can track it down. Never tried it before but its worth a shot. I envy everyone here who owns their own hunting property! Ok venting over, now its time to make the game plan for tomorrow
