Got up late. Didn’t shower. Since it was cold I wore a pair of coveralls that had been in a plastic bag since I played paintball in them in the early spring. Downed some coffee and a ham sandwich and headed to the woods. It was already getting light when I got there so I decided to try a new spot that was closer to the car. I set up in a stand of pines right on the edge of some really thick stuff. Sprinkled some doe pee in a wide circle around my tree to cover my scent. ( I did spray some scent zaper on my boots and bow before heading in. ) then I poured a stream of Trail’s End down the front of a pine nearby and climbed up my tree. After a couple hours of grunting I saw her walk out of the thicket.( the wind had been blowing right toward her and I had poured some more trails end onto a holy bush beneath me). My heart was thundering in my chest but I waited and waited and it eventually quieted. She got about 10-15 yards from my tree and then she turned as if to walk away at an angle. I knew this was a perfect shot. Down and at a slight angle. I fired my crossbow and I swear I have never seen my arrow move so slowly. The Arrow impacted exactly where I had aimed it but the deer ran off like nothing had happened. I recocked my bow as quietly as possible and loaded another arrow. She came back within seconds and was looking around. She was a little jumpy so she stayed about 30 yards out andmoved parallel to my position. Then she just dropped her head as though she was going to eat and started shuffling off. So I shot again. She whipped around and jumped the line and I saw my arrow hit about a yard away from where my target now was. I was a little disapointed but still iit was exciting and the first shot I have had this year. I sat up there for another 45 minutes and grunted a few more times. The first time I grunted I heard some rustling from the direction the deer had run but never saw her. I had shot at her at 9:30 and ad 10:45 I climbed down. I was gonna go home work on my honey-do list till it was time to take my daughter to the orthodontist. I picked up my first arrow and examined it, and it was clean. I walked over to the second arrow and when I bent down I noticed hair laying on it, and around it. I slowly pulled the arrow out of the ground. And saw little slivers of meat on the arrow. Then I looked about 2 feet from the arrow and saw a 10 inch circle of blood spray. It was very dark. SO>>>>>>>>>>> I start tracking. The blood would get thin. Just specks here and there, and then I would lose the trail. I was getting down on all fours examining the spatter pattern to try to determine which way the deer had gone. I did the circles and grid patterns. I found a spot where she had bedded down about 75 yards from where I hit her. I was tempted to pull back and wait, but time was against me. I wouldn’t be able to get back till after dark. I had also heard something about rain coming at night so I knew I wouldn’t find her if I waited. I kept on. It was the thicket from hell. I was bleeding from thorns and the vines kept grabbing my bow. I had to craw on my belly to get thru a few spots. I was getting hot from the effort. I was tired. I would run out of trail and spend 15-20 minutes searching and researching until I picked it up again. She pooped several times and once I found a very dark liquid that I couldn’t identify. The blood always stayed very dark with the exception off one pink glob but it wasn’t bubbly so I figured I had made a high back hit or a leg hit. After two hours I felt that she had lost so much blood that there was no way for her to survive. I several more bed down spots and a couple spots that looked like she had fallen. I must have gotten close to her several times because sometimes the blood would still be running down a blade of grass or a vine. I found her at 1:30. The arrow had sliced thru her right ear and then it hit her in the back right leg, just above the knee. It was hanging by a piece of skin. The 3 blade 100 grain muzzy had cut her leg off. Bone and all. It wasn’t a clean kill and I regret that she had to suffer. I don’t regret the shots I took. They were good shots. Both of them were properly aimed to take out lungs and heart. I have to say thanks to all who have posted about tracking techniques and the ethics of doing everything you possibly can to recover a deer. The meat is soaking in ice and saltwater right now. I didn’t take a picture but I told the girl who was checking her that she was about70 pounds. I am thinking now that live weight had been about 80. Firearms season opens Saturday and I will be out there. Good luck to all and thanks for all the great advice.

Wondering what anyone else would have done differently.

David