RE: Shot a good one
Welp fella after all nightsearch, and all day Im convinced hes still alive. Yesterday afternoon I set up in a spot that I have wanted to hunt for awhile but havent had the chance well yesterday the wind was right but there were a few showers here and there. Any how I got set up and got Quiet I was hearing all kinds of squirrels in the woods behind me and was keeping my eye on the cutover for movement, When I heard the distinct sound of a whitetail approaching from the woods behind me and this wasnt a squirrell I noticed his muzzle threw the hollies underneath me and got into position, he stood there for a minute and then put his head down thats when I knew it was a nice buck. He started to come out into the logging road I was set up onand I drew my bow, He moved a lil forward and give me a perfect broadside shot, found my mark and shot, I heard a loud whack and he bolted out into the cutover But he had the arrow hanging out on the side I shot him on. Well I sat and waited for about 15 minutes trying to calm down and watching the area where he ran hoping to see or possibly hear him crash but nothing. well I got down and marked where he was when I hit him and backed out I went home and waited for 2 hrs, grabbed my lights, my boy, and my wife and headed back to the scene. It was kinda drizzling and I had a bad feeling about it. Well I started out across the cutover and found some blood on a few limbs that he brushed against while running, and marked every spot I seen blood with a bright eye and orange ribbon. then it stopped so I panned out and looked this way and then that way and then came back and started all over again until it started to rain real hard, soaking wet I decided to call it a night and go home. Well I was back to the spot early this morning. and had thought about it all night. When I got to the woods I jumped up in the stand exactly how i was when I shot him and sent the boy and ol lady out to the last ribbon where we found blood, Thank god for the 2 wat radios we bought for the kids they came in handy today. Well I guided them to the last place I seen the buck and then climbed down and went to em. I knew I wasnt gonna find blood But had a good idea on where he was so I started panning back and forth with the boy and wife on one side we combed the area all the way up to the road and back then moved over and did the same. I searched all the ditch banks, piles of wood, thickets, tall grass, and still no deer. So I went back to my stand and pulled it out of the tree and took it to where I last saw him and climbed up about 20 ft and glassed the field nothing. climbed down and shifted over and climbed back up and glassed and nothing. climbed down, shifted, climed, glassed, and nothing. So I was sick at this point, so i walked to the backside where i knew there were a few rubs and found my arrow lying on the ground, Yes I found another lead But the arrow only had blood on the broadhead with a lil meat in the blades and the blades were nicked and slightly bent. so I combed that area like a bloodhound and nothing, went back to where i found the arrow and crossed a ditch that was well used and had numerous rubs. It came out onto a cut beanfield. With no blood from all the rain I searched the edges all the way around and walked in a few places and out, and in, and out, and in, and out. went back to arrow. and looked for tracks which there was many but found a set that looked like the deer was running and good sized at that. which led to the other side of the field where I searched and searched even jumped another buck while doing so. By this time The misses and boy were wore out, so I sat and replayed it in my mind. got up and started looking some more ended up down in a swamp and I tromped threw the swamp. nothing!! Thats why I beleive this deer is still alive with the sign of the arrow, if it had went threw the shoulder im sure it wouldnt have came back out. And also thinking about it the way he ran after he knew he was away from me he wasnt staggering or weaving, he was hurt but not dying. and where I found the arrow there wasnt any sign of pools of blood where he might have bedded down, and no buck. also there was alot of arrow hanging out which leaves me to beleive that I hit the front shoulder but didnt bust threw which also has me in disbelief. Im shooting a Q2 set at 65pds shooting a graphite gold tip arrow with 100 gr muzzies. Im sorry this story is long but just had to let yall know what happened. And Im NOT DONE WITH THIS SEARCH!!! I will continue to look for this deer... The time was right, the shot felt right, First deer of the season, and not alot of time to do what I love to do and this happens. But thats Bowhunting,Got to love it.... Happens to the best of us