RE: OH NO we lost one!
 

Patch, if you looked for days and did not find her, you did what you had to do. I believe what my father was telling me was to use common sense and don't have that attitude of "Oh well, I looked and can't find it" after 30 minutes or so. I have tracked a wounded animal for 10 hours to finish the job. Another time I spent two full days from sunrise to sunset tracking and then lost the trail in a gravel quarry. When I lost it, there were truck tracks everywhere and the trail was destroyed. Both times, I considered the job finished. Both of these were shots taken by someone else in my hunting party. Fortunately, the military taught me to be sure I had a good shot before I let 'er rip. I have not had to track anything I shot over 300 yards.

RE: OH NO we lost one!
 

My suggestion is to direct your pop to read the "What to do after the Shot" thread pinned to the top of this forum and read it together.

Lots of mistakes made here and I have a feeling there was no education gained in that animal's loss.[&o]

RE: OH NO we lost one!
 

Unfortunately, The best of us get the jitters and don't always make good shots, especially with a bow. I lost a beautiful 8 point last week, it made me sick butI learned lessons. You also, as a young man, have learned some lessons. Remember what you or your dad did wrong and in future you will do a better job.

RE: OH NO we lost one!
 

I tend to agree that you probably should have ascertained what type of hit he had prior to beginning the tracking process. As soon as you bumped her I would have quit and come back later.

I am sorry to hear that you did not find her. I know that feeling as well.

RE: OH NO we lost one!
 

I feel ya on that one...it just makes me sick to the stomach when i can't find one...but u gotta just keep lookin and lookin..hopin to find it

RE: OH NO we lost one!
 

I bet if it was a 150 class buck he'd have looked all night and into this morning.

RE: OH NO we lost one!
 

Well ifI were you I wouldn't feel bad about it because your hand's were tied either keep looking or walk home ,soI definately understand .I hope your father has enough sense to return and look some more for the deer ,if he doesn't then he's the one who should feel bad .

nubo

RE: OH NO we lost one!
 

I agree with Matt....read "What to do after the shot" Those guidlines are asclose to the "bible" as you can get.......you won't loose deer!

Good Luck on the next hunt!

RE: OH NO we lost one!
 

No doubt...............sad but true.



This hunt was a nightmare from the start.........shouldn't have been hunting late if you had no time to track. Should have known the hit wasn't great before going after her........should have waited longer no matter what the hit was.........once you jumped her the LAST thing you want to do is keep pushing after her........and the culmination of this comedy of errors is giving up basically because he didn't feel like looking any more.

Wow.

Not a single thing was done correctly.

What a great example to set for a young hunter to follow [:'(]


I feel bad for ya kid..........seems like you are shouldering all the guilt and from the sounds of it you may have had the dedication to find her.


It all boils down to either knowing what to do........or not. Standing in the woods in the dark and asking each other "Now what???" is not a good place to be. COMMON sense would have told him not to shoot that late if he didn't have time to track...........and BASIC knowledge would have kept you from chasing after a marginally shot deer. You would have let her lay for hours before going after her and most likely found her dead right where you first jumped her from.........dad would have been dog-tired at work but for good reason.

Feel bad for ya kid.

RE: OH NO we lost one!
 

Very well put ,my thoughts exactly!!!