Dissapointing Find
 

Well my cousin and I were shed hunting last week and we found a dead buck. The story behind this deer is that I missed him during bow season. It was the youth rifle day so i was hoping that would stir up the deer. I made the fatal mistake of hesitating and cleanly missed the deer. It was just enough to spoke him onto the farm next to us. He was trailing a doe into a feild when a kid shot him. He ran past me again about 80 yrds out. The kid's dad came into our woods looking for it. I figured i wasnt gonna see anymore deer w/ him walkin all over so I got down and tried to help him find it. We lost the blood at the edge of the feild but i knew where he was headed. We walked for about an hour and didnt find anything. With the little amount of blood found i was hoping it wasnt a fatal wound and he would survive. Turns out he turned away from the marsh/thicket he was headed to and went to another thick area bout 1/4 mile away. Here is a pic he is a main frame 8, with crabclawed Right side and a kicker on his L G2, making him a 10 pt. Measured him at 19 3/4 inches wide. Needless to say i was extremely mad at myself for my inability to perform. Oh well, so goes bowhunting.

RE: Dissapointing Find
 

Sorry about your bad luck HuntingEd. That looks like a really nice deer.

I have found 2 dead deer on my property. One was laying 2 feet from the tree that I shotgun hunt out of (8 point with 12 inch G2's) and this year I found a 2 1/2 year old 8 point that was 18 inch inside. Would of been a great buck next year.

RE: Dissapointing Find
 

Sure is a dandy buck, to bad neither of you could really harvest him, althought you kind of did.

RE: Dissapointing Find
 

Sorry to see that. He would have been a fine trophy for you.
I know you were dissapointed but it was good of you to help
the others try to find it. You will get more chances.

RE: Dissapointing Find
 

That sure makes a guy feel like he got kicked in the fellas when you come across something like that. A guy puts so much time into scouting,passing up decent bucks and the like and find this. It brightens the light a little to know it was during a youth hunt and you can just imagine the excitement the young hunter had at a chance at this deer ,just too bad he couldn't have him in the freezer and on the wall.
I shot a nice bodied 7 pointer gun hunting this year because someone already had his back leg blown off. He had a 16" spread and thick (2 1/2 yr old). Would of been a dandy in a year or two. Passed up many more bigger bow hunting but hate to see a deer go to waste. He sure is tasty!
On a lighter note...find any sheds???

RE: Dissapointing Find
 

Do you know the kid? Will you give him the rack? just courious, I would give it to him.

RE: Dissapointing Find
 

I dont think is is legal to keep skull and rack in Maryland unless tagged like pa.

RE: Dissapointing Find
 

I would give him the rack. I don't see anything in the MD online regs about it being illegal to pick deer skulls/antlers. This would mean shed hunting is illegal.

RE: Dissapointing Find
 

that just makes a bad day

RE: Dissapointing Find
 

That sucks!! sorry to hear bout your bad luck also..but it was a nice buck too