I suck \ longstory
 

I need you all to understand one thing about me, I'm not a horn hunter by nature. I have limited time in the stand so most times I harvest a deer for meat. The bucks I have shot in the past were nothing to write home about. I have one fact that I WAS very proud of though. Until two nights ago I had never had a deer travel more than 50yds after the shot. Until saturday evening I had never caused a deer to suffer needlessly. I saw two good bucks walk out by my stand and start sparring[ something I had always wanted to see.] I waited until I had a shot that I was sure I could make. I let loose and watched my luminok fly to the deer. I hit far high and back . I knew instantly what I had done. He wasn't gut shot and I shot to high to hit his liver. I hit over the liver but under the spine. I tailed him into the woods and left an arrow to mark the blood trail. I thought I shouldn't push him[maybe he would lay down and bleed out.] I went back at first light to start the search[I couldn't sleep anyway]. After about an hour my father in-law showed up to help me search. We tracked him for about a mile or so[ it's hard to tell in the woods] He had laid down twice that night. We found very little bloodin the second bed,and no blood after that.We lost the trail not long after.Now it sickens me to think that it is very likely he will die a very slow death from infection. My instinct was to stay after him and keep pushing him but the neighbor who was hunting near by said that we should let him lay down . Right or wrong I can't get that deer out of my head . Ihope I can shake this feeling soon or my season is over. Any advice from hunters who have been here before would help.







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RE: I suck \ longstory
 

Know anybody with a dog you could use?

RE: I suck \ longstory
 

[/align]No, I live 2.5 hours away. It's out of my hands now. My father in-law said he didn't think I hit him good enough to kill him. I think he will die from infection anyway. I can'tdrive up there and look for him because I need to go to work.I wouldn't havestopped looking for him if I didn't have to come home.

RE: I suck \ longstory
 

well then stop hunting before you wound anymore deer. then when you un-suck, start again.

RE: I suck \ longstory
 

:eek:here we go

It sounds like a nonfatal shot, whether or not he dies later, none of us can tell you that. I think its good that you do feel bad, it shows to me that you respect the game you hunt. Bad hits happen from time to time, just learn from it and move on.

RE: I suck \ longstory
 

Bullethead that was plain out rude of you adn very idiotic of you to say something like that. I know what youre going through, but try being in my shoes i lost a 200 class buck 4 years ago and to this day i look for hie remains. last year I lost two bucks but got a 170lb doe and a nice should have been 8 pointer. Bad shots happen to all of us. Its to be expected from time to time especially when bowhunting, its a risk we all take everytime we let that arrow fly whether it be at a target or in the woods. it happens, just remeber this, the meat wont go to waste no matter what. It will bug you for a while and trust me you might get sick and lose sleep over it, let it. Cause theres no way to stop it. im sorry about the loss i know all to well what youre going through as well as im sure there are hundreds on here as well that know what youre going through. Mother nature will put that deer to very good use. You dont suck, you just had a bad nite. We all do eventually. goodluck, and get back out there.

RE: I suck \ longstory
 

Stop pushing him. Find where you think he likely beds and do a grid search starting there, after a day or so. You're not the first, nor the last. When a hunter makes a bad shot, there is no greater punishment than the one he imposes on himself. You've already served your sentence. Now forgive yourself and get back out there. You have just learned a valuable lesson.

RE: I suck \ longstory
 

With the exception of bullet head, thank you for the support. Don't be to hard on Bullet head though. He's just voicing his opinion[ however narrow minded it is]. :eek: I take hunting very seriously and consider myself a good hunter. I know it was just a fluke [I pulled off or flinched or something] but it's hard not to feel like it could have been avoided somehow. I have one question though. Should I have pushed him or wouldit have made a difference?


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RE: I suck \ longstory
 

I'd say, having known it was a bad shot, you made a mistake in pushing him. If you leave him be, he will return to hiscore areato bed and die. I hope you have some ideas as to where that might be.

RE: I suck \ longstory
 

I would not say that he definitely died. Or will die. Several years ago my -( now )-ex uncle-in-law shot a buck in the neck with a 30.06. It was his favorite shot on a deer. The buck ran off and the entire family looked half the night for him with no luck. About 5 days later, my ( now ) ex - mother - in - law, shot a good buck which ran off into a thicket and died. We drug the buck out and low and behold, the buck had a chunk out of it's neck, which had already begun scarring over nicely. The deer was very healthy ( before she killed it that is ) , and showed no signs of injury prior to her dropping a cap on him.

So it could very well be that the buck will live and be fine. I know the feelings you are having, been there done that, but sometimes stuff happens. You try your best, but noone is perfect, and you shouldn't beat yourself up over this. Use it as a lesson, forgive yourself, and get back out there and find that buck again and drop him. Then you can find real peace. You will know his outcome, without a doubt.

Good hunting and God bless

RE: I suck \ longstory
 

Over the liver, under the spine? I suppose you can get there but it's unlikely you won't hit something, either or, or the arterie that runs through there.

Check out these two links.
http://home.mn.rr.com/deerfever/Anatomy.html

http://forums.mathewsinc.com/viewtopic.php?t=21358

RE: I suck \ longstory
 

I think bullet head needs to change his user name to Butt Head! Quite the smacked azz.[:@]

RE: I suck \ longstory
 

I agree with Rob. The likelihood that your buck will live, considering where you hit it, is small.
If you want closure, you are gonna have to cover the territory to git-r-done. Many times, deer will return to the place they were hit and die there. If you don't think it likely for some reason, think about whatI said about the core area. Maybe you have some idea of where that could be and don't be afraid to try several of his likely daytime bedding areas.

RE: I suck \ longstory
 

You don't suck! You are human.If you are conscientious as far as your equipment and your practice regimen is concerned and you are disciplined enough to take shots that are ethical shots that's all you can do.The self imposed punishment for most is enough to make sure the same mistake(if in fact there was one)never occurs again.The fellow who made the negative comment I would ignore. Learn from your experience and get out there!!Good luck!I hope you shoot a monster!

RE: I suck \ longstory
 

Rob thanks for the links. Everyone , thanks for the input. Living as far away as I do and working as much as I do, I don't think I will be able to get up there before the weekend. I can't expect my father in-law to spend his time looking for him,so I will have to wait and see if he turns up before friday evening. I hope I find him soon or that I never find him at all. After looking at the links Rob sent ,I think he will be found soon. My nephew said I should have chased him all night and forced him to bleed out. Does anybody think that would have worked?


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RE: I suck \ longstory
 

No.....chasing deer only causes them to run further and further. What I have learned from bad shots is to wait and then wait longer. I shot a doe in the liver at last light and wasn't sure exactly where I hit at the time. She ran 60 yards and bedded down. I only waited a half hour (cause I thought the shot was better) and jumped her. She ran over 200 yards away with no blood after I jumped her. I looked for hours before I found her. If I would have let her lay, she would have been 60 yards from my stand.

RE: I suck \ longstory
 

Let it go. That is why the world has scavengers. We used to be scavengers - look it up, it is true. (watch out - here come the holy rollers) Now we are hunters. Just think about where we would be if none of the hunters in our past had left anything to be scavenged! You provided a great meal for a number of animals. You should be proud of yourself for feeling this way, but not hard on yourself. There are a lot of things that you are bound to do and see if you hunt long enough, and you just got to experience one of the uglier ones. Now dust yourself of and get back out there and shoot another!

RE: I suck \ longstory
 

I agree with everyone else on here. the fact that you feel like you do about it, shows that your head is in the right place. I know a few guys who could care less if they stick one and don't find it. Personally, I've been there as well, and I'll tell you, I remember my misses and bad hits, more than I ever remember good shots or harvests. They still eat at me, but I try to use them as learning experiences so they don't happen again.