Whitehair

Hey guys, here is the story...
I shot a fox last weekend, a nice little 12 yard chip shot, little low, still caught heart... He ran 30 yards, and piled up. I went up to grab him about a minute later, and he gets up and runs away...long story short, I lost him (blood trailed on hands and knees for 2 hours)...

Now, I know somebody is thinking "Aw hell, its only a fox...BFD", but I cant get over it. Ive been shooting everyday, but cant bring myself to hunt...The thing that gets me is, even if it was "just a fox", I could have been a deer...a lost deer...

Im petrified of botching another shot/trail job...

So, what do you guys do after a loss?
This may be a pointless post, but thanks anyway...

MO Archer

I'm new, but I say wait a little longer next time, don't beat yourself up, and get in the woods.

Downhill18

I think you're beating yourself up too much over this. You seem conscientious enough, and I'm sure you'll get your buddies out there to help you if this ever happens on a deer. Get back on that horse, mister!

iowabob85

Hey I shot a coyote one time and it was a perfect shot right behind the shoulder blade. This coyote reached back and pulled the arrow out with his grimy teeth and ran off. I trailed him 200 yards before I gave up do to lack of light. But I was right back out there in my tree stand the next day, you know the old saying you win some you lose some, well in hunting as long as you the recovery a 100% effort nobody will ever judge you for losing game as long as you gave the effort to find the animal. It took me 27 hours to find the buck staring at me from my living room. I was not about to give up on him and it worked out. I have heard alot of seasoned hunters tell me about one they couldn't find but at least they tried there hardest. NOW get yer arse back out there and do some hunting.

Copper31

You know I would feel the same way you do. I have had a couple long tracks and even though I found the animal I was still mad at myself because I had made a poor shot or a poor choice in tracking. I am very lucky never to have lost an animal but I a sure my days are number if I continue to hunt. I am glad to hear you feel this bad about because that tells me you honestly care about the importance of a clean and ethical kill. Keep your head up get out there. Your feeling are shared by many I am sure. Good luck and happy hunting

FOP23

I've been accessing this site for awhile now, and one thing I've taken from it is that most of our peers in the hunting community are forgiving and supportive of our hunting efforts. I believe that if you hunt long enough, you run the risk of wounding/losing an animal. I don't believe that any of us go out with the attitude that we are going to intentionally wound a deer, fox, ect, but it does in fact happen. I believe that if you practice with your hunting equipment and make every attemptat recovery, your efforts will not go unnoticed. Don't punish yourself to the point that you miss further hunting opportunities, we all wait too long for hunting season to sit on the couch. Good luck with the rest of the season.

kenman

Make that same shot on a deer and you'll find it within a 100 yards. A fox heart is a 12-ring on a whitetail.

davidmil

I'm telling you, foxes are tough. They really are... and so are racoons. If you shot low you maybe at best caught one lung. Those little buggers can go a long way on a lung. It's even possible you didn't get the lung at all if you were really low. It was a chip shot on a deer, but the foxes kill zone is mighty small. You'll note in the picture how high the lungs sit. To hit the lungs you almost have to shoot through the shoulder. Look where the heart is... WAY up front. Not where a deer's is at all.

SteveO KanevO

Pull it together MAN! ( I just had to say that.) You just got to file all that away and keep going it happens. Happened to me. Im going hunting this weekend. I know I am. Doesnt mean I dont care that I lost a deer. Cause I do.

SPIKEHORN11

At some point i our lives this happens. At least it happened with a fox and not a deer. Learn from it. The vitals on a deep are bigger than a fox. Don't get hung up on it.