My consience is killing me (really long)
 

On Nov 5 I got an arrow into my dream buck, a wide symetrical 10pt. This is only the 2nd animal that I have ever shot at with a bow. I haven't posted earlier because I'm ashamed of myself, but my conscience is eating me up so I'm coming clean.

There was snow on the ground, I saw movement coming so I stood and clipped my release, when the monster showed himself I was discouraged that he took the trail away from me instead of the one I wanted him to take. I limit myself to 30yrds, when he passed behind the small pile of sticks marking 30yrds I grunted to stop him and took the shot at 35yrds. Disipline is alot harder to maintain when its the biggest deer you've ever seen out there (I have a135" gun buck, but this one was bigger).

I got a hit, in the boiler room but low, as he ran off I saw my arrow fletching flailing around just before I lost sight of him. I was sure that he would loose the arrow becasue it looked like it had already worked its way most of the way out.

Back to the farm with a clump of snow containing blood and dark hair to show the landowner (and his dog). Coffee for 2.5hrs.

I head out, not even wanting to track, I wanted to find the arrow that I was positive would be laying just inside the treeline for a better idea of the hit, my main concern was penetration. I found really good blood in the front left hoof prints and 1-2' off the trail, but not pink, not really dark, looks like muscle hit. After 300yrds I'm concerned, good blood but no arrow, and no bed. I didn't push this deer, why didn't it lay down? At this point I'm on the neighbours land, I pull out and drive around to the next consession and get permission from the landowner (200acres) to keep searching, I have permission but for that day only.

Back on the trail, he has been moving constantly at a trot, not running, but not meandering around browsing either. I find one spot where he stood for a time and blood pooled below him, mostly in the front left hoof print. I slowly follow the trail as it peters out to almost nothing, just blood in the front left hoofprint. 100yrds later blood on virgin snow again, but still no arrow, Where is my arrow? I become convinced that I passed by it so go back to the sight of the shot and start again, just looking for my arrow, no luck.

I reach another fence, its been 5hrs and no bed yet, but I'm confident that I'm not pushing him because there are no beds and his gait hasn't changed at all. I back out again, drive around to the next concession and get permission from one landowner, but theres no-one home at the property I really want to search. Doesn't really matter, the blood has gone from spurts, to red footprints, to one discolored footprint, to nothing, when the prints entered a staging area I circled for >1hr and lost my buck. It was getting dark, no more blood, and a patchwork of different properties with no permission and swales, swamp, and thickets everywhere.

Now is why I am ashamed, I convinced myself that I got him in the bi-cep, all signs point to that, muscle blood, blood in only that hoofprint (blood running down his leg), and no beds for more than a mile. Desicion time, I'm expected at gun camp the next day for my week of vacation. I packed up and left my buddies farm. He tells me not to worry, he couldn't believe how many times I walked concession to concession and got back soaked in sweat, I'm still convinced that this deer is still on the hoof, possibly still carrying the arrow, but I can't stopthinking that I am an arse for leaving after only 1 day of searching.

Theres the story, bring it on and flame me, I deserve it. I still think he is on the hoof, but can't stop beating myself up for leaving so soon, if I thought there was a chance of him laying dead I would have givien up my vacation to search, but I convinced myself that he was still walking around.

Anyone that wants to call me names (or reassure me that this deer will make it) is welcome to. And my sincere apologies to Team 34.

RE: My consience is killing me (really long)
 

I honestly don't have a criticism. You know the situation better than I do. If he's alive and on the hoof......what are you gonna do? Run him down?

I have no criticism, at all.I'm just sorry you didn't have a recovery.

Jeff

RE: My consience is killing me (really long)
 

Hey... Don't beat yourself up about it... It is bow hunting... It happens. You made a valiant effort to recover the animal. By the sounds of it, he is probably ok... just sore.
Anyone who would call you a name for it is very ignorant. I don't know too many bowhunters who have ever recovered every animal they have hit.
Now you know and you'll be that much more careful about your next shot.
Don't beat yourself up about it too much.

Sorry you didn't get him though.. sounds like a real dandy +135".

RE: My consience is killing me (really long)
 

It happens. If you participate in the sport long enough it is bound to happen to you. Sometimes no matter how hard you look you will never find the deer. I know how it feels it makes me sick to. But sometimes there is nothing you can do. You just have to get back up on that horse and get out there and try again.

RE: My consience is killing me (really long)
 

After admittedly skimming your story (got someplace to be in just a sec...), I come to the same conclusion: you hit him in the leg and he'll be fine.

RE: My consience is killing me (really long)
 

well put

RE: My consience is killing me (really long)
 

tschaef.....some gotta win and some gotta looze....good time charlie gots the blues......get over it and onto sumthin else

RE: My consience is killing me (really long)
 

I agree!

RE: My consience is killing me (really long)
 

It has or will happen to all hunters at some point. Don't beat yourself up over it.

RE: My consience is killing me (really long)
 

no reason to get all down on yourself... Go get a trail cam and put it out to see if you can catch a glimse of him on it. Maybe that will give you a little closure.

RE: My consience is killing me (really long)
 

The only thing that I don't understand is this:

And then this:

The two statements don't go together.

If you hit in the leg, and there was snow, was there any indication of limping or dragging. Should have been.

If you hit as stated in the first post, low boiler room,you may have not gotten enough penetration to get both lungs. Or because of the angle, you may have only gotten one. A single lunged deer will also act as posted. The blood will also be a bit different then a double lunged deer.

How was the deer standing when you took the shot?

RE: My consience is killing me (really long)
 

Forgive mebut and I don't want to answerfor tschaef but there have been times where I have replayed a shot in my head and have been wrong as to aspects of a shot. It sounds that the first quote is the "knee jerk reaction that we get" and then the second is the was " after replaying the shot."

Tschaef you made the attempt to find the deer and in my opionion you have beat yourself up pretty good. Live and learn and now you can turn a bad experience into a positive lesson

RE: My consience is killing me (really long)
 

Bob-Co, low chest was my 1st thought, thats what I thought I saw, however I shoot a slow bow and the deer was already starting to react by the time the arrow hit him.
You do make a good point about limping, there was no indication of limping or dragging that foot.
Whenhe ran away I couldn't see my arrow till he had his back directly to me, about 80yrds away, just before he entered the treeline, all I saw was the fletching flailing around.
I was at full draw when I stopped him with a grunt, so he was only still for 1 second before I released.

The thing is I am positive that I didn't hit high, or too far back, the fact that he didn't bed for over a mile whithout getting pushed convinced me that I didn't penetrate the chest cavity. Coupled with muscle blood in one hoof print, and dark hair found near the shot location, I figured I must have hit the bi-cep.

RE: My consience is killing me (really long)
 

You respected the animal by searching long and hard. Ive lost a few animals too, the important thig is you looked and searched. Some guys would give up early and get back in the stand. That being said,get over it , get off the computer and get back on stand!

RE: My consience is killing me (really long)
 

I haven't lost a deer yet but am sure it will happen some time and I will beat myself up just like you are I'm sure. It sounds like you gave a great effort in tracking him nothing to beat yourself up with anymore.

RE: My consience is killing me (really long)
 

Sounds like you hit him in the leg. I think that he will make it...dont be so hard on yourself. You looked hard for it and found no evidence that he might be dead. Hopefully next year you will shoot a big boy and find your broadhead in his leg!

RE: My consience is killing me (really long)
 

I'll call you a name........Bowhunter !! It is bound to happen at some point and time in every bowhunters life. We don't have to like it, but we do have to accept it. But I commend you for searching for the deer the way you did. I wish you had recovered it, as I am sure you wish that even more, but sometimes it just doesn't happen.

Chin up, and use it as a lesson to stay within our own limitations and our own better judgement.

Good hunting and God bless

RE: My consience is killing me (really long)
 

sam ething happend to me this year except i hit mine high i got over it and hope that is the only one in my bowhunting career but it probably wont be ( it was also my second animal and it was a 140s class 10 point)

RE: My consience is killing me (really long)
 

no need to beat yourself up for it man, get over it, move on and go give it another try

RE: My consience is killing me (really long)
 

I'm still thinking single lung though. Deer reaction sure seems like it. They will not bed and will travel long distances on one lung. They do not feel sick, so besides not bedding, they will also not seek water. I would think you would have had a passthrough even at that range at a leg muscle or even leg bone. And you would have seen some scuffs or dragging in the tracks. Since the arrow never came loose (you would have found it easily in the snow) I assume it was burried in heavy bone. But who really knows.

Still wondering how the deer was standing in relation to you. Broadside, quarting to/away, etc.

I believe the deer could survive either hit. But it will make him more open to predators.

When you activiely participate at mother natures table, things are like this are decided by her. So let it be, learn and move on.

This may be a good time to read the book "Tracking wounded deer" by Trout. There is some great stuff in it.

RE: My consience is killing me (really long)
 

Slightly quartering away, dang BobCo, you're starting to make me think I should quit my job and get back out there to look.
I will definately buy the book, I'll be in a bookstore x-mas shopping soon and will pick it up.

RE: My consience is killing me (really long)
 

sounds a lot like the hit i put on a spring bear this year. big boar. same exact story almost, except for the snow on the ground. From the sounds of it, deer should be fine, and hopefully around another year. I know the bear is, got trail cam pics to prove. good luck. tryKING.

RE: My consience is killing me (really long)
 

The bad news is it happens. You took the shot and maybe you hit him good or maybe ya didn't. Its in the past. You can't beat yourself up about it. Its part of our sport. First deer I ever shot was like that. Some how we didn't find it. You do the best you can to make a responsible shot and make a kill quickly. You did the responsible thing and took ample amount of time to search the area. Thats all you can do. Sorry to hear it was such a nice deer. But hey. We all learn from our mistakes, next time see if you can get him to come closer and give you a primo shot.

RE: My consience is killing me (really long)
 

Unfortunatly it will eventually happen more than likely in this sport. You did everything you should have, asked permission before searching the next property, waiting a decent amount of time before looking, searching for hours, I dont see where you could have done much more besides the obvious overzealous shot. Learn from it and pass your knowledge along to someone else.

RE: My consience is killing me (really long)
 

You did all you could after the shot. Don't be so hard on yourself. The deer is still alive or you would have found him by now.

It was a tough shot. It sounds like you rushed the shot a bit after you stopped him. It also didn't help that he was 5 yards past your limit of 30 yards.

I did the exact same thing 2 weeks ago. Biggest buck of my life at 35 yards. My limit was 30. I stopped him between 2 trees with a mouth grunt and had to shoot quick (I probably had more time than I thought). I gutshot him and found him 2 days later. My point is that's a tough shot under those circumstances. I can make that shot but I definitely rushed it thinking the deer was about to bolt.

Good luck on the rest of your season. Don't let this ruin your season.

RE: My consience is killing me (really long)
 

Didn't mean to. And didn't mean to imply anything negative against you at all. Sorry if I did. I know it's tough when you loose one. But this stuff interests me.Ifind myselflearning and gaining experiencefrom talking to others as well.