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sad story, lesson learned
About 10 years ago, in early fall, I shot a big doe from a tree. It was about a 5 yard shot, and I slam dunked her low behind the shoulder. She bolted off about 10 yards, stopped and stood long enough for me to reach for another arrow, then she walked off unsteadily. I got down, found the arrow sticking in the ground, no blood on it, just clear stinky fluid. That didn't seem right, very confusing. Couldn't find any blood on the ground either. Went to where she stood, couldn't find any blood. It was an evening hunt, with over an hour of daylight left, but temps pushing 70. I backed out, came back in the morning, and discovered that Ihad been looking in the wrong place where I thought she had stood. In fact the shot was as I called it, she bled alot where she stood, and there was an excellent blood trail about 100 yards long. I believe the arrow passed through the esophagus, wiping it clean. I found her dead in a pond eaten by preadators.I'll always regret that hunt, one of my worst.
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RE: sad story, lesson learned
I'm a freelance deer coroner (only conducted 20, or so).....but I can't for the life of me imagine this occurring.
I'm not saying it didn't happen. I'm saying if you hit where you say you did.....and theesophagus is where I KNOW IT IS......I'm having a hard time understanding why there was no bloodon your arrow. I'll defer to the experts on this one..... |
RE: sad story, lesson learned
Edited: I had confused myself when reading the post and didn't think it through too clearly. For some reason I was thinking about the wind pipe and not the esophagus. A PM from waiting cleared my thinking.
On that note..... The last day of WI season, Sunday, my nephew made a "perfect" shot on a doe. But on the arrow there was only a little slime. 100 yards and a great blood trail later we found her. He hit her right behind the shoulder, but low. The arrow caught the end of the liver and "the guts." At first I thought it was the stomach and never really looked at it much more than that. After reading this post and thinking a little more, he actually may have hit the esophagus and not the stomach or guts. I believe that waitings shot was probably about the same and he nicked the liver as well, hence the good blood. |
RE: sad story, lesson learned
Hate to hear that,but now you are ten years smarter.I dont know where you lost the blood on your arrow,but it happens sometimes,and now you can teach a bunch of other guys not to give up if theres any sign of a hit.
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RE: sad story, lesson learned
My mistake was placing too much stock in the clean arrow. The solid evidence was shooting the deer at close range and hitting it nearly perfectly. I also failed to clearly peg the spot where she stood. It was only 20 yards away, and right by a trail, seemed like a no-brainer.
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RE: sad story, lesson learned
It can happen. I have seen it. But you can't be down on yourself for leaving the deer over nite and the coyotes getting a free dinner. That's a risk that is taken by leaving one out there all night. It happens often.
MC |
RE: sad story, lesson learned
I haven't left a deer overnight since, and I don't intend to unless there's no choice.
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RE: sad story, lesson learned
I know the feeling. seariously I go into work alot with a no-sleep hangover, I wait three hours, usually to the second.....I left one to the night and the same thing happened. I will never do that again.
If I shoot in the evening I look to the morning...just my code |
RE: sad story, lesson learned
Waiting... you describe exactly myfavortie saying, stuff happens. I had a near identical incident about 25 years ago. I had a deer come right close but I knew I could make the shot. The deer was angled slightly away. When I released I saw the spot appear about the 5 rib up. I knew, dead deer. On checking the arrow I found it covered with green slimy crap. But I knew where I hit the deer. I knew it was some sort of food pipe or something. I went and collected my buddy to help me drag out the deer. He said, "You gut shot him". I assured him I had made a good hit but he still didn't believe. I ended up literally on my knees looking for sign. We found maybe a tablespoon of blood in 100 yards. My buddy said, there he is. I looked up ahead and saw no deer. He said "NO, right beside you". I was 5 feet from the deer before we saw it. the arrow did exactly what I thought. It caught one lung hi and one lung low exiting under the off side shoulder. Between the chest wall and the hide was a glob of half chewed up green food. The arrow had indeed gone through the food esophogus. The deer was probably pushing up a cud or something and all this green slime plugged the hole like cement. It was a perfect double lung autopsy...but the arrow was covered in green goo. We were real careful in our field dressing to see exactly what happened. His still my friend living in Georgia and we still talk about that deer. I've probably been in onsomewhere around300 deer dressings. I've learned, stuff does happen and what you see is definitely not what you always have.
P.S. He also blew green slime out his nose and mouth like someones picture is on here the other day. I figure he had a vomit. |
RE: sad story, lesson learned
ORIGINAL: davidmil Waiting... you describe exactly myfavortie saying, stuff happens. I had a near identical incident about 25 years ago. I had a deer come right close but I knew I could make the shot. The deer was angled slightly away. When I released I saw the spot appear about the 5 rib up. I knew, dead deer. On checking the arrow I found it covered with green slimy crap. But I knew where I hit the deer. I knew it was some sort of food pipe or something. I went and collected my buddy to help me drag out the deer. He said, "You gut shot him". I assured him I had made a good hit but he still didn't believe. I ended up literally on my knees looking for sign. We found maybe a tablespoon of blood in 100 yards. My buddy said, there he is. I looked up ahead and saw no deer. He said "NO, right beside you". I was 5 feet from the deer before we saw it. the arrow did exactly what I thought. It caught one lung hi and one lung low exiting under the off side shoulder. Between the chest wall and the hide was a glob of half chewed up green food. The arrow had indeed gone through the food esophogus. The deer was probably pushing up a cud or something and all this green slime plugged the hole like cement. It was a perfect double lung autopsy...but the arrow was covered in green goo. We were real careful in our field dressing to see exactly what happened. His still my friend living in Georgia and we still talk about that deer. I've probably been in onsomewhere around300 deer dressings. I've learned, stuff does happen and what you see is definitely not what you always have. P.S. He also blew green slime out his nose and mouth like someones picture is on here the other day. I figure he had a vomit. |
RE: sad story, lesson learned
i would just fell bad if i did not get my deer.
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RE: sad story, lesson learned
good post. so I guess everything is not always what it seems. This is some good information because I've always been told that if your arrow stinks and is covered with green goo then you gut shot the deer. This post proves that that's not always the case |
RE: sad story, lesson learned
Davidmil,
Just a question. Knowing what you do now with 25 more years of experience, would you have waited to track longer or still done it the same way? I ask this because sometimes we make a "perfect" shot in our eyes when it is actually not. Even though you "knew" you made a good shot, you could have been wrong. With the blood trail you describe, it sounds like you should have gotten off it and come back later, just in case. Just curious. |
RE: sad story, lesson learned
If I answer that truthfully, the ethics posse will tear me to shreads. I decline to answer. In this case, I did flat out know, it was crystal clear as the deer squated to light out. I was in a friends old gun stand that was 7 feet off the ground. The deer may have been 8 or 10 feet off the arrow when I released.I was seated. That deer I would do it the same way. Took a few minutes to collect myself, checked the arrow and went to get my friend who was 250 yards away in one of my stands. That all took 30 minutes. The only deer I usually will not follow within10-15 minutes is one I have no idea about the hit, rare indeed. The other, is when I know it was a bad hit. Again, a real rare deal I think. Really, most of my deer fall within sight or at most within 75-80 yards. They're dead within seconds. I did jump the gun once but with plenty of day light I proceeded. The hit wasn't what I though, but I kept going. I jumped the deer twice, the last time 500 yards from where I started. I saw him fall 125 yards away on the next ridge. I sat there until the last bit of light watching him with my binos. I finally saw the tail quiver and he never raised his head after that. When I got to him he was dead and it was dark. I believe in doing what you're comfortable with. I don't subscribe to all the talk of wait an hour and all that. That's just wasted daylight to me. If your tracking skills are not up to the task, by all means wait. I've never just walked out of the woods and said, "I'll come back tomorrow". I'll at least pursue real slow and quiet for 75 to 100 yards. But hey, that's me. Yes, after 35 years I do what I'm comfortable with.
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RE: sad story, lesson learned
David, I agree with you on trailing. If I'm confident in a good hit, I follow up right away. It usually takes some time to calm down, gather your equipment, etc, anyway. Interesting to hear on this thread about a couple of shots almost identical to the one I made. I hope that others learn from this as I have.
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