Nope, but until this deer... I hadn't failed to recover any of the deer I shot.

You're correct, I needed someone to pull me back into "virtual" reality... I've been gone from here for too long.
And why do you think they always marry Pam? I mean come on, why would every self-taught Fred Bearmarry an "Envrionmentalist"?

UMMMMMMMM do I have to draw you a picture

Dustin,
You mentioned Google Earth, try mapquest.com's aerials. I have had luck with them sometimes and Google others.

Separate subject, dogs work, check into it if you can. I just had this experience last week with a deer a friend hit. Rob's dog is simply great.

I musted one up and that feeling is real hard to get over, at under twenty I'm 100% and thats where I want to be. And its not a bad place for you to be. Its a goal. Shoot for it. And you will sleep better.

That sucks you lost that buck. Losing a deer is the worst feeling in the world. It just goes to show the importance of knowing your yardages, and that bowhunting is literally a game of inches.

Hopefully, you'll get a chance to get out there and redeem yourself.

Hey Dwd2001 just let me say I wish I would have caughtthis threadearlier in the night.


I feel for you. Granted i'm fairly young but i've logged A LOTof hours in a tree. You just played out almost the same exact scenario that happened to me last year on a great 10 pointer. I was prepared and it sounds like you were also. The arrow broke about 2/3 of the way down the shaft. I DID NOT find that deer and I searched w/ my dad and 2 buddies for almost a total of 14 hours in 2 days. I had a great quartering away shot at 24 yards and great blood for the first 200 yards and then nothing. On the flip side I believe I saw my deer a month laterduring our late ML season and he seemed to be doing fine w/ a little limp. Maybe there's hope and he survived. Anyways, I truly feel for you and nobody wants to ever wound or kill a deer and not find him OR her.

It sounds like you've done everything you can in your power. Keep your head up and hopefully he'll be under your tree and you'll get another chance at him.

Dustin i feel your pain, if you have hunted enough and i know you have its gonna happen. Mabey you will still find it and i hope you do. I have been in this situation and it sucks. good luck buddy.

Sorry to hear about that bud. Sounds like you did everything right. I applaud your persistence in your recovery. Keep your head up.

lol... aren't you Mr. possitive? Thanks for the encouraging thought.

Dustin I'm sorry to hear it. You did all you can searching. I'm working on training one of my dogs for trailing. If it ever happens again, and I hope it doesn't, call me. I'll drive up with Pepper. She is getting really good.

The only thing I would say is that a single lunged (only) deer is one of the hardest to find. Worse then a stomach or intestine. The deer will not bed down or seekwater anytime soon. I would say that if you were sure of the left/right position of the arrow and knew that it could only be a single lung - no liver, then I would have gotten on him to possibly bleed him out. - Easier said then done though.

FWIW, some deer will survive a single lung hit.