I'm sick to my stomach and tired as h*ll
11-02-2007, 05:21 PM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,200
I'm sick to my stomach and tired as h*ll
Sorry this is a long read, but I need somewhere to take out some frustration from another idotic performance by me. A few weeks ago I started this thread.. http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=2392711&mpage=1&key=&#239271 1 In it I describe an ongoing streak of bad luck or just chocking under pressure with big bucks around from one stand, or in a close vicinity to it. Whatever you want tosay about it,the bottom line is still thatthese deer survived to run another day. The stand was nicknamed my "Unlucky Stand".
Well yesterday I get home around 12:15 and hurry up in jump in the shower. By 12:50 I am slowly walking towards the same tree that the "Unlucky Stand" was in. I have since turned it into a ground blind out of pine limbs. I was excited since I had just got set up to try out these new Rage 2 blades, and the first time I would ever have an expandable on my arrow.
Anyways, I come over the top of a hill and hear the unmistakable sound of deer running. I nock an arrow and try to get in position for where I think they should run. I see a doe and shes running and panting. I hurry and try to get closer and see a really nice buck which I think is a 8 or 10. Another quick glance and I see that same damn 10 pointer from the past 3 yearsthat I talked about in the previous thread. I'm in a dead sprint now trying to get ahead of them and they have no idea I'm even there. They finally cross my path at 35 yards and I'm whistling and yelling and everything else trying to stop that monster. He is dead set on that doe though. I look around at where he was standing and he was no more that 15 yards from the ground blind I was going to be sitting in.
Another kick in stomach in this battle. Oh well its only 1:15 and its the rut. Hes going to follow that doe and maybe she will come out and feed in the food plot. I quickly put some estrous on the ground and set in for the evening hunt.
3 hours later a doe and fawn come feeding about 120 yards off. The fawn heads up the hill into some oak trees out of my sight, but the doe stays in the field. Finally at 5:30 she makes it withing 60 yards of me. I figured I will let a few grunts out and see what happens. A couple grunts from the Tru Talker and shes doing the bobble head but coming in on a bee line. Right as I began to draw and she ran, but she ran right at me and stopped. 30 yards and shes had, but just one more step.I never got that last step and she bounded away.
I figure great, the hunt may be over because this doe is just standing in the woods blowing like crazy. She finally quits and I settle back down. Around 5:45 I am messing with my rangefinder on the ground and look up. Here he comes. At first I think it's the big ten, but I quickly realized it was the smaller of the 2 bucks from before. I recognize that he is a nice deer and I draw. He's right at my 30 yard marker in the field, and he spots me. He only jumps a few feet and looks back. I split the difference between my 30 and 40 yard pins and let the arrow fly. The Rage SMACKS him and I hear it hit bone. I can see the blood coming out as hes running out and think I'm good. I could tell that I had not got very good penetration, but it looked like enough. I heard the buck thrash about in the thick stuff before all went silent.
Went and got my dad to help track and we instantly found blood. We got to where my arrow was and decieded to back out. He took some personal time off work today to go finish the blood trail but found more blood but no deer. I just got done searching after I got off work for over 4 hours and I found just 1 speck of blood.
Well yesterday I get home around 12:15 and hurry up in jump in the shower. By 12:50 I am slowly walking towards the same tree that the "Unlucky Stand" was in. I have since turned it into a ground blind out of pine limbs. I was excited since I had just got set up to try out these new Rage 2 blades, and the first time I would ever have an expandable on my arrow.
Anyways, I come over the top of a hill and hear the unmistakable sound of deer running. I nock an arrow and try to get in position for where I think they should run. I see a doe and shes running and panting. I hurry and try to get closer and see a really nice buck which I think is a 8 or 10. Another quick glance and I see that same damn 10 pointer from the past 3 yearsthat I talked about in the previous thread. I'm in a dead sprint now trying to get ahead of them and they have no idea I'm even there. They finally cross my path at 35 yards and I'm whistling and yelling and everything else trying to stop that monster. He is dead set on that doe though. I look around at where he was standing and he was no more that 15 yards from the ground blind I was going to be sitting in.
Another kick in stomach in this battle. Oh well its only 1:15 and its the rut. Hes going to follow that doe and maybe she will come out and feed in the food plot. I quickly put some estrous on the ground and set in for the evening hunt.
3 hours later a doe and fawn come feeding about 120 yards off. The fawn heads up the hill into some oak trees out of my sight, but the doe stays in the field. Finally at 5:30 she makes it withing 60 yards of me. I figured I will let a few grunts out and see what happens. A couple grunts from the Tru Talker and shes doing the bobble head but coming in on a bee line. Right as I began to draw and she ran, but she ran right at me and stopped. 30 yards and shes had, but just one more step.I never got that last step and she bounded away.
I figure great, the hunt may be over because this doe is just standing in the woods blowing like crazy. She finally quits and I settle back down. Around 5:45 I am messing with my rangefinder on the ground and look up. Here he comes. At first I think it's the big ten, but I quickly realized it was the smaller of the 2 bucks from before. I recognize that he is a nice deer and I draw. He's right at my 30 yard marker in the field, and he spots me. He only jumps a few feet and looks back. I split the difference between my 30 and 40 yard pins and let the arrow fly. The Rage SMACKS him and I hear it hit bone. I can see the blood coming out as hes running out and think I'm good. I could tell that I had not got very good penetration, but it looked like enough. I heard the buck thrash about in the thick stuff before all went silent.
Went and got my dad to help track and we instantly found blood. We got to where my arrow was and decieded to back out. He took some personal time off work today to go finish the blood trail but found more blood but no deer. I just got done searching after I got off work for over 4 hours and I found just 1 speck of blood.
11-02-2007, 05:30 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,200
RE: I'm sick to my stomach and tired as h*ll
More on the hit as I didn't really describe to much about it. He was stopped perfectly broadside at what I ended up ranging at 36 yards. I split him into 2 halves, and the arrow hit back and in the upper half. The arrow was still in the rib cage and looked like it was under the spind.
I've been pouring over anatomy diagrams, topo maps, and replaying everything in my head.
This is the 2nd buck I have not made a good hit on in under a week. Last Saturday I put a bad hit on a 140 class 10 pointer. From that hit though, I at least knew that buck was most likely going to survive another day. I am almost certain that this buck is already dead, or close to it.
My stomach has a huge knot in it, and I'm not even sure If I will be able to climb into a treestand to bow hunt again this year after all of this. I'm better than this. I can sit out and fling arrows at the block all day long, but when a buck walks out in front of me I lose it.
I've been pouring over anatomy diagrams, topo maps, and replaying everything in my head.
This is the 2nd buck I have not made a good hit on in under a week. Last Saturday I put a bad hit on a 140 class 10 pointer. From that hit though, I at least knew that buck was most likely going to survive another day. I am almost certain that this buck is already dead, or close to it.
My stomach has a huge knot in it, and I'm not even sure If I will be able to climb into a treestand to bow hunt again this year after all of this. I'm better than this. I can sit out and fling arrows at the block all day long, but when a buck walks out in front of me I lose it.
11-02-2007, 05:50 PM
#3
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: PA
Posts: 8,167
RE: I'm sick to my stomach and tired as h*ll
From your other thread I copied your own words.This could be a starting point to solving you problem.
Try killing a few with twenty yard shots or less till you get comfortable around bucks.
Haha I knew that comment was coming. But trust me I am out in the yard practicing throughout the yearanytime I'm not hunting. I am very confident shooting a deer at 50 yards.
11-02-2007, 05:55 PM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: May 2006
Location: MA
Posts: 1,653
RE: I'm sick to my stomach and tired as h*ll
I whacked a real nice Buck on monday that was "slightly" quartering to me. I hit him square in the shoulder and he ran off with the fletching sticking out of him. I was certain he was one dead deer.
I waited 4 hours prior to tracking him and was on a great blood trail that just dried up. I looked for 5 hours that day with no luck and went back the next day and did a great grid search. I did find with a lot of luck where he had bedded for the night. Three beds in a 10 foot area and each one just had a little bit of clear pink blood in it. Can't believe he is still alive but I spent HOURS and HOURS over a few days looking with no success.
I did the best I could to find him and thought I had a really high percentage, ethical shot when I took it. Never found him and said that was it for this year. Instead I went out this AM and shot his little brother.
If anyone finds fault with you they have not hunted long. As long as you looked hard then it's part of the game. All we can do is give it our best shot at finding them and it sounds like you did.
Gonna find afew who question either your shot selection or lack of effort or whatever but you only have to answer to your own conscience.
Get back in the saddle or the tree which ever it might be. I would think a lot less of you if you did not feel badly
PS.. It's always easier to hit a target in the backyard...
I waited 4 hours prior to tracking him and was on a great blood trail that just dried up. I looked for 5 hours that day with no luck and went back the next day and did a great grid search. I did find with a lot of luck where he had bedded for the night. Three beds in a 10 foot area and each one just had a little bit of clear pink blood in it. Can't believe he is still alive but I spent HOURS and HOURS over a few days looking with no success.
I did the best I could to find him and thought I had a really high percentage, ethical shot when I took it. Never found him and said that was it for this year. Instead I went out this AM and shot his little brother.
If anyone finds fault with you they have not hunted long. As long as you looked hard then it's part of the game. All we can do is give it our best shot at finding them and it sounds like you did.
Gonna find afew who question either your shot selection or lack of effort or whatever but you only have to answer to your own conscience.
Get back in the saddle or the tree which ever it might be. I would think a lot less of you if you did not feel badly
PS.. It's always easier to hit a target in the backyard...
11-02-2007, 05:56 PM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,200
RE: I'm sick to my stomach and tired as h*ll
Yeah bawana I have been trying over the years with knocking down the does in close range, and I can tell that I am able to calm myself down more. I try to tell myself to take things slow, and I'm usually fine to the point until I draw.
11-02-2007, 06:40 PM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Kansas
Posts: 3,288
RE: I'm sick to my stomach and tired as h*ll
ORIGINAL: bawanajim
From your other thread I copied your own words.This could be a starting point to solving you problem.
Try killing a few with twenty yard shots or less till you get comfortable around bucks.
From your other thread I copied your own words.This could be a starting point to solving you problem.
Haha I knew that comment was coming. But trust me I am out in the yard practicing throughout the yearanytime I'm not hunting. I am very confident shooting a deer at 50 yards.
Cut that yardage in half and cut your errors in half.
Not jumping you here, just something to sleep on.
11-02-2007, 07:12 PM
#8
Fork Horn
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Warren, Pa
Posts: 299
RE: I'm sick to my stomach and tired as h*ll
It sounds like the same sopt I hit my doe 3 weeks ago. High under the spine just abit. She bled like crazy at first and then just dwindled down to nothing. I looked up and she was laying about 50 yards away. She went about 100 yards. The arrow was still in her, it didnt go all the way through. I too made about a 30-35 yard shot and was using the Rage 3 blade. Dont give up, he might just be bundled up close by.
11-02-2007, 07:15 PM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,200
RE: I'm sick to my stomach and tired as h*ll
I was supposed to start my vacation tomorrow and have the 3,5,7,9,10,11 off so I know I will be for sure looking all day tomorrow again. I hear no coyotes, so hes either running or they haven't found him yet.
11-02-2007, 07:17 PM
#10
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,200
RE: I'm sick to my stomach and tired as h*ll
aldo....i was using the Rage 2 Blade, and had a great blood trail then it would quit. We would go a little later and alot more blood, then it became more steady then nothing again. 10 yards away we found more good pools and then just specks. My arrow was laying 40 yards from where I hit. Most of the blood around it was very "bubbly".
I should also say that the blood we found is where we are on our hands and knees. This stuff is thick and packs alot of thorns. Just look at Google Earth of where he is running, and the last spots we have marked is a real zig zag like pattern.
I should also say that the blood we found is where we are on our hands and knees. This stuff is thick and packs alot of thorns. Just look at Google Earth of where he is running, and the last spots we have marked is a real zig zag like pattern.
