Shot nice Buck..backed out, picking up trail in 4 hours. Success!
 

Well my am hunting plan worked to perfection(it doesn't happen very often in my world).,,before I went to bed last night I was reading a book, a thought hit me and decided to move my stand 40 yards to the west. I had seen a nice buck there two days earlier. About 7:30 I rattle ever so lightly. About 3 minutes later a beautiful buck comes walking down the ridge followed by a doe. He comes right at me, I come to full draw when his head is behind a tree at 20 yards....he keeps coming and I can get no shot. I am on full draw for probably 60 seconds. He stops at 8 yards, turns perfectly broadside and begins to walk into my shooting lane. He stops. Turns the other way and goes back left. I have a small shooting window and decide that the shot looks great. What I didn't realize is that my body was twisted up a bit and not in great shooting form due to the erratic movement of the buck. I let the arrow go on what I thought was the vitals...it hit smack dab in the middle of the buck's body, both parallel and horizontal. I saw him run about 50 yards and then bed down.

I waited 2.5 hours before backing out of my tree stand, only moving when the wind would blow hard. I saw him get up and stumble/bed down 4-5 times over that time period. He didn't look good. Everything inside of me wanted to end that bucks suffering, but I knew I would blow everything I worked hard for if I rushed it. I backed out at 10:15 and shot the buck at 7:40am. I truly believe he is paunch/liver hit. I am gonna wait until 3:30pm, a full 8 hours after shooting him to enter back into the woods and try and find him. I just need some encouragement. It is gonna be a long 4 more hours!!

shadow

RE: Shot nice Buck..backed out, picking up trail in 4 hours. Maybe just a little encourgament is needed
 

I don`t think that buck is going to be hard to find at all.
Sounds like you did everything right. Congrats When you find him let see some pics:)

RE: Shot nice Buck..backed out, picking up trail in 4 hours. Maybe just a little encourgament is ne
 

RTA--when I find the buck it will be the first deer I have ever taken a picture with since I started hunting 15 years ago. I am gonna ask my wife to take the picture. I have always been superstitious about disrespecting the deer that I have killed by taking a picture with them...my mind has slowly changed over the years and I decided that I was going to take a picture when I harvested a nice buck. The time is now.

shadow

RE: Shot nice Buck..backed out, picking up trail in 4 hours. Maybe just a little encourgament is needed
 

Sounds like you made the right call. I'm sure you will find him very close to the last place you saw him bed.

RE: Shot nice Buck..backed out, picking up trail in 4 hours. Maybe just a little encourgament is ne
 

sounds like liver he will be dead just be patient I would also sneak back in there with a bow in hand just incase he isnt dead you could slip up on him and finish him off good luck

RE: Shot nice Buck..backed out, picking up trail in 4 hours. Maybe just a little encourgament is ne
 

Glad to hear that you have change your mind about the pic.
When we look at the pics of other hunter`s and there succesfull hunts its alway to the upmost "respect" Never ever disrespect, no matter how big or how small.
Shadow: Congrats buddy on what sounds like a fine buck and a successfull hunt.

RE: Shot nice Buck..backed out, picking up trail in 4 hours. Maybe just a little encourgament is ne
 

Shouldn't be too hard to find. He may move a couple more times, if at all, but he should be close to where you last saw him. We're looking forward to the pics.

RE: Shot nice Buck..backed out, picking up trail in 4 hours. Maybe just a little encourgament is ne
 

I would say that if he bedded that quickly and gotup and kept bedding that when you do go back he won't be far. It's good that you backed out.

RE: Shot nice Buck..backed out, picking up trail in 4 hours. Maybe just a little encourgament is ne
 

Great work, I'd knock an arrow and sneak up on him as quiet as possible just in case he has some kick left. Post pictures!!!!!!

RE: Shot nice Buck..backed out, picking up trail in 4 hours. Maybe just a little encourgament is ne
 

I would wait as long as you can, what is the temp? Also, be ready when you do sneak up on him, to get some great pictures!! Congrats!