RE: My First Doe! :(
 

Congrats on the doe. Sucks that it went down the way it did. Hopefully next time you'll put yourself in the deer's hoofs and slit it's throat to put it out of it's misery.

You'll be eating good soon.

Tom

RE: My First Doe! :(
 

badger .... congrats, BRO!!!! You seemed to do everything right to me .... second shot in the kill area ... great job!

RE: My First Doe! :(
 

Tom, he put a second arrow in the kill zone .... slitting it's throat is unecessary, and not for everyone ...

RE: My First Doe! :(
 

Hunting isn't for everyone.

Tom

RE: My First Doe! :(
 

Spine shooting a deer just plain sucks and is always ugly!! If it doesn't leave a slightly bad taste in your mouth than a bit of animal respect is missing.
I shot three EXTRA arrows at a spine shot deer just to kill it. Something about getting arrowed makes their adreniline pump.
I also in a brief moment of bravado cut the throat of a medium doe for a bud and want you to know it is not always easy even if you hit a sweet spot and is also dangerous. Having to shank such a cool beast was a major drag.. Reminds me of having to shoot the farms dog when I was a kid for worrying the sheep.. Come on Blacky. lets take a walk.

I see a lesson learned with a minimal amount of lashes. Nice job and glad she was where you let her.

RE: My First Doe! :(
 

slicing their throat is not hunting and unecessary ..... think if someone didn.t do that right ........

RE: My First Doe! :(
 

I ALSO PERFER another arrow and hope i never have to pull the knife either

RE: My First Doe! :(
 

Not a good idea, the deer's hoof might slit your throat!;) But go for it!

RE: My First Doe! :(
 

That's why you approach from the back. You don't treat them like a teddy bear. I also agree use arrows but he only had two. I'd give it a minute or two but I'd go down there and do what's right. It sucks, but it's the right thing to do.

No hunting isn't for everyone. Sometimes you have to be prepared to get your hands dirty. I've never slit a throat before but I've held down two deer while it was being done.

Tom

RE: My First Doe! :(
 

I've heard of fawns feet going through a chest of a person when they kick! If this was an adult it may be different, read the whole thread! He's a young kid, he did the best thing possible and that was leave the deer!

RE: My First Doe! :(
 

You should listen to yourself because maybe it's you that shouldn't go anymore. We all make mistakes and to rip on him certainly doesn't help.

Congrats on the doe and don't listen to people like this!

RE: My First Doe! :(
 

why did he only have two arrows i said something about haveing four hunting arrows and you guys jumped all over me for not having atleast 6

RE: My First Doe! :(
 

Leave it be Tim! He's a young kid, enough said already!!!!!

RE: My First Doe! :(
 

Once again bigtim read the entire post before you bash someone..... get a grip!;)

RE: My First Doe! :(
 

Slitting a live deers throat is about as good away as any of going to the emergency room. Just a few years ago a good friend of minewho is a very expericenced hunter and outdoorsman slit a buck throat he had down. The deer started kicking and thrashing around anyway he cut his hand very badly and was laided up quite awhile. If I were out of arrows and needed to finish it a better choice in my opion is trying to remove one of your shot arrows and using it again. Putting a deer out of its misery is one thing being stupid is another.

RE: My First Doe! :(
 

Congrats on the doe, badger109. I've spined a bunch of them with bow and gun, obviously not on purpose, and always get a mixed feeling. It sucks I spined them but at least I know I won't lose them. I absolutely do not like walking up on a spined deer. Something undignified and undeserving. But it goes with the territory. I just try to make it as quick as possible. I suppose what separates us from the other animals is we do have compassion for our prey. We've all watched the animal shows where lions will be half way through a buffalo and its still kicking. Mother nature knows no compassion. I am not critisizing you at all. I would just recommend staying till the end next time. I'm sure you've figured that out. And I would not recommend slitting its throat should the occasion present itself again. No since it both of you being injured. I've done it to does and their hooves can be pretty dangerous and throw in you holding a knife. I never even considered slitting a buck. That's just my thoughts, anyway. Congrats again.

RE: My First Doe! :(
 

Congrats on the doe Badger.

I have a suggestion for anyone who has to finish a deer with a knife. DON'T go for the throat! It is far too hard to hit the carotid artery because it is protected pretty well by the spine. If too easy to get injured while the deer freaks out as you try to get the knife all the way in to the artery. Instead, simply stab quickly once on each side of the ribs and get the same effect as a double lung shot. (in your case, you simply needed to get the one ontouched lung) The lungs quickly collapse and the deer expires in less than 60 seconds. Much safer and cleaner than digging the knife around the throat for that artery.

RE: My First Doe! :(
 

No disrespect to anyone, but to the guys that say sit there until the end, what does this prove??? What is the difference if I walk back to my truck and put my gear away and get my cleaning pack and go back and drag the deer out??? What is the point in sitting there watching the deer Die???

RE: My First Doe! :(
 

Congrats on the Kill badger109. Everyone makes mistakes so just learn and move on.;)We should kill an animal as quickly as possible, but God made animals for us to makeuse of, not worship.

Congrats again!! You did good for a young guy:D

Dan

RE: My First Doe! :(
 

BHF, you are right, sir. I retract my statement. I have always stayed til the end but that doesn't mean its right or wrong. Nothing wrong IMO to leave. Thanks for the heads up.

aero

RE: My First Doe! :(
 

Badger,

You did well young man! Congrats on your very first deer!

Let me tell you a story.

I shot a huge bull elk one time. I put one right in his boiler room while he was broadside. He trotted off and stopped in an opening. Eighty yards seperated him from me. I watched him for 20 minutes through my binoculars. His entire left side was blood soaked. I was confident he was going down for the count. He eventually walked slowly out of sight. I waited another twenty minutes and began my pursuit.
Long story short, my, what I thought was a dead, elk got up and ran away never to be seen again. A blood clout the size of a loaf of bread was the only thing I foundafter the bull crash away from his resting place. Sadly, I failed to place a second, a third, and a fourtharrow into this elk when I could have.

That experience taught me a couple of things:1) If given the chance for another shot,TAKE IT!2) Be prepared for the worst. Shoot every arrow you have if necessary (and make sure you have the necessary equipment when you take to the feild! We owe the animals we hunt that much.

There is nothing glamorous about watching an animal die.But, it happens and you need tobe readyfor it.Had a game wardenbeen watching your event unfold,he may have cited you for killing and abandoning wildlife, failing to tag your animal immediately upon kill,etc, etc.Youwould not have been able touse your age as an excuse.

I salute you for asking questions. I tip my hat to you for hanging tough and going back. You nowhave a foot hold to continue your journey. Make sure youput this experience to good use. I wish you the very best...You did well!

By the way, how old are you?

RE: My First Doe! :(
 

badger109 you did fine I think. If I heard gurgling blood I would think that deer is down for the count, and fast, you obviously hit some lungs, so the shot (2nd)was lethal. Apparently some people think you are morally obligated to shoot an entire quiver of arrows in your deer so you had a pincushion to look at, but I think you did ok.

Spine shots are horrible to experience, every hunter I know who has made a spinal shot never feels good about it. I've made 2 with a gun, and it is not fun knowing that the animal is suffering, and scared. You just try and do the best that you can, and prevent mistakes in the future. Part of being human unfortunately.

Now about that quick shot. I practice quick shots, and lots of them. I didn't when I first started bowhunting, but then I learned that things happen pretty quick, and there isn't time to take a 30 second shot, at least not for me. Especially when I am in thick nasty crap that I like to hunt. For me, everything is pretty fast, except for when I pull the trigger on the release, I try and do that somewhat slow, really helps with my accuracy tremendously. But you do what works for you. Next year, you may wait a little longer, and then miss a shot at a huge buck because you took too long, just part of hunting :-)

RE: My First Doe! :(
 

C str,

I think your are morally obligated to kill quickly whatever you wound. If it means shooting ever arrow in your quiver to accomplish that task, then so be it. I personally would rather have a pin cushion than a wayward animal-beyond recovery.

Badger states "I really dont want to have to slit it's throat". Had he taken additional arrows with the proper heads, this would not have been consider.

The young man is learning...I'm all for that!