The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

I didn't tell the "rest of the story", last night forseveral reasons. 1....Nobody asked about the other deer I said I had in range. And 2.....it served no purpose, until now.

I don't tell this ...tootin my own horn. I'm not proud of the shot placement....but the story does give two lessons.

I shot my first doe at 5:33, last night. She went only 40yds or so and was dead in 10 seconds. Having her in sight....I settled back down to finish out my evning's hunt.

At 7:15 I had a HUGE doe, a yearling doe and a fawn come in. At the same time....I had a doe fawn come in from downwind of me. The big doe, the yearling and the fawn were heading down a trail that would have them come within 5 yds of me. The fawn caught my wind and got ALL of them "squirrely". The big doe backed up the way she'd come and crossed the creek to get downwind of me with the fawn. She could tell something wasn't right....but she soon crossed back and got upwind of me, again. She coudn't figure it out....but she was nervous. The yearling and the other fawn stayed upwind of me the whole time. The big doe stayed a good distance out....but the fawn and yearling were at 20yds. The yearling was behind a tree.....but when she finally stepped out....I pegged her at 23 or so yds. I settled my pin on her vitals and shot. I saw the shot hit her "back". I was crushed. She was antsy.....but she didn't move on the shot. I hit her back....and now I had a dilemma.

They bolted in the opposite direction of the doe I had down....and I contemplated whether or not to retrieve my downed doe or back out, completely. I decided (rolled the dice) that I could get the downed doe out....if I drug her a different route. I had a LONG drag to an area I didn't know....but I got her to a place I could pick her up. I left my stand attached to the tree......for reference. I never even looked for the arrow.

I took my son to school this morning....put on some tracking clothes....grabbed the binos....and went to look for doe no. 2. I glassed from the old logging road and saw nothing. As I moved towards my stand......on the line I tought she may have traveled.....I walked right up on her. Thank God.

I drug her out to the same place I'd taken doe no. 1.....and she's now on ice. What a night. I felt like crap and didn't sleep well.

Lesson 1......Don't shoot again if you don't see your first go down in sight. I learned this lesson, last year.

Lesson 2......BACK OUT on a questionable hit. I'm proud of this...but not proud of the shot placement.

Lesson 3.....It was probably 75deg. when I shot this doe, last night. Our evening temps got down to the low 50's. The meat is JUST FINE.

Here's the doe....and the entrance/exit....for reference. Again....not proud of the hit......but proud I did everything right to assure my best "chance" at a successful recovery, afterwards.

Doe no. 2 for the year is on ice. Some solace, there.



Entrance wound



Exit wound. I must have gotten the back of the liver....or I'm thinking I did. I didn't field dress this doe....because I felt like I was on a race against time. She layed for 13 hours.....and the only meat I sacrificed was the inner tender loins. She had only made it about 50yds, based on where I recovered her.

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

Congrats, glad you found her!

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

Great lesson Jeff and I have mentioned before, what you do following a shot might make or break a recover.

Oneshot7, I hope you read this.

Great start to a season Jeff. Keep it up.

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

Congrats, Jeff! Man, I hate you guys that get to start hunting so long before I do!:D

When are you going to take one with the longbow?

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

That would be my guess also.

Glad things worked out for you.

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

Congrats Jeff!!

Way to back out when in doubt. Did that with my brother in law this weekend. He hit her back and we started looking 5 hours later found the arrow and backed out till the next morning and I found her dead the next morning.

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

Congrats on both Jeff, Glad you did everything rightand foundher. Ill be giving you a buzz in a little while.

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

Congrats on finding her! Thats pretty amazing that she lay for 13 hours and didn't spoil, you got very lucky!

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

Congrats Jeff!! You did everything right In my book In leaving her go In fear of a gut shot/to far back shot. Well done!:) Experience Is the number one best teacher out there, everyone learns from a prior expierence or someone else's experience.

One more thing to add. That shot Is still a very lethal hit (liver and or guts). You didn't miss the lungs by much. Don't beat yourself up over It, there both just as dead as the other!

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

Well, it's better to have a story with a bad beginning and a happy ending than the other way around. Good job on playing it smart and getting her found. Congrats.

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

Off to a great start Jeff, Congrats...:D

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

Good job there GMMAT....Backstraps for the grill!!!! Congrats!!!

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

Jeff, congrats on another great start for the season. Dont beat yourself up too much over the shot, if you hunt long enough its bound to happen. You made the right decisions and it paid off. Once again, great work.

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

congrats Jeff, and smart move on backing out and waiting, glad you find her first thing

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

You may of hit the top of one lung..regardless "Great Job" staying with it and Congratulations!!!!

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

awesome job Jeff! thats why i love this site...stories like that really help send things home for those of us without living the experience. thanx for posting. congrats! are them the first 2 of the season for you?? (just curious...i know Matt took one down there, didnt know if you took any earlier though)

did you happen to backtrack and look at the trail?? just curious as to what it looked like...

is that a leaf you purposely put on the entrance or did she plug it or what is that im seeing??? ive heard of wounded deer trying to close wounds before they die....just asking for my own knowledge...

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

Well Done Jeff. Congrats!!

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

Nice work bud, and just another example of why I always recommend shooting the largest cutting diameter head you can reliably shoot from your individual set up.
Nobody can convince me otherwise that that huge entrance and exit coupled by the wound channel didn't have a positive influence on the outcome of that recovery.

I'll say it again for anyone who wants to listen. Do not choose your broadheads based upon whether they can "break a shoulder". Shoot one that will do the most damage and still be within reason for the amount of energy your bow puts out. Namebrands aside.........that's irrelevant. For example, If you are shooting 80ftlbs of KE, don't waste that enegy on a 1" cutting diameter fixed head.

In my experience over 23years of doing this the majority of bad/marginal hits are BACK a bit, just like that one, and that's where bigger wins the day.

Nice work on making smart decisions.:)

By the way my backstraps head for the grill in T minus 2hrs. :D

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

Thats awesome Jeff, you are da man. A big congrats to you.

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

Thanks, everyone.

Mauser.....no doctoring of the photo. That was gut matter in that hole (entrance). The exit hole wasn't altered, either.

Longbow? Funny you should ask. I'm taking it with me, tonight. My son is hunting with me....and I only have two arrows that I've dialed in with my compound. I'm taking this opportunity to take the longbow out.....and I'm probably gonna sit on stand and watch Mitch......unless something comes in REALLY close (inside 15yds).

Matt's correct. The BH choice is irrelevant.....so long as we note it made a HUGE wound on this deer. I'm pushing enough KE to shoot the head I chose....and I'm happy with the results.

I'll beinterested to recover my arrow, tonight. I never even looked for it, last night. I will tell you what I find.....but it's sort of a moot point.....except for the education. I will say that the first doe broke the arrow on that hit right about the fletching. As far as I know.....it was a complete pass-thru......but I'll know more when I can see good in there. I didn't spend much time looking, last night. I'm shooting a/c/c's....and this is the first one I've had break on me.....out of about 10 deer shotwith them.

Time to re-group......get some more arrows ready for the compound.

Hopefully....my stand will still be there, this afternoon. I didn't go to it, today. I needed to get this doe on ice ASAP. That's also why I didn't go back on the trail when I found her, today. I was racing time.

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

I don't agree with you entirely Matt. When growing up our whole family shot 2 blade 1 1/8 Satellite Titan's and 2 blade Bear Razor broad heads and not once did we loose an animal to a bad hit. We treated the questionable hits with respect and didn't push these animals, that's what got our animals that we were after. People can use axe's but If they don't practice good tracking techniques there not going to get there animals. Jeff did exactly what people should do. Jeff deserves the credit here, not the head.

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

Absolutely Jeff deserves 100% credit for recovering the deer properly.......but I've seen too many instances where these bigger heads IMo DO kill them quicker.

Just as a friendly example Steve.........why do you shoot a big probably 1 1/2" 3 blade Magnus Snuffer instead of a little 1" cut Magnus 2 blade if they both kill exactly the same? The 2 blade will penetrate better everytime?

No need to answer, this is Jeff's thread and I don't want to clog it up but just roll that around in your mind. You shoot it because it's bigger you think it kills more effectively, there is no other practical reason right?

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

Jeff-
Your candid descriptions are valuable learning tools for eveyone. Nice post.

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

I'll PM you Matt.;) Didn't mean to clod your thread Jeff, sorry.

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

Gotta love those "happy endings"

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

No problems at all, Schultzy. The discussion can be educational. This entire thread was posted for THAT reason. This is NOT an "atta-boy" thread. I mean that.

Post away. The discussion is welcomed.

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

Good job on the recovery.

I still say you were holding out on Rob and Matt!!;)

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

Congrats again Jeff!

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

Jeff,
You said "I didn't field dress this doe...."

If you get the time can you explain what you mean by this?? I understand you didnt "gut" the deer in the field, but did you do it at home?? I guess not because you didnt "autopsy" the deers vitals, so what and how did you clean up the deer without removing the guts??

I know I am stupid, but I just cant picture how this is done, and I have probably cleaned up 40-50+ deer???

Thanks

Ohhh and congrats on both the deer!!

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

2 down, _____ to go! ;)

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

I'm guessig he cut out all of the meat he knewwas good, straight off the dee, meat that doesnt contact internal organs so to speak... kind of like filleting a fish for lack of a better example.

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

I learned, last year,how to quartera deer and remove the backstraps without field dressing the animal. The only meat sacrificed is the inner tender loins. On an average NC doe.....that's about the equivalent to two pieces of meat the size of aregular banana.

She'd been laying for 13 hours....and I felt this was the best way to get the meat on ice, quickly. I didn't field dress half the does I shot, last season.

Hope this helps.

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

we have done this before as well jeff....skin em back and cut the meat right out. gutting is only neccessary when you dont plan on processing immediately really.

I still prefer to hang em and gut em, but in a pinch it works perfect this way as well.

congrats on two does!

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

Nice doe, love them rages lol

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

Jeff .... perfectly handled!!! Great job and Congrats!!

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

I did Rob, and know I know that I shouldnt have gone in, but I left it up to the guy that shot the deer. That being said, that deer would probably have been spoiled here due to the differences in temperature. The second deer that Brian shot ( the thread is a fwe pages back) I convinced him to back out for a little while and the doe was only 30 yards away. Hopefully he took something away from this too. Congrats on your doe Jeff, sorry bout the clogging up your thread.
Brent

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

As far as not dropping the guts on her thats the way I clean all of mine you can skin them then cut the butt hole out so the guts will drop down inside the rib cage and get the inner loins to, I do understand that hers were probably no good just thought I'd try to explain great job IMO. Good luck the rest of the season, hope things keep going as well for you.

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

Hey congrats I didn't even get to see about number 1..so this is all news to me.

Sounds successful enough..2 shots 2 dead and recovered deer.. Kudos

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

Glad you recovered her Jeff. Let the Doe thining begin :DThere are always lessons in hunting. Agreed?? :)

RE: The "rest of the story" - Doe No. 2 Recovered
 

Congrats Jeff. I wish you luck in your season and with your "leap." Will it lead you to more PA hunting this year? [8D]