Germ

Good question one I thought about.

Jeff good work on the tracking, you showed us a lot of charcter

GMMAT

Pat Reeves shot one on camera season before last (aired last year) where the arrow entered the deer, seemingly perfect. It rode along the outside of the ribcage and didn't kill the deer. It was harvested a few weeks later by a gun hunter.

I don't know if this happened with my deer or not. I have no idea what happened. I do know the deer I was tracking went over 300yds after being hit.....and that's where we (myself, Buckmaster, Ed Kiehl and 'Buster' the tracking) lost last blood.

I searched 6.5 hours on Friday......almost 9 hours on Saturday......and almost 9 hours yesterday. It's either alive and still out there.....or it's dead and I didn't find it. I gotta let it go.

I put up a trailcam on the rubs and scrape he was working when I shot him.....so maybe I'll get something on there in the future. Who knows? With rain coming in......maybe the woods will settle down a lot after my intrusion. I have to thank the guys who own that property for letting me go all over it for the last three days, unfettered. That's a kind gesture. I'll be back at this spot before the week's out.....as I think it would be a great place for an all day sit. He can't be the only buck working that area.....and I might catch one cruising through. It's a hot spot.

I wanted to thank everyone for their encouragement....and say publicly that I wish this had a different outcome. I had to make myself go hunting this morning....and my heart's just not in it right now.

I am going to practice a lot, today.....and try to get back on the horse. I took one helluva throw from it, though.....and I'm still sick about it.

jcpopejr

Sorry to hear you didn't find your deer. Keep your head up, nobody is perfect.

NY Bowhunter

Sorry to hear of the no recovery. Kudos for going above and beyond with the effort though. Can't say you didn't give it your all.

WV Hunter

Sorry to hear that. Bottom line, you did alot more than most would. As much as it sucks, that is a part of being a bowhunter (unfortunately). Things like this happen from time to time. Get back on your horse...there's still plenty of season left.

brucelanthier

I think you made all the effort anyone can ask for but, in the end, you have to just satisfy yourself and, once you do that, you should get "back on the horse" with no regrets and a clear conscience.

To move forward we must learn from our experiences, but, we can't move forward if we keep looking back. Time to move forward.

GMMAT

Thanks, Bruce. They were nice enough to let me search through the weekend.....and that's going above and geyond what I expected. I have no choice but to let it go, now. I'll be a happier camper if he somehow shows up on trail cam, later. He looks a lot like my '07 buck, less a little mass.....so he won't be hard to spot.

You and all the rest of the guys here make me feel better about my effort....and you all drove the search, unknowingly. I wanted to find this one for all of us. I went back out today, a little shaoken, and I'll be back out there this afternoon (after some serious practice). I'm not ahsamed of the shot I took. I can live with that just fine. I'm also going to go over tomorrow and Wed. to their gate and see if I see buzzards anywhere.....then go from there, if they;ll let me (and I see them).

What an incredible spot this "was" though. I hope I haven't buggered it up for the rest of the season...and I wouldn't think I did. They don't know why I was in there or what I was doing. Hopefully it'll settle down after tomorrow's rain.