I had a good feeling walking to stand, yesterday. For the 2nd time, ever…..I nocked an arrow for the walk in…….and took my time. When I got to my spot….I still jumped 6 deer that had staged on the field edge…..waiting to come in to feed (along with about that many turkeys). I was really dejected…but I had 2+ hours of daylight left……and it was a beautiful afternoon. To me it felt “deery”.

I got into my stand…..and relaxed. About an hour later…..I noticed a deer approaching from the left hand side of the field. I glassed it…..and saw that it was one of the 8’s I’d gotten on trail cam, earlier. I couldn’t get over how much the velvet made such a huge difference in it’s rack size. It was pretty small….but beautifully symmetrical.

30 minutes later…..I notice a fawn over in the trees to my right (close to where I’d busted the deer out of when I walked in). I glassed it……and saw there was another deer standing behind a tree in front of it. I thought it might be a doe…..but it was the same 8 pointer. I watched them play for a minute or two…….then I saw another deer coming around behind me. I KNEW I couldn’t turn…..or he would bust me (I thought it was the same 8 pointer). When I really noticed him……he was a deer I had seen one time, last year....and had 0 trail cam photos of. He turned to his right…..and headed straight for my tree. The fawn had entered the field from my right. I started shaking…..and the buck came right under me……and when he got under the foliage beneath me…..I came to full draw. When he came from under the foliage……he was facing straight away from me. He then turned to his right…..and was now quartering away at 11 or 12 yds. I set the top pin on him…..above and behind the shoulder……made sure I had my kisser anchored……and sent my arrow. I heard it thump him….and he kicked like a mule. He took about 3 or 4 quick steps and then I could tell his right leg was kinda limp. He then continued out of the field….and out of my line of sight.

I listened for him…….and I heard him go up into the woods about 30 yds…..and turn to the right, slightly. I sat down…….and tried to remain as quiet as I could. He never saw me or heard me that I know of. I waited 25 minutes…….and then snuck down my tree to look at the arrow. It had red blood on the shaft…..though not much….and not bubbly. The vanes had minimal blood on them……but it stood to reason, to me, that it was a pass through (though WHAT it passed through wasn’t/isn’t evident. There was also blood spots right beside where I retrieved the arrow. I am, at this time, trying to be VERY quiet……and I’m slipping out of the field on the opposite direction of what the buck did. It’s also almost dark at this time.

I went home…..told my son what happened……and called my friend Mark to see if he would help me track it. He agreed…..and I went to get him. I also stopped at Wal-Mart to get extra lights. I shot the deer at 7:35. We got into the field to track him @ 10:12. Although I knew where he went…..we still followed the blood trail. There were times I thought it was a lot of blood (more on this, later). He had, indeed, turned to the right…..but he’d gone further than I thought he would have (remember….I thought I’d hit him VERY well). We tracked him through a thicket…..and then slowly circling to the right. When we reached the end of the blood trail……he’d gone approx. 200 yds…..and the blood had completely stopped. My son, Mark and I searched for the trail until after midnight…..then I sent my son, home. Mark and I searched until 3:00 this morning. I took him home when it began to rain so hard that I felt guilty for having him out there…..and the fact that we couldn’t see the blood that we had been trailing (we had marked it, though) made the decision easy, also. I got to be @ 4:00. I was up at 6:10 to resume. I got to the woods at first light in a pouring rain. When I tell you I looked everywhere…..I looked to the best of my ability. I even went home and got my 2 choc labs at 8:30…..to see if that might help. I went EVERYWHERE. I followed the last known drops/spots in a straight line…..went towards water…..circled….grids…..you name it. I tried it. I simply couldn’t find him. I stopped searching at 11:00…..when I felt like my 9 yr old lab was really tired…..and I was completely exhausted.

I went home……and conducted an experiment with water in my carport. I poured out a tablespoon of water. There is NO WAY there was a tablespoon of blood at the spots that looked, to me, like a lot when we were searching. More like maybe 8-10 spots that looked like a teaspoon full…..and lots of areas that had series of drops. After this…..I’m thinking I injured this animal, but didn’t kill it. I know it hurts me, either way. I am not looking forward to talking to my son.

We searched in grids…..down every trail….every thicket…..had me and the labs go through everything. I’m convinced this deer is injured…..but breathing.

I will listen to all of those who offer suggestions…..criticism…..etc….but there’s no way anyone can make me feel worse than I do.

Jeff

It does suck to be in that situation, you made a hell of an effort. Close shot, may have cut his back, or below the spine above the lungs??? (The not much blood on the fletchings made me think this.) Only thing I can offer is; these types of experiences make us better hunters, andwe thinkour shots through a bit more the next time. Keep you head up, and keep after em.

There is no way to stop the way you feel and I hope you never feel that way again.

But from what you have written I would guess you shot to the right side of the rib cage and your arrow went between the ribs and the shoulder blade.This shot would explain the blood you found but would not seriously harm that deer.A clean wound will heal and chances are you will see this deer again before the season ends.
Try using bright colored vane and nocks they will both help you see where your arrow strikes.

Good luck Jim

SBG, another scenerio and we can hope for this, depending on how hard he was quartering away and from such a steep/short angle there is every bit a chance that you simply passed between his front leg and the ribcage never entering the body cavity and indeed hitting no organs and the lack of blood would indicate you missed any major arteries resulting in nothing more than a flesh wound and he'll be fine.

I feel your pain. I admire you will to look for the animal, everyone should have that determination. I'd bet 10-1, you'll see him again.

DB:

In thinking back.....and going back over the situation.....I think one of two things happened:

1) I hit him low.....and it went in behind the shoulder.....hitting shoulder and then passing through the breast area......never hitting vitals.

or

2) It hit the back of the shoulder and was deflected forward, somehow.

I just don't think I hit vitals.....but I'm all ears as to anyone else's opinions. I just don't want to EVER go through a night like that, again. I'm also wondering if he will leave the area? Stay away from that spot? What harm did I do to the area dragging my labs through there (It was raining, hard, all day)? Etc/etc/etc....?

Jeff

Jim/Rob:

Thanks for the encouraging words. I posted after you two.....and I think we all are reaching the same conclusion. My friend Mark has killed 100+ deer.....and he thinks this happened, as well. He was a GREAT ally, last night.....and a source of consolation, today. He said I'd see this deer again, too. I just have to live with what it's going through, right now.

Jeff

SB,
Sorry to hear this, man it's a tough situation and I can relate to your feelings. Get some rest and refresh your mind. Go out and take another look. Look and listen for crows, vultures etc. If it's down they'll find it.
If you don't find it maybe it will live.A wise old man once told me that these are hearty animals and can survive alot. If it doesn't it will not go to waste. Life and death is part of the mother natures world.
As for the part of dreading telling your son that you didn't recover the animal. If you tell him the story with the same emotion and sentiment that you expressed in your posting. He may actually gain a respect and admiration for your efforts and your dedication to the animal you hunt. This could be a lesson that he carries with him through his own hunting life and could teach him theemotions that we as hunters must deal with. This is something he may not have learned if it was aquick 1 shot kill.


HRAOP

sorry to hear that....didnt find any beds in the thicket or anywhere?? to me it sounds like you may hit to far forward..it was quartering away..should aimed a bit back so the arrow goes in and comes out of the far lung but i dont know..even hitting forward you would hit the shoulder or the close lung...maybe you smacked the shoulder...hope hes alright....i know how you feel. ive done it with a gun. ill admit THREE times with a gun. twice in the same year. i quit hunting. i gave dad my scope to put on a slug gun he was building. i quit and wasnt going to hunt again. dad took the gun and scope to get mounted and boresighted and the guy found out my scope was totally garbage and broke. the crosshairs moved when you adjusted the power..and never moved back! every little bump sent the crosshairs crazy. i was pi$$ed. i hit 2 deer because of that and never found them. searched for hours and hours for both. dad was there and is GOOD at tracking deer and couldnt find them. barely ANY blood at all. one we found one drop. another we found a 30yd trail of TINY drops. my other one was with the flintlock. i should have smoked her. 20yds standing broadside..KAPOW. on my way to check for blood i was like WTF this stuff is THICK. i dont know how a bullet got through there. i was sitting on a nice oak flat. the conopy is thick and its almost dark sitting under it. everything on the ground died and the wood is all dark. i never seen it..ANY of it. i planned the shot and everything. i thought THAT was my opening. i searched for a week for that one. i had a faint trail for a little ways. lost it. gridded..circled etc..nothing. went to leave and come back later and see if dad could help..i walked out to the atv trail and was like DANG thats a blood leaf. found the trail again..found 2 beds that were old. blood all dried(this was 100yds from the shot about 2-3hrs LATER) no trail leading out....i was stumped. searched the thicket...searched the creek. nothing. i think she was fine. she bedded on her own..and left on her own..bled a little but not much...i felt sick..still dont like to think about it. thats why im leary about bowhunting. ive killed 10 with a gun..but they usually drop or leave a river to follow...hope you see him again....hes probably alright it sounds like. 3hrs he should bedded and been close..he probably thinks he got stung by a bee........

If you ever loose the feeling you have right now then it is time to quit bow hunting. The respect these animals deserve should never be misplaced with small things like rain or cold. You did your best and now after some time to think about it I think you see the shot you hoped was perfect was not.
I don't believe the deer was seriously harmed or you would of found a bed.You gave the deer plenty of time and he would have bedded if he was hard hit.
Get some rest give the stand a couple a days then head back out.

Good Luck,Jim

that's where I think you hit him. I commend you on the effort and playing the tracking game right. He should heal up.