thanks for all the input....

as the old banjer plays... do do do do do:wink:

So where did you hit her at? I would kinda like to know. Maybe we can all take something from the tracking sign that you got.


I'm not going to butter it up either. I'm sitting on the same fence as kswild and doc. Not once have I shot a deer and not know where I hit it. When I say I "smoked one" that means I just saw my arrow sink right into the boiler room. 42 yards in low light conditions is not a wise choice for a shot.

I don't sit on the fence pretending either. I am on the same side of the fence as these 3.And honestly if you shot and smoked that deer in low light and found it that evening 125 yrds from where you last saw it ( So my prediction,under 200 over 175 yrds) it was pitch black and you had no idea what direction that deer took off in after the arrow hit. Low light
my Ass Im call you out saying you shot that thing in cover of darkness.Weather or not it was legal hour for to shoot is another
story, but that animal was just a black silohet in front of you and it
was black and blacker ,every where else.Was any light appearing
over the horizon yet?If you shot that animal in low light you should
have easily found that animal in a couple of hours max, most hunters
in 10 minutes. Couple of hours if you include a waiting period,10 min if you know you had a kill shot. Reguardless how much or little blood was on the ground an experienced hunter would have found it
hours before you did.Know where you shoot, limit your shooting distance to where you can shoot and hit the kill zone and for Christ sake shoot at a time when you can see.

Same fence
 

as kswild, doc, and kyslayer. Know your max distance and stay with it, even if it means letting a record book buck pass. Let it pass at 40 yards today, and maybe take a 20 yard shot tomorrow.:wink:
Just sayin!

If I see white hair, I'm not saying "I smoked him", I am saying - "Oh ****" because it was a low shot that most likely went through the gut.

Guys with experience will know this and immediately form a tracking plan. Picking up the trail three hours after seeing white hair when you are unsure of the POI is another indication you have a lot more to learn, especially when you have the whole day ahead of you.

I have to admit, you got what was coming to you because all the sign pointed to a bad shot under poor shooting light at a distance that is beyond what most bow hunters would take.

With poor light, my shot selection becomes extremely limited.

Armpit hair is white and that's not bad!! How many people here has used the opposite leg as a guide. I have shot a buck, had a lot of white hair mixed with brown hair and found the deer within forty yards. But I agree, white hair is bad "most" of the time.