GPMD

Ok guy, I screwed up and know it so go easy on me but I took a marginal shot today and gut hit one. I am always so picky with my shots and careful but really got caught up in the moment this morning. I've been hunting hard this season with nothing to show for it. Passed on a few small does and now I really wanted to score before gun season. A doe or nice buck would do now. Anyway I'll try and keep it short, 6:50am the buck starts walking towards me about 150 yards away. He was drifting away from me so I bleat a few times and the bugger is coming in on a string. Came within 20yds but I had branches blocking a clear shot. He looked like he would still present a shot so i waited. As soon as he was about to walk into the open at 15yds, that 6th sense kicked in and even though he didnt see or smell me, he wasnt going to continue on. He turned and was walking parrell to me and presented a just about broadside (if i remember correctly) 40yd shot. I'm good up to 30, but convinced myself i could make this shot. It just pained me to come so close...oh and its quite possibly the biggest buck ive ever shot. I leaned to shoot around a branch and let one fly. Elevation was perfect for vitals but i believe it was well far back. I saw him run 100-130yds and stop and stand. He took 2 steps into this big brush pile. I watched that area for 30 min and didn't see him come out although I did have a blind area that he could have snuck out from but it was uphill and towards a field, don't think he'd do that. I got down and silently went to the area he was, no arrow and no blood. I think i saw the arrow in him when he was standing after running. Not sure though and if it was the arrow, it seemed to be sticking out way further than it should, as in no penetration. I was shooting rage 2 blade at about 290fps, I would think that would pass thru a gut shot. Anyway, I didnt look far or long, just where he was standing as i didnt want to bump him. I walked home and its been 4 hours now. I'm guessing I'll go look for him in another hour. I know i should wait at least 6 but this is killing me. I hate that I took the shot when I know I wasn't strong at that distance. I think when I leaned a bit to get a clear shot, I looked at my pin on a slight angle so the windage was off a bit....my only guess. I shouldn't have shot but it was so close and such a nice deer and only 10 days left in our bow season that I talked myself into it. I'm sick at myself. Recovery or not, I think I'm done for bow season I'm so disgusted.
On a side note, any comments on eating gut shot deer should I recover? It was 30 this morning, its 50 now (11am, 4 hours later) and a high of 60 today. What's the meat situation going to be like? I read everything from its ruined to no problem to just take backstraps out in the woods. Ok, need to go kill another hour somehow before starting the search

GPMD

Just to be clear, when I said I looked for sign and went to where he was standing, I meant looked at the impact sight, not where he ran too. i didn't get close to that area as I knew it was a poor shot and didnt want to push him

eureka77

I woulda went to where ya saw him last and try to circle 'em and get another arrow in him. I've only lost 1 deer in alot of years hunting and it too was a gut shot. [arrow hit a branch]. I seen where he went and instead of circling to finish him off, I backed out and waited the 4 hours. Never found 'em. I replayed the scenario many times cause it tore me up to lose a deer and I always wished I'd cut him off and finish the job.
This is just me being captain hindsight but I hope ya find 'em.
Good luck!

GPMD

HAPPY ENDING!!!!!

I waited 4.5 hours of agony and couldn't wait any longer. Started out from point of impact again which led to no sign. I had my bow with me and walked painfully slow the way I saw him run, I was so worried of jumping him. On a side note, this was very brushy, swampy area. After about 70yds, I thought I was walking the towards the place I last saw him but double checked with the compass (i took a reading while in stand after I lost sight of him). Well i was off by about 45 degrees! So back on track, I get to the spot I last saw him, the big brushy area. I crept slowly and saw nothing, then I turned the corner and there he was all piled up! He made it about 5' from where I lost sight of him. I am estatic! The odd part was the angle of arrow. I hit exactly where I thought but I remember him being broadside, the angle of the arrow however went straight up to the chest. The inside was a mess so I'm not sure of cause of death but I may have clipped a main vital organ too. I couldnt explain the mystery luck angle until now. I believe he WAS broadside but knew something wasn't quite right. When I shot, since it was 40yd, he had that half a second extra to start to turn and run away. I believe on that turn is when the arrow hit. PURE LUCK!!!! If he stayed broadside, I got clean paunch shot, due to him jumping, I got an angle right into him. One of the few times jumping the string works to the hunters advantage i guess. I'll post pics tomorrow but he's my biggest buck to date. A 7 pointer that is 139 field dressed which is very big for Maryland. ]This is the first time this has happened to me and thank the lord for this website and people posting similar situations and I was bright enough to listen and back out. Maybe he was dead in minutes or maybe it took a bit but Im glad i didnt lose him.
He was in the sun and we have unseasonable warm weather here. About 35 when i hit him but it was 60 when i found him. I gutted him and cooled him in an ice cold creek for a good 30 min. It took a while to get him out and I don't have lighting for a night butcher job. I hung him and have a bag of ice in him and it'll be upper 30's tongiht, it was 55 when i hung him. I'm thinking whether I butcher him myself in the morning or take him somewhere, most of the meat should still be good. I hope! Very happy hunter here

blueahlijr

Congratz man!
As long as u have him on good ice, ull be good to go for the meat being good. Shot one yesterday, Also thought i had a bad shot but turned out to be a beautiful shot, Anyway let him sit from 10am till 7pm and then by the time i got out of the woods i couldnt take him into the butcher so i threw alot of ice on him, took him bright and early this morning, Butcher said Meat was still perfectly fine. And we also have very unseasona weather, Reaching the the high 60s. So like i said, Ur meat should be good to go.

Congratz again man, Glad you got him!

bronko22000

GPMD - first of all congrats on your buck. Secondly, you did the right thing by not trying to follow up on a marginal shot and backed out. (Old adage "when in doubt, back out"). The 4-6 hours or longer is a good idea. Look at it this way, he won't get any deader.
I shot a buck on Friday and knew I hit him good. Watch him run 70 yds and stand, then fall over. I waited another 10 mins, snuck down out of my stand and sneaked out of there up to my truck. Poured a cup of coffee, had a snack and waited another 45 mins then put my game cart together and went eased down to within 50 yds of him. left the cart and approached with bow at the ready but he was stone dead.
Patience after the shot is a necessity for archery. And its hard to resist the impulse to run after your deer.

GPMD

Thanks! I learned a lot that hunt. Although very unhappy with my shot choice, I was more than happy with the decision to take a compass reading and back out. That was a long 4.5 hour wait to go looking though!