Slo-Pitch

I shot a small buck last night. I hit him high and I think it must have hit his spine because his back legs wern't working very well and he flopped around and kinda had to drag himself off. I got about 8 inces of penatration because thats where he broke my arrow off.
Well went back this morning and followed the blood it would dribble along and everywhere he stopped there would be apuddle about 6-9 inches aroundand after about 70-80 yards it stopped. The area I was hunting is surounded by a large bottom so i figured that if he got to that bottom he certainly wouldnt try to climb the other side of it. So I walked the bottom all the way around and worked my way back to my stand. I covered ever square yard of that area and about 5 acres of ajoining cutover. No Deer.

I know this happens to every bowhunter at some point but this is the first deer that I have hit and not recovered, and it hurts. Not so much the fact that i didn't get my deer but the fact that i know that he was hurt bad really gets to me. After the shot he stayed within my view for about 3 mins. and that deer flopping around and dragging himself along was not a pretty sight, and it really got to me.

There was no excuse for a bad shot, he was 20 yards dead broadside.I keep replaying the shot over and over in my head trying to figure out what I did wrong.This hurts...

GMMAT

I had the same thing happen on Tuesday.....but was able to get another arrow nocked while he was dragging himself. My second arrow was a home run. It was over within a minute (total).

Did you have time for a 2nd arrow?

I'm sorry this happened.

Jeff

24/7 hunter

keep looking. that happened to my bro last year. He hit it in the hip and it had to drag itself away. He didnt get much penetration either. we looked the next afternoon and found it at least 1/4 mile from the stand. It made kind of a half circle and crossed a small river. We found it dead 50 yards across the river. Dont give up looking yet.

MichaelT.

A deer is only unrecovered, when you have stopped looking for it. Get back after the deer and find it. Don't give up..... You can do this. Go get your deer.

I'm praying for ya.

God bless.

Slo-Pitch

Thanks for the words guys... I am going back this afternoon after work and looking some more.

I will post later.

mofireman

I completely agree...that deer is in bad shape according to your information and you need to continue looking for him!! Take along some friends or coworkers or fellow hunters with you this time!! The more eyes the better on a tough tracking job like that one could be. Just don't give up yet...he's out there somewhere!

portable ladder

If you and a couple buddies go looking, I bet you find him. Best of Luck. Come back with good news!

NY Bowhunter

I agree. Get back on the search. I wouldn't give up just yet. Grab some friends and grid search the area. Best of luck to ya.

BowHunter46

sorry to say that today was the first day that i couldnt find a deer that was hit. i tracked him for around 100 yards with minimal blood. i hit him last night and towards the end of the blood trail, there was bright red blood where i believe he laid down for the night. searched everywhere but couldnt find him or any more blood. i know i hit him in the leg due to the arrow deflecting off of a twig. i believe he is still runnin around somewere up there so im gonna get him this evening

Buck Huntin Girl

Yuck, sorry to hear that. I lost my first deer bow deer too. The worst part is, I know she died, but we couldn't track to where we thought she went due to a jerkoff for a neighboring land owner.

Makes me glad I missed that monster this morning though... I woulda been SICK if I would have wounded a beautiful buck like that (even if it was a fawn or doe, I woulda been sick, they are ALL beautiful).