Lost deer....Big learning experience (long)
10-14-2003, 08:38 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Rural Valley PA USA
Posts: 444
Lost deer....Big learning experience (long)
Yes, another lost deer post....
Yesterday I had a nice fat doe browsing around. I think she knew I was out of place but didn' t feel threatened. I waited and practiced breathing to calm myself. Finally she presented me with a perfect target at about 20 yards. I stopped her with a bleat sound. I lined up my sight with the kill zone and let the arrow fly. At the moment I let go she just started to turn. I could see the arrow hit but as she was turning I could only see the height of where it hit. She jumped thru a thicket and out of sight with the arrow stuck. I waited to hear if she crashed but I heard nothing. I called my husband and told him that I hit one and that I was going to track it. This was about 5:30 pm. I waited about an hour then proceeded to track. I thought I had a fatal hit though I wondered why the arrow was still stuck in her. I found the blood trail which gave constant blood (no bubbles or hair, etc.) thru the woods for about 150 yards. I can' t figure out why I couldn' t hear her rustle the dry leaves as she ran. Anyway, she made a turn and went onto the neighbors land. This land is all field which hasn' t been mowed since summertime last year. The weeds and brambles were chest high in some places. I trailed her about 100 yards before I had to quit because I had to go back and get another flashlight. I comeback and find the trail and start after it again. I then lose the trail. I can' t believe how hard it is to track in grass and weeds that high! Plus, in some places there were brambles with blotchy red leaves. I searched over and over in circles and circles and direct lines but couldn' t find a thing. I finally gave up at 10 pm. I went back out this morning and picked up the trail where I left off. I could only find one more spot before the trail was lost again. It took me an hour of searching before I decided to try and think like the deer. I decided to go look around this distant dead tree with brambles all around it. I found the trail again plus an area where she bedded down for awhile. There was a good bit of blood there. I continued following the trail for another 200 yards before losing it again. I thought for a moment then decided to guess where she would go. The closest cover was in a ravine off to the left. As soon as I get to the cover of woods there is a big apple tree there that is bare underneath from deer. There were apples all over the place so I picked a nice one up for a snack. It had two blood drops on it! So she did go in there! I looked around for other spots and in the process I spooked a deer out that was bedded on the hillside. I couldn' t find any more blood or the exact place the deer was bedded. Now it starts to rain a little. I decided to head back as it was now noon. I go all the way back to my property scanning the ground the whole way. I couldn' t find anything to say that the spooked deer went in my direction. I go into this pine thicket and as I come around the bend I see a deer. It stops long enough to show me that it has my arrow sticking out of the top of her left rear leg (same level as the heart). She starts trotting off down the hill and out of sight. I sure wish I could have gotten another shot off. When I got home I sat and thought about what went wrong and then I remembered that yesterday morning my bow fell over when I was getting situated in my ground blind. It didn' t seem to hit the ground that hard so I didn' t think anything about it at the time. I then decided to check it out on the prcatice target. Sure enough, the shots were going wide right. In checking the bow I found out the while sight/quiver combo was knocked off kilter just enough to affect the shooting. I tightened everything down and the arrows grouped pretty good in the center. So what did I learn? I shot about 12 inches to the right - make sure to check equipment after any kind of accident. I really learned how to track a deer in tall weeds and grass. And I guess I tracked too soon. Now I have a wounded deer with an arrow still attached. This bums me out most of all. I hate for any animal to suffer. I sure hope the arrow comes out and she is able to heal. I know many of you will say that I shouldn' t have made such a bad shot. If I hadn' t had the bow drop the shot would have been great. I should have walked back home to check it instead of staying in the woods. I admit that. I would rather hear of people relating their mistakes so that we all can learn from them. If we are belittled and browbeat about it, then it might keep others from letting us know of their experiences. OK, I am ready for your criticism........
Yesterday I had a nice fat doe browsing around. I think she knew I was out of place but didn' t feel threatened. I waited and practiced breathing to calm myself. Finally she presented me with a perfect target at about 20 yards. I stopped her with a bleat sound. I lined up my sight with the kill zone and let the arrow fly. At the moment I let go she just started to turn. I could see the arrow hit but as she was turning I could only see the height of where it hit. She jumped thru a thicket and out of sight with the arrow stuck. I waited to hear if she crashed but I heard nothing. I called my husband and told him that I hit one and that I was going to track it. This was about 5:30 pm. I waited about an hour then proceeded to track. I thought I had a fatal hit though I wondered why the arrow was still stuck in her. I found the blood trail which gave constant blood (no bubbles or hair, etc.) thru the woods for about 150 yards. I can' t figure out why I couldn' t hear her rustle the dry leaves as she ran. Anyway, she made a turn and went onto the neighbors land. This land is all field which hasn' t been mowed since summertime last year. The weeds and brambles were chest high in some places. I trailed her about 100 yards before I had to quit because I had to go back and get another flashlight. I comeback and find the trail and start after it again. I then lose the trail. I can' t believe how hard it is to track in grass and weeds that high! Plus, in some places there were brambles with blotchy red leaves. I searched over and over in circles and circles and direct lines but couldn' t find a thing. I finally gave up at 10 pm. I went back out this morning and picked up the trail where I left off. I could only find one more spot before the trail was lost again. It took me an hour of searching before I decided to try and think like the deer. I decided to go look around this distant dead tree with brambles all around it. I found the trail again plus an area where she bedded down for awhile. There was a good bit of blood there. I continued following the trail for another 200 yards before losing it again. I thought for a moment then decided to guess where she would go. The closest cover was in a ravine off to the left. As soon as I get to the cover of woods there is a big apple tree there that is bare underneath from deer. There were apples all over the place so I picked a nice one up for a snack. It had two blood drops on it! So she did go in there! I looked around for other spots and in the process I spooked a deer out that was bedded on the hillside. I couldn' t find any more blood or the exact place the deer was bedded. Now it starts to rain a little. I decided to head back as it was now noon. I go all the way back to my property scanning the ground the whole way. I couldn' t find anything to say that the spooked deer went in my direction. I go into this pine thicket and as I come around the bend I see a deer. It stops long enough to show me that it has my arrow sticking out of the top of her left rear leg (same level as the heart). She starts trotting off down the hill and out of sight. I sure wish I could have gotten another shot off. When I got home I sat and thought about what went wrong and then I remembered that yesterday morning my bow fell over when I was getting situated in my ground blind. It didn' t seem to hit the ground that hard so I didn' t think anything about it at the time. I then decided to check it out on the prcatice target. Sure enough, the shots were going wide right. In checking the bow I found out the while sight/quiver combo was knocked off kilter just enough to affect the shooting. I tightened everything down and the arrows grouped pretty good in the center. So what did I learn? I shot about 12 inches to the right - make sure to check equipment after any kind of accident. I really learned how to track a deer in tall weeds and grass. And I guess I tracked too soon. Now I have a wounded deer with an arrow still attached. This bums me out most of all. I hate for any animal to suffer. I sure hope the arrow comes out and she is able to heal. I know many of you will say that I shouldn' t have made such a bad shot. If I hadn' t had the bow drop the shot would have been great. I should have walked back home to check it instead of staying in the woods. I admit that. I would rather hear of people relating their mistakes so that we all can learn from them. If we are belittled and browbeat about it, then it might keep others from letting us know of their experiences. OK, I am ready for your criticism........
10-14-2003, 08:48 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Orma WV USA
Posts: 1,791
RE: Lost deer....Big learning experience (long)
I think you really had a hard time dealing with everything, and I think you had a hunt that taught you more then you knew before the situation happened. For that you don' t deserve nor need to be flamed...this post and situation is the complete opposite as compared to some people who have posted similar situations.
I hope you learned from everything, and always remember what happened with the accident, the shot, and the tracking. Goodluck in the future.
I hope you learned from everything, and always remember what happened with the accident, the shot, and the tracking. Goodluck in the future.
10-14-2003, 09:10 PM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New Jersey USA
Posts: 1,279
RE: Lost deer....Big learning experience (long)
Sorry to hear you lost her. But you could have left it off the boards and let another member make the same mistake. So good job in pointing out a VERY common thing that happens to our equipment and the importance of re-checking it before going afield.
As for the deer, if she was still going strong the next day, I believe it must just be a muscle wound and she should be able to get the arrow out and clean it up. Many of us have seen or killed deer with a broken off broadhead healed up inside them. I guess she learned a pretty valuable lesson too.
As for the deer, if she was still going strong the next day, I believe it must just be a muscle wound and she should be able to get the arrow out and clean it up. Many of us have seen or killed deer with a broken off broadhead healed up inside them. I guess she learned a pretty valuable lesson too.
10-14-2003, 09:11 PM
#4
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ohio
Posts: 35
RE: Lost deer....Big learning experience (long)
On opening day my 13 year old nailed a doe at 20 feet. I know it was a good hit from where the fletching was sticking out from the side. This was at 6:15 pm. I waited until 7 to start tracking and followed the sparse bloodtrail until dark. Left and got reinforcements and more flashlights. Searched until 11 pm and then back again at dawn to find the deer. We lost the bloodtrail and then did a grid search until 1 pm in the afternoon. Never found the deer. I even went back next day for a look on my own. My son is heartbroken and discouraged about hunting because of it.
It was my incompetence with the tracking and not his effort that lost the deer. He had decided that his tag was used for the year. But since he is only 13 I told him to use it when he felt like going back out. (He could have had another tag even if we found the deer
)
I am sure that you did the absolute best anyone could have done. This is a thing that has happened numerous times to others and will happen again. Get back out when you can
It was my incompetence with the tracking and not his effort that lost the deer. He had decided that his tag was used for the year. But since he is only 13 I told him to use it when he felt like going back out. (He could have had another tag even if we found the deer
)I am sure that you did the absolute best anyone could have done. This is a thing that has happened numerous times to others and will happen again. Get back out when you can
10-14-2003, 09:24 PM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: cazenovia, NY USA
Posts: 2,973
RE: Lost deer....Big learning experience (long)
Your deer lived - and is not likely going to die as a result of the wound (infection, predators are its enemies now).
You did well in following up - better than most by far.
Mistakes happen - not all bow hits are kills - in fact its more like 40%.
Learn from your experience - and move forward - as much as people do not want to admit it - you' ll be a better hunter as a result.
You did well in following up - better than most by far.
Mistakes happen - not all bow hits are kills - in fact its more like 40%.
Learn from your experience - and move forward - as much as people do not want to admit it - you' ll be a better hunter as a result.
10-15-2003, 05:50 AM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 3,784
RE: Lost deer....Big learning experience (long)
PAhunterJEN,
I' m sorry to hear about your misfortune. But I hope that at some point that doe gives you another shot. If she' s still hanging around that pine thicket maybe that' s a good thing.
I' m sorry to hear about your misfortune. But I hope that at some point that doe gives you another shot. If she' s still hanging around that pine thicket maybe that' s a good thing.
10-15-2003, 05:58 AM
#8
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: PA
Posts: 430
RE: Lost deer....Big learning experience (long)
One thing we all have to remember: Every time we go out bowhunting we take the chance of wounding an animal, thats just the nature of the game.. no matter how much practice no matter how good a shot we are no matter how much overall preperation we take, theres still always that chance, what we have to learn is to do the best we can with every situation we get into and after that, what happens, well thats just the way it is, we have to move on knowing we did our best at everything, learn from that and go right back out again.... Thats just the chances we take....So dont get to down on yourself, your human and we all make mistakes...The most important part is you did all you could do, and you have learned from it.....
Good luck with your next hunt....
Good luck with your next hunt....
10-15-2003, 06:02 AM
#9
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Fredericksburg Virginia USA
Posts: 13,672
RE: Lost deer....Big learning experience (long)
PAhunterJEN sounds to me like you learned from a mistake, you put forth a great effort in tracking her and from what you have described of her condition and the shot location as others have said she will probably make it. Thank you for posting this up, hopefully others will learn from it.
