Buck Magnet

I know that this is going to stir up some controversy, but, I think that it has to be said this year.

I am no arhcery god, and the guys on here know that. The previous two years, I wounded one deer each season, so, I have been there, and I have taken the ribbing! Two years ago was a big buck, he was at 20 yards broadside and I and I made a bad shot, I hit him high and back without a pass through! Last year was a doe, I made a poor choice on when to shoot. I was aiming at a large doe which was with several other doe. I stiopped them with a grunt and settled the pin on the large doe. I did' t pay attention to a smaller doe which was standing in front, but behind the large doe. This small does head was right at the large does rear-end. Well, when I shot, the small doe ran in front of the arrow and took it in the low neck/high brisket area. Both were my mistake, simple as that.

Each of these deer I put my time in. The buck was in a over-grown golden rod field. I followed his blood trail, which was just small drops for several yards then stopped. Well, I backed out for the night and went back in the morning. Crack of light had my best friend, my girlfriend, and I out to where I took the shot. I reinacted the entire shot (I took my stand and had my best friend come in like the buck) then I judged where the deer had went. I marked the places that I saw him. Well, we found the blood again and it stopped in the same spot as the night before. So, we worked slowly on our hands and knees trying to find any blood. We followed the path that he had taken and we still didn' t find any blood. Well, we got into the woods and no blood. Well, we split up and started grid searches of the area. We looked everywhere possible. We searched bedding areas, fields, creek beds, ponds, stageing areas, ect.... You name it, and we searched it. Well, we stayed out until that afternoon, then we home for a break. Well, that afternoon my bestfriend, girlfriend, my dad, my grandfather and I all headed out again. We kept searching, and still nothing. We searched till dark. Well, the next morning I was back out there looking for that deer, but, to no avail. I put in probablly 20-24 hours of searching for that deer. Later that season, I saw that buck breeding a doe on a cut-powerline probablly 120 yards from where he was standing when I shot him. After season, I was pheasent hunting and I smelled something NASTY!!!!! Well, I followed the smell into one of the fields that I had grid searched for that deer. Well, I found him laying in that field. I thought that maybe he had died of infection, but, I found hair and broken headlight glass on the road, along with skid marks, so, he was hit by a car.

The doe last year was about the same thing. My best friend and I tracked that deer that night after waiting awhile. The blood stopped, so, we backed out. Well, the next morning we were back out there. We searched and we were following the deers tracks for well over 150 yards, well, I had to go to work but my best friend kept at it. Well, he found some more blood, just drops every once in awhile on the trail. Well, after work I called his cell phone and he told me where he was, so, I headed out to help track. Well, when I got to where he was, he had covered over a mile. We kept at it, and finally, we saw that deer feeding on the edge of the woods, so, we just gave up. We put probablly 13-14 hours of tracking in on that deer.

I SHOT THE DEER, I MADE THE DECISION TO TAKE THE SHOT, I MESSED UP THE SHOT, so, I NEW THAT IT WAS MY DUTY TO GIVE IT ALL I GOT!!!!!!!!!1

You put so much money and time into that moment. You spend hundreds of dollars on equipment, clothes, tags, ect.... You put TONS of hours in practicing, scouting, hanging stands, ect....... then, when that moment comes, you make a mistake, so you should put in the time on the tracking. Why not? You have already poured so much time into that moment that it should just be expected.

Two or three hours of tracking may sound like alot, but, it isnt. When I am tracking, I take my time, I don' t rush things as that is when mistakes start. Heck, it may take me over an hour just to cover 50 yards.

Most deer shot with a bow will die eventually. If you weren' t confident in the shot, back out. If you were, wait a little while and go after it. If the sign isn' t good, don' t give up, you owe it to the deer, put in the time, the deer is more than likely dead, you just have to find it.

James Vee

Shot this buck in Late September. He was 25 yards away, quarting away at about 2 o' clock. I shot him and watched him walk off for more than 150 yards with the arrow tucked behind his shoulder. After two hours we tracked him that evening until 1am. Went back the the next day and tracked him until noon with four other guys. All in all we tracked him 450 yards until the blood ran out. The buck never lied down, just walked at a steady pace. I went back that afternoon and looked for two more hours. Went back the next day for a couple hours. Set up my stealthcam and went back a week later lookin for birds, since nothing showed up on my cam. No birds. I didn' t touch that area for a month before I set my cam up again. I couldnt' believe that I " lost" a deer.......

Well I didn' t. He was on my camera just last week.

(this is the before picture)


Since we' re talkin about it. My dad took this 14 point in early October. He said he got a really good shot on it. We gave it two hours before starting the trackin job. It was past 2am and we had tracked this deer for a mile before finding it.

nub

Needs to be bumped ttt.[:-]

Tazman

Well said BM, there are very few if any valid reasons to give up the trail after an hour or two.

Charlie P

That fawn in the picture must have been born awful late. The buck is out of velvet and it still has spots.

PABowhntr

This happens every year. There are always threads about folks shooting but not finding game. Though I have not read any of this year' s crop I am guessing that the amount of time put forth to search for the wounded/dead animal was not very much. I do agree with Jason that we tend to put so much time into scouting, prepping our stand area and going over our equipment and yet many times we do not take the time to trully recover our game. Whether or not this is the case this year I do not know but the advice given is very good.

eng40sqd

I shot a huge bodied spike on the secon day of season. It was close to dark so I gave him about an hour. STarted traking him and jumped him up. Backed off and it started to pour down rain[:@] The next morning me, my brother, my neighbor, my mom and dad, my brothers friend, and my girlfriends oldest son went back. We looked from early morning until almost dark. I also spent the next two days looking but never did find him

I have traked more than my share of deer. I learned from the best, my dad! We use to hunt with a club and everytime someone needed one traked they would call me if I wasnt hunting that day to come help them. I still get called from a few friends who hunt with a different call to help them. Now my dad calls me to help trak if he has to... he wont admit that I can see a little better than him now that he is a bit older. he just says he thought I could use the practice to keep up my skills lol..

I dont like to loose a deer be it one I shot or one anyone shot. But sometimes things just happen like you want. I would like to see the states make a tracking test part of the hunters ed tests! I think it woudl help those who do not have anyone to learn it from.JMO

nub

ttt

Charlie P

Nowthat I think about you and your buddy are wounding machines !!