Gut Shot with a happy ending---Pics Added
11-09-2004, 11:12 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location:
Posts: 74
Gut Shot with a happy ending---Pics Added
I am finished hunting until the 20th of November, having took the last of my three allowed deer in my area for Archery, and it ended on a great note.
I have been fortunate enough in my 18 years of hunting to have never gut-shot an animal, but that all changed for me last night. I was set up in a ground blind on the edge of the woods, and had rehearsed what I would do when a deer came by a million times in my mind, and quite a few times (minus the shot) on the ground. I had three main shooting lanes cut out, and brush stood up and piles up hiding me adequately. I was actually hunting a huge buck that everyone has seen, but nobody can get a count on (# of points)-but I am a meat hunter, so Ipretty much always shoot the first good deer that comes along. I was in my blind all day, and hadn't even seen a squirrel, until around 30 minutes before dark when I heard a deer snorting behind some thickets to my south. The wind was in my face as I looked for the deer that had snorted, so I bleated with my "Modern Call Products" handsfree doe call, and sprayed a mist of vanilla/water mixture, along with some "Still Steaming". 5-10 minutes went by, and I heard a snort again, this time from another thicket 20-30 yards from the first one. I bleated, and sprayed again. After a few minutes, a 6 pointer stepped out calmly, and started along the browse trail that I was set up on. He took about 6 steps, and was in my shooting lane for that side. I let fly with a 100 grain Muzzy, and instanly knew that he was hit. His front end twisted and went down, leading me to believe that I had hit my mark, and had a good double lung punch-through. No sooner than he hit the ground, he jumped up, ran about 15 yards, and turned into a thicket. I heard him running deeper into the woods, waiting for the "crash" that we all have grown to love. It was only a 15 yard shot, so I felt confident that he wouldn't go far. I waited for about 30 minutes, and, still hidden, crawled out and retrieved my arrow. I went back to my blind, packed my gear, and hauled it back to my truck. Once I was at my truck, I looked at my arrow. What a nightmare, I realized from the film and stench of my broadhead that I had gut shot him.
I went on home, got a good nights sleep, and went back to my blind this morning. When it was light enough to see, I noticed a nick in a medium sized tree branch hanging a little bit inside my shooting lane about 6 feet from where the arrow left my bow. I had not cleared my shooting lane out quite as good as I thought, I guess. Lesson lived, lesson learned. Around sun-up, a fawn came by alone, and I took him. Once I dressed him out and loaded him up, I set out to find last nights deer. His blood trail was horrible, and ended shortly after I found it. I started checking thickets, downed trees, and every other hiding place that I could, and I could not even find a blood pool where he had laid down! I was just starting to give up hope, and I remembered something that my family always said about a shot deer. Sometimes they will go back to where they were shot. This sounds crazy, but I have had deer cross their own blood trail near the point of the shot before, so I started walking the loop. I found him still intact - which is a Blessing from God, because of the cyote population around here, at about 7:45 this morning. He was still a little bit warm, and it was around 50 degrees last night. I will tell ya--I came home and read all of the "I've hit one and can't find him" posts on this forum, looking for a clue or a hint as to where he may be. Those posts do get troublesome at times, but they are excellent resources when ya need them.
I felt like a king hauling two deer to the check station, both being bow kills.
I love bow hunting, and thank God for every second of every minute that I get to spend in the woods hunting these awesome creatures.
Thanks for reading, God Bless you all, and happy hunting.
SL
I have been fortunate enough in my 18 years of hunting to have never gut-shot an animal, but that all changed for me last night. I was set up in a ground blind on the edge of the woods, and had rehearsed what I would do when a deer came by a million times in my mind, and quite a few times (minus the shot) on the ground. I had three main shooting lanes cut out, and brush stood up and piles up hiding me adequately. I was actually hunting a huge buck that everyone has seen, but nobody can get a count on (# of points)-but I am a meat hunter, so Ipretty much always shoot the first good deer that comes along. I was in my blind all day, and hadn't even seen a squirrel, until around 30 minutes before dark when I heard a deer snorting behind some thickets to my south. The wind was in my face as I looked for the deer that had snorted, so I bleated with my "Modern Call Products" handsfree doe call, and sprayed a mist of vanilla/water mixture, along with some "Still Steaming". 5-10 minutes went by, and I heard a snort again, this time from another thicket 20-30 yards from the first one. I bleated, and sprayed again. After a few minutes, a 6 pointer stepped out calmly, and started along the browse trail that I was set up on. He took about 6 steps, and was in my shooting lane for that side. I let fly with a 100 grain Muzzy, and instanly knew that he was hit. His front end twisted and went down, leading me to believe that I had hit my mark, and had a good double lung punch-through. No sooner than he hit the ground, he jumped up, ran about 15 yards, and turned into a thicket. I heard him running deeper into the woods, waiting for the "crash" that we all have grown to love. It was only a 15 yard shot, so I felt confident that he wouldn't go far. I waited for about 30 minutes, and, still hidden, crawled out and retrieved my arrow. I went back to my blind, packed my gear, and hauled it back to my truck. Once I was at my truck, I looked at my arrow. What a nightmare, I realized from the film and stench of my broadhead that I had gut shot him.
I went on home, got a good nights sleep, and went back to my blind this morning. When it was light enough to see, I noticed a nick in a medium sized tree branch hanging a little bit inside my shooting lane about 6 feet from where the arrow left my bow. I had not cleared my shooting lane out quite as good as I thought, I guess. Lesson lived, lesson learned. Around sun-up, a fawn came by alone, and I took him. Once I dressed him out and loaded him up, I set out to find last nights deer. His blood trail was horrible, and ended shortly after I found it. I started checking thickets, downed trees, and every other hiding place that I could, and I could not even find a blood pool where he had laid down! I was just starting to give up hope, and I remembered something that my family always said about a shot deer. Sometimes they will go back to where they were shot. This sounds crazy, but I have had deer cross their own blood trail near the point of the shot before, so I started walking the loop. I found him still intact - which is a Blessing from God, because of the cyote population around here, at about 7:45 this morning. He was still a little bit warm, and it was around 50 degrees last night. I will tell ya--I came home and read all of the "I've hit one and can't find him" posts on this forum, looking for a clue or a hint as to where he may be. Those posts do get troublesome at times, but they are excellent resources when ya need them.
I felt like a king hauling two deer to the check station, both being bow kills.
I love bow hunting, and thank God for every second of every minute that I get to spend in the woods hunting these awesome creatures.
Thanks for reading, God Bless you all, and happy hunting.
SL
11-09-2004, 11:29 AM
#4
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 7,571
RE: Gut Shot with a happy ending
Glad to hear you found him. Congratulations.
I need to comment on this however. Shooting another deer while not recovering the previous deer is not a good idea at all. I'm glad you killed that deer quickly. Because having two deer to track would have been a great feat to tackle. Two blood trails down in the same woods is not good.
Around sun-up, a fawn came by alone, and I took him. Once I dressed him out and loaded him up, I set out to find last nights deer.
11-09-2004, 02:41 PM
#6
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location:
Posts: 74
RE: Gut Shot with a happy ending
ORIGINAL: BobCo19-65
Glad to hear you found him. Congratulations.
I need to comment on this however. Shooting another deer while not recovering the previous deer is not a good idea at all. I'm glad you killed that deer quickly. Because having two deer to track would have been a great feat to tackle. Two blood trails down in the same woods is not good.
Glad to hear you found him. Congratulations.
Around sun-up, a fawn came by alone, and I took him. Once I dressed him out and loaded him up, I set out to find last nights deer.
You are absolutely correct, and the thought of two wounded deer didn't even cross my mind until the arrow was away from the string on the fawn this morning. What a time for that to cross your mind, huh? Yeah, the afterthought on that has definately given me something to consider in the future.
Thanks to all for reading----pics will be up tonight hopefully.
God Bless, happy hunting-
SL
11-09-2004, 04:04 PM
#7
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Oct 1998
Location: Hughesville, PA USA
Posts: 18,322
RE: Gut Shot with a happy ending
Congrats on your two animals. I too am glad to read a happy ending for a change but the reason for my recovery post pinned at the top of the page is to hope everyone is a happy ending. They all can be with patience, homework and persistance. I'm glad yours worked out for the best. Congrats again and if I hadn't had a chance to do so, welcome to the forums.
11-09-2004, 07:33 PM
#8
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Hebron Maryland USA
Posts: 595
RE: Gut Shot with a happy ending
congrats on the 2 kills. I've gut shot a deer once, in fact it was my first with a bow. she was Quartering to me, I hit the front shoulder and it exited out in front of the back leg. when I recovered my arrow I noticed blood and a greenish tint on the arrow with a smell that youll never forget. I started looking for a lil blood, knowing exactly where she ran. when she jumped up an ran so I marked the spot and left for about an hr. Well when I returned I picked up where I left off and still no blood. I kept looking and walking toward where she ran hoping to find something, But nothing.. All of a sudden I got a whiff of that smell I smelled on my arrow and thats how I found her. I was using spitfire broadheads and it made a nasty exit wound which the gut bag had fell out of, stopping any blood. good thing I hit one lung. I think giving a gut shot deer time instead of pushing them is the best. I learned alot on my first bow kill a few lessons learned that night. but ended with a nice doe and some good eating. the next weekend bagged my first buck w/a bow out of the same stand.....(9ptr)
11-09-2004, 07:56 PM
#9
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: creemore Ontario Canada
Posts: 5,525
RE: Gut Shot with a happy ending
I'm definetly happy to hear you found the buck you shot ,I know you probably run the whole situation through your mind over and over again all night long ,so sleep wasn't a good one .
Congrat's to you and hopefully you;ll have some pic's for us to view soon.
nubo
Congrat's to you and hopefully you;ll have some pic's for us to view soon.
nubo
11-09-2004, 08:39 PM
#10
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location:
Posts: 74
RE: Gut Shot with a happy ending
I definately have replayed the whole thing in my mind a million times. What are the chances that you nick a small branch, and it changes the outcome of your whole hunt!? Also, I haven't practiced near enough from the sitting and kneeling positions. I was so uncomfortable when I first got in the blind, and actually drew back dozens of times-turning a little bit each time until I was comfortable with my position. I definately have some work to do before hunting on the ground again.
I like natural ground blinds, but I have to admit that I am looking into a "pop-up". It is a true test of self-discipline sitting out in a ground blind, and truthfully, I failed drastically except for when it counted!
Anyway...I am looking for the link that allows you to download the software to "shrink" pictures, because all of mine are too big to post. When I find it--(it is somewhere on this forum), I will get some pictures up.
God Bless, and Happy Hunting,
SL
I like natural ground blinds, but I have to admit that I am looking into a "pop-up". It is a true test of self-discipline sitting out in a ground blind, and truthfully, I failed drastically except for when it counted!
Anyway...I am looking for the link that allows you to download the software to "shrink" pictures, because all of mine are too big to post. When I find it--(it is somewhere on this forum), I will get some pictures up.
God Bless, and Happy Hunting,
SL