This just makes me sick…..

[Knothead]

Got some good pics of this guy in early summer and again late summer. I had decided in my mind that this is one I was going to try to harvest.
Season rolls around and he disappeared. No more pics, no sightings. Nothing. I had concluded about two weeks or so ago that perhaps he had moved to the adjoining property. I took an 8 pointer with my black powder gun and then set my targets on a doe.
Last weekend, was fortunate to harvest a doe. Walked over to retrieve her and saw (and smelled) a skeleton 20 yds away.
Someone made a pathetic shot on him. You can see the arrow (or bolt) inside the rib cage. Looks as though it entered the deer in the hind quarters. How? Why? Why would someone take that shot. Just appalling. None of our lease members took this shot nor even saw him on the hoof.

I did take the skull to make a Euro mount. Considering what I had to start with, I think it turned out pretty well. Not finished yet, but I'm getting there.

 

[redblood]

Hate that. Does anyone on your lease use a xbow?

 

[catman529]

I've seen far worse shots than that. Not knowing the situation, I wouldn't say they just made a terrible shot. Could have been anything, buck fever is real. At least you found him, there will be another one some day.

 

[MFDfire15]

Damn, I hate that. Glad you were able to recover the skull though

 

[Ski]

That broad head cut though a ham, intestines, stomach, liver, and linear through most of a lung. Furthermore, with every step those blades were sloshing around inside the lung, choking and drowning him on his own blood. So how far do you reckon he went?

My guess given the pics is that he didn't go far at all and was dead in seconds. If you didn't find him dead near the property line then you might have to reconsider who shot it. I'd start with the nearest stand to his carcass. Are you sure your lease members are all being truthful?

 

[UCStandSitter]

Had to stop one this year and then string jump and turn when I loosed the arrow. It happens man. Would've been spot on if the deer didn't take that step. Point is, can't say for certain it was an unethical shot without bein there.

 

[arkwaterfowler]

As disappointing as this may seem it's the way it goes. These are not "our deer". probably an honest mistake.

 

[tree_ghost]

There are 1 million things that can go wrong from the time an archer looses an arrow at a deer and the point in which the arrow impacts the animal. It's all part of the game. Unfortunate waste of the meat but glad you have closure on the bucks you had pictures of in the summer.

 

[Mb423]

Agree with tree_ghost.

Anything can happen and big deer will make people do stupid things.

Is it possible he was quartered away and the hunter attempted to slip the arrow in behind or near the rear of the rib cage? Not every shot is a perfect give me shot broad side 20 yard with every single twig cleared out in the shooting lane.

 

[Knothead]

………… So how far do you reckon he went?

My guess given the pics is that he didn't go far at all and was dead in seconds. If you didn't find him dead near the property line then you might have to reconsider who shot it. I'd start with the nearest stand to his carcass. Are you sure your lease members are all being truthful?

He was found roughly 1000 yds from where I got all the pics and his 'core area'. And yea, no one on our lease hunts that area with a bow except one and he says he never saw that deer. Road hunters have been known to frequent the area——-so who really knows.
I just know it's sickening.

 

[megalomaniac]

I feel for you, but closure is better than wondering

 

[backyardtndeer]

Man that's a shame. I have found a few over the years on my neighbor, where we had sole permission. Bad feeling when deer you passed or in your case deer you expected to be around are later found dead.

 

[Big Pop]

Good looking euro mount!

 

[Apostolic Outdoors]

Hate you didn't get to harvest him. Glad you got the mount.

 

[Antler Daddy]

Gut shot deer can travel a long way....especially if pushed early.

 

[Knothead]

As disappointing as this may seem it's the way it goes. These are not "our deer". probably an honest mistake.

True. While I realize these are not "our" deer, it's still disheartening! What bothers me the most is not that I didn't harvest the deer but that the deer had to endure a suffering, miserable death. I'm not a soft hearted person, but I do hate to know that any animal had to suffer—-and especially and potentially due to careless, lack of practice, poor judgement (or simply buck fever) from a hunter. Will never know for sure but I certainly hope it was not one of the area road hunters.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

I feel for you, but closure is better than wondering

Same.

Crazy stuff happens for sure

 

[Gravey]

Hate it for you but at least you know he's dead and aren't trying to hunt him. Skull mount looks good!

 

[Knothead]

Hate that. Does anyone on your lease use a xbow?

2 guys do but one hasn't archery hunted this year and the other guy bow hunted once back during black powder season. He said he didn't see anything that he wanted. He's trustworthy. I believe him. I think anyone who took a shot at something like that would go ask people to help him look for it.

 

[UTGrad]

I hunt with Knothead and if I stuck a deer I would let him or someone know I stuck one and was starting my search. My guess is it was a hunter from a neighboring property and it ran to that area cause it wanted to bed down.