Bad experience ever end your season?

[jetwrnch]

I shot a buck at about 200 yards with a 270 that's zeroed at that range. I've made this shot at this location several times in the past, but somehow I shot low and hit both front legs and skimmed the breast bone. At first I thought I'd missed him because I couldn't find any blood or hair. I searched for about 30 minutes and finally found some leaves that didn't look right. Following the disturbed leaves eventually lead to blood. I followed the disturbed leaves and pockets of blood all over a ridge until the trail went down into a thick creek bed. The buck jumped up and started crashing through the growth, so I backed off and circled around the direction I thought he would head to cut him off. I started working my way down the creek bed towards the last place I'd seen him and spotted him hiding in some thick growth. By this time he was at the edge of the property. My concern was that he'd get in an area I couldn't track and die a slow death. I'd switched to a lever 35rem for the tracking job. He was bedded down and all I could see was his neck and head about 30 yards away. I wanted to move to a better vantage point but feared he would jump up again and be lost or off the property. I didn't care about the rack as much as I did him not suffering, so I took a shot at his neck. His head went down and then back up looking at me with blood pouring out on the ground. I put a second round in about the same place and walked over to him. He raised his head and just looked at me with blood pouring out. I put a fourth round right between his eyes. He laid there doing the death throws. At that point I just wanted to lay down my rifle and walk away from all of it. What he went through has taken all of the joy out of this season. This is the most personal kill I've ever had in 3 decades of hunting. I think it's because we just stared at each other from 5 feet apart. This put my tracking skills to the test and I'm proud of the fact I never gave up, but I regret ever pulling the trigger.

 

[BigCityBubba]

Completely understandable. I hate walking up on a deer I shot that is still alive. Why can't they all be bang flop? Anytime I pull the trigger and they run off, I have a sick feeling right up until I find them because there have been times that I didn't. I always wait at least 30 minutes after I pull the trigger to go find blood and that has got to be the longest 30 minutes ever.

 

[DaveTN]

Sorry you had to go through that. You wouldn't be normal if that didn't bother you.

 

[BSK]

Instead of ending my season, I would try to look at it as a learn experience. Try to figure out why the shot went errant.

But hunt enough years and you're going to have an "ugly" killing experience. And those ugly experiences prompt us to do better. Doesn't mean they won't ever happen again, but they lower the odds.

 

[bowhunterfanatic]

I've had two experiences very similar. Both made me sick as well

 

[redblood]

yep. that an awful part of it

 

[Ski]

Eh that's tough. No way to not be affected by a situation like that.

Here are my thoughts. We set out with intentions to kill. Sometimes it doesn't go well. But we have to stick to it and make sure to finish what we started. It can be an ugly, nasty, heartbreaking thing sometimes but it has to be done.

You had the experience, skills, and ethics to follow up far beyond what many other hunters would be willing or knowledgeable enough to do. And you finished the job. He didn't suffer long and he'll be put to good use. Feeling empathy is human. A coyote wouldn't have offered that mercy. As prey he died the way he was supposed to at the hands of a predator, and even though it was uglier than you were ready to stomach, it was still cleaner than dying at the gnawing of a coyote or the fever chills of infection had you not had the wisdom to follow up even though first glance indicated a miss.

Tough I know but you did good. Very good. Don't let it ruin your season. Thank you for sharing.

 

[philsanchez76]

Man im sorry. ive had to do this twice during different bow seasons. Want to see a grown man shed a tear? yup. I think what you did is the mark of a great hunter and a great man: the ability to stare the animal in the eye and still take care of it and end its suffering. You could've either done nothing and left it to die (many would have done that) or you could taken care of it but felt nothing for the animal. We need more men in this world that can do both. Keep hunting.

 

[backyardtndeer]

Have had a similar experience, also with a .270. In my early years of hunting, I took a shot on a deer that was running and blew his front legs practically off. He pushed himself into the bottom on his chest. Didn't take me long to find him, there was a lot of blood. He was laying there in some willows and looking me straight in the eyes when I raised up my rifle and was still looking at me before I shot him in the neck. Luckily that ended it, but it made me feel horrible and I have never taken a swinging shot again. I had never had anyone take me hunting as a kid and really didn't know any better, learned on my own and that was a definite learning experience about the fourth year into my hunting. The only way I would shoot a moving deer after that was by picking a spot ahead of it and squeezing the split second the deer's vitals presented in my scope crosshairs.

 

[Chiflyguy]

I applaud you that you felt some emotion.
There are those who think the kill is the most important part.
You're human.

 

[DoubleRidge]

You have respect for the animal...thats why it bothers you....I applaud the fact that you saw it through to the end...good job...Try to learn from it and move forward.

 

[woodyard]

I had an experience a few years ago that I did not like. My son and I were hunting on a cousins farm. Using climbers we were about 400 yds apart. An hour or two after getting settled in I get a text from him that there was a buck from neighbors farm that had crawled into a brush pile a few yards from his tree and appeared to be in pretty bad shape. He couldn't shoot him from where he was at on his tree, so I said I would come down and check it out.

I went over there and liked to never been able to see the deer under the brush. A cedar tree and assorted oak brush was piled up. Finally got down low enough I spotted him and he tried to get up. He had one leg/shoulder just hanging by skin and flapping. The other leg/shoulder was damaged because he could just sort of hump along on his front end. Stunk terribly. I put a shot in him to put him out of his misery. I still remember each of us looking at each other eye to eye In that moment before I could shoot him. Hated it at that moment , but knew I had to end his suffering. He had evidently been wounded either by shooting or maybe hit by a car, couldn't really tell , and evidently had been a while since it had happened as he had a lot of rotting flesh. One tough animal.
Certainly makes you appreciate a good shot and quick kill on one. That ended our hunt out there.

 

[Cull Buck Hunter]

If it doesn't bother you, you need to quit. Been there, not a pleasant feeling.

 

[thirdwilliam]

It happens to us all soon or later. None of us like that feeling. Staying with it is what separates the good hunters from the bad.

 

[ImThere]

if it didn't bother you would probably mean your a serial killer! you stuck with it and done your best. I have only had this experience with a bow spined shot a buck and finished him off with a knife to the neck. Not a good feeling.

 

[DMD]

I can't add anything to the excellent comments already made. But, I'll just say - I've been there and it's an awful feeling. But, I applaud you for sticking to it and taking care of what needed to be taken care of.

 

[rem270]

That's tough man. Been there and done that.

 

[BSK]

I agree with everyone who pointed out that sticking with it and doing what had to be done to end the buck's suffering as soon as possible is what separates the ethical hunter from unethical.

 

[jetwrnch]

I really appreciate all of the comments. Was feeling pretty low. I guess times like this put things in perspective. Thanks again.

 

[deerhunter10]

Been there and done that about 15 years ago. It made me better can't explain it but it did. All around better. But that put a big damper on that particular season not going to lie. Even when you do everything right sometimes things go wrong.