I have had a terrible day

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catman529

catman529

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Nov 10, 2010
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Franklin TN
Started out great with bucks and does all around me

When I shot the biggest buck I saw where the arrow went through - back of lungs, possibly part of liver, but I swear I got his lungs.

More than 7 hours later I have not found him and lost the blood trail long ago. It just fizzled out to a drop and them I could find no more. I followed trails, combed the whole area, wore myself out and I'm packing up and heading in.

You think it's bad losing a deer but this was my first buck with a bow, and also my first buck older than a yearling. I can't erase the mental image of him snort wheezing right before I put an arrow in him and watched him turn and run the way he came. I will be looking for buzzards next day or two but its not really the rack I wanted. I wanted to take home the deer as my first bow buck and he's probably lying dead somewhere in this 50 acre abyss of a crp field. This is the worst day I have ever had since I got into hunting in 2010.
 
Do you know for sure he died in the field? Any chance he made it through the field to somewhere else?
 
That sucks... But hang in there it happens to a lot of people. The best shot in the world could turn up not finding your deer.
 
jb3 said:
Do you know for sure he died in the field? Any chance he made it through the field to somewhere else?
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very likely. I checked the perimeter of the field on the side closer to where he went in. I think he was behind a clump of grass or bushes or worse in the brambles. One side of the field is virtually impassible due to brambles, it possible he made it that far but also possible I walked right past him
 
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How long did you wait before you started looking? Ever find where he laid down? What about a dog? It doesn't have to be a tracking dog just read a story on another forum where the guy lost a buck. Went home got his husky mix and took the dog to a couple of good blood spots. Dog lead him to the deer.

Losing a deer sucks but it does happen. Don't let it get you down
 
yeah it happens, but why did it have to be such an important one - my first buck with a bow, first older than a year, first out of a climber, and a 7 yard chip shot. If it had been 4 inches closer to his shoulder he probably would have died quicker and closer to home. I can't make every shot perfect but I would have rather seen no deer this morning than lost that buck. It was the perfect hunt, up until I lost the blood. Does came in from the field early in the morning, buck came in grunting after them, two does crossed the opening at 7 yards, then the buck snort wheezed at a yearling buck and crossed the opening at which point I shot him.
 
bowtch huntr209 said:
How long did you wait before you started looking? Ever find where he laid down? What about a dog? It doesn't have to be a tracking dog just read a story on another forum where the guy lost a buck. Went home got his husky mix and took the dog to a couple of good blood spots. Dog lead him to the deer.

Losing a deer sucks but it does happen. Don't let it get you down
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I was unable to find anyone who has a dog who was available. I sat in the stand for about 10 mins before getting down and looking for blood. When I saw the blood was comparable to my last 2 does which both died quickly, I started tracking. In a thicket I jumped up a deer, but it didn't crash like a wounded deer and another doe walked up to 5 yards and looked at me. I think it was another deer I bumped up but there is still a possibility that I went too soon and bumped the buck. One spread out splatter of blood looked like he may have possibly laid down on it, but not conclusive, the deep kicked-up tracks indicated he was still running where I found that spot.

if I find buzzards and find the deer I will keep the rack. But that is only a small portion of what the buck was, he had one side mostly broken off. The other side was a big 3 pt with good mass. He could have been a very nice 6. But I don't care for that as much as the fact he would have been my first buck with a bow, and a nice one.
 
I guess the rain that just hit us is headed your way.

Too late to borrow a buddy's dog and give it a shot?

I'd love to have been there and helped out. I've been there myself and certainly know how it feels.
 
Crosshairy said:
I guess the rain that just hit us is headed your way.

Too late to borrow a buddy's dog and give it a shot?

I'd love to have been there and helped out. I've been there myself and certainly know how it feels.
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too late I couldn't get someone to cover my shift at work so I will be headed into work shortly

Rain will wash everything away otherwise a dog would still be a possibility

Going to hunt the AM, weather permitting, in the same tree, and then look for buzzards. I will have a hard time shooting one of those yearling bucks if one comes by but heck I might just take whatever I can get tomorrow, just depends on what makes me happy at the moment. I let 2 yearlings walk this morning and I bet they will be back. maybe their uncles or grandaddy are around somewhere.
 
I am pretty darned sure this is a buck my cousin shot December 2007. This picture was taken July 2008. My point is that your buck may not be wasted. This buck was shot broadside at 35 yards with a 30-06. Hit high in the left shoulder and exited on the right(where the obvious damage is in the picture). We spent half a day looking for him but the blood trail vanished after about 25 feet. There was a spray of blood, hair and bone where he stood at the shot and that was about it. This was on private land where few people hunt so I think this is the buck he shot.

I know this doesn't help your dissapointment with not being able to take your buck home but it could be that you didn't waste a good deer.

551022-R1-12-11A.jpg
 
He could be one of those crazy survivor deer but I'm sure he's dead. That's crazy though how that buck lived from that kind of gun shot.
 
If you were a little high, you get exactly that kind of sign. Lots of blood on the arrow and a good blood trail for s short distance. After that, they just go back to eating.
 
bowriter said:
If you were a little high, you get exactly that kind of sign. Lots of blood on the arrow and a good blood trail for s short distance. After that, they just go back to eating.
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but due to the angle on a 7 yard shot from a tree, I would have hit at least one lung if not both. The shot wasn't high, should have got the first lung and probably went under the second if it didn't also hit it. The shot was about 4-5 inches behind an ideal lung shot.
 
catman529 said:
bowriter said:
If you were a little high, you get exactly that kind of sign. Lots of blood on the arrow and a good blood trail for s short distance. After that, they just go back to eating.
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but due to the angle on a 7 yard shot from a tree, I would have hit at least one lung if not both. The shot wasn't high, should have got the first lung and probably went under the second if it didn't also hit it. The shot was about 4-5 inches behind an ideal lung shot.
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You probably hit a little high.

Good luck.
 
watch for buzzards bud i found a 9 point two years ago i shot wit muzzle loader two weeks after i shot him and he was 20 yards from where i stopped last looking for him.
 
Keep your head up Catman, it happens to all of us and it happens to the best of us. I realize it was a special deer to you, but do not let this one negative experience hinder your drive to get out in the woods and get after'em day in and day out like you have since you first hunt few years back. I enjoy reading your posts and keeping up with your journeys in the outdoors. My advice is to go back and look some more if your schedule permits, all the time trying to seek out another buck to put an arrow in. Best of luck.
 
My money would be on the impenatratable briar thicket you mentioned. I would take me a machete and mow it down until I found him.
 
Master Chief said:
catman529 said:
bowriter said:
If you were a little high, you get exactly that kind of sign. Lots of blood on the arrow and a good blood trail for s short distance. After that, they just go back to eating.
Click to expand...
but due to the angle on a 7 yard shot from a tree, I would have hit at least one lung if not both. The shot wasn't high, should have got the first lung and probably went under the second if it didn't also hit it. The shot was about 4-5 inches behind an ideal lung shot.
Click to expand...

You probably hit a little high.

Good luck.
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Man if u had seen the shot, I don't think it was high. It may have been more of a liver shot if anything but I'm still convinced I got at least one lung. After I shot I felt confident that it was good.
 
TeamMainStreet said:
My money would be on the impenatratable briar thicket you mentioned. I would take me a machete and mow it down until I found him.
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a machete wouldn't be enough for 20 acres of impenetrable briars. Plus, that's where a lot of deer hide, and most likely the mature bucks.
 
A place where he knew safety would be, as in where he probably went to lay down. Bedding or not I'd check it out.
 
TeamMainStreet said:
A place where he knew safety would be, as in where he probably went to lay down. Bedding or not I'd check it out.
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problem is, most of the area is a safe place for deer. There are countless thickets and beds he could have gone to, and I walked through many of them.
 
Master Chief said:
Gut shot? Did the blood stink?

I bet you find him, don't give up too soon.
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no guts no stink. If it hit an organ other than the lungs it was the liver. I am still convinced i hit a lung if not both lungs.
 
Go to the last place you found blood and line up the way the blood trail had fell up to that spot. Now look straight ahead on that same line and if there is a thicket or something ahead that is where I would look if you haven't already. Your pretty sharp catman, if you think he's dead I'm sure you will find him or at least give it your best effort to. Think like a deer. Where would be the quickest safest place to go if I just had the air let out of me? You gotta get that MZ ready to go son. Lol
 
Carman I'd definitely go back and look some more l have looked and looked like that before and went back the next day to find I had walked plum over him several times. Also check under thick brush piles and holes a body could fit into I you have any. A lot of times when there hurt real bad they'll crawl into stuff for cover cause they know their Hurt and scared
 
I have a pic of the arrow but not uploaded. Here is a pic of the satellite map with my path via GPS cords- this is only about 2/3 of the walking I actually did.

IMG_0601.png


The bottom right corner where the tree line meets the woods is where i shot the buck. The green flag is where I found the last drop of blood and the blue of course is where I walked. I went at least 200 yd from the last blood. You can see the left side of the field is a different color due to the thicker growth and impenetrable briars.
 

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