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WOW... we sure have some 'Monday Morning Quarterbacks' on this thread. I don't know of too many archery hunters that would shoot a deer to see how badly they could screw up their hunt. This is a case of a hunter that made a shot and lost a deer... it's a simple as that - been there, done that. It's a shame it happened. I say - "don't should on others... you weren't there".

Hey Guys just wanted to get on here and introduce myself after reading some of the letchworth comments. I just started hunting there this year and it is everything I have been reading. It's a long ride for me from Syracuse but I have some family in Rochester and Livonia who now have a permanent weekend guest until December. Enough of my ranting good luck to you all this year.

30 feet in the air ........ I can't even imagine trying to shoot from that high....lol. Of course in my case, with my fear of heights, I'd have to learn how to shoot my bow with both arms wrapped around the tree ...... lol. But seriously, do you suppose these guys practice their shooting at home from 30 feet in the air just to get familiar with how that kind of a shot has to be compensated for? Anyway, the guy is just lucky he is still alive with a fall from that height. Or who knows, maybe he will not really consider that to be a lucky thing depending on what his final condition turns out to be.

There most certainly is a spot above the lungs and below the spine, we call it no mans land, I shot a deer there years ago. A deer hit there will not bleed much and survive if it doesn't get infected. The arrow will have a wax type coating on it.

X2!

I really need to hunt some where else...

Last year I had a similar situation. Hit what I thought was a nice 6-7 point last year with a one lung, clipped-gut pass thru (slightly quartering towards). He took off about 10 yards and then just stood there behind a tree for 15 minutes. It was getting late and there were thunder storms coming, so I fired a poor second shot toward the deer. It never made it, the buck took off down the trail. I got down and got my arrow. Plenty of foamy blood followed up by just a bit of guts. Very little blood trail. Searched until the storm came sometime after dark. Went back the next morning after pouring thunder storm, so I just headed down the trail and listened for crows. Sure enough I found him under a tree full of crows...unfortunately the coyotes had already removed his head and gotten into the rear end.

Looks good!

Baby Ruth bar.

Absolutely. If I have a 15 yd shot at a broadside deer in a snowstorm I certainly shoot. As long as the hit looks great...I would wait a matter of minutes before getting down and tracking the deer in the fresh snow.

That is part of the problem right there, well maybe it is but I found out years and years ago that hunters are much like fisherman when it comes to stories, sorry guys but I have heard some real good stories, and those darn tv shows fills heads with unrealistic expectations and gets guys pumped up only to be disappointed after watching 100 deer on tv under this guys stand and you come home seeing nothing. Its just not like that for the majority of us. Theres times when you go out and see nothing for days. Now as far as the original post goes theres alot left out of it for more answers to it. Without seeing or a description of the property and surrounding land its hard to say. I will give you scenario to play around with. I hunt this one piece of land and its alot of acreage, a few thousand, mostly state land and my private land as well. Aside from hardwoods, a couple small 1/2 acre foodplots and some wild forage growth theres not much holding the deer up there except cover. I say that cause what borders this land is all farms, with corn, soybeans, clover, old apple orchards well you get the idea. Its basically one big transition area for the deer to get from one side to the other, the only time we start to see some real deer activity is when the bucks start pushing the does, the does head for the woods for cover until they are receptive. In that short 1 to 2 weeks out of the year its a honey hole, rest of the year its a crap shoot. If your still seeing the fawns with the does its a tad early yet as the rut breaks these groups up. But as long as your still seeing does and they dont get pushed off the land the bucks or buck will show up, the question is will you be there when he does. Keep at it its an obsession, a passion and a disease all rolled into one lol.

Still hunt in a part of the property you don't normally hunt. You may find sign elsewhere