Best and WORST day hunting ever for me

[crappyice]

I have access to a private nursery in westchester (bow only)where the farmer got crushed by deer this growing season and I decided to set up a ground blind to hopefully bring my boys to sit with me.

Set up the ground blind at noon Friday. Tuck it in some thick crap so my view behind, left and right is zero. The only view I have is straight ahead and it's a well used deer trail. I can see about 20 yards wide 20 yards from the blind. Decide to hang a camera on a tree 10 yards from blind on my left and figured I would sit the evening since its up and the farmer reported seeing a big deer that morning.

Sprayed some buck bomb on the tall grasses around my shooting lane and tucked in for my first ground blind hunt. Since it was early I fiddled with the blind,removing leaves and twigs, adjusted and readjusted my seat, figured out how to get my bow to stay at the ready, practiced drawing back and all was good.

At 2:00 a turkey came trotting down the run. She stopped looked at the blind and calmly pecked around a bit and moved on. I guess the blind is pretty good since I was able to snap a pic and she never flinched.

So now I was excited since if a turkey didn't mind a new structure surely a deer wouldn't be bothered.

Periodically I would grunt and spritz some buck bomb but 2 hours went by uneventfully. At 3:50 all of a sudden I see horns to my left,20 yards away. After seeing that he had more points than I have ever seen while hunting I never looked at his horns again so I had no idea if he was a 6 or 10 but I knew he was my shooter buck. It is inexplicable the feeling of being on the ground near such an amazing animal especially as it was my first bow hunt from the ground.

He was fixated on some branches hit with bomb so I slowly raised my bow. Instead of moving on to the next sprayed bush he turns to his right and heads straight towards me, my trail cam, and the freshly spritzed bushes outside my blind.

I can feel him checking me out but he is digging the bomb and is willing to risk it. He continues towards me(still not drawn since he is dead on me). Stops at 7 yards to examine another sprayed bush. He then turns his head so I draw knowing I can't shoot now but if and when he turns I have him. When he turns back he goes right back to the sprayed bush for another deep whiff. At that point he steps to his right with only his front paws and turns his head in that direction as well offering a tight shot at the vitals.

Put the pin right behind his front left shoulder and release and watch the luminock fly true but a bit high is my initial thought. Since I can't see anything from in my blind I drop the bow and dive out the open window to watch him run back the trail he came on, tail twitching. I watch him for 100 yards until i can't see him anymore knowing that he slowed to a walk. I can't even begin to describe the adrenalin rush!

My partner, hunting 70 yards away hears me shoot and starts blowing up my phone. Decide to sit tight until dark. We meet up at the truck at 5:00 and head back to track around 6:00. Good blood at shot and follow that to the arrow that got dumped 50 yards from the shot spot. Full coverage of bright red blood, no gut smell but no bubbles either. We proceed to follow good blood for 200 yards and find where he crossed to high grass. Followed an easy trail for another 100 yard to where he climbed a ridge to a neighboring farm(we have search permission). Tracked him through their parking lot for another 100 yards and see that it's heading to thick shit behind other people's houses. The trail was becoming spotty so we decide to back out since weather called for a cold night and we need to knock on doors to search. Crawled home and swam in cheap brandy replaying everything.

Picked up partner at 8 and head back to resume track. Found a nice pool where he laid down in some guys backyard. Met the owner and he granted permission (and subsequently access to hunt his corner as well!). Followed pin pricks of blood to the next neighbors yard and that's where the trail stops. One solid print in soft grass. One pin prick of blood (found using straight peroxide to make blood turn white and bubble- worked great) and he's gone. Nothing - no track, no blood, no sign anywhere.

Opened google maps and saw various pockets of woods and searched them completely, found runs everywhere that showed no sign, walked to the front of the houses and checked the street and driveway thinking he went to the largest open space in the area - ironically a cemetery! Nothing. At 1:00 I had no choice but to call it(family obligations).

I plan on heading back tomorrow to check for scavenger birds (how long until they find a kill?) and walk the wood lot by the cemetery.

Two thoughts I am drinking/thinking about:

1. It's a non fatal hit-entered high of vitals on left side and exited even higher due to how close he was and the fact that I was on the ground. Did I just miss everything good and go through that mythical void under the spine?

2. Still may be high but hit an artery and he bled out. No blood trail since entry/exit are high. Also at the one spot he bed down it seriously look like he intentionally laid on a log where the exit wound was to stop the bleeding.

Thanks for making it this far if you did. Hope you are all too busy knocking them down to be reading this. Not expecting many made it this far but I needed to just tell this tale to start putting it behind me (besides the upcoming searches for the coyote and bird ravaged corpse).

And before you ride me too hard, know that I know all the many ways I f'ed up the best chance I had all season/career.

Time for another cheap brandy! Thanks for playing counselor. Struggling to get motivated to hunt again this season. Good luck and shoot truer than me!!

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[wooly]

Tough break on the immediate search that didn't end at his carcass. Good luck with the follow up retrieval efforts.

Sounds like a superficial hit that may or may not contribute to his demise "down the road".......literally.

(but don't take my word for it..)

Recovery on a trail like that could take until spring green up after he's succumbed his predation or infection.

Great looking buck with some sweet splitz!, Best of luck with the recovery when and IF it was a fatal shot, but good to hear you're following up accordingly no matter how bleak the trail seems where you left off.

 

[ApexerER]

I have no idea what to tell you about your shot but I wish you luck....Hope you find him.... 

 

[sampotter]

Sounds like you got back straps. And he lives to see another day.

[Deadhunter25]

It sounds like the shot went a little high but I would not give up looking I shot a beautiful deer last year that I found five days later. I looked everywhere and I found him on the last day I was going to give him before I gave up looking you never know. Watch for crows hair turkey vultures etc.

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[SteveB]

There is no "mythical void" except in myths.

If he went that far with bright red blood, most likely a muscle hit aka thru the back straps. Most will survive this hit.

[crappyice]

Thanks guys. 2 more hours today combing a nearby wood lot and neighboring high grass. No sign- no birds.

The more I replay the shot the higher it seems. Feeling confident it's the blackstrap. Put more cameras up to hopefully catch him walking.

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[nobody]

If this happens again,, an old trick is to go back to your last blood sign after dark and look for

blood sign with a gas lantern.You would be amazed how this alluminates any blood traces you could maybe still continue to track with.