Got my first ever.!!!!

[zeus1gdsm]

Well after putting in over 150 hrs last year, my first season. I hit dirt today.

My friend and I built some stands in an old logged area we didn't hunt last year. We have sat them on opened weekend 8 hours both days. Sunrise and sunset. We saw deer the first morning but moving too fast in the thick. And saw about 6 in a neighbors field..

This am he went to his old stand and I sat the new one. About 830 I looked up from my book at a sound and had a doe coming through in range broadside.

I got the rifle up and picked a slot farther ahead of her that a clear shot.. I had about 3 foot gap. Waited and took the shot... She took off into the woods.

I thought I had missed her.

As I sat stunned from my first shot ever I saw 2 more does coming down the same line. They had stopped and duckedinto a trail behind some SCrubb.

We had agreed to fill each others doe tags if the opportunity arose. So I lined up for a shot in a clearing ahead of them. And took the shot., she jumped and then ran 10 yards and they hung up in the scrub.

I sat there after radioing the situation to my partner. I watched them for 5 minutes in the thicket. The smaller doe walked towards me and stared me down. I could see the one I shot in the scrub and that she was limping.but mostly just standing.

I waited.

Suddenly they take off.

I lose visual.

A few minutes later deer come crashing from thickets between my partner and I.

He comes out shortly after. He had come.straight to me instead.of taking our trail on the outskirts. He had kicked the wounded doe out of her bed. I was pretty steamed as we had alot of time to sit still. And he should have gone the long way.

Long story short.... I had hit the first deer. Hair and bright thick blood at impact. The piled up and thrashed 20 yards from the hit. Just down a small trench out of my view.

We tracked the blood on the other deer for a couple hours. It went all over in the small thicket/old orchard I hit her. .. no blood at impact or hair. Found some drops about 10 yards from poi. Small drops every 15-20 feet. Large blood where she was standing when I was watching her.

We went back and forth and then circle and grid searched the whole side of his property. We determined she Mustad have entered the neighboring property we don't have tracking permission for.... And it had been a shooting gallery there all day.

My partner was much better then me at the tracking and spotting and definitely showed me some things. He determine did must have hit the shoulder based on blood color and scarcity.

I am truly tormented about this. And it has put a huge pall over my first successful harvest....

Hindsight being 20/20 once I had seen the limp I should have shot her again (I could have) to make sure she was down as she stood still for quite a few minutes in the thicket..

Lessons were learned.

Please don't rip me up too bad for the 2nd doe. I already know...

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Edited November 27, 2015 by zeus1gdsm

[zeus1gdsm]

And I wanted to thank the group for the input and advice given to me here. It is much appreciated.

Again I feel terrible about the 2nd doe. It pains me to think that I put that extended suffering on an animal. Lesson learned.

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[jjb4900]

so you recovered the first and lost the second?....never mind, figured it out, congrat's

Edited November 27, 2015 by jjb4900

[Paula]

Congratulation.

Edited November 27, 2015 by Paula

[Skillet]

Congrats on the kill! Good job trying to find the 2nd. Hindsight is 20/20, & now you know for next time, but don't beat yourself up too much. Don't let it take away from the fact that you got your first deer!

[zeus1gdsm]

Yes recovered the first and lost the 2nd.

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[ididnotvoteforobama]

Hey,  we have all been there . Definitely should have put her down with another shot. Hopefully she gets taken by the neighbors. I would think it would be in your best interest to talk to your neighbor , so that you can recover a wounded animal . Maybe a quick phone call or text before attempting recovery, just to give a heads up so everybody is on the same page. Nobody wants to leave an animal for the coyotes.

[zeus1gdsm]

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[zeus1gdsm]

Yeah we see them coming in in the am. I've tried flagging them down but to no avail. There's was bad blood or something a decade ago. My partner and I are looking to repair it.

I was going to call deer search but it's turkey day and I don't think there is anyone in the utica Rome area. Going in at 4am for work tomorrow and out at 3 so not alot of time there for tracking.

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[NFA-ADK]

Congrats on your first!  Hard to track when you have no permission.  If they had that many hunters on the other side she probably was taken by one of them.  Not much you can do when your game is on land you have no permission for.   Check the other side if possible and walk the boundary to see if she came back in.  Otherwise keep hunting!  Valuable lesson learned, if your game is still standing after a shot then put them down with one more if you have the opportunity. 

 

Keep your head up and get back into the woods.  No one is perfect but being prepared and proficient with your weapon will always help.  Keep hunting!  Good luck the rest of the season and enjoy your harvest! 

 

PS: Nice shot on your first, slightly back but a center punch that works every time!

[zeus1gdsm]

Thanks. Based.on the froth and exit wound I hit a lung and clipped the stomach. Took alot of rinsing. Based on how quick she piled up and the giant froth pile she left.

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[G-Man]

2nd sounds like a leg hit, you won't find it , it can heal and can go for miles, always put a second shot into a deer you can see. Your better off losing 5 lbs of meat from second hole than a deer.

[the blur]

Only from experience you learn it's best to empty the magazine, than to loose a deer.

[zeus1gdsm]

Thanks all. It feels great to finally close the deal.

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[NFA-ADK]

Not sure if I would have stated it that way, lol.  I tend to follow up if it is still standing.  Unloading just sounds like your clipping off rounds in the general direction. 

Only from experience you learn it's best to empty the magazine, than to loose a deer.