Long recovery

[Nomad]

I posted these pics in the shed thread , but figured I’d tell the story here, as some wanted details .

Early in bow season a morning stand along a corn field, shot was about ten yards broadside , complete pass though , arrow barried in the dirt a few inches , shot was centered up/down very well, a tad back from where I want, but certainly not guts or even liver was my opinions .

Buck turned and ran across corn field a brief distance and into the thick stuff. I figured I’d be gutting him in 30 minutes , I’ve killed deer in bow season almost every year for 25 or more years at this point and was sure of this one.

Got down good blood in corn and arrow was coated in blood, easy tract, once I got into  the thick stuff, it became pin point drops, I stayed on it knowing it would flow better at some point, no ,Iuck, marked spot went home . I came back a few hours later with a dog that has a very good record at finding deer. We worked the area for hours nothing. Came back next day with a buddy , did all the standard practices nothing after most of that day ( we hunted first hour, well I just sat and watched ).

it was two springs later and I was shed hunting, I came across it did a lot of wtf ? As I did not connect it to my buck of two seasons ago. I took it home and it sat in a pile for awhile , one day while looking at trail cam pics, I recognized this buck, those pics were from a camera right by the stand I shot the buck from, and he was taking the same direction at the same time of day as my shot . 

It was recovered in the thick stuff 20 acres, and often hands and knees ....followed the trails, went towards the areas buck hide in, checked the hidden pond, continued on the direction of the blood trails . Where it was found idk 250 to 300 yards from shot . I’ve hunted this spot 30 years.

Edited March 14, 2018 by Stay at home Nomad

[NFA-ADK]

It is amazing how they can blend into the woods and ground when that white belly is not showing!  

[wooly]

I've learned over the years that you can learn where deer like to go to die by finding a lot of these unrecovered animals post season.

I have a few spots that come to mind like that, but one where I've found dead bucks post season for 6 years in a row inside a small acreage impenetrable thicket along a power line.

Looks like the streak may have finally come to an end in that spot this year after a few hikes through already that turned up nothing. 

Good to see you finally managed to make the recovery and at least salvage the skull from him.

[Nomad]

Thanks I had mixed feelings , was never going to display him as I feel I failed , yet I did find him eventually, if by accident .

 

[moog5050]

At least you found him Larry.  What brand of camera is that in the photo.  Looks enormous.

[Five Seasons]

so do you think he was dead on his feet or died some time later, possibly even later in the year?

[G-Man]

I was always told if you know you hit the deer where you should it's dead somewhere..  glad you found it even the best of us lose one from time to time. 

I would say this deer died quickly as if was prolonged the horns would of probably dropped from stress and infection. . To bad you never.smelled him ..of course if it was cold and he was eaten quick you wouldn't of either.. had a nice 7 I knew I hit well.. lost the blood fo7nd him week later by seeing crows drop down from tree tops a few hundred yards from where I lost it when I was in different stand.. I walked by it several times with in 20ft as well as my helpers when we did body search and never saw it..

[Nomad]

I believe it was dead a short time later .  I could “what if “ , and “if only “this all day . I had a coated arrow and good blood in the corn , yet pin pricks and no bed found on the trail that I had in the thicket .

This was shot 6 years ago btw .

The camera is a cheap Moultrie , that no longer works ....

Has no one noticed the second buck in the pic ?

[Doewhacker]

8 minutes ago, Stay at home Nomad said:

I believe it was dead a short time later .  I could “what if “ , and “if only “this all day . I had a coated arrow and good blood in the corn , yet pin pricks and no bed found on the trail that I had in the thicket .

This was shot 6 years ago btw .

The camera is a cheap Moultrie , that no longer works ....

Has no one noticed the second buck in the pic ?

What about the third buck the second one is following?

[Robhuntandfish]

that will happen - quite a story.  I once thought I wasnt gonna find one buck after looking for 6 hours.  I had a 20 ft  area of a strong blood trail and then nothing.  Went back and forth, covered many acres and couldnt figure it out.  Finally i walked a ridge one last time and went another 40 yards and could see a white belly another 150 yards away in a ravine.  I had walked up and down that ravine but he was in a spot where there was just enough of a hole i couldnt see him.  I basically got lucky cause i didnt know where else to look and thought i made a good shot. He still had the arrow in him when I found him.  Was a touch high but def fatal.  they are tough critters .  Glad at least you had an end to the mystery 

Edited March 14, 2018 by Robhuntandfish

[Nomad]

14 minutes ago, Doewhacker said:

What about the third buck the second one is following?

I don’t see one . I’ve got several pics spanning an hour that night   The only two I see are the one I shot and the 12 pt with double split brows, a kid the next road over killed him in bow .

[Doewhacker]

Can’t see the head but it’s a deer. 

[wolc123]

That sounds like a single lung hit.   10 yards away is a pretty steep angle from up in a tree stand, unless it was real low, so you would have had a tough time getting both lungs.  Also, the 250-300 yard distance is just about right for that. 14 years ago, I lost and found one (two weeks later with the help of the crows), that expired after a run of almost the same range, on a quartering-away shot with my ML.   What kind of broadhead were you using?  A wide-cutting mechanical would be best for such a shot.   I used my last one this past fall, and definitely need to resupply before heading back out with my crossbow this year.  Thanks for posting this, because it helps convince me to get some more.   I have yet to have one make it farther than 40 yards after taking one of those. 

Stuff still happens though, no matter what type of equipment you use, so it is good to have tools for recovery. The dog probably struck out on that one, because he ran away full speed, as most lung-hit deer do, leaving a tough trail to follow after the hole sealed and the visible blood petered out.  Had that been a gut hit, the dog would have had a lot more scent to follow.   I also used up the last of my "bloodglow" last year, which is a CSI-type tracking agent that makes blood glow bright after dark in the moon and starlight.   The stuff works pretty good, but not good enough to find a deer hit outside of the vitals.  I think it would have found yours, if you had enough of it.   Again, thanks for posting this because it helps convince me to order some more of that stuff.   If nothing else, having it in my pack gives me the confidence to archery hunt right up until sunset.   Prior to having it, I would usually pack it in at least 15 minutes prior to that to allow for a little tracking light. 

Some folks don't like to hear it (and I don't care), but I have found a sure-fire way to recover every deer that I have shot at over the last 13 years.   That is to keep things in order with He who controls the fate of all living things.  Three ways to move in that direction are: read the Bible and pray daily, get to church almost every week, and do stuff for others expecting nothing in return.   I only shoot when I am 90% or more sure of a kill and recovery in time for my family to eat the meat (antlers don't do much for me).   I give Him ALL of the credit for all of them, especially that extra 10% that I should have lost.      

     

Edited March 14, 2018 by wolc123

[Nomad]

Could be. My first bow kill was in ‘88 or ‘89 it was an 8 hard shot,  My average bow shot in the last 30 years has been between 10 and 15 yards , this is the only buck I’ve lost . 

I practice out of a stand as close as 5 yards and know where to,hit for a double lung , this looked like another run of the mill kill . 

With the off side exit I was surprised that the trail dried up like it did.

 

[wolc123]

9 minutes ago, Stay at home Nomad said:

Could be. My first bow kill was in ‘88 or ‘89 it was an 8 hard shot,  My average bow shot in the last 30 years has been between 10 and 15 yards , this is the only buck I’ve lost . 

I practice out of a stand as close as 5 yards and know where to,hit for a double lung , this looked like another run of the mill kill . 

With the off side exit I was surprised that the trail dried up like it did.

 

I can not recall seeing a double-lunger going much over a hundred yards.  I will never forget the first one, a busted up 6-point that my dad shot at the edge of a cornfield with his Browning sweet-sixteen, before I was old enough to hunt myself.   That thing ran just under 100 yards, straight  between two rows, painting them both red.  40 or so years later, I have yet to take one on our place that did not have a belly-full of corn.         

[BizCT]

I’m shocked the Deer Search didn’t find it. They seem to have pretty good success. Was it that dog Luna that is posted a lot on here?


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[Nomad]

Nope my own Beagle . Here’s one he found for a member here ,although he’s found others as a well . If you say “deer”or snort he goes nuts .

If he sees me in camo, he wants to go outside and smell my car for deer .

[BizCT]

Nope my own Beagle . Here’s one he found for a member here ,although he’s found others as a well . If you say “deer”or snort he goes nuts .
If he sees me in camo, he wants to go outside and smell my car for deer .

Careful. I don’t think it’s legal unless the dog certified.


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[Five Seasons]

19 hours ago, Stay at home Nomad said:

 

Has no one noticed the second buck in the pic ?

not at first haha. but wow. 

[Doewhacker]

11 hours ago, Biz-R-OWorld said:

 

Careful. I don’t think it’s legal unless the dog certified.


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Nothing wrong with taking your dog for a walk. It would become illegal if you carried a firearm or bow with you to finish the deer off like licensed trackers can. 

 

[grampy]

So good that you were able to eventually 'recover' him Larry.  Having been with Deer Search for many years, I have seen many times, where deer 'should have' piled up within 100 yards, and didn't. Though not common, after a perfect double lung hit. I have seen them go as far as you said, 250 to 300 yards and farther.  Each time I've seen this, I am completely amazed at how they could have possibly gone that far, and bleed so little, but sometimes they do!  

I've also seen my share of one lung, liver, kidney and paunch and muscle shots, recovered under 100 yards.  So go figure! The only given, is that there is no given, on any individual deer. If a hunter hunts long enough they will see this for themselves, on their, or someone else's deer. Don't have to tell you, they are amazingly tough, and unpredictable animals!

Even the best Deer Search blood trackers, average only 35 -40% recovery rates. Most times that is because the deer is not dead while being trailed. Beagles have an outstanding nose, they can and do, make a perfect tracking dog! Dry and windy conditions are much more difficult for dogs to pick up, and keep on a scent trail. Did you have these conditions, when looking for this particular deer?

Seems like it was the 'perfect storm' on this buck. Sometimes you can do everything right, and still have it go wrong. And vice versa too.

 

[BizCT]

Nothing wrong with taking your dog for a walk. It would become illegal if you carried a firearm or bow with you to finish the deer off like licensed trackers can. 
 

Got it, thanks for confirming.


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