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Long day with no happy ending

Otto

By Otto,
in Bow Hunting

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Otto Mentor

Otto

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I hunted yesterday afternoon from 3 to dark. At 410 I had a nice 8 point buck come from behind me and near my treestand. He stopped to take a drink at the creek 30 yards away, crossed it and headed away. I hit the bleat can 4 times and he never turned towards me. He went up into a field about 50 yards away and stopped to eat a little.

Figuring I had nothing to lose, I grunted once at him. He picked his head up quick at stared right at me! He trotted right to me at a quick pace, and by the time I stood up and clicked my release on he was right under me and almost touching the ladder of my stand. He dropped down a little gully and came up 15 yards away behind my stand. I pulled back and waited until he moved up just a little more and waited until he was broadside.

I was finally happy with the shot and released. As soon as it hit him I saw it was a poor shot. The arrow was in him high and back and penetrated only 8 inches or so. He ran off into the field behind me and I saw where he entered another patch of woods. He stopped in there and stood for a couple of seconds then took off again.

After quite a few F-bombs etc and a 30 minute wait I got down from the stand to see what the situation on the ground was. I found no blood at the hit site but quickly found a good blood patch where he went into the woods.

I marked it and backed off given my poor shot and not wanting to push him.

aca3f52c41f60febf4d137a9d89438dd.jpg

 

Part 2 next post......

 

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Otto Mentor

Otto

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After a long and sleepless night I got up at 6 and waited until it was light enough to track. My wife, god bless her, came with me to assist. She has a sharp set of eyes.
Tracking was easy for about 200 yards, all blood was bright red. He crossed into a field and then hit a real thick patch of brush and woods. After gaining permission to cross into the adjoining property we continued tracking. Still a good trail to follow for another couple hundred yards, but through very thick brush. We found the arrow, then good blood for another 50 yards, then it looked like he looped back onto his original trail. After a 45 minute search for his next location we backed off and I texted the local Deer Search. It was 930 now and just started to rain a little.
Deer Search was here by 1130 and the dog had no trouble following the track we had marked earlier to the looped back location. That was that though and the dog could not figure out where he went after that. We called it off after almost 2 hours. My tracker said we followed blood for 6/10 of a mile.

4a4ac593cb88436a22dc965f1e943b2c.jpgc5056f41e784058bc793ce9a0dca9942.jpg

I am so disappointed in my shot. I waited for the deer to get in good position for me. It should have been a chip shot double lung at that distance and set up. I don't know if it was buck fever or my rain jacket or what it was that caused it but it was a bad shot for sure. Deer Search said I probably hit him in the muscle (backstrap) and he is likely already back to chasing does. I hope so. And I hope I see him again.



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Zem18 Apprentice

Zem18

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Not ashamed to admit I've been there as well and it is hard to shake off as you keep replaying it in your mind. If it was a high muscle hit, he will be sore bit will make it and hope you see him again.

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grampy Veteran

grampy

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Otto, no matter how much we prepare, practice, or participate, these things unfortunately happen to bow hunters. And gun hunters too. Any number of unforseen factors can contribute to a poor hit. All we can hope for is to keep it to a minimum, over the course of our years in the woods. You did all you could do. That shows the respect you have for these animals, like all good hunters should have. And you surely learned something this time, to help prevent a next time. But never any guarantee's for any of us, anytime we step in the woods to hunt.

Yes it hurts. And it should! But pick up and move on. Best of luck to ya out there. Redemption can be sweet.

 

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UWShunter Explorer

UWShunter

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I hunted yesterday afternoon from 3 to dark. At 410 I had a nice 8 point buck come from behind me and near my treestand. He stopped to take a drink at the creek 30 yards away, crossed it and headed away. I hit the bleat can 4 times and he never turned towards me. He went up into a field about 50 yards away and stopped to eat a little.
Figuring I had nothing to lose, I grunted once at him. He picked his head up quick at stared right at me! He trotted right to me at a quick pace, and by the time I stood up and clicked my release on he was right under me and almost touching the ladder of my stand. He dropped down a little gully and came up 15 yards away behind my stand. I pulled back and waited until he moved up just a little more and waited until he was broadside.
I was finally happy with the shot and released. As soon as it hit him I saw it was a poor shot. The arrow was in him high and back and penetrated only 8 inches or so. He ran off into the field behind me and I saw where he entered another patch of woods. He stopped in there and stood for a couple of seconds then took off again.
After quite a few F-bombs etc and a 30 minute wait I got down from the stand to see what the situation on the ground was. I found no blood at the hit site but quickly found a good blood patch where he went into the woods.
I marked it and backed off given my poor shot and not wanting to push him.
aca3f52c41f60febf4d137a9d89438dd.jpg&key=a8313f850f04e0c7bea295552251539da315e3684c4c27287f4c287ce065f424
 
Part 2 next post......
 
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Just happened to me in Pike County less than 48 hours ago. 47 yard shot at a huge beast. A lot of blood, arrow wasn’t a pass through & tracked over 1000 yards. I feel for ya, bud. 9d16d17b55ff074c933645b526d09587.jpg


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grampy Veteran

grampy

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21 minutes ago, UWShunter said:


Just happened to me in Pike County less than 48 hours ago. 47 yard shot at a huge beast. A lot of blood, arrow wasn’t a pass through & tracked over 1000 yards. I feel for ya, bud. 9d16d17b55ff074c933645b526d09587.jpg


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Alot can go wrong with a 25 yard shot on a live deer. Even for good archers. At almost twice that distance a lot more can go wrong. Not a slam on you! Just saying.

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Otto Mentor

Otto

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37 minutes ago, UWShunter said:


Just happened to me in Pike County less than 48 hours ago. 47 yard shot at a huge beast. A lot of blood, arrow wasn’t a pass through & tracked over 1000 yards. I feel for ya, bud. 9d16d17b55ff074c933645b526d09587.jpg


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That’s a lot more blood in one spot than I saw all day, My deer never laid down.

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UWShunter Explorer

UWShunter

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Alot can go wrong with a 25 yard shot on a live deer. Even for good archers. At almost twice that distance a lot more can go wrong. Not a slam on you! Just saying.

I hear you. But no way was I passing up on a 160 + inch deer. I didn’t travel that far to admire him but to kill him. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take!


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grampy Veteran

grampy

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1 hour ago, UWShunter said:


I hear you. But no way was I passing up on a 160 + inch deer. I didn’t travel that far to admire him but to kill him. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take!


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Did you recover him?

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BigVal Apprentice

BigVal

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1 hour ago, UWShunter said:


I hear you. But no way was I passing up on a 160 + inch deer. I didn’t travel that far to admire him but to kill him. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take!


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That's just wrong. Completely different than ottos situation. 

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