If you see your deer go down, do you continue to hunt ?

[wolc123]

I have doubled a few times (usually a doe and a button buck).  I came close Saturday, but the doe pulled herself back up on her front legs.  I sent a second shot her way, and the other two escaped unharmed.   I always stay focused on the downed deer from my stand for several minutes, making sure it does not get back up, then go down and gut it with no further delay.   If more folks did that, instead of texting BBD, etc., or trying for a double, we would probably see more recovered deer.   It is all about the meat for me and the sooner I get the guts out, the better it tastes.  The thought of backing out and leaving a deer overnight with the guts in it really turns my stomach, no matter how cold it is outside.  The only time I delay 1/2 hour, before going after a deer, is if it was hit with an arrow and I did not see or hear it go down.  I did drag the gutted doe about 40 yards from my stand Saturday, hoping that a buck might come by (none did). 

Several years ago, on another opening day of gun season,  I killed the largest doe from a group of (5) or (6) antlerless deer with my ML.  She must have been the leader, because the rest hung around for a few minutes, before dispersing in various directions.  I had my short 870, 12 ga for backup, but I only had one doe permit.  I put the empty ML down and aimed the loaded slug gun at her, but she never twitched.   She was about 75 yards away.   About (2) minutes later, before I climbed down to gut her, I saw two antlered deer approaching.   The one with the larger rack stopped and stood next to the downed doe, while the smaller one stood almost under my stand.   Naturally, I fired at the bigger one, even though it was a bit of a poke for my open-sighted 870.   I regretted that decision later, while gutting that busted-up 8-pointer (he flopped down dead right beside the doe), because he had an old broadhead wound thru the backstraps, above the spine and I lost a good bit of meat by trimming away all the "questionable" looking stuff.  The four pointer that had stood below my stand would have been an easier shot and probably would have yielded nearly as much usable meat.