I feel Like giving up

one shot scott · Post by **one shot scott** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 10:22 am

Sorry to hear it bojangles. Perhaps you hit above the spine? It dips down quite a bit at the front of the deer. It near impossible to hit between lung and spine without hitting one or the other.

bojangles · Post by **bojangles** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 10:58 am

maby that happened..Im not sure.I should have aimed a tad low since he was so close and I was 25 feet up but didnt htink about it at the time....

huntman · Post by **huntman** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 11:30 am

I am sure we will all be looking at pics of your buck this evening. Based on what you described that buck is down and you should have no issues recovering him. Just hoping the weather held up and it didnt rain.

Grizzly Adam · Post by **Grizzly Adam** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 11:50 am

bstout wrote:
bojangles wrote: I guess theres nothing more for me to do except get after another one.
There you go. That's the spirit! It's all part of hunting. You can play it over a thousand times in your mind and it won't change a thing. So don't keep beating yourself up over it. Chalk it up to experience and have back at it.

No doubt.

Keep on keeping on!

vixenmaster · Post by **vixenmaster** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 1:07 pm

well i was up 22' or little more when i shot my doe. i am sighted in at 25 yds & it was 32 yds to her when i paced it off. my arrow hit 3" higher than i aimed, even using 560 gr arrows. i reckon she was trying to drop on me caused the shot to be high when it should have been couple inches low

rt2bowhunter · Post by **rt2bowhunter** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 1:25 pm

Thats all you can do keep a eye to the sky crows like deer meat.

sumner4991 · Post by **sumner4991** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 1:30 pm

[quote="bojangles"]....he will know to stay the heck away from that area now

...[quote]

Maybe not. I shot at a nice 8 point a couple of years ago and the arrow hit a bush. The deflection made the arrow hit low. All I got was a little blood and some white hair on the arrow . . .I just nicked him. He was back out there the next night, under the same apple tree. I decided to let him grow another year, I figured he earned it. Unfortunately, the other hunters may not have known cause I haven't seen him since.

Dumbazz · Post by **Dumbazz** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 1:44 pm

I would spend all day looking if I had the time.....just to be sure.

wabi · Post by **wabi** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 2:00 pm

Sounds like it may have been a high hit and went through muscle. In that case they will bleed a lot at first, then it will stop. Chances of survival are actually good.

Grizzly Adam · Post by **Grizzly Adam** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 3:11 pm

bstout wrote: A solid hit in the chest cavity and the old tail gets tucked between the legs and they take off running full tilt boogie like the devil is after them and they don't stop until they pile up.

I agree ... that is typically what happens with a boiler-room hit ... but I have seen exceptions.

I shot a cowhorn buck once at about 15 yards ... double-lunged him ... and he gave a big leap, ran about 20 yards and stood there looking around as if to say "What hit me?!" ... all while he was jetting pinkie-sized spurts of blood out each side. Within twenty seconds, he began to sway, and then he keeled over right there.

A similar thing once happened with another young buck I shot.

I've never had a doe do that ... they've all run like their feet were on fire and their, well, you know ... were catching!

I've also seen many deer killed on video that stopped running and stood there until they fell.

I don't want to be contradictory ... just pointing out that they don't always fly until they die!

bojangles · Post by **bojangles** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 3:13 pm

all this is good to hear and makes me feel a little better guys......His tail/back half was the only thing I could see when he stopped to look around to figure out what happened.His tail was flickering like he was nervous then after about 30 mins before he walked off and it was calm.I couldnt get another shot off because he was behind a bush..It would have been a 45-50 yard shot even if I had a clearing on the 2 shot....Im going to stay out of that area for 2 weeks to let things calm down after us walking all over the place...I think if I would have got him in the vitals he would have been down within 100 yards and bled more.My last buck ran 30 yards and swayed back and fourth and fell over on a double lung shot SO I would think this one would have done the same if hit good.

wabi · Post by **wabi** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 3:35 pm

Grizzly Adam wrote:
bstout wrote: A solid hit in the chest cavity and the old tail gets tucked between the legs and they take off running full tilt boogie like the devil is after them and they don't stop until they pile up.
I agree ... that is typically what happens with a boiler-room hit ... but I have seen exceptions.

I shot a cowhorn buck once at about 15 yards ... double-lunged him ... and he gave a big leap, ran about 20 yards and stood there looking around as if to say "What hit me?!" ... all while he was jetting pinkie-sized spurts of blood out each side. Within twenty seconds, he began to sway, and then he keeled over right there.

A similar thing once happened with another young buck I shot.

I've never had a doe do that ... they've all run like their feet were on fire and their, well, you know ... were catching!

I've also seen many deer killed on video that stopped running and stood there until they fell.

I don't want to be contradictory ... just pointing out that they don't always fly until they die!

I shot a doe a couple years ago that was 7 yards from the base of the tree the ladder stand was in. Since she was so close (quartering away shot) I purposely put the arrow a little far back & high. It got both lungs and she ran about 20 yards, stopped, and turned 180º to look back where she had been standing. After about 5 seconds she threw her head back and just collapsed right there.
It does happen, but it's not too common in my experience.

I have also (unfortunately) had the displeasure of hitting a nice buck above the spine (arrow deflected on an unnoticed twig). He left a good blood trail for about 50-75 yards then it stopped. I found a couple drops where he jumped a fence just past that point, but from there on I had to trail by following his tracks in the leaves he kicked up. He was still going strong 200 yards farther, and was taking a route a badly wounded deer probably couldn't have followed. I checked the area several times in following days and never found any sign of him, so I guessed he survived.

Michihunter · Post by **Michihunter** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 4:43 pm

Just my two cents. I think as some others do that you hit him high across the back. A cut through muscle will bleed like crazy for a few minutes but clots up relatively fast. Also a shot that high will sometimes nick the spine and shock the nervous system causing a deer to just stand there trying to get the feeling back in his legs etc. Normally a deer hit like that will recover. However here in Michigan we have a lot of coyotes. When they smell blood or pick up a blood trail it's all over for the wounded deer. They can smell blood a long distance down wind of a wounded deer and are relentless tracking/chasing it. I've been there and done that...not much left after only a few hours with a pack of yotes. If you have coyotes sit out late at night and listen for them yipping/howling then mark the area and check it out in the morning. At least you should be able to recover the rack. Good luck.

bojangles · Post by **bojangles** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 6:43 pm

I have hutned this property for 4 years and have not seen 1 coyote..or heard one for that matter.They are probably around but ive never seen them......I think im gonna switch to fixed heads now becasue what if it would have hit even higher than it did and hit the spine?expandable versus spine might not end up so well for me......I would feel alot better with a fixed head now......Im gonna order some grizz tricks this weekend.

Dave1 · Post by **Dave1** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 7:30 pm

After a hit and if the animal cannot be found, keep a daily watch on the area in the morning and watch for buzards. If the animal did die, they will eventually find him. The morning when they come off the roost is the best time to watch. They will go to wherever they smell a dead animal.

After a bow shot, the standard MO (method of operation) is to stay in the stand, wait, and listen. Wait at least an hour before going to look for your arrow, sign of hit, etc. The reason for the wait period is that an arrow kills by hemorrhage (severe loss of blood, bleeding to death). If the hit is not perfect and the bleeding out is slow to occur, it may take hours for the animal to actually expire. If you go after him too soon and he is still alive, he can jump and run a great distance and your chances of recovery are slim. If the hit was good and the animal is dead, he is not going anywhere. If not pursued, a seriously wounded deer will not go far before laying down. To wait in silence allows the animal to lay down close by and expire or stiffen up making recovery easier and likely. If evidence at the site and on the arrow reveals a bad hit such as a gut shot, back out quietly and leave the deer for 6-8 hours before beginning your search.

Deer are very resilient and are survivors. It is possible the hit was not fatal and he is alive and healing. Watch for his tracks, trail camera photos, etc. and you may see him again.

Dave